Any way you measure it, the tundra swan is a lot of bird. But it can’t be hunted in a lot of places. Only eight states, in fact, offer a tundra swan season. Utah is one of them, and near the Great Salt Lake the author sought a wide-winged trophy.
Stuttgart, Ark., and its environs are known for flooded-timber duck hunting. But the region offers so much more to waterfowlers who venture from beneath the canopy.
Turkey hunters have the slams. Deer hunters have wall hangers. What conquest do waterfowlers have? Try hunting all four flyways in one season—yeah, that’ll do for some accolades.
Two Octobers ago found Kyle Wintersteen in a North Dakota marsh hunting a diversity of waterfowl. Someone mentioned that a local taxidermist mounted ducks at just $100 a pop—including shipping! What could possibly go wrong?
Part of the allure of hunting North American waterfowl is the sheer diversity of species. But which of those species stands out above the rest? Kyle Wintersteen believes he's devised a way to determine the continent's "best" duck. Let the debate begin.