1
2
3
4
Hello fellow Water Fowlers!!
opening day.
Well the long awaited day came and went for me down in Mississippi, the opening weekend of Duck season! And as usual good ol Mother Nature showed her tail again and took the cold temps we had the week before away and you guessed it, the birds left with the cold temps. What do you do when this happens to you? As I have talked about in past issues this is where scouting and knowing the lay of the land so to
We were fortunate enough to scratch out a few birds to have that opening weekend feast that was tied to Thanksgiving this year Saturday night. Friends and hunting partners all together testing our imagination on what recipe to dream up this year to satisfy our taste for the loved wild game! Of course there is always those challenges that the prey present by being wary and tuned into your game being as they have been hunted from Canada to the south where we are sense September. They have heard every call cadence out there and seen
speak, comes in handy. All that time during the dog days of summer and early fall spent glued to the google maps looking for those hidden “honey holes� in the timber that may hold a few choice birds for
every spread known to man with every form of motorized contraption these inventors can come up with to catch a hunters eye and money! Then there are the fellow hunters that have no
respect for your space that you intend to hunt alone. Yep, we had a adult with 3 young hunters come in on us in the back a small slough and ask if they could set up across from us? Of course I had all of them I wanted and started getting heated as he persisted on hunting where we were. My buddy even made the statement of there is only 28,000 acres here and you chose this 1 acre we are set up on already? Luckily he gathered his pride and moved his crew down the creek within 150 yards and set up. So, that brings the devil out in us and we make their day miserable as we promised and they ended up leaving within an hour of daylight, but only after they picked up their gear and did donuts in the boat for 20 minutes to get the proverbial last laugh. In closing as always think about the children and young hunters coming up. What example did the adult set to those up and coming hunters by challenging another hunter to drop their stand and allow them to walk in on top of us and possibly lead to a injury by shooting across from each other in such close quarters. These young hunters are our future that will grow to carry on what we teach them and harvest the game we helped conserve and to help keep the tradition going as they grow into adults and have their children. The phrase “do unto others as you have them do unto you� comes to mind, and to always leave it better than you found it. The great outdoors is not ours, it belongs to God and Country and we as visitors here on earth must protect it at all cost. Thanks to every one for taking time to read my article, and share my passion for this thing we all call Duck Hunting. Mike Harrison Pro Staff - American Outdoor Revolution In Photo, Ron Ouzts, Tim Burton & Gary Reach
5
6
Waterfowl hunting across the nation is exhilarating in all forms however none seem to be as wild, exciting, dangerous and downright crazy as hunting ducks on big water in a 1 man layout boat. Clients come from across the nation to hunt Michigan flyways for a variety of species and one of the highly coveted birds seems to be trophy Old Squaw a.k.a longtails. Well on a Thursday afternoon I got a call from a fellow captain and buddy of mine Patrick Hunt Cummings asking for help, and like many of you reading this when a friends calls on you for help you help them. Well Patrick called needing a second captain for a large group of hunters on Saginaw Bay chasing Squaw and let me tell you I was ready to go. The day of the hunt comes and the weather is not optimal nor enjoyable but these clients came from various destinations and were not scared by big wind, good waves and cold so away we went making a long trek to the hunting grounds in the dark, told you it was crazy right? So we get our first hunters in the boats and start setting the decoys and we get our first indications that today was going to be a good day, were still setting decoys with a few minutes left until shooting light and were already getting dive bombed by longtails and you can see the excitement on our clients faces, its going to be fun! Boats are set, decoys are set, hunters are in the boat radio checks are done, waves are bouncing, winds a ripping and its shooting time so the tenders slink off to hide and wait for the first kill! Well we sure didn't have to wait long before the work began so for the next few hours we laughed and joked, razzed hunters when they missed and cheered when they hit all the while keeping the rising winds and waves in our minds. Around 11:30 or so in the morning we had piles of birds in each boat marked with colorful zip ties for each hunter Patrick made the call that it was time to head in the winds were getting too bad and waves were getting too big so with smiles on our faces we collected our gear and started our trek back in. The saying smooth seas don't make a skilled sailor applied to the journey back in as the waves crested 5 ft and dare i say bigger and water pelting us all the way in but it couldn't put a damper on our day if anything it added to the experience! When we finally reached shore and got the boats on the trailers our clients got to hold their trophies and get some phenomenal pictures! It truly cannot be expressed the amount of fun it is to layout hunt big water and I highly encourage it to any waterfowl hunting enthusiast. If chasing Old Squaw on Saginaw Bay interests you I highly encourage you to Contact Captain Patrick Hunt Cummings on Facebook or myself at Dream Catchers Charters on Facebook and I can get you in contact with Pat! Connor Barr 7
the bathroom out in the canoe?? Hunting fanny pack filled with hand muff, snacks, gloves, and all of the things, wrapped around my waist, we’re headed to the marsh. There we unpack it all and organize in the skiffs for easy transport. Ok, easy may not be the correct word but it’s all packed tight and ready for the dragging of the skiffs to the water about two hundred yards out. “Watch those decoy heads!” rings out as I unpack the bags. “Hurry… hurry, someone is trying to beat us to our spot!” Drag the skiff, stop to sweat…. Drag the skiff further, stop and sweat a little more. Almost there! “Hey, where’s my gun?” … Go back to where we stopped to sweat, and get it. Whew that was close, they almost beat us.
NOTE TO SELF (the story of a mom’s 1st duck hunt) By: Angie Gade For years I’ve listened to the shots ring out on opening day of duck season, from the warmth of my bed, nestled far beneath the blankets, with my pup snuggled close to me. Meanwhile my husband and our sons would wade out into the marsh by moonlight, to wait in the darkness for flocks of geese, teal, mallards, or gadwall to fall in from overhead. Many mornings the boys arrive at lunchtime with tales of their marshy adventures, and big smiles on their faces. Stories ranging from the process of getting through the marsh, wet up to their neck, adventures of the dog kind, or glimpses of rare ducks they saw along the way. Move over black lab, momma is coming in for the hunt! My aim is pretty solid at an object standing still but those winged aerobatics can sure do a number on your security. I just figured, how will we know unless we try, right? So this is how I imagined it was going to go…I planned to get up, have some coffee from the canoe, while taking in the peaceful marsh until sunrise, at which time the skies will open up to the most beautiful sunrise I’ve ever laid my eyes upon, and unique ducks from far and wide will buzz us from every direction. It went something like that. 3:30 a.m. I made my way down to make sure I have a cup of coffee in me before we start. I help shuffle huge bags of decoys and skiffs into the truck. Wow, those babies are heavy. If I was told once I was told a million times, “Scuff the heads on those ducks and your days in the marsh are numbered.” They’re just kidding though… right? Time to layer up and get those waders on! Heading out the door yet? Nope… Oh, you just got your waders on? Now you have to pee. So off come the layers again for a final 8 potty break. Oh gosh…what happens if I have to go to
Finally, time for a sip of coffee. What? I tipped my coffee over on the way and what’s left has some sort of marsh greens concoction in it. Ugh, that’s out. NOTE TO SELF: Bring a thermos next time. At least I can warm my hands in my muff until it’s time to put out decoys! Umm… swamped as well. NOTE TO SELF: Tuck hand muff INSIDE my waders next time. Gloves? Yup, you guessed it, wet. The only dry thing was my lips… and looking for a sip of coffee! An hour before the season opens we’re legal to set up decoys which involved wading around in the darkness of the marsh, throwing those precious decoys into a pattern invisible to me. I watch as the boys make quick work of it. That’s quite the art if you ask me. “Make a pocket, the ducks love a pocket… “ I hear whispered in the darkness. I’m still not exactly sure what that means but as if they have ESP, each of the boys displays their best spread with such precision. I’m learning, taking videos and pictures, every so often letting out a squeal as my boots get stuck in the muck, pulling me in. I glance to the east and see the first light of day… sunrise is coming. It’s time to crawl into the skiffs, ready our guns, and steady our hand. Will I know where to aim? How will I know what kind of duck it is? Will my aim be steady enough from inside this boat? Here goes nothing… we’re about to find out. As if it were Christmas morning, my husband and son wait, wide eyed and watching for that first duck to appear. What I find out later on is that this look is more of a “We’re just HOPING that ducks appear” kind of look. This time of year the ducks are migrating south which means depending on the timing you could get lucky, or you could go home empty handed. Gun in hand, face paint on in an antler patter. Maybe wing pattern would have been more appropriate. My eyes seesaw from side to side, in anticipation. “Coming straight at us, 6 ducks, feet down” I hear from my left. I think to myself, Feet down? Yes, of course my feet are down, how else will I do this? “TAKE EM’” my husband says. Shots ring out, and my head echoes like a chamber. NOTE TO SELF: put earplugs in BEFORE the shooting starts. When the dust settles, ducks lay amongst the fully flocked decoys, and cheers echo through the marsh.
NOTE TO SELF: I don’t have to be quiet like in the stand deer hunting. Love it! “Did you shoot?” he asks me. Laughing out loud and smiling from ear to ear. I didn’t even have a chance to pull up before it was all over, but I’m feeling the adrenaline and it’s amazing. I’m not sure who’s faster, those ducks, or these boys! NOTE TO SELF: need to be faster next time. Over and over ducks hover, cupped up, in an amazing display of aerobatics unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The sheer skill of calling ducks and convincing them to stop in for a look see, assuring them that it’s safe, is something unlike anything I’d ever heard. With the exception of them practicing in the kitchen of course, which drives the dogs bonkers. Suddenly the boys hunch down behind the cattails. “Oh lord… big flock coming in hard. Don’t look up”. Each time he says that I think to myself, how will I see them if I don’t look up? Moments later he yells “TAKE EM!” Safety off, I lift my 12 gauge into the air, lining my site with a duck just in front of me. I see it’s a blue winged teal. BOOM… I launch that shot into the air! A duck falls from the sky, My duck! The last shot rings out and we collect our harvests. I’d actually done it… balanced myself in the skiff, took aim with precision, and now officially have 1 duck under my belt. I stared at it for the next few minutes, thanking God for allowing me this amazing day, for an amazing family with patience to teach me, awarding me an amazing bird, and memories of this experience that will last a lifetime. As the sun rises just above the cat tails, I stand quietly to take it all in, my first duck resting in my lap. What a blessing it is to share this moment with those I love. What a blessing it is to be called a hunter, and have the freedom to do so. NOTE TO SELF: always be thankful, and remember this day forever.
9
One of the main deterrents for waterfowl hunters is access, yet in each flyway there are scores of top-notch public waterfowling locations. These destinations aren’t secrets, and most can be found on the websites of state agencies or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ducksunlimited.com
10
The 2015 tally of 998,600 active duck hunters in the United States is less than half of the 2.03 million in 1970. Until the mid-1990s, U.S. waterfowl hunter numbers fluctuated yearly, moving up and down with the trends in duck populations. Deltawaterfowl.org They are not alone. Stuttgart, about 55 miles east of Little Rock, is known as the duck capital of the world. For the next two months, thousands of hunters will descend on eastern Arkansas and drop millions into the state's economy. Reuters.com These statistics are not the opinion of American Waterfowl Revolution. These statistics are provided by listed sources and AWR does not guarantee the statistics.
11
12
Purchase Tickets at rusticbarnoutdoors.com
13
Goose Prosciu o
Goose Prosciutto Recipe By Jason Dendy This is one of my favorite things to make from wild game. It’s very easy to make, it’s just not quick. You’ll need to allow several weeks for this to come together and develop. Prosciutto is a cured meat. You’ve likely seen it made from pigs in the grocery store or on a menu somewhere. And if you’ve ever had it, you know how good it is. There is no doubt and art form to curing meat and many families in Italy go back generations using the same techniques and recipes. I am not in the same ballpark with my charcuterie skills; however I want to offer you a simple, straightforward recipe for prosciutto that just about anyone with a tiny bit of patience can pull off. INGREDIENTS: 4 Goose Breasts (Skin on, all feathers and fuzz removed) 200 Grams Kosher Salt (about 1 cup) 3 Grams Pink Curing Salt (about ½ teaspoon, optional) 3 TBSP Garlic Powder 2 TBSP White Sugar 1 ½ TBSP Dried Oregano 1 TBSP Smoked Paprika 1 TBSP Red Pepper Flakes 1 TBSP Onion Powder 2 TSP Dried Basil 1 ½ TSP Dried Marjoram DIRECTIONS: Before you get started making your prosciutto, you need to select the best goose breasts possible for it. First, you will want to use breasts from a large, fatty bird. A good solid layer of fat is a must for making prosciutto so most of those early season resident geese you harvest in September probably won’t be the best candidates. I have used them like this, but they tend to dry out faster. Next, you want to make sure all feathers are removed from the breasts. Also, try to remove all of the fuzz and small hairs as you can from the meat as well. Combine all of the cure ingredients in a large bowl and stir them together. Sprinkle the bottom of a large glass or stoneware casserole dish with a couple tablespoons of the cure. Next, lay each goose breast skin side up in the dish. Pour the remaining dry cure over the breasts, making sure each breast is coated evenly. Cover the dish with a lid or plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. After a day has passed, remove the dish and drain off any liquid that has accumulated. Return to the refrigerator. 14
On the second day, repeat this process and flip the breasts over, skin side down. Return them to the refrigerator for another day. When 3 days have passed, take them out of the dish and wash any cure off with water and pat them dry with paper towels. The next step is to hang the meat. If you have a small refrigerator that would be best, but if you have room and a trusting spouse, your regular fridge will suffice. I have a small office size fried that I keep in the garage that does the job nicely, and I use it for other curing and drying projects as well. You will need to use a small hook of some kind. I fashion simple ones from thin pieces of metal that I can bend into a hook after cleaning up. Slip one end of the hook through a tag end of the skin in the goose breast. Now, bend the other end of the hook around the rack in the refrigerator. This will let the breast hang down and suspend, letting it dry out. This is where the patience factor comes in. You will need to leave this hanging for several weeks. It will be ready to eat after about three weeks, but I usually let them hang for at least a month, if not longer. When you decide to take them down, you can store the breasts, unsliced in plastic containers until you’re ready to use it. The longer you let the prosciutto dry, the more the flavors that you used in the cure will mingle with the flavors in the goose and fat. There is one last note to mention. Your prosciutto will likely develop some mold. White mold is fine, however I usually trim as much as I can away. Nasty, moist looking mold that is green or black is a bad sign that your batch is most likely ruined and should be tossed out. I’ve yet to have this problem. To serve your prosciutto, slice against the grain as thin as you can with a sharp knife. Serve on a good cracker with goat cheese or some sort of gourmet cheese. Hot pepper jelly goes well with this prosciutto, as does Fig or some other fruit preserves. To kick it up another notch and round out the flavors, place a sprig of fresh mint or basil on top. Honestly, the possibilities on how to serve and enjoy this fine prosciutto are endless.
into the call simply from blowing the call during a hunt can cause the call to swell. When this happens the insert can get stuck in the call and cause serious damage. And going back to leaving them in a vehicle, that moisture could freeze overnight, causing your calls to split. A little TLC can make your wood calls last for generations.
Duck Call Care: Tips to Get the Most Life Out of Your Call By, Jason Dendy - Insane Custom Calls As a callmaker, I’ve made a lot of calls over the years. I’ve also fixed, or retuned a lot of calls. Retuning of duck calls is a normal thing. But a little care can be taken and most of the other problems can be avoided. Some problems you might encounter could be: reeds sticking, insert getting stuck in the barrel, shrinking or swelling on wood calls, mud, sticks, or trash getting lodged in the barrel or under the reeds, or even bands falling off. The number one thing I tell people not to do with a duck or goose call, is leave them in your truck. I know, we all love to practice our quacks and comeback calls while we’re stuck in traffic. That’s fine, as long as you take them inside when you get to work or get home. The drastic temperatures that the interior of a vehicle can reach, whether hot or cold, can be devastating to a call. This can cause shrinking, swelling, splitting, or even cause any glues that might be used in the call to turn loose. Not to mention it’s terrible for the finish of your wood call. Don’t leave your lanyard hanging from the mirror, please. Just take them inside. You could have them stolen as well. Especially if you have a lanyard full of expensive calls and leg bands hanging from it. Better to be safe than heartbroken. Wood calls take a bit more care than acrylic calls do. When I’m done hunting for the day, I bring my wood calls inside, take them out of my blind bag, and pull them all off the lanyard. I then pull the insert out of each call and set the barrel and insert on a shelf or table so they can get air flowing through them. I wipe all the parts inside and out with a dry cloth. If it’s been raining or I’ve put a ton of moisture in the calls, I’ll even remove the cork and reeds. The moisture you put
On acrylic calls, you don’t have to worry about shrinking, swelling, or splitting like on wood calls. They are far more durable. I often take my acrylic calls if it’s raining just so I don’t have to worry about those issues. Even though you don’t have as many problems with acrylic calls, you should take care of them to keep them looking their best and functioning properly. It doesn’t hurt to wipe the calls inside and out after a hunt to remove any debris that might work its way under the reed and cause problems later. You can even wash your acrylic calls with soap and water and a soft, non abrasive cloth if they’ve gotten caked in mud. As far as cleaning the working parts of the call, which would be the reed, cork, and toneboard, simply remove the reed and cork and set those aside. Now, gently wipe off any moisture or debris from the toneboard. A Q-tip can be used to clean the tone channel all the way through the insert. This will remove anything that could cause problems later on. Wipe the reed and cork off with a soft cloth and inspect them for damage. Replace them if needed. Reassemble your call and you’re ready for your next hunt. Most callmakers will repair or retune your calls at any time if they guarantee their work. But a little time taken at the end of the hunt and throughout the offseason can extend the life of your call greatly. In many cases, you probably spent a lot of money on your calls, so why not take a little time and make them last? 15
area much because of the warmer temperatures than usual. That wasn't going to stop us ladies though. We were all about making this dream come true. As we made it to Western Kentucky that weekend, we sat down with Brent and his beautiful family to a delicious dinner of duck poppers and ground deer meat burgers. This was the first time for us ladies to eat duck and we weren't disappointed at all. That delicious meat got all us ladies fired up to get up at 3 AM and head out to hunt.
MOMENTS Have you ever looked at something so beautiful as this and try to burn that image into your head so you never forget it? I would hope that you answered yes to that question because if you've never experienced something this beautiful in the outdoors, you need to. As a Southeast Kentucky girl, I have never heard or grew up around duck or geese hunting. As I've gotten older, I started taking notice and thought about trying it out. I never knew if I could make it possible until Wildlife Women was formed and we started talking about learning and doing duck hunting. Luckily after a little searching and luck, we found someone to help make this dream come true. Brent Thompson from Pine Ridge British Labradors www.pineridgebritishlabradors.com drove a trailer full of duck and geese hunting equipment to Central Kentucky in September 2018 to teach us ladies about hunting ducks and geese. It was one of the most informational seminars that I have ever attended. When we left that evening, we all knew that Brent knew his stuff and we all had grown more excited to try this out. We set a date in January to travel to his hometown in Western Kentucky to hunt. As the date got closer, I grew more excited even though I wasn't sure how this was going to go or exactly what to expect. Everyone was talking on that end of the state how the migration was held up north still and wasn't moving down through our 16
We met Brent that early morning and found out what duck hunting is all about. The first morning was on a farm while the second morning was on Lake Barkley. Both mornings the sunrise was gorgeous. Such beautiful colors and a peacefulness that came with it. It wasn't until the second morning on the lake while taking a boat ride to where we were going to hunt that I was able to sit and look out at the sunrise. At that moment I sat there, being drawn to the vibrate colors in the horizon. Smiling more and bigger the longer I stared. I was drawn in, couldn't look away or maybe didn't want to look away. It was at the moment I realized how lucky I was to be there fulfilling a dream that I had always thought about. Water filled my eyes, and it wasn't lake water. It was the water that's inside you that comes from your tear glands. The tears flowed and I didn't care because the smile on my face said it all. This was my dream. A dream to come true. A moment in time that I will think about often. A moment that you would never think would ever happen but now has. It was my moment, which is more moments that I will make while enjoying the beautiful world that unfolds while hunting. More moments to be made to do duck hunting. Make moments in life whether its in the outdoors or with family indoors. Moments that you'll always treasure and moments that will always be burned into your head like the moments I made while duck hunting.
Upon retirement from the Army in 2009, I remained in Oklahoma continuing to hunt large and small game, adding Elk and waterfowl to the list of harvests and acquired the opportunity to work with the Fort Sill, Oklahoma Wildlife Biologists and Game Wardens participating in large game counts each year to determine the limit of each sex to be harvested for the upcoming hunting seasons and provided feedback during the hunting seasons of any visible diseases of the deer or elk during sightings. In 2010 began the art of predator hunting of coyotes. Raised beagles for rabbit hunting for many years until 2008 when I purchased my first Labrador retriever and trained it for waterfowl to which, in 2018, I started a small personal business called “Triple J Retrievers”, as a breeder and trainer of Labradors for waterfowl and shed finding. After retirement in 2009, I began to volunteer my time working with the youth on Fort Sill, participating and hosting youth hunting events for deer and turkey introducing our son into world of hunting who was 5 at the time. In 2015, we got the approval to introduce a waterfowl program for the youth on Fort Sill, which continues to grow in numbers grasping the attention of the military youth each year.
JOHN CLIPP Born in Pittsburg PA on 8-30-1970 (49) years old, married to Glenda Clipp since 2002 who also hunts and fishes. We have 4 sons, the youngest being John Clipp, Jr 14 who is an avid hunter and fisherman. Graduated from Laurel High School in Pennsylvania August of 1989, immediately joined the Army at 18 that same month as an Infantry Paratrooper, scout- Sniper, retiring after 20 years of service in September 2009 as a disabled veteran. I completed 3 combat tours, one in Haiti in the 90’s and two in Iraq from 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 for which I was wounded in action during the Iraq tours, receiving a Soldiers Medal, Purple Heart and a Bronze star and an Army Accommodation Medal with a “V” device for valor. I have been hunting since 12 due to the age limit for Pennsylvania laws, selflearning how to hunt deer, pheasant, rabbit, squirrel and turkey.
During these last 11 years of being an avid Waterfowler on Fort Sill, I have become known as the “Duckman” harvesting an average of over 225 ducks per year in accordance with Oklahoma regulations. I have had the honor and privilege of taking our youth outside of the waterfowl program on Fort Sill, but also disabled veterans, active duty and retirees on deer, turkey and waterfowl hunts, assisting them as a guide or a being a caller. I volunteer my time as needed with another veteran who volunteers for Shell Shocked Outdoors assisting in calling during Waterfowl. I also volunteer as a guide for the Army Corps of Engineers wounded warrior team in Vernon Texas that takes out veterans, wounded warriors and Purple Heart Recipients deer hunting. My wife and I volunteer for Cast for Kids. (Catch a Special Thrill). It is a fishing event for special needs and disabled kids 6-18 years of age. Follow them on castforkidsoklahoma.org
I also assisted the Pennsylvania Wildlife Biologists and Game Wardens in the fish, waterfowl and land management departments setting traps, stocking the different waters with fish, checking them for diseases, planted trees and stocked pheasants through the Laurel Conservation Club at the High School working through the Pennsylvania State Game Commission. During my 20 years in the Army, I have been all over the world and have had the privilege of hunting in many different states harvesting over 300 deer with a rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader (both traditional -percussion and flintlock) and bow. When stationed in Hawaii, I had the opportunity to harvest some goats and pigs. I shot competition in archery for several years using both traditional recurve and long bow and compound earning many trophies, but due to injuries sustained in combat, I have had to use a crossbow. 17
18
Our Fall Waterfowl Hunting Journey from South Louisiana by Eddie Rushing This year is the start of what is shaping up to be a great waterfowl season for all of us here on the Mississippi Flyway. With record freezing and our first push of migrating birds headed South it was time for Travis Stevens, myself, and our newly trained hunting pup Mr. Jones to head North to embark on a journey that we will never forget. Our first stop was a visit with our friend Bill Blythe the owner/operator of Sandy Run Hunting Company in Bluff City, IL. To say we were excited would be an understatement! This would be Mr. Jones’ first hunting trip and to make it even more special this was Travis’s first upland bird hunting trip as well. We started our trip leaving Baton Rouge on a Thursday afternoon and after a few minor setbacks we were finally on the road by early evening. So excited about our trip and what’s to come, we drove straight through the night. Arriving at our first designation just in time to watch the sun break over the horizon and show us the breath-taking beauty of Fall in the Mid-West along with the heart pounding sight of the Sandy Run Hunting Company Lodge. After some much needed rest and Bill’s fine cooking we were almost set to hit the field. Being that this was Mr. Jones first hunt and him being in a totally new environment Bill wanted to test all of skills with a friendly skeet shoot. As a seasoned wing shooter, I have to say those clay pigeons and what seemed like a century of an off season, it can certainly be a humbling experience getting back into the groove of wing shooting. After a few rounds and Mr. Jones calmly anticipating what’s to come. We received a few words of advice from Bill then off he went to set us up for a day in the field upland bird hunting. Our day with Bill was full of laughs, challenges, and memories we all will cherish for a lifetime. Travis harvested his first upland birds, Mr. Jones was a Rockstar, and I had the privilege to be with both of them on their first upland bird hunt. Now that we are dialed in on our shooting and Mr. Jones is fit for our journey, we set our sights on making our first big duck hunt of the year in Dixon, IL on the Rock River. With a just a minor pit stops ahead of us before our hunt, we have the privilege to attend the Putnam County Ducks Unlimited banquet dinner and visit with some old friends and make some new ones. We can’t thank the Putnam County Ducks Unlimited Chapter for your warm welcome and the awesome time we had attending your event. We are super excited to get in the blind with you guys later in the year. With our full bellies and Mr. Jones ready to go we set our GPS to Dixon, IL for some much-needed curled tail feather hunting.
This hunt was a special one for me, today we were hunting with Tom Phelan, his apprentice Cameron, Tom’s pup Dutch, and some great friends Wayne Walker and his two son’s Evan and Sam. What made this hunt for Travis and I was the opportunity and privilege to hunt with these young men in such a different environment than we get to experience in South Louisiana. The timing of our hunt and the migration of birds was off a bit, but Tom promised us three things 1. An awesome blind to hunt in, 2. We would have a full belly, and 3. A great time. Tom you sure hit the nail on the head with that one! Besides the opportunity to harvest a big club head drake mallard on this hunt, I was informed that the seat I hunted in belonged to Mr. Olt with Olt Game Calls. Which for me was truly icing on the cake Unfortunately, with our strict time schedule we only had that single morning to hunt with Tom and the guys. Now we were able to squeeze in an afternoon squirrel hunt with our friend Evan Walker before we prepared a true Cajun Cuisine of what I like to call Duck &; Squirrel Acadiana. For us it’s not all about the numbers we harvest but being able to spend quality time together breaking bread, laughing about some old times, and planning future ones that my friends is what this lifestyle and passion we share is all about! This part of our journey is were Travis, Mr. Jones, and I have been waiting on, our first ever waterfowl hunting trip in the great state of Iowa. We are headed to spend a few days hunting with Wyatt Madsen, his oldest son Gage, and their pup River in a part of the country we have never experienced. Weeks before our arrival we have been tracking the first push of migrating waterfowl birds and was headed to the X. Man where we excited, more like standing on pins and needles to get there. Wyatt and I had met months back over the summer and got to spend a little time together in South Louisiana, after hearing all of his exciting waterfowl stories I knew that if ever the opportunity where to present itself for us to get up there and hunt it would definitely be something to remember and boy was it ever! I can’t express the beauty of the Mid-West and all it has to offer, from the rolling hills, to the beautiful prairies, to the corn fields, and I mean corn fields. Never have I ever seen so much corn. The wildlife was plentiful. Pheasants flying out of the gravel roadside ditches, monster whitetail bucks appearing out of now where, Canada Geese in the cattle ponds, bison free ranging on the hill side at a reserve, to the ducks. In no way could a sportsman like myself or the two that was accompanying me ever get our fill in just a few days. Now when I say cold, Iowa was cold! The morning we met up with Wyatt, Gage, and River it was well in the low 20’s for us two South Louisiana boys it felt like -20. We chuckle at it now, but Wyatt stepped out of the truck barefoot in flip flops and we had the hardest time just getting out of the truck. Our first hunt with Wyatt and Gage they took us to their secret mallard hole deep into a maple forest, Travis and I were full of anticipation plus I was a slight bit nervous not knowing how Mr. Jones would do on his first duck hunt. After we got set up it was not a moment too soon here come the mallards, decoying less than 10 yards from where we was standing in the trees, after the blasts went off and watching them ducks hit the water I looked at Mr. Jones and he was ready with a fire in his soul. For me this was it, I could have packed it up and called it a success, but it was 19
only getting started. As everything seemed to be hitting on all cylinders Wyatt informed us the that the birds, we have been targeting pushed South with a winter storm front that was moving through and the next group of birds are still hung up in the Dakotas. That afternoon was slow, few birds but nothing like we experienced that morning. Here we go Travis and I said getting a little down and discouraged, we turned to the only thing we as waterfowlers knew to do, start reaching out to other waterfowlers and start pounding the pavement looking for birds. As we waited for the reports to come in, we started hitting the roads scouting known waterfowl holes, talking to our fellow waterfowlers at the boat ramps, glassing the reserves and look out towers to hopefully salvage our last few days of this journey. At dinner that night feeling a little defeated we noticed on the weather channel the winter storm was coming ahead of time pushing west out of the Dakotas bringing heavy wind and snow. You could have light up a room with the smiles and excitement that came from our table knowing what that would do to the ducks and for us waterfowlers desperately in the chase. The next morning was something Travis and I have rarely experienced snow! Even though the storm did not push the ducks like we expected this was something to remember. After we had a few birds come in and got to work Mr. Jones on them we decided to stop hunting and start scouting once again, hopefully to find the birds and have the opportunity to start our waterfowl season off with a bang. So, we packed it up and hit the roads scouting again. This time we noticed that the reserve had doubled in birds from the evening before, Wyatt leading the charge we went and glassed a few areas and on our last place to look it was like something you would read in a Ducks Unlimited article. We found the X and the birds where all over it. Here we go the stage is set, it’s a field hunt on the edge of three puddle ponds, in our layout blinds, 1000 miles from home, and the forecast is calling for a snowstorm. I can’t speak for Travis or Wyatt, but this was a hunt I’ll never forget! Wyatt, Gage, Tom, Cameron, Wayne, Evan, Sam, and Bill thank you for treating us like family, opening your homes up to us, sharing your hunting spots with us, and forever being a part of our waterfowl hunting memories. I will forever remember this adventure and tell the stories of the time two South Louisiana duck hunters and a young GWP pup got to experience 20
such an amazing experience Chasing Our Passion with our fellow waterfowl hunters. Travis Stevens thank you for accompanying Mr. Jones and me on this adventure and capturing it with your fantastic photography and videography skills, so we have the opportunity to cherish this adventure for a lifetime. I’d also like to give a huge thank you to Putnam County Ducks Unlimited Chapter for having us at your event and for what your chapter and the entire Ducks Unlimited Organization does for our waterfowl and their habitats. Always #ChaseYourPassion, Eddie Rushing
21
and big trucks driving by were pretty prominent. I made a couple more cuts and yelps with the mouth call and way off in the distance I heard it again. This turkey had to be about 800 yards or more. This time when the turkey gobbled James heard it too. That sparked my interest even more, because in my mind, I was hoping that this bird was coming closer. A few more minutes went by and I gave it a few more yelps. Immediately the bird responded and I could have sworn I heard a double gobble. Could it be two birds? Possibly a real excited single gobbler that was coming in? Either way, I knew that the sounds of a gobbler were getting closer. We positioned Mason where we thought he would get the
My Godson’s First Hunt It was opening morning for Spring turkey season in South Texas on the 16 th of March 2019, when my God Son took his first animal ever in a hunt. It happened like clock work and it couldn’t have happened in a more unbelievable fashion. My best friend, and longtime military buddy, James Wagner, and his son Mason Wagner (7 years old) have been practicing for the last 2 months with Mason’s brand new Mossberg .410 shotgun. Mason had been hitting targets with 2 ½ inch shells at 20, 25, and 30 yards for months now and we were certain to give this little guy an attempted shot at a turkey. As everyone knows, turkeys don’t always read the script, but this turkey hunt was one for the ages. We literally had to walk 200 yards behind Mr. Darren Westfall’s house to a wood line that fingered out over a field. As we got all set up and listened to mother nature come alive that morning, I hit the old turkey call and listened for a response from a gobbler. All was silent. Five minutes later we hit it again. Nothing!! Not a peep out of any turkey’s in the area. This seemed strange as Mr. Westfall had told us that he had heard and seen birds several times on his 25 acres of land. Well as any hard core, seasoned turkey hunter knows, patience will pay off, but it’s tough to keep a young 7 year old entertained and occupied when nothing is happening. All of a sudden, of in the faint distance, I heard what I thought was a VERY far and distant gobble. When I looked at James, he hadn’t reacted at all. I was hoping that I wasn’t hearing things, so I asked James if he had heard the gobble also. He said that he couldn’t hear anything. We were set up about 400 yards from the interstate so the sounds of the cars 22
best shot. After a few minutes, I gave the old bird some real soft yelps and he gobbled about 100 yards away. It was probably one of the loudest and most thunderous gobbles I’ve ever heard, and it was followed by even more birds gobbling with him. This was definitely going to be a treat. As the birds approached in sight, they came in through the woods off to my right. James and Mason were sitting to my immediate left, so I was thinking this would be a tough shot. We had a hen decoy out in front of us about 30 yards away, but the four gobblers that came in held up to my right and would not come out to the decoy. Was something wrong? Was there something that they saw that didn’t look right? They started to look spooked and came immediately out of strut walking away!! Our hopes of harvesting a nice Rio Grande turkey were slipping away right before us. But wait!! Now we figured out why those birds left in such a hurry. Across the field, sprinting in, was the king Rio of all Rio’s. He was the mega, ultra, all mighty Rio Grande turkey and he was coming in to whoop some tail. This new bird was on a mission. He did not want those other strutter’s in his area. He was silent. He never made a sound, but somehow those other birds knew that he was the dominate bird in that area and they were leaving with a purpose. As soon as he ran those birds off, I cut and yelped a few times at him and he let off the gobble that would echo throughout the land. This old and wise Rio Grande turkey knew how it was supposed to work. He stayed just out of distance and wanted the hen to come to him. He gobbled a few times, so I knew I needed to romance him a little bit sweeter. The soft calls from my old mouth call did the trick, but he would only come in to the 40 yard mark. Little Mason had been practicing this whole time, so this was his chance. James had bought some Federal Heavyweight TSS Tungsten #9 shot in 3inch .410. These were some very expensive, but proven rounds that have smoked turkey as distances that are unbelievable. James told Mason that when the turkey lifted his head up, to go ahead and give him the business end of that shotgun. I cut a few times very aggressively and the turkey came out of strut and Mason laid him down with one shot! I couldn’t believe it. I would have never believed in a million years that a .410 with those shells could do something like that to a turkey, but it happened right before my eyes. It was an amazing 40 yard shot that smoked that turkey dead!! At that point, James jumped up screaming, yelling, and hooting and
hollering as any proud parent would do. He was so excited, he left Mason sitting in the woodline, and he kept screaming over and over that his boy had just killed a monster. Truthfully, it wouldn’t have mattered if Mason would have shot a Jake, but what he killed was an absolute magnificent bird for his first turkey. The bird weighed in at 22lbs. The beard was over 10 ½ inches long, but the spurs were so awesome. They measured in at 1 3/8 inches and were true curved limb hangers for sure. A heck of a bird for his first turkey ever, and on his first hunt ever. Mason was all smiles and was completely excited to do this hunt. He’s now looking forward to his next turkey hunt in a few weeks. James and I have wondered if we have ruined this kid, because we just don’t know if Mason can ever kill a better bird. He certainly won’t know the difference at 7 years old, but we are going to give it our best shot. We love to give a huge shout out and thank you to Mr. Darren Westfall for letting us hunt on his property in Pleasanton, TX. This hunt couldn’t have worked out any better, and we are extremely grateful for this opportunity to take little Mason out on his first hunt. A hunt of a lifetime!! First Sergeant (Retired) Steven R. Holden
23
24