Extending the Waterfowl Season
By Mick Hanan
Over recent years the mid-continent light goose population has seen an explosion in numbers. These birds have been eating themselves out of house and home across much of their breeding range. Many of us have found this as a great way to extend our waterfowl season. With the 2010 season just around the corner I’d like to reflect back on the last 10 springs. We’ve seen numerous advancements in equipment and it’s been trial and error testing along the way. The spring can offer some extra challenges that can drive a guy to go to the extreme.
Over the last few years I’ve thought to myself numerous times, “why is it that I get up at 2 in the morning, drive for hours, put out hundreds or maybe even thousands of decoys, just to get it handed to me by thousands of wary eyes?” Well, there’s only one logical reason I can come up with . . . PAYOFF! When the stars align and the skies turn you watch that funnel come down over your spread and it is a thing of beauty. Now, over the years I’ve found that I could be happy with watching birds and not need to pull the trigger but snows are different. There’s a different demon that comes out in a person.
The obsession started long before I ever spent a day in a snow goose spread. To make money in high school I spent hours upon hours putting together snow goose decoys for my boss. I guess he felt my skills were better spent trying to create the perfect windsock decoy than delivering carpet. The first time I sat in a snow goose spread came ten years ago in North Dakota. It was a day trip out, find two flocks, set up in between, and give it our best. With sunny skies, 50+ temps, and south winds we spent the day without pulling the trigger which only made the obsession worse. There were return attempts off and on for the next few years. Finally, in ’03 I got the chance to get in on a decent shoot. It was all downhill from there as I started school in South Dakota the following fall.
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What do grey whiskers mean in the world of waterfowl?
By: Trey Bullard
What do gray whiskers mean in the world of waterfowl? Think about that and how you became involved in the sport. Things become a little clearer that is all about the gray whiskers and the stories they can tell. Just like those of yester-year, there is a tale to tell from the frosted whiskers on ones face. Like the old grizzled guide who’s been chasing ducks for more than forty years who has stories to tell about blind burnings on sunken lands, triple dipping in the days of the point system, or those who made money over winter by shooting ducks out of rice fields in....
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When Every Hunter's Dreams Become a Reality
By: Mick Hanan
On Saturday October 4th we (Nick Docken, Russ Docken, Cody Worner, Jason Wood, my dad and I) departed from Fergus Falls, MN destined for Western Saskatchewan. We left with high hopes and big dreams. Little did we know those lifelong dreams would actually become a reality.
After 18 hours on the road traveling almost a thousand miles, we arrived at our destination. It was nearly eleven o’clock at night. We had reservations at a newly opened bed and breakfast. A local married couple (Yvonne and Gille) were hosting us for the week and they were excited, yet a little nervous, for our arrival. This was the first time they were having a group of hunters stay with them and they weren’t quite sure what to expect. We were greeted with open arms and they allowed us to take over most of their house as well as their garage. We settled in and made ourselves comfortable and began the unpacking process. Next, it was time to sit down with the hosts, have a few beers, and get acquainted. Before long, it was time to turn in for the night.
In Canada you can’t hunt on Sundays, so we woke up Sunday morning at sunrise and headed out to see what the bird outlook was for the next few days. We spent the morning scouting a couple of honey holes from last year. It didn’t take long before we found out that our timing for the trip was looking pretty good. The mallards poured out of the big water and headed straight for the pea fields we were familiar with. They were followed by the snows, white-fronts and lesser Canada geese. As we watched the fields fill up with birds, our expectations for the week started to rise. We secured permission and headed back to the B & B for brunch. Our meal was excellent and continued to be that way all week. We spent the afternoon preparing our gear for the next morning and discussing a temporary plan. That evening we left the Dad’s at the ranch to cook dinner and the other four of us went back to our fields to assure the birds fed their again that evening. We were not disappointed. The number of birds had multiplied and things were looking good for the morning.
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Stay One Step Ahead of Late Season Honkers
By: Bryan Pietig
There is no question that late season Canada geese can bring some of the greatest challenges to even the most seasoned waterfowler, and for obvious reasons. By this time of year these birds have seen the decoys, heard the calling, and flown into numerous pits and blinds while seeing them open upon descent. To add to the madness, Mother Nature can throw harder curve balls than a major league pitcher during the months of December, January, and February which not only makes conditions extreme for the hunter, but changes the patterns and moods of geese on a daily basis. When the going gets this tough, you need to throw a few curve balls of your own.
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