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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.
One of America's favorite semi-automatic hunting rifles is back, in the Browning BAR MK 4. In this video, American Hunter Editor in Chief Scott Olmsted checks out the Hunter model, with a beautiful walnut stock, and aluminum alloy receiver.
The 7mm BackCountry came to light last year this time, utilizing a Peak Alloy steel case to raise the pressure limits from the traditional 65,000 psi all the way up to 80,000 psi. For 2026, Remington has joined the party with three offerings for the 7BC: Core-Lokt, Core-Lokt Tipped, and Speer Impact.
Late last month, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) verified a Dec. 6 photo of an adult cougar being followed by two kittens down a snowy trail in central Ontonagon County. The last time the kittens were documented—in early March 2025—they were only about two months old and alone, raising concerns about their survival.
Private lands play a central role in the well-being of people and wildlife throughout the West, but the economic pressure increases each year. A new, groundbreaking report sheds light on the efforts and investments landowners continue to make, despite that challenge, to conserve and steward remaining intact lands and natural resources.
White Label Armory, a manufacturing and supply subsidiary of VKTR Industries, is launching a new budget friendly, duty-capable suppressor line available to dealers exclusively through Sports South.
CVA has unveiled its new Scout Spur in 28-gauge with fresh patterns. The Scout Spur is lightweight, handy and now in .28-gauge gives hunters more options in the field.