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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.
Fifty years from now the nostalgic scenes our heirs will conjure will be photos of us carrying guns supremely upgraded from the likes of Murray and his lot. Call it hunting, evolved.
Connecticut and Indiana have joined the growing number of states recognizing Federal Premium FireStick technology for use during their 2026 muzzleloader seasons. Two others —Arizona and California—recently approved the product in their hunting regulations.
Is bigger always better? Or does precision triumph over all? The ammo world will likely never agree. Nonetheless, Philip Massaro takes a look at the latest downsizing trend.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is finalizing a streamlined process for authorizing seasonal migratory game bird hunting that will allow seasons to be authorized earlier, providing sportsmen, states and tribes greater certainty for planning. The changes will also reduce unnecessary federal rulemaking.