35 minute read
SAVING LIVES ON THE FRONT LINES
SAVING LIVES ON THE FRONT LINE
Book chronicles a California outdoorsman/Navy doctor's story.
When he was entering his fourth and final year of medical school, Donnelly Wilkes was excited about his future as a doctor and an ensuing career in the United States Navy.
But when terrorists hijacked four planes on Sept. 11, 2001, causing thousands of deaths and sent a reeling nation into mourning, Wilkes’ euphoria turned to uncertainty and fury.
“The United States has been attacked! I’m astonished at the sight of the burning buildings, bewildered at how such a thing could happen to us. A feeling of dread comes over me as I stare at sobbing, terrified New Yorkers running through ashen streets,” Wilkes writes in his memoir. “My sadness quickly turns to anger, and all I can think of is ‘Oh God, what can we do now, what happens next?’”
Wilkes grew up in Placerville, California, about 50 miles east of Sacramento, in a family with plenty of military ties and that also had a love for hunting and the outdoors (see our interview in the following pages). Wilkes did his undergraduate work at the University of California Irvine and attended medical school at Tulane University’s School of Medicine in New Orleans on a full Navy scholarship.
Dr. Wilkes graduated from Tulane and embarked on his service as a lieutenant commander in the Navy, which would eventually take him on seven years of active duty, including two combat tours in Iraq as a field doctor in 2004 and 2008. He would be awarded the Navy Commendation Medal with Valor for his actions in the Battle of Fallujah in April 2004.
These days, Dr. Wilkes runs a clinic in Southern California and still enjoys outdoor adventures in his home state and throughout the West. His book details the highs and lows of his time in combat, where he and colleagues worked tirelessly to save the lives of soldiers wounded in combat during the Iraq War.
The following is excerpted from Code Red Fallujah: A Doctor’s Memoir at War by Dr. Donnelly Wilkes and published by Post Hill Press/Simon & Schuster.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY DR. DONNELLY WILKES
Throughout the deployment our battalion worked closely with the Iraqi police, training them and conducting joint missions during offensive operations. This is in preparation for when Iraqis will eventually take over security enforcement of their cities and
ultimately their country.
It is an extremely time-consuming, frustrating and difficult task for the Marines. There are only a few Iraqis with meaningful experience in law enforcement, and those who have the training use unorthodox techniques, tactics, and procedures. They are ill equipped and underpaid, making retention extremely precarious. All these problems are inherited by the Marines. Throw in cultural and language barriers, and it becomes a slow and endless dance of twosteps-forward, one-step-back progress. Despite this, our men work diligently with the Iraqis towards their sovereignty, committing money, uniforms, weapons, and hours of blood and sweat to the cause.
Corruption and thievery are rampant among the Iraqi ranks, and when caught it is important to call out and punish these individuals to deter this behavior. On June 7 [2004], I attended a staff meeting outlining a plan to detain and prosecute five criminal individuals discovered among the Iraqi police. Our battalion commander plans to arrest and parade
Growing up in California's Sierra Nevada foothills as part of an outdoors-loving family that also had military bloodlines, Donnelly Wilkes had a pretty good idea what he wanted to do. He became a Navy doctor and in his book, Code Red Fallujah: A Doctor’s Memoir at War, he chronicles his experiences in Iraq.
During one convoy ride to an Iraqi police station , Wilkes (far right with his siblings and father, Mike) put in a dip of tobacco, which was “something I reserved for hunting trips and ‘male bonding’ with my brothers; Iraq brought back the indulgence.”
them in front of fellow Iraqi police members, sending a message that corruption will not be tolerated. The plan is to take a team of Marines to the Iraqi police station in Al-Garma during what should be a routine payday for the Iraqis. I will join the mission with five corpsmen to perform brief medical exams for each Iraqi officer as a gesture of goodwill and as a diversion tactic.
After the corrupt members are paid and complete their medical exam, they will be placed in handcuffs and escorted in front of all other policemen, sending a message that corruption will be dealt with seriously. The remaining Iraqi police will be paid promptly and thanked for their service. This mission is named “Operation Silent Switch.”
OUR BATTALION LAWYER is Capt. Jamie McCall. Among many nontraditional duties you might expect of a lawyer, his job is to pay the Iraqi police. For the Al-Garma mission, he will take thousands of dollars in cash to pay each member of the Iraqi police.
After learning about the medical role in the operation, I suspect we will be working closely together. Jamie and I first met in Okinawa before leaving for Iraq, and over the past couple months we became fast friends. He attended law school at Penn and shortly after joined the Marine Corps.
I saw a lot of myself in him; his passion for life and commitment to duty as a Marine Corps officer inspired me. We bonded quickly, in part because we both chose professions sometimes perceived by society as those of opportunity, yet we found ourselves amidst war, executing our vocations in a capacity we never truly imagined.
During deployment, we killed time
Q&A WITH DR. DONNELLY WILKES
We chatted with Dr. Donnelly Wilkes, who served multiple deployments in Iraq with the U.S. Navy, about his experiences in combat (including a desperate attempt to save a wounded serviceman, Lt. Jackson, which appears in Wilkes’ book), his love for the outdoors growing up outside Sacramento, and his Southern California-based Summit Health Group, of which he’s president and medical director.
Chris Cocoles Congratulations on a really compelling book. What inspired you to pursue this project? Dr. Donnelly Wilkes After returning from my deployment and as the Iraq War dragged on, I realized what an important event the Battle of Fallujah had been, and how it had changed me. There were only a handful of physicians as close to combat as we were in Fallujah. Moreover, the Battle of Fallujah proved itself to be the premier and most violent event of the entire 10-year Iraq War.
Three years after Fallujah, I found myself in desert boots once again, heading back to Iraq for another deployment. Memories and emotions from Fallujah were stirred. I needed something to help get me through another deployment, and I felt a calling to tell my story from Fallujah. It was then that Code Red Fallujah came to life. My writing helped me harness the positives from my combat deployments, release emotional strain, and evolve as a physician.
CC And considering some of the horrors of war you witnessed in Iraq, was writing this book a bit cathartic for you? DW Yes, it was. As my second deployment commenced, it stirred up emotions from the Battle of Fallujah. My writing helped me put my thoughts on paper and work through some tough memories from Fallujah. It also helped me express the importance of my faith – and its ability to help us endure. connections in your family – your grandfather fought in World War II and Korea and only an injury prevented your father from enlisting during Vietnam – so was pursuing a career in the Navy something you always thought about along with going to medical school? DW The culture in my family has always been one of patriotism. America is our beloved home team, and whether up or down I learned to support and root for our nation’s endeavors. Service to our country was frequently celebrated at family gatherings. I knew at a young age I would follow suit in some capacity but wasn’t sure how. I let my passion for education and adventure drive this ship, so when the Navy offered me a full scholarship for medical school, that ship set sail.
CC How much did the Sept. 11 attacks impact you as a young man in the armed forces? DW When the [World Trade Center’s] Twin Towers came down, I was in my fourth and final year of medical school – on the cusp of fulfilling my dreams as a medical doctor. That day, I sensed my career as a Naval officer would be much different. The tide had turned, and I felt an even stronger pull towards active duty. I felt edgy about what it might mean to go into harm’s way but pumped up to be a part of the best fighting force in the world. By this time, I had attended officer training school in Newport, Rhode Island, and I was ready to don the uniform and jump in the ring.
CC I was so moved by your experience trying to save the life of Lt. Jackson. You write about how much that moment affected you spiritually. Looking back, how much did that shape who you are now? DW This event truly altered my evolution as a physician, Naval officer and Christian man forever. That night was a turning point in my deployment. I was really struggling with the intensity of combat trauma and incoming mortars and rockets we were receiving at our field aid station. Jackson’s death put me over the edge, and I felt myself bursting at the seams. The spiritual reckoning I write about is what turned the battle in my favor, and I have never forgotten that lesson. In my personal and professional life, I have drawn on the strength I gained over and over again. I have the good Lord’s strength on my side, and with this, I cannot fail.
The trials of life still wound me, but they don’t inflict as much pain and I bounce back quicker. I have more empathy for my patients, and I see their struggles and rough sides through a softer lens. My temper has softened, and my ability to find time for the simple love of life has evolved. I am a better doctor, husband and American because of that night.
CC You grew up around Sacramento [Placerville]. That’s such a great outdoors mecca. Is that where your love of hunting evolved? DW Yes, I learned to hunt in the oaktree-lined foothills of our home in El Dorado County. We started with pellet guns hunting rabbits and quail right in our backyard. My father taught me the camaraderie found in hunting and the love of nature. He taught me to clean our kills and we always ate what we hunted. We moved on to hunting deer outside Placerville in the Sierra Nevada, and then finally to bigger hunts out of state.
CC Can you share a California hunting memory? DW This story comes straight from my father, Mike Wilkes:
“Donnelly and (brother) Riley were 8 and 9 years old and excited for our annual deer hunt. It would be the three of us and another hunter friend of mine. Typically, my friends left their kids home but not me. Our destination was halfway between Placerville and Lake Tahoe, 20 miles north of Highway 50 in the Sierra Nevada. We drove in on dirt roads as far as we could go. Then all of us loaded up with backpacks and hiked over 4 miles
to make our camp.”
“Eventually, we had to retreat into our tents. Thus, it began the most miserable night I have ever had. Our tent was a joke – not only did the rain seep right through the top, but it also ran like a river down the seams of the floor, soaking everything in its path. Riley was the only one who had an air mattress and stayed dry in his sleeping bag. Donnelly and I were doomed as the streams below the tent floor blossomed and soaked our sleeping bags. Donnelly was freezing and climbed into my bag. Huddling skin to skin was all I could do to keep him warm. I stayed awake the entire night, hating myself for getting us into such a horrible situation. Thankfully, Riley slept soundly on the air mattress!”
“Before dawn, I escaped from our water-drenched tomb, packing all our gear in the dark. At first light, we were ready to hike out of the snow-crusted forest. We made it down the mountain in record time, bringing a safe end to our adventure. I can say without a doubt it was the worst night I have ever spent, and I vowed to never skimp on gear or go hunting unprepared ever again!”
CC My dad was in the Navy and he’d talk to me a lot about the brotherhood of those you serve with. Did you feel that even more about those you not only worked with but those wounded warriors you treated? DW Yes, when you have a wounded man or woman under your care, you feel the ultimate responsibility to care for and protect this person who has been wounded. Throw in combat in the background, and this event or moment becomes crystallized in your memory. I remember the details of their wounds and the vulnerability in their eyes. Some persevered gloriously, while others succumbed to the ultimate fate. Each of them had a deep and CC Are we doing enough for our veterans after they come back from combat? DW During and since my service the care for our veterans has come a long way. But like [actor and veterans’ activist] Gary Sinise says, “We can always do a little more.” As a physician and a patient, I have personally provided and received medical care in our VA system and can attest to the vast improvements over the last 20 years. Now that we have made great strides in the access and delivery of medical care for our veterans, we can continue to refine and improve all services offered.
I want to personally bring attention to the following mental health services:
The National Center for PTSD (ptsd .va.gov), which has free consultation for any provider treating veterans for PTSD or related issues.
PTSD Coach App: an evidencebased app with information for family, friends, or patients on symptoms, screening tools, links to support, and treatment options.
CC You’re a dad now. What would it mean to you for your kids to follow in your footsteps of pursuing a career in medicine or the military, or both? DW I am an all-girl daddy, and we frequently talk about Dad’s adventures in New Orleans, the Navy and beyond. Admittedly, sometimes my stories may get a bit “inflated.” It gets harder and harder to impress them as they grow!
The Wilkes household frequently celebrates the stars and stripes, posting our flagpole together for honorary holidays. With all the opportunities blossoming today more than ever for women in medicine and the military, I would support any choice they made to follow in my footsteps.
CC It sounds like you’ve done a lot of hunting in different areas of the country. Is there a hunt that’s on your bucket list? DW I would love to go on a big game hunt in Montana or South Dakota. This vast and somewhat untamed part of our country holds amazing beauty. My dream would be to set out on a weeklong, horse-guided hunt with my dad and four brothers into the high country for elk or mule deer.
CC How satisfying has it been to be a doctor – both while deployed and now as the director of Summit Health in Thousand Oaks? DW I love being a doctor. The life suits me well. My book tells stories of hardships and challenges that tested my will, but the truth is I sought out an adventurous life, and it sought me right back. My journey took me where I was meant to be and molded me into the physician, husband and father I am today. The skills I learned and refined as a military doctor gave me the foundation I needed to successfully start and grow a private medical practice in an incredibly challenging environment.
I love sharing my history with my patients – especially the veterans under my care. I am also proud to employ two former military members and am always looking to hire more!
CC What do you hope people take away from reading your book? DW The first takeaway is that everyone has a unique story worthy of telling. My story is one of many passed down by the grace of God, and I feel fortunate to share it. Untangling the mystery of life is the ultimate adventure. Finding peace on that journey is the ultimate challenge.
At the end of my journey, I have a treasure chest to share, and I have a seminal message. Don’t wait for your life to come to you. With the right training, you can do great things. Among them, these three key elements: Get your heart and mind balanced, get your body fit, grab a fist full of courage, and go after it!
You are the most important person you will ever meet – don’t be late to the meeting. Take calculated chances, but expect things to go wrong and that you will make mistakes. These are not failures, rather opportunities for improvement. Learn to forgive and love yourself first, then you are ready to be a light to the world.
Of his experiences in Iraq and what inspired him to write about it, Wilkes (left) says, “My writing helped me put my thoughts on paper and work through some tough memories from Fallujah. It also helped me express the importance of my faith – and its ability to help us endure.”
in the gym tent or jogging around the base, discussing our lives as young men, and dreaming of the life awaiting us upon return to the states. In the evenings we played Ping-Pong, watched movies on a laptop, or hunkered down with [Lt.] Cormac [O’Connor] and the chaplain for a competitive game of spades or Scrabble.
Mid-deployment, Jamie developed an infected cyst in an unfortunate region requiring minor surgery. It was this event that propelled our friendship closer than either of us ever intended! In a second medical mishap, Jamie headbutted an air conditioning unit; he laughed it off with grace as I closed his scalp with seven sutures. 174 days into the deployment, and Operation Silent Switch is a go. In the back of my head, I’m telling myself, “Don’t do anything stupid; you’re on the home stretch.” Capt. McCall walks in the BAS [battalion aid station] with a friendly greeting and reminder of the fun and adventure we will have spending the day in Al-Garma. I assemble a crew of five corpsmen, and we pack a few medical bags for basic exams, mostly for show as a diversion tactic.
Jamie and I hop in the back of a Humvee, and our convoy heads out at 8 a.m. It’s already getting hot, at least 90 degrees, and I suspect we’re in for a long day of travel. Per protocol, we stop just outside the gate, exit the vehicles, and load our weapons. Facing away from the Humvee, I insert a clip into my 9mm pistol, pull back and release the slide, chambering one round. I flick the safety up and I’m ready to go. The convoy lurches forward together, turning west onto the main highway for a short distance, then exiting on an unmarked dirt road I only halfrecognize from a previous convoy.
Our routes constantly change, using back roads and making our own paths to avoid predictability, ambushes, and IED attacks. I tuck a bit of chewing tobacco in my lower lip for the road trip and peer out the window at the barren desert terrain that distracts me from our destination. Before Iraq, this habit was something I reserved for hunting trips and “male bonding” with my brothers; Iraq brought back the indulgence, since nearly every other marine carries chewing tobacco in his front pocket.
We bump along the dusty roads, passing muddy, sewage-filled canals. Three weeks ago, one of our Marines drowned in this canal. While swimming across to span an electrical conduit, his feet became entangled in weeds and rescue attempts failed. On dirt roads, we travel through miles of crops and fields inhabited by the occasional farmer. Small farm towns punctuate the long stretches, most of them poorly constructed clay huts or rock structures, with dirt-caked walls. Children run in the streets, waving to us as we thunder by. I marvel at
their acclimation to the war all around them and the fragility of their daily life. Marines wave back, throwing soccer balls and other trinkets brought just for this occasion.
We arrive in Al-Garma before noon, linking up with Bravo Company Marines stationed across from the Iraqi police station. They live in a large open bay structure with an aluminum metal roof and block wall perimeter. I enter the building headquarters and see to my left a few folding tables with laptop computers, maps, and field telephones. The remaining open bay is filled with a maze of sandbags, field gear, ammunition, and green mesh cots with silver aluminum legs. The latrine is just outside the main entrance, consisting of a dirt hole and boxes. Overheated from the journey, we unload our gear, wrestle off our helmets and flak jackets, and grab some water. Jamie and I sit side by side in metal folding chairs, waiting to hear when to depart to the police station. We open magazines to pass the time. Jamie picks up a copy of Field and Stream; pointing at a large fish, he fondly describes a prior catch,
Hunting with his dad and brothers has always been a big part of Wilkes’ life. “My father taught me the camaraderie found in hunting and the love of nature,” he says. KA, KA, KA-BOOM, boom, boom! We’re violently jerked back to reality when multiple mortars crush the ground outside. I lurch forward to reach for my helmet at my feet. As I strap it to my chin, three more rounds pummel the earth, closer than the last. Boom, Boom! I search frantically for my flak jacket as others race for cover, but it’s not where I set it down.
Bodies rush past me on all sides.
“I love being a doctor. The life suits me well,” Wilkes (far right) says. “My book tells stories of hardships and challenges that tested my will, but the truth is I sought out an adventurous life, and it sought me right back.”
Frustrated, I scramble to crouch against the wall as the impacts continue. They cease a few moments later, but I remain still, heart pumping and lungs heaving with adrenaline. After a minute, I tentatively stand up to look around. No one seems to be hurt, and there are no direct hits on the building. I look over at Jamie. We both sigh with the same air of exasperation, as if to say, “Same story, different day.” I walk over and jokingly thank him for inviting me to such a memorable outing.
TWENTY MINUTES LATER, we load up the vehicles with our gear. We head across the street to the Iraqi police station. Once there, we enter a building where the Marines have gathered a couple hundred policemen. Once lined up, the herding of bodies begins.
I’m positioned in a small dirty back room with two corpsmen and an interpreter. As each Iraqi comes in, the interpreter asks if he has any medical problems or takes any medications. My corpsmen document the answers, then check his blood pressure and pulse while I listen to his heart and lungs. The first five men are the policemen suspected of corruption, and as they exit the room, they are arrested and placed in handcuffs.
Despite the meaningless nature of the remaining medical exams, we continue the same process for every single Iraqi as a gesture of goodwill and an effort to support them. Most of them do not speak any English, but their faces and thankful expressions are understood. It is tedious, dirty, and hot and I’m anxious to head back to Camp Mercury upon conclusion.
Our unit musters outside the compound, facing a formation of Iraqi police officers. The corrupt officers are escorted in front of the other Iraqis as a commander explains why these men have been arrested and that this fate will follow anyone participating in this kind of behavior.
I meet Capt. McCall outside the compound, where we gather our gear and saunter back to the Humvees, sharing frustrations and triumphs alike. Despite the mortar attack, it’s a successful and motivating operation. We load up the convoy and head for home. Our armored convoy drives, bounces, and bumps along highways, back roads, and no roads; some of it is familiar to me, while much is different from the way we came.
I catch glimpses of abstract shapes, shacks, and shadows in the distance – a dead animal, an abandoned hut, a goat herder – all of it feeling suspended in time. The success of the day and journey back to the base have me feeling a pull towards home so powerful it feels as if my return is in the near future. The convoy rumbles on, leaving massive dust clouds in its trail.
As we pass the outer limits of our base, two stout Marines coated in white powder dust wave us through. I feel the tension in my head decompress and the nerves in my chest unwind; we are at home base once again. Editor’s note: For more information and to order the book, go to simonandschuster.com/books/ Code-Red-Fallujah/Donnelly-WilkesM-D/9781642938029.
ROAD HUNTER
Blinds are an important part of cackling goose hunting success. Here, hunters hide in a couple A-frame blinds that are brushed in with natural cover from that spot.
CONFESSIONS OF A CACK ADDICT
Hooked on hunting these late-season geese but struggling to get big flocks back? Try these three keys.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAUGEN
Right on cue, over 20,000 cacklers funneled into our decoys. It didn’t take long before six of us had our four-goose limit, a seemingly tiny number among a flock so big, especially when grass seed farmers wanted them gone due to massive crop damage.
February marks the start of some of the best late-season goose hunting in the country, especially for cacklers. While the shooting can be fast, the process of hunting cacklers is far from quick and easy. Over the decades, I’ve enjoyed numerous cackler hunts throughout their range. Here are three steps I rely on for continued success.
THE SCOUTING To emphasize that one step in cackler hunting is more important than the others could be misleading, but if there was a most important step, it would be scouting. I’ve hunted with several accomplished cackler hunters over the years and they agree that without scouting, you’re wasting your time. They’d also agree that scouting is the most time-consuming process.
On average, my group of cackler addicts and I spend three days scouting before deciding where to set up the decoys. Cacklers are birds of a feather, and where one flock goes, they often all go. Before setting up big decoy spreads in grazing fields, make sure the flock you’re targeting is the one all the other birds want to be with.
Scouting success lies in being afield at first light so you can watch where roosting flocks arise and go.
Cacklers primarily roost at night on water, be it lakes, ponds or wetlands. At first light – or shortly thereafter – they’ll start chattering, then erupt into flight. When a flock of 10,000 cacks take wing, it can be heard for miles on a calm day. Bring binoculars and a spotting scope, as you’re often watching birds from miles away.
Watch where the cacklers go, tracking the largest group of birds should they split after their initial launch. Mark where that flock, and others, are landing, then keep watching. Be on the lookout for more flocks taking wing, and pinpoint where they land.
On some mornings, cackler flocks will change fields multiple times over a couple hours before finding what they like. I think this is because there’s a constant search for greener grass.
Once the majority of geese in the area have established a feeding zone, come back and check it again a couple hours before dark. While the fields are usually vacated later in the morning, birds will usually be back to graze before nightfall. Once birds start heading directly to these feeding locales in the morning and afternoon for two days straight, it’s time to get serious.
Since the majority of cacklers graze on private land, gaining landowner permission is a must. There’s still no substitute for knocking on doors, introducing yourself, and asking landowners if they’re seeking help in managing crops. A flock of 10,000 cacklers can cause a great deal of crop damage in a short period of time, and a flock of over 30,000 birds will wreak devastation, fast.
Once permission is secured, it’s time to nail down the X, that magical spot where you want to set the decoys when it comes time for the hunt. This is where a midday stroll in the field – while there are no birds on it – will reveal exactly what you were observing from a distance. Locate the grazing line, that place where grass that’s been nipped short meets taller grass. This line, along with droppings, feathers and tracks in wet fields, leaves no question as to where the X is, and thus where the decoys should be set, as this is where the birds will return. Watch the birds the following day from a closer vantage point, noting the wind direction and where the birds are touching down.
It doesn’t look like over eight dozen decoys, but this is how tight cacklers gather when grazing. Note the setup’s hooks and stragglers to pull in birds approaching from various angles as the wind shifts. THE DECOYS When it comes to decoying cacklers, consider the time of season you’re hunting, where you’ll be, how long the birds will be in the area, and what the hunting pressure is like.
I’ve hunted cacklers many times in Alaska in September. I’ve decoyed both cacklers and Taverner’s here, with good success on the water and, on occasion, on the tundra during years of flourishing berry crops. Early-season birds respond to just a dozen floating decoys in shallow water, as well as a few dozen silhouettes placed in a tight pack on the tundra. These birds aren’t pressured, and often you’re targeting family flocks or small flocks with many
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When a flock like this funnels into the decoys, the cackler addiction begins.
Author Scott Haugen has been pursuing cacklers for over 40 years and loves the challenges they present. Here, he and his pudelpointer Kona secured a limit in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. young birds. They’re gullible.
I’ve also hunted cacklers as they migrate through a flyway. Thirty-five years ago, no cacklers stopped in a valley that I like to hunt today. Back then, birds were continually on the move, stopping for only a few days to feed and move south. Decoying them as they passed through was hit and miss.
Today, Oregon’s Willamette Valley features hundreds of square miles of prime grass that keeps some 200,000 cacklers around all winter long. Mild winters over the past decade have also kept birds in the valley. As the season progresses, decoying cacklers becomes more challenging due to increased hunting pressure.
When cacklers first arrive early in the fall, a mix of full-body and silhouette decoys will do the trick. Situating the silhouettes with the full-body decoys is a great way to add numbers. In all, seven dozen decoys will usually do the trick.
As the season progresses and birds grow wise to hunting pressure, we’ll switch to a spread of all full-body decoys. Eight dozen life-size decoys are the minimum we’ll use later in the season, with 12 to 15 dozen being preferred. During the final six weeks of the season last year, we had multiple hunts where over 10,000 cacklers spilled into the decoys at once, and a few hunts where over 20,000 birds spiraled in. On some of these spreads, we had over 70 dozen windsock decoys.
One of the biggest challenges for first-time cackler hunters is packing the spread tight. Put 10 dozen full-body decoys in a wad, like how cacklers really feed, step back and look at it, and you’ll be surprised at how small the spread is. Avoid the urge to go back and space them out, as you might a honker spread. If you want space, set 75 percent of the decoys in a tight wad and the rest in another little flock 10 yards away. This not only creates a landing gap, but it mimics what often happens when new flocks arrive to an already feeding flock; they land on the
Cackling Canada geese come in many sizes and range throughout much of North America, yet the basic approach to hunting them is similar. On this hunt in northern California, Haugen took a limit of Aleutian cacklers.
edge and feed their way in.
On windy late-season days, we’ll often add windsock decoys to the spread. This setup has worked best on windy, cloudy days, and didn’t do well on sunny, calm days. This year I purchased a few dozen Final Approach fully flocked lesser decoys to hunt on those rainy days; I’m excited to see how they work.
THE BLIND Part three of the cackler conquest is situating a good blind. Every season I find prime fields that simply can’t be hunted due to the lack of blind cover. Over the years, I’ve tried pulling birds off the X because I couldn’t get a blind close enough to it, and I can count on one hand the number of times it’s worked.
The more cacklers are hunted, the smarter they become, and that’s why my hunting partner, Richard Kroph, likes A-frame blinds. Last season he picked up two of the blinds. “By the time you get eight layout blinds brushed in, it can look pretty unnatural when there’s not much cover around to pull from,” he says. “But put two A-frames side by side, and eight hunters can stand and shoot pretty easily.” A-frame blinds are ideal for aging hunters, too, who often struggle with layouts.
Be it layout blinds or A-frames, I’ve had the best success brushing in blinds with the cover that’s in the field we’re hunting that day. After each hunt we’ll strip much of the blinds, brushing them in the next time we hunt, and we’re often hunting cacklers twice a week. Though gregarious, cacklers are smart, and educating them with sloppy blind work is a common mistake. You don’t spend days of scouting and two hours setting up decoys in the dark to blow a hunt with subpar blinds. Look for ditch lines, brush, rows of trees, tall dead grass, small creeks and other breaks in the landscape near the X, and make that your blind location.
The addiction to cackler hunting is a progression. First you pull in a massive flock and think it’s easy, or that you got lucky and it won’t happen again. Then it does happen again. Then the birds wise up and you’re scratching your head to figure out what went wrong. Once you hit that point, you’re addicted, because while cackler hunting is pure fun, consistently killing cacklers is far from simple. Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s bestselling books, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott’s adventures on Instagram and Facebook.
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policy. You can’t get that out West or anywhere else. A Unique Big Game Hunting Ranch
Nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in Missouri, High Adventure Ranch offers all of the excitement of western big game hunting without the costs and hassles.
Be prepared for a fair chase hunt! With over 3 square miles of prime natural habitat, our ranch provides challenges to even the most seasoned hunter, but our experienced guides and “No Game, No Pay” policy practically ensure that you won’t go home empty handed. In addition, High Adventure’s hunting season is year-round, allowing ample time to fit the most demanding schedule.
While our whitetail, elk, wild boar and red stag hunts top our hunter’s most popular lists, hunters from around the world have visited our ranch, hunting everything from American bison to Spanish goats to African game.
So, whether you desire a 10-point whitetail mount for your trophy room or simply the thrill and challenge of taking down one of our many elusive big game animals, High Adventure Ranch guarantees memories of an unparalleled hunting experience that will bring you back again and again.
Call Charles (ranch owner) 314-293-0610 or Brad 314-578-4590 highadventureranch.com
Moose Creek Outfitters Ltd.
ALBERTA, CANADA “Real Hunting, Real Excitement”
2022 Season Dates
Moose Rut — September 24 - October 20 Whitetail Rut — November 10 - November 30 Moose Late Season — November 1 - November 30 Moose Archery — September 1 - October 20 Whitetail Archery — September 1 - September 30 Waterfowl — September 1 - October 20 • Moose Creek offers moose, whitetail and waterfowl hunts. • ATVs are used for transportation during hunts. • Deer hunts are conducted on agricultural land as well as wilderness areas. • Moose hunts are conducted in widerness areas. • Accommodations depend upon on what hunt you’re on.
In remote tent camps, lodge, or ranch house.
Bryan Radke • RR1, Site 1 Box 2 • Barrhead, AB, Canada T7N 1N2 • moosecreek@xplornet.com (780) 674-5715 • (780) 674-0866 cell • moosecreekalberta.com “Enjoy the Great Alberta Outdoors”
REVOLUTIONARY NEW 2-PIECE NAS3 CASE TECHNOLOGY: 50% LIGHTER THAN BRASS
Coated Aluminum Base • Less wear on ejector pin • Can be color coded for ID/branding High Tensile Nickel-Alloy Cylinder
• 2 x pressure rating (over 70k PSI) • Higher tensile strength and elasticity • Corrosion resistant • Reloadable using S3 Reload dies
