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Need a new duck hunting spot? Open a map. See those blue lines? They're rivers.
Gallery
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Late-Season Freeze
Find a pocket of open water and you’re in business. Sean Hammock of Big Sean's Outfitting, who hunts and guides the St. Joseph River in northern Indiana, widens the hole until the ice will support 50 to 100 rester and sleeper goose decoys. Ducks will also work the spread.
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Small Rivers and Big Creeks
You can still achieve good visibility with a small spread if you add a little motion. Tim Herald, host of "The Zone TV" on the Sportsman Channel, places his spread at the edge of a riffle and adds two spinning-wing decoys.
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Early- and Mid-Season
Before the freeze, visibility is key. Even if Field Hudnall, Avery pro staffer and founder of Field Proven Calls, is duck hunting, his favorite spread (see sidebar, above) consists of 90 to 120 floating and full-body geese plus a dozen ducks.
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Deep-Water Divers
Captain Bob Wetherald, pro staffer for Benelli and Final Approach, uses two gang-rigged lines of bluebill decoys to form his V-shaped spread. The “V” points toward the current. A sandbar is an ideal location.
Is hunting becoming "cool" again? In an era when America’s top podcaster and cage-fighting commentator, Joe Rogan, talking hunting with Yellowstone superstar Luke Grimes seems almost commonplace, you'd have to think that the popularity of hunting is on the ascendency. How can we help it along? Read on, for Frank Miniter's thoughts on breaking hunting back into the mainstream.
The 7x57mm Mauser and the .308 Winchester are two of the most versatile and popular cartridges to make the jump from military to field use. Which makes the more sensible choice for the big game hunter? Follow along as Phil Massaro takes a dive into this pair of classics.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) recently awarded a $400,000 grant to the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) to fund three state-led projects aimed at conserving, restoring and enhancing big game seasonal habitat and migration corridors in Nevada, Washington and Wyoming.
If you legally can use a suppressor, is it becoming rude not to? A recent hunt in New Zealand, where suppressors are almost required equipment, got Brad Fenson thinking about the question. Follow along for the pros and cons of cans, as well as a discussion of the changing cultural norms surrounding their use.