This is a good time to plan hunts for those days when birds are just not moving or are gun-shy from encounters with myriad waterfowling setups due to the hunting pressure of the early season. My solution for this is jump-shooting. It may seem to be a simple plan, but jumping ducks comes with certain requirements for it to be successful.
Here’s how to effectively jump-shoot ducks Read More »
From my perspective, summer had been passing agonizing slowly. The seemingly unending hot, humid streak made autumn appear far way, so I put hunt plans on the shelf.
Until now. I was nearly in shock as I recently realized that bird-hunting seasons are right around the corner. Suddenly, there are myriad tasks to accomplish, such as finishing my Hydro-Turf boat floor installation, organizing decoys and, importantly, scouting for hunting locations and brushing up on low-light duck identification.
Waterfowl pre-season prep: The time is now to get organized Read More »
Summer is fading fast, and that’s fine with me. I don’t have the same passion for angling that I do for bird hunting, so when fall draws near, I concentrate on wingshooting gear and skills.
Chief among those is shotgun practice, which sees me and friends hitting sporting clays ranges with greater frequency. Putting in time on clays courses will pay dividends once bird seasons open. My pheasant-hunting companions all know I loathe missing a pheasant after my dogs worked to flush it in good range.
Sporting-clays efficiency equals shotgunning confidence and more birds in the bag Read More »
Summertime can be tough for serious Midwestern bowhunters who would rather be hunting critters than punching paper or foam. It’s also the time when we cross our fingers, hoping for tag draws from other states.
As Minnesotans, we’re lucky that our western neighbor, South Dakota, has private-land deer and pronghorn tags that are 100% draw for archers. Licenses for that state’s public lands are available through a lottery.
Can’t get enough bowhunting? Some Western options remain Read More »
If you’re a frequent bird hunter who targets waterfowl or upland birds, having a pair of game dogs is always better than one. If watching a single dog is a pleasure, then two must be even better, right?
Well, that’s the way I see it.
Hunting Dogs: Here’s why two are sometimes better than one Read More »
About 20 years and four Labrador retrievers ago, I was perched in a dense cattail island awaiting the first flights of ducks. It was opening day, and prospects looked good for me and my energetic, 11-month-old Lab, Mercury.
While we passed the minutes waiting for legal shooting time, dozens of blue-winged teal and a few wood ducks sizzled over our decoys, some alighting within the set. Moments after the clock struck legal shooting, I dropped a pair of gorgeous drake woodies, which Merc deftly retrieved.
Summertime dog training means practicing marks; here’s how to do it Read More »
Twenty years ago, when I was in better shape, I bought a mountain bike from a professional mountain bike tour racer. The bike was outfitted with every conceivable off-roading option, including 21-speed gearing, technologically advanced shocks, and a host of add-ons.
Riding that rig up steep, loose grades seemed easy compared to my former bikes. Even when I was loaded down with a heavy pack, it coursed through muddy trails and jumped small downfall trees with aplomb. Nowadays, it is rare to see a hunter traversing trails on a regular bike because advances in battery technology have created electric-powered two-wheelers.
E-bikes change how hunters, anglers reach their spots quickly, cleanly, and quietly Read More »
These days, when folks look to research monster-sized whitetail bucks, they usually turn to the Internet for information. Unfortunately, the web, specifically social media, is rife with giant deer, some grotesquely massive due to being raised and killed on high-fenced ranches.
This can lead neophyte hunters into believing big deer are commonplace and that opportunities abound to harvest genuine wall-hangers.
Truth is, harvesting a Pope and Young (P&Y) or Boone and Crockett (B&C) qualifying deer is difficult. Matter of fact, in my home state of Minnesota, only one in every 100 bucks killed will score 100 Boone and Crockett inches.
Looking back at the biggest typical bucks in the Boone and Crockett record books Read More »
The 2024 Minnesota waterfowl season left me unsatiated – a feeling that nagged at me until I began planning an out-of-state waterfowling foray.
Just like many other Minnesota waterfowlers, the myriad days of stagnant action this past season left me craving more, scheming to extend my duck-hunting days. My first thought was a trip to southeastern Texas to chase birds on vast Sam Rayburn Reservoir, a body of water I know well. However, I had neither the time nor desire to trek 19 hours one way for a waterfowl trip.
Nebraska provides exciting winter waterfowling action Read More »
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