Pro Tips:

Dry Feet = Warm Feet by Fowl Forums Member Dave Winger of NY

As the temperatures get colder, one step I take in keeping my feet warm is applying stick anti-perspirant to my feet before putting on my socks. The anti-perspirant helps minimize sweating-moisture which attributes to your feet becoming cold. Try it, it works!

Taking Concealment to the Next Level by Fowl Forums Member Jake Neal of NY

When hunting waterfowl, I think most hunters would agree that concealment is one of the most important elements, perhaps even ahead of location at times. Countless times, waterfowlers have been on the so called, X, and still had a poor hunt. Often, this is due to poor concealment.

It is critical, especially on pressured birds, that you match the terrain you are hunting. This means dressing your blind to match perfectly. A variety of tools can be used to assist you in this; one of my favorites is a standard yard rake. This enables you to gather stubble from the field you are hunting (always do this a good distance away from your set-up, as to not leave a large, bare spot.). In most fields, you want to completely cover your blind. It may take awhile, but it will pay off to completely cover it as opposed to partially covering it. However, at times, you can pack to much stubble in a blind. When hunting a semi bare field, a fully stuffed blind will stand out. Only use as much stubble as is necessary in these cases.

By concealing your blinds to the fullest extent, you will enjoy more successful hunts. Also remember to use any breaks in a field, such as a grassy strip, or edge of a laneway when possible. I think you will find that the better you hide the more fowl you will fully put into the decoys with their feet down.

Going Small by Fowl Forums Member Jake Neal of NY

When hunting mid to late season geese, you are often hunting pressured birds that have seen it all. This is when it is a good time to change your tactics. Things such as varying you're calling style or the number of decoys you use. Most often, when forced to vary decoy spread size, hunters will greatly increase the number they use. Although this is quite often very effective, I have found that an easier and usually just as effective method is to decrease your decoy numbers. Many times we will use as few as 10 realistic full body decoys with great success. It is all about showing the birds something they haven't seen. Although often a huge spread and a very small spread will work equally well, at the end of a cold late season hunt, I would rather pick up 10 decoys than 10 dozen decoys. So when your standard sized spread isn't doing the trick, try going small-you may be surprised.

Use Raffia to Better Conceal Your Blind by Fowl Forums Member Jake Neal of NY

When using layout blinds, no one can argue that natural vegetation is the best way to conceal yourself. However you can also cut down on the time it takes to hide yourself by using many of the artificial raffia grasses on the market. By using a base coat of raffia on your blind and adding natural vegetation over that, you can cut your blind concealment time in half on the morning of the hunt.
One of the better on the market is "Killerweed" manufactured by Avery Outdoors. Available in a few different colors, it will blend well with most environments. It is relatively cheap, and quite durable.

At times however, you may also want to create your own color. You can do this by buying plain raffia at any craft store, or I buy mine at Wal-Mart. After you buy enough for your blind, you can make bundles of it and dye it. I prefer RIT dye, which comes in a variety of colors. By experimenting with varying amounts and colors of dye, you can match any field out there. After dyed, you can use a variety of methods to attach bundles to your blind. I use zip ties, others use simple knots.

By doing this to your blind you can break up its outline and cut down on the amount of time it takes to stubble it in the field. I am a firm believer that natural vegetation is the best to use, but by putting a base coat of raffia on your layout, you make less work for yourself.

Mother Nature’s Camouflage by Bob "Chappy" Chaplin

Even with today’s technology, your really can't beat mother nature. So remember your camouflage clothing, netting and/or blinds are only as good as your surroundings. So always pick a camouflage pattern that best fits where you are hunting that day and make sure to use the foliage around you to properly conceal yourself and equipment. That will put more game in your freezer every time.

More Motion for TNT 5/8 Shells by David Rearick

For those snow goose hunters out there using Avery’s TNT 5/8 Shells. A good way to speed up your set-up time is to add Avery® motion cones to them… yes this does take away some of the ability to stack them, but you’ll be amazed at the time you’ll save in set up. For those of you using a mix of shells and full bodies, this will have you using the same stakes for all of your decoys as well, so less confusion when you’re tired or have hunting partners along, not familiar with your decoy rig.

Deploying Your Spring Snow Rig by Mike Bard

Snow goose hunting requires large numbers of decoys, the more realistic the better in my opinion – to achieve the level of realism we like, we run a lot of full bodies and shells in our spread. In the Spring you can have extremely muddy conditions that will not allow you to get a full sized trailer into the field, so deploying a large realistic decoy spread can be difficult. In these situations, using ATVs with large sleds or small, open light weight trailers and bagging your decoys in slotted or large seed bags makes moving your rig in and out of the muddy Spring fields more manageable.

Bring A Jerk on Your Hunt by Mike Bard

Movement naturally catches the eyes of incoming or passing over ducks… whether they are busting you moving or movement in the decoys grabs their attention and adds that extra touch of realism to your spread. A simple homemade jerk cord can be a hunt saver, especially on windless days or in high pressure areas. A quick pull on the cord creates ripples in the water and movement in your decoy spread bringing your spread alive and gets the ducks finishing in your face. Place the jerk cord in your kill hole, as the ducks will often key in and land near the movement.

Find the True X by Mike Bard

Even after scouting and finding an area of water or a field with birds on or in it, you need to take that next step to make sure you are right where the birds were and want to be. Get out there before the hunt if you can or arrive extra early before the hunt to dial in and find that exact spot. Tracks, feed, feathers, and poop are signs to look for and help you key in on that exact spot you need to be in.

The Right Ammo for The Job by Mike Bard

Having the right size ammo on your hunt can mean the difference between dropping some feathers and watching a bird fly off or stoning it dead. On the other side, you also don’t want to overdo it and mangle the birds ruining the meat. With steel loads, I like to shoot a 3” BB or 1, sized pellets for decoying geese and 3” 3 or 4 sized pellets for decoying ducks. On hunts where you have opportunities to shoot both ducks and geese 3” 1 or 2 sized pellets will get the job done on decoying birds.

Improve Your Shooting by David Rearick

An easy way to improve your shooting is to increase use all the available light to illuminate your target. One way to do that is to wear a hat with a white underside to the bill. This will help illuminate your line of site and increase visibility.

Keeping Your Feet Dry and Warm by David Rearick

Keeping my feet warm and dry is a main priority when it comes to going in the field. If you are comfortable while hunting, you will not only last longer, but it will make the hunt more enjoyable. The first thing is to get a good set Wool socks. I wear Merino wool socks almost all year as they stay warm even when wet. Although this is crucial to staying warm, the most important part about socks is the liner below them. Spending the money to get a quality sock liner is crucial in maintain warmth in your foot. I use ones made of wool or some of the new space age materials designed to help remove moisture from your foot. My other tip for keeping your feet warm and dry is to always change your socks when you get into the field or at least when you get out of the truck. The easiest way to avoid wearing wet socks is to not sweat in them during the drive to the field or walk in, so not wearing the socks I intend to hunt in until go time is crucial to avoiding this. Good luck and be safe out there.

Scout Early, Scout often by Arliss Reed

Be it ducks, geese, deer, or turkeys, a lot of people wait until a week or two before the season starts to get out and scout. I typically start my September goose scouting in July. I get out and see what fields are corn, hay, alfalfa, etc., and I dont hesitate to stop and ask permission to hunt geese in an area that I know will have birds there in the fall. A lot of thefarmers are surprised that I am asking to hunt 2 months ahead of time, but it gives me a jump start on most other hunters, and it lets me know areas to avoid because the farmer doesnt allow hunting, and that can save a lot of time in the fall. It also allows me to offer to help farmers with summer chores. That is one thing that will get you invited to come back and hunt every time. And just because the season starts doesn't mean you should stop scouting, sometimes the best choice is to skip one day of hunting to scout, even though you lose one day of hunting, a good scouting mission can and usually will lead to at least one productive day in the field. Good luck and remember..Shoot Fast, or Shoot Last!!

Keeping It Clean by David Rearick

Mud, water, dust, cornstalks are all things I have removed from the body or lens of my camera at one point in time. Leaving my camera equipment at home is not an option, so being prepared for disaster is of utmost importance when I am yard or miles from the truck. In order to overcome adversary, I like to keep a lens pens, lens cloth, wet wipes, and a dry cloth in my bag at all times. Whether I am using my pelican case, or stuffing my camera into my Finisher blind bag, I always make sure these items are right beside it.

No Mess Long Lining by David Rearick

Being able to set-up and tear down quickly are one of my biggest priorities during off season planning. When I am running dozens of decoys on long lines, clipping decoys one and off each time is not an option. In order to keep from getting lines tangled, utilizing 12 slots bags to hold the entire gang line and decoys is the only way to go. The main ingredient is to pack the line between decoys in the bottom of the slot, and only grab decoys when you are unpacking. Set-up time is cut and half, and after a hunt there is no need to re-setup the gear for the next hunt.

Off Season Practice by David Rearick

Just because the season is over, doesn’t mean that my gun is in the safe until Sept. 1^st. In order to hold onto and improve my shooting skills, sporting clays, skeet, 5-stand, and other shooting games are something I try to do at least once a week. It will drastically improve your shot quality come day one of the season.

A No Mess Season by David Rearick

Hunting over 100 days a season combined with a full time job and life, there is no time to be continually repacking and organizing my gear. Pre-planning is what allows me to get out into the field 7 days a week if the opportunities present themselves. Making simple decoys packing decisions and keeping clothing and gear organized in one section of the basement or garage keeps me from digging through mountains of boxes looking for my ankle gaiters. Utilizing items like rack systems in trailers, rubber waterproof storage containers, and 12 slots bags makes it simple for me to change my spread or set-up in a matter of minutes putting me to bed earlier than 12 AM for a 3 AM wake up call.

Keeping Warm by David Rearick

Waterfowler’s undoubtedly hunt in some of the most extreme conditions that nature can throw at them. Staying warm allows the hunter to stay in the field longer and fight off the mid season cold or flu. One thing I like to do on each hunt is make sure not to overdress during the “work” times of the hunt like setting decoys or humping gear into the field. When the gear is done and the wait is on, layering appropriate clothing for the weather and changing socks goes a long ways at staying warm while others are doing jumping jacks trying to warm their toes. Also, utilizing the proper clothing like fleece when you may get wet will allow you to stay warm even if you get a little damp.

Lasting All Season by David Rearick

In order to stay on top of my game from day one to the season end, getting rest when I can is extremely important. Not only does an hour nap sometimes take off the edge from a 7 day hunt, but it also allows the body to rebound and possibly fight off the cold or flu. Also keeping my body stoked with healthy items like OJ instead of soda in the AM seems to keep me out of the Dr.’s office and into the field. I don’t know about you, but laying in bed just isn’t an option.

Don't Be Dull by David Rearick

Cleaning birds at the end of day can sometimes be brutal after a long days hunt. In order to make it quick and simple, a sharp knife is the only way to start cutting. Not only is a dull knife more dangerous than a sharp one, it makes cleaning at least twice as long as necessary. Utilizing a quick sharpener or even a stone will make things go much more quickly, and keeping everything at the ready in your favorite cleaning spot is always a good idea. When I start cleaning birds, I want to be to the next task as quickly as possible to get prepped for the next day.

Quick and Clean by David Rearick

Cleaning birds quickly and efficiently is something I work on during the season. In order to make things as quick as possible, I do things a little different than most. Instead of pulling out breast feathers, I cut right through them to get to the meat. It saves time, and creates less “floating feathers” in the garage or in the yard. Once the meat is removed I wash it off in a wash bowl or sink and it looks just as good as if I has spent the extra time plucking the bird. Try it out next time, I am sure it will save minutes on the process.

Permanent Mud by Mike Bard

Do you get tired of re-mudding your blind every few hunts? Try using a brown colored spray paint to dull the finish on your blind, instead of mud. The same rules apply to paint, as with mud; select a color that is close to that of the soil in the fields you hunt most often. Remember that you aren’t painting your blind, but just toning down the shine that the fabric can give off, so hold the can back about 18” and lightly coat the blind.

Tracking Your Results by Mike Bard

Over the last decade, I’ve kept a journal that keeps track of weather conditions, location, results, decoys spreads, as well as, other details about each of my hunts. Not only are these records entertaining to look back on during the off-season, but they also serve as a valuable tool during the season. With several years of hunting records, I am able to now forecast when birds typically show up in certain areas I typically hunt. Additionally, I know what worked and what didn’t work in particular weather conditions or times of the season.

Planning Your Season by Mike Bard

Once the season roles around, it always flies by and is over before you know it, then you always have regrets about missing out on hunting with a particular friend or at a favorite spot, you just never got around to getting to. This happened to me, until I started creating a waterfowling calendar during the off season and scheduling hunts with friends during the spring and summer months, well before the season starts. My calendar has made it much easier to plan time off from work and makes sure I’m where I need to be once the craziness of the season starts.

Become A Weatherman by Mike Bard

Much of a waterfowl’s life is driven by the weather, it tells them when they need to migrate and affects their eating habits. By paying close attention to the weather will make you more successful plain and simple. In the fall, a north wind will typically bring in new birds and the same during the spring with a south wind. Follow fronts as they move into your area, as new birds will typically arrive just before and just after a front comes through. When a winter storm approaches, birds will often feed harder prior to it’s arrival. The moon also plays a big factor in the feeding times of waterfowl, clear skies around a full moon is a bad combination for hunters, as birds will typically feed through the night and morning flights, especially into fields, will be slow.

Mid Day Honkers by Mike Bard

A tactic I have found very effective in both the early and late phases of the season is to hunt geese on the water. Geese will often leave to feed early in the morning, then return to a loafing spot for the afternoon, prior to heading out for their evening meal. I have found that setting up a large spread of GHG® Life Sized Canada Goose Floaters mid-morning in a know loafing area and waiting for geese with full bellies to return looking for a drink of water can be a deadly combination. One important note is to always wait for geese to leave the water before setting up, as you want to let them leave unpressured, so they will keep their normal routine.

Patience Pays Off For Ducks by Mike Bard

Many waterfowlers call it a day when that early morning flight of ducks wanes and the sun begins to creep up into the sky. These waterfowlers however are missing out on the return flight. I shoot a good share of my puddle ducks late in the morning as they return from feeding in fields and during the lull all of the 9am quitters heading back to the ramp will often kick up ducks, giving you a few opportunities as you pass the time waiting for those corn filled mallards to return to the water.

Relax and Shoot More Fowl by Mike Bard

With the verity of decoy poses available to today’s waterfowl hunter, you have the ability to be very creative. Later in the season when migrating ducks and geese have seen it all, I like to deploy a decoy spread with a very relaxed look by using mainly resting, sleeping and feeding postured decoys. This relaxed look, along with very subtle calling, presents something very different than most other hunters are offering up and the relaxed feel also provides confidence to the birds working your spread that it’s safe.

Create A Feeding Frenzy by Mike Bard

Particular areas I hunt are heavy feeding areas, so what could me more realistic in your spread than to replicate just that. Besides using mainly feeder positioned decoys, you can take a couple GHG® Butt-Up Feeders and a No Head Feeder on a jerk cord to create extra feeding motion in your spread. Don’t be surprised when the puddles ducks start trying to land on your feeding jerk cord though.

Purple Power Ear Solution by Mike Bard

16 oz. bottle isopropyl alcohol (or witch hazel)

4 tablespoons Boric Acid Powder

16 drops Gentian Violet 1% Solution

Mix all ingredients in the alcohol bottle & shake. (make sure you shake before every application).

Treatment: Fill ear with solution & massage gently for 30 seconds and wipe with a tissue. Fill a second time and just wipe without massaging. The dog will shake the excess out. Be careful, the Gentian Violet could stain. Use an eye dropper to fill the ear.

Treatment:

2 times per day for the first 2 weeks

1 time per day for the next 2 weeks

1 time per month thereafter

All ingredients are available at a pharmacy. The Boric Acid is usually in the First Aid section where you find the alcohol. The Gentian Violet will be the hardest to find and may need to be special ordered. Even despite the alcohol, dogs don't object to even the first treatment. The Boric Acid soothes the ear & the Gentian Violet is an anti-infection agent. This solution is also effective for the treatment of fungus type infections on the dog including hot spots.

*Avoid getting in eyes.*

Scarecrows (or Scaregeese in this case) by Mike Bard

Scarecrows scare geese too. Have you ever scouted and found the geese to be everywhere in small groups vs. massed in a single field, been denied permission to hunt on the X, or even just fallen victim to life's demands and not had the time to scout properly? I'm sure like us, you have. Take some old clothes and lumber from around your house and whip up a couple scarecrows to have on hand for these types of situations. Utilizing scarecrows in nearby fields can be effective when running traffic, as most geese will avoid a field with one in it. Some land owners just don't want the liability of hunters on their property, so they may allow you to place a scarecrow in their field(s), giving you better success on the neighboring farm. To make your scarecrow more effective, pick up a few foil pie plates and some string or better yet, see if your wife has any extras in the kitchen. Hang a foil pie plate off each arm of your scarecrow...the slightest wind will give your scarecrow some motion and the sun will reflect off the foil, increasing the effectiveness of this tool. You could even go as far as using a pinwheel for the head for additional motion.

In a pinch, if birds start landing across the street or in the next field (and you have permission on that property), you can try staking an extra goose flag or other misc objects where the birds want to be.

Using the Sun to your Advantage by Mike Bard

On those blue bird days or any day where you have a bright sun, use the sun to your advantage. Since I began waterfowling in the early '90s, people are always telling you to "put the wind at your back." Well the same can be done with the sun; by putting the sun at your back, it puts the glare in the birds eyes, decreasing their sight and allowing you to hide better. Their decreased vision will also make it more difficult to find fault with your decoy spread. Having the sun at your back, also keeps it out of your eyes and allows you better opportunities at making a good shot. So, on those days with some bright sunlight don't be afraid to use a cross wind to put the sun at your back and give this a shot.

Fixing Decoys That Have Been Shot by Mike Bard