Outdoor Life - Ducks RSS

Hunting Dog Training: How to Cure Displacement Behavior

Alex Robinson — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:34:10 -0400

A dog that suddenly stops carrying out a command could be confused. Or he could be subtly undermining your authority. Here’s how to tell the difference

A rowdy canine, like an obnoxious child, rarely displays its resistance to your authority suddenly. Instead, it’s usually a slow degradation of standards, brought on by the failure of the owner to pay attention to subtle cues and hold his dog accountable.

Yawning, scratching, shaking, sniffing, licking, or rolling over are just a few of the displacement behaviors your dog might use to delay performing a command. It’s likely he will have at least two or three favorites.

Displacement behavior is simply conduct that doesn’t fit within a scenario or a script, like when a dog that begins to carry out a command suddenly stops and shakes his head, pausing on his own terms for a moment. When this is successful, the dog learns that he doesn’t have to immediately follow your commands at all times, and he will use that precedent to slowly usurp your control.

Teaching vs. Training
When dogs learn new tasks, they experience anxiety just like you do. When competing drives are at odds, a dog’s mind is conflicted, and he’ll often try to control the situation by stopping all action with seemingly out-of-nowhere behavior. The momentary break in carrying out the exercise is a device the dog uses to reduce anxiety and confusion.

When you’re teaching, it’s not training time. No corrections should take place; adding more pressure to the mind of a conflicted dog will only erode his confidence and ability to learn. Instead, give your dog time to work through the task, use positive reinforcement, and above all, set him up for success.

Uphold Standards
When a dog thoroughly understands a given command (most trainers like to see better than 80 percent proficiency) but still exhibits displacement behaviors, he’s trying to get out of the work or to carry it out on his terms.

This is when the dog needs to understand that it’s not acceptable to dally or to become inattentive. A gruff vocal correction, a hand clap, or a nick with the e-collar are examples of corrections to get his attention and hold him accountable. Immediately repeat the command, and your dog will likely carry it out to the best of his ability, without pausing, licking, or otherwise subtly defying you.

Duck Dynasty Responds to Morrissey's Insults Over Jimmy Kimmel Show

Alex Robinson — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:48:35 -0500

The Robertson family of Duck Dynasty turned the proverbial other cheek to 1980s Smith’s frontman Morrissey on Jimmy Kimmel Live by saying they had no problem with the singer, his displeasure for hunters and meat eaters, or vegans in general. This, of course, after the always-melancholy singer canceled his appearance on the show citing that he couldn’t risk being seen with the Robertson family as they are “animal serial killers.”

Animal serial killers?

I’m not even sure I know what that means (actually, grammatically speaking I think it means a group of animals that are serial killers).

Regardless, of what Morrissey meant, Phil Robertson didn’t particularly care. In fact he wasn’t sure who Morrissey was at all. “Whoever the guy was, I don’t mind. If he wants to eat vegetables, no problem,” Phil said, according to Outdoorhub.com. “We don’t care. We don’t mind if someone says ‘y’all eat ducks.’ We’re like ‘uh, yeah!’”

Jimmy Kimmel poked fun of Morrissey’s stance when he showed a promo for Duck Dynasty’s Carrot Call.

Birds on the Bayou: Duck Hunting Louisiana

Alex Robinson — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:31:26 -0500

John Taranto headed to Louisiana to hunt some of the best waterfowl waters in the world.

A Slanted Spinning-Wing Decoy Argument

Alex Robinson — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 11:50:20 -0500

Spinning-wing duck decoys like the Mojo Mallard have been a topic of much debate for about a decade now.

First hailed at the silver bullet for educated ducks (and death on uneducated ones), then made illegal (because they were too effective) in many states, only to be made legal and illegal again and again.

I understand both sides of that argument. They can be very effective at giving incoming waterfowl the confidence to land because they add motion and realism to your spread. Is it an unfair advantage? Maybe.

But I’ve also heard many guides say that because they’re used so much, that birds have become educated to them and, especially in the late season, will cause just as many birds to flare as to drop in.

Here’s what I don’t get. In my home state of Washington, battery-operated equipment is forbidden. No Mojo Mallard. But, those operated with a jerk string or that spin in the wind are perfectly fine.

Maybe I’m missing something, but what’s the difference if the battery is causing the wings to spin or if I’m pulling a string and accomplishing the same thing?

Furthermore, daily limits are set on available resources, season dates, numbers of hunters and a plethora of other info. If I’m allowed to take a limit, what does it matter if I use a battery-operated spinning-wing decoy or one that spins due to the wind? A limit is a limit. Right?

Ducks Unlimited TV: A Hunting Show Worth Watching

Alex Robinson — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 16:23:33 -0500

Last week, Ducks Unlimited TV won a Golden Moose Award (the Outdoor Channel's version of an Emmy) for the best bird hunting show. Why should do you care?

Well, in the world of baited deer hunts and cheesy rock music that is often outdoor TV, the DU show is actually a breath of fresh air. Sticking to DU's reputation, the show is rooted in conservation and hunting heritage. Check out the season 2012 preview below. Even if you're not into hunting shows, you'll appreciate this footage.

Some DU facts…

- Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America's waterfowl habitat.

- Ducks Unlimited has conserved nearly 13 million acres.

- Ducks Unlimited has more than 590,000 members.

- Ducks Unlimited generates about $180 million in revenue each year, of which more than 80 percent goes directly toward habitat conservation.

Redhead Paradise: Duck Hunting on the Texas Coast

Alex Robinson — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 10:00:21 -0500

The birds were coming in fast and low. A flock of at least 40 redheads had skirted our decoys once. Now they circled and were banking to make another pass. Just feet above the water they jetted toward us, but at the last minute they hooked behind our blind instead of in front of it.

"Cut'em now, behind the blind!" our guide called, so I popped up and shouldered my gun. Forty targets, flying full speed, at 20 yards makes for an intimidating shot. And when you're the only shooter and have got a blind full of other hunters watching you, it makes for a lonely shot too.

For a half second I panicked and froze up, but I just before it was too late, I picked out the last drake in the flock and folded him. Then I took a deep breath of relief.

So goes the hunting at Bay Flats Lodge out of Sea Drift, Texas (just north of Corpus Christi). Ducks migrate by the thousands to this area on the Gulf of Mexico, offering late-season waterfowl hunting that can be done in a t-shirt.

I spent a week hunting there with Benelli and Federal just before Christmas and tangled with a variety of duck species from the central flyway. We saw pintails, wigeon, gadwall, and mottled ducks, but the redheads gave us the best shooting by far.

Why was the redhead hunting the best? They decoyed easy, flew hard, and there were literally thousands of them. It wasn't uncommon to decoy flocks of 50 and see massive strings of birds on the horizon. The first time I saw a big flock get up in the distance, I thought they had to be blackbirds, until the guide corrected me. Also, these birds were fairly predictable because they were wintering (unlike migrators that are here today and gone the next).

While there were plenty of redheads in the area, the daily limit was only two birds per hunter. This cut down on our shooting, but most of the time we took turns when flocks came in and had one hunter shoot at a time. We also tried our best to shoot only drakes. And still, we'd easily shoot our limit each morning with more birds still bombing our decoys.

Luckily, the best part about redhead hunting isn't actually shooting the ducks. The best part is everything that comes right before it.

More on Texas Duck Hunting
Duck Facts: What's a Mottled Duck?
Best Recipe: Wild Duck Soup for People Who Don't Like Duck
Hunting the Gulf: Three Tips to Take More Wintering Ducks

Duck Facts: What's a Mottled Duck?

Alex Robinson — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 15:05:30 -0500

We were having a slow morning of duck hunting in a delta marsh outside of Seadrift, Texas. There were plenty of birds flying, just not in our direction. But then, my hunting partner Jens Krogh of Franchi whispered "Right here on the right," as two ducks dropped straight out of the sun and over our decoys.

"Cut'em!" our guide hollered, and we rose up in our blind. Jens hit the bird on the right and I popped the second bird hooking in.

I was sure we had just killed two hen mallards but our guide happily called out "Mottled ducks."

What's a mottled duck?

It turned out that we had just doubled on a pair of the more coveted duck species in the South. The mottled duck is a relative of the mallard and looks like a cross between a black duck and a hen mallard. The drakes and hens are hard to tell apart except that the male's bill (pictured right) is usually bright yellow while the female's bill is orange.

These birds are only found in Florida and in the delta marshes along the Gulf of Mexico. They don't migrate and are one of the only duck species on the continent that have adapted to breed in southern marshes.

Besides their rarity, mottled ducks are extra desirable for waterfowlers because they are one of the most frequently banded birds along the Gulf Coast. Experts say that about 1 in 20 of these ducks are banded. Unfortunately, ours were not.

But nonetheless, Jens and I both killed our first mottled ducks (something I may never do again, being a Yankee and all) and witnessed a great truth about duck hunting: sometimes, all it takes is one bird to save your day.

Not to mention, if you spend enough time in a marsh you're bound to learn some pretty cool stuff.

Waterfowl Hunting: What You Need to Know About Steel Shot

Alex Robinson — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 11:30:13 -0500

Nontoxic shot has been required for waterfowl hunting since 1992. And more states are mandating its use in select areas for upland bird hunting—even for doves on some state lands.

During the past two decades, despite a plethora of nontoxic-shot types coming to the market—steel, bismuth, and tungsten composites—bird hunters have taken primarily to shooting steel shot. Steel currently makes up nearly 90 percent of all nontoxic shotshell sales.

While numerous denser-than-steel tungsten-composite pellet loads have come on the scene, offering ballistic superiority over steel shot, their price point (generally two to three times higher than equivalent steel loads) has kept most wingshooters from embracing them. Because of material cost and low sales, most U.S. shotshell manufacturers are dropping tungsten-composite pellet loads from their lines. That means steel shot will likely remain king long into the future.

Nevertheless, most hunters still don’t like it. Just as they were two decades ago, they remain vulnerable to misinformation and prejudicial comments against steel shot, which inhibits shooters’ performance.
With that in mind, it’s time to remind wingshooters how to get the best possible results with all nontoxic shot.

Dense Patterns
The majority of today’s steel and tungsten-composite pellet loads pattern more densely and with shorter shot strings than lead loads. For 20- to 40-yard shooting with these nontoxics, employ more open chokes—Improved Cylinder and Modified. At medium- to long-range shooting distances (40 yards and beyond), Modified and Full chokes are needed for consistent killing patterns.

Beyond 50 yards, 12-gram/cc tungsten-composite pellet loads are far superior to steel.

Specialized close-range steel loads are now available. They feature cube-shaped (Winchester’s Blind Side) or beer-barrel-shaped (Federal’s Black Cloud FS Steel Close Range) pellets to facilitate pattern dispersal. These are not long-range loads and will increase wounding losses if used beyond 35 yards.

Do not buy into the misinformation that when shooting steel shot, you need huge pellets to get the job done. Loads containing overly large pellets develop very thin patterns and increase wounding losses. For all duck species and pheasants, the science tells us the biggest pellet needed is a No. 2 steel or No. 4 tungsten composite; for all goose species, nothing bigger than a No. T steel or No. BB tungsten composite is needed.

Because steel and tungsten-composite pellet loads are harder to hit with than lead loads (largely because of their less-forgiving shorter shot string), hunters need to practice on clay targets more than ever. That practice must be done with nontoxic loads, not lead. Shoot light loads going 1,300 to 1,400 fps to replicate the performance of your nontoxic hunting load.

Waterfowl Tips: How to Hunt Ducks and Geese in Any Weather Condition

Alex Robinson — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 11:44:16 -0500

Ghastly weather, the kind that keeps most people indoors, sounds the alarm to waterfowlers that the best days afield have arrived. But if last season taught us anything, it’s that Mother Nature is a fickle mistress—the 2011–12 season featured the greatest migration that never really happened. With two back-to-back record spring hatches, however, this season could serve as a huge comeback for duck and goose hunters.

Even if the millions of ducks and geese reared across Canada for the last two years are pushed south by wave after wave of cold fronts, rarely will daily weather provide perfect hunting conditions. Too hot, too cold, too windy, too still: It’s always something. Here’s how to turn those problems into opportunities—and shoot more waterfowl.

Sunshine
Bluebird days with a harsh sun have a small upside—your decoys are more visible, catching the attention of passing birds—but many pitfalls. High-flying waterfowl are nearly impossible to bring down from the stratosphere, and if it’s a warm day, the challenge increases.

“When it’s warm and sunny, birds are in loafing mode—they’re not forced to eat or drink,” says Levi Meeseberg, who grew up guiding for his family’s business, MarDon Resort, on Washington State’s Potholes Reservoir. “You also have few new birds. It’s mostly birds you’ve been banging at for weeks. The most important thing is calling, but calling correctly.”

On a clear, sunny day—especially if it’s calm—sound will travel farther, and tranquil waterfowl can hear and analyze every note. Meeseberg believes that too many hunters call when there’s no need. “If you already have their attention, just shut up and finish them with a little lonesome hen or a real soft hail call when they slide out on the turn,” he says.

Clouds
On the flip side of a glaring sun is the softening effect of overcast skies.

“If we’re in a Missouri timber hole, the worst condition we can have is clouds and stillness,” says McCauley, also the owner of MOmarsh, a maker of layout boats and accessories. “With sunshine, we can hide in the shadows, but when it’s cloudy, you really have to watch every move and double up on concealment. You can’t get away with as much.”

While dispersed light can reveal a timber hunter’s location, it can also make every duck hunter’s spread look lackluster.

“On sunny days, decoys shine like a diamond. But on gray, overcast days, everything is muted,” says Rusty Burnam, head of media relations for Avery Outdoors. “Try using a variety of species instead of all mallards—mix in teal, wigeon, and pintails. Shovelers make a good addition to a spread because they increase visibility in open water.”

Arctic Cold
The good news about frigid winter days is that they allow you to sleep in.
“One thing that happens when it gets super cold is that birds tend to stay on the water longer—they don’t fly right off the bat—so we won’t go out until 9 or 10 in the morning,” says South Dakota guide Ben Fujan, who also suggests waiting until the sun is up to kick ducks off an open-water hole.

“Even if it’s just 25 to 30 degrees out, you’re better off waiting because if you kick them off in the dark, you won’t be able to keep the hole open until the birds come back.”

For MarDon Resort’s Meeseberg, it’s all about finding open water and food sources. “When you get an arctic blast, the front edge is packed full of birds and you’ll get the best two days of your life. After that, you’ll be looking at ice cubes,” he says. “You’re going to lose about 90 percent of your birds after those first days, but the remaining 10 percent are going to be in about .01 percent of the water.”

Meeseberg says that natural springs present the best hunting.

High-carbohydrate food sources become critical during cold snaps. “This is when you’ll get your best field hunts for ducks,” he says. “Ducks will hit the corn all day, then go to water and turn right back around and feed again.

High Winds
Gale-force winds will wreak havoc on a hunt. Unless ducks and geese are directly downwind of your spread, calling is pretty much futile.

“If the flock is upwind or off to the side, you can blow your guts out and they’re probably not going to hear you,” says Avery Outdoors’ Burnam. “But a flag or spinning-wing decoy can get their attention. For geese, a flag is the answer on a windy day.”

For Meeseberg, it’s all about finding protected areas. “When the wind is blowing 60 mph, feeding and everything else goes out the window. The birds just want to get down, stay down, and wait until the wind lays down,” he says. “On bigger water, the idea is to find dominant points that have the cleanest, slickest water you can get to and still be somewhat visible.”

For howling winds, adjust your spread by cutting the distance between decoys to about a foot and a half, and pile them up in the softer water along the shore and onto the bank. Tight decoys usually means nervous birds, but not with a heavy wind. They’re jamming into a very limited area, so thicken it up on the shoreline

Snow
When it comes to hunting the deep white stuff, your spread is the key to a successful hunt. Place decoys closer together than you normally would to mimic wild geese, and add realism by kicking up the snow to expose dirt in front of the dekes—to birds passing overhead, it will look like the group has found a food source.

“That will give incoming geese something to look at and zero in on,” says Vaca. “Even if they don’t land, it will give you a good passing shot.”
Guide Ben Fujan suggests that you use loafer-pose shell decoys in conjunction with full bodies.

Kona's Comeback: Getting a Veteran Gun Dog Back in the Hunt

Alex Robinson — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 15:14:27 -0500

Just two months ago I didn’t think that Kona would be around when it came to this point in the season. But during the final week of November, Kona took to the field once again (albeit with bated breath and apprehension by me).

After a couple of weeks of taking both Etogesic and Tramadol, I weaned Kona off the anti-inflammatory and pain med and watched his reaction. He seemed good, so I took my trusted hunting partner of the past eight years on a road trip.

First we hit the Columbia Basin in Central Washington state with some high school and college buddies for pheasant hunting. This is an activity that will go by the wayside due to the repetitive pounding on that front-leg joint affected with degenerative joint disease. Watching him during the hunt and after, there was only the slightest of a head bob, indicating a favoring of the front leg. The exercise and excitement of being in the field again however, made it worthwhile; we only put up a single rooster and he retrieved a dropped quail flushed by my buddy’s dog, but it was enough after a year off. I gave him the NSAID/pain med combo that night and headed across the Cascade Mountains to the west side of the state.

Hunting the next day with Banded Hunts Washington, Kona was treated to work on decoying ducks in the Skagit Valley of the Evergreen State. This action is more of what I’m guessing he’ll be doing for as long as he can; which is anyone’s guess as to how long the leg will hold up. However, Kona spent the day working from a Finisher-type blind, making retrieves in running-depth water and delivering birds to hand – it’s nice to have a trained dog that brings them directly to you, never having to leave the layout blind, and then goes back to his place. After the work he was fine and showed no signs of pain or discomfort.

After a couple of days rest, we were back in Central Washington hunting with Meseberg Adventures Duck Taxi on Potholes Reservoir. As with Banded Hunts, it was tough hunting with educated birds that had been in the area for three weeks or more; they had been pounded on and knew every setup in the county. We managed a few, and Kona did okay work; he picked up the dead ones but since we haven’t trained or hunted almost at all in the last year, he was rusty on the long blinds for cripples across the 150 yards or so of water.

But, considering that just a couple of months ago, I was expecting to face this time of the season without my dog, I’ll take lackluster work over no work any day. And, as weather begins to move into the area after an unseasonably warm stretch, the educated ducks will move south and more birds, those less accustomed to the surroundings, will move down from Canada, which is what we really need for hot shooting and to capitalize on a two-year record hatch.

Waterfowl Hunting Tips: How to Get Birds to Commit

OL Editor — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 10:42:30 -0500

Putting out a set of decoys and getting the attention of far-off ducks and geese isn’t hard. Any arrangement of painted plastic blocks and a halfway reasonable honk or quack will do the trick. Finishing those birds, however, is another story. Under close scrutiny, proper calling technique is essential.

“When a flock is working your spread, pick out a single bird that you can see is reacting to your calling and call just to him. Keep him interested and coming,” says guide Mario Friendly of Sherwood, Oregon. “But don’t call too loudly as they approach. Add more feeding chuckles and contented calls.”

Friendly believes that all of the callers in a hunting party should follow the lead of a single person. “There has to be one guy in charge, and everyone else has to get behind him. If he’s calling softly, everyone else should be calling softly,” he says, noting that multiple callers will add realism to your set. “One guy can sound like a lot of ducks, but two guys can sound like a lot more.”

But bear in mind the number of decoys in your spread. “You have to keep the ratio realistic. If you have a dozen decoys out there, you shouldn’t sound like a bigger bunch of birds,” Friendly says. When ducks begin to “check up,” as he puts it—when they drop their butts and begin to back-flap over your spread so that they can check things out—you’re in good shape. Just stay with the soft stuff that brought you to that point.

Know the Distance
▶ To bring birds in for a close kill, leave an opening in your decoys for them to land in, and know the distance of both the near and far edges of that gap. “I try to get birds as close to me as possible. If we’re in a boat and can get them to 10 yards, then that’s where I’m putting the kill hole,” says Friendly. “If you put one decoy out at a known distance—say, a spinner at 25 feet—then you don’t have to second-guess yourself, and it takes the pressure off calling the shot.”

Marking distance will tell you when birds are in range, but what the birds are doing can be just as important. Watch their body language for clues as to when exactly to shoulder your guns. “When their feet come down and they’re just starting to land, that’s the ideal time to call the shot. Once you shoot, they still have to reverse their bodies. That’s when you can get second and third shots into them,” says Mike Franklin of Pacific Wings Waterfowl Adventures in Richland, Washington.

Give Them Space
▶ Where you set up can affect birds’ willingness to commit and finish. Tall grass and other cover around field edges are popular ambush points, but mature birds—geese especially—have seen their share of kill holes near heavy cover. “If geese are circling but not committing when you’re hunting the edge of a field, put your decoys out farther, away from the edge,” says Franklin. “The birds don’t like going over the edges because they know they get shot at there. But by putting decoys out farther, the birds will circle between the edge and your spread, which will bring them closer. Call the shot on the pass.”

Photo by Mitch Kezar/Windigo Images

Waterfowl Hot Spot: Hunting Ducks and Geese in Central British Columbia

Alex Robinson — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:42:18 -0400

Central British Columbia just may be the next hot Canadian waterfowl destination. See photos from Senior Editor John Taranto's hunt there last month.

OL Interview: The Duck Commanders on Beards, Hunting Stereotypes and New-Found Fame

Alex Robinson — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:30:22 -0400

Willie and Jase Robertson (left), from A&E's hit show Duck Dynasty, are unlikely TV superstars. And they're still hard-core outdoorsmen at heart.

Willie: Our show, Duck Dynasty, is a family show, and the reaction to it has been overwhelmingly positive. But I’ll tell you what—nobody wrote a manual for this. Nobody wrote a manual on how you run a business while all this is happening at the same time.

Jase: When we go out in public now we’re easily recognized. Basically, when you look like we do—before the show, people kept their distance. People thought I was homeless. Now it’s different. I was in Ohio last weekend, my plane got delayed, and I got there 60 seconds before I was going up on stage to speak. When I walked out, there were two families in the front row and they had “Duck Dynasty” spelled out in paint on their chests. People were cheering and hollering. People were going crazy and I hadn’t even said a word.

Willie: We film six days a week for 33 weeks. The producers basically haul us around. Most of the stuff just happens. They create a few scenarios for us to function in, but it’s all real reactions.

Jase: The producers have an idea. And we try to shape that idea into some kind of story, as far as what’s going to happen in that situation.

Willie: It’s not a hunting show. We’ve made those before, and they’re for a different audience. We’re not trying to push an agenda on Duck Dynasty. We’re trying to open a door. I think Hollywood is open to the idea of hunting, but it’s better in smaller doses. I’m surprised there are a lot of non-hunters that come and hear me speak.

Jase: I want to cast hunting in a positive light. There are some stereotypes in our culture that depict hunters as killing anything that moves. One of the reasons I agreed to do this show was because it showed our family, our business. We do a lot for the animals we hunt and put in the pot, and that shows. So now we’ve kind of established that we hunt without showing it.

Jase: Some people think we’re actors, that we’re making this stuff up. I had a guy come up and ask, “Can I touch that beard to see if you’re real?”

Willie: I have a rule: No man may touch my beard.

DIY Hunt in Alaska Coming Up ... Will a Harlequin Go Down?

Alex Robinson — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:04:43 -0400

If you remember my post from August on setting season goals, you’ll remember that bagging another mature harlequin was one goal for the 2012 waterfowl season. It seems that goal might be in reach.

From Oct. 25-31 I’ll be traveling to and hunting Alaska’s Prince William Sound with Trevor Peterson, who I met last year on St. Paul Island in Alaska’s Bering Sea while hunting king eiders. Trevor might be the luckiest waterfowler alive, as he bagged a banded king eider on St. Paul; only the 10th band taken in history.

While we won’t encounter any king eiders on the trip, we should have ample shots on plumed-out harlequins, as well as long-tailed ducks, both goldeneye species (Barrow’s and common), some scoters (they probably won’t be in full plumage, however), and maybe some geese.

Perhaps the coolest thing about the hunt, besides, obviously, the ducks, is that this is a DIY hunt. Using a transport boat, we’ll be dropped off at a small Forest Service cabin that will serve as our headquarters for three or so days.

Getting to Alaska and planning a trip like this would probably cost about the same as using an outfitter or guide (which greatly reduces the hassles) if you were coming from other parts of the country (it’s not quite so bad coming from nearby Washington state), but the Forest Service has cabins, lookout towers and other camping options in many other states.

Check out the government’s site and select “camping and lodging” under “Interested in” and then highlight “cabins” from the next drop down (or RV site, trailer site, tent site, etc.) and enter your state in the “location” field. A list of cabins with amenities, prices (usually very reasonable) and other info will be displayed. Look into using them to plan your own DIY hunt in your home state or a nearby one.

Just a couple of months ago I didn’t think an opportunity like this would come along for quite some time, so I’m looking forward to checking my preseason goal off the list (no jinx, no jinx, no jinx). As this goal appears to at least be attainable, I’m amending my list of goals to include: collecting the common and Barrow’s goldeneye, as well as a bufflehead; they’re the three living species in the Bucephala genus, and they are pretty cool-looking birds in their own right.

What You Can Learn From Waterfowl Bands and Collars

OL Editor — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:09:50 -0400

Fewer than one in a thousand ducks and geese sport leg bands or collars, making them a rare and unusual trophy for a hunter. Each has a story to tell, tying its wearer to a particular place and time, and telling the tale of its journey. Their recovery also provides information crucial to the proper management of our continent’s waterfowl populations.

In 1902, Dr. Paul Bartsch of the Smithsonian Institution was the first to band birds in North America. Today, research biologists using government-approved equipment band migratory waterfowl. They affix an aluminum band that is marked with a unique number sequence to a bird, recording its species, sex, and age, as well as the date and location of the banding. From subsequent recoveries, the researchers can determine a great deal.

Migration Routes and Patterns
Band returns can tell us if certain species, or even entire populations from a particular nesting area, use only one flyway or migrate south using one, then return north by another. They can also tell us where important stopover and wintering areas are.

Longevity
Band returns provide insight into how long certain species live, which is also a factor in setting seasons and bag limits. Here are a few noteworthy age records:
▶ Lesser snow goose and brant: 27 years
▶ Canada goose: 28 years
▶ Mallard: 27 years
▶ Black duck: 26 years

Mortality Rates
Biologists can accurately estimate overall mortality rates for a particular population, flyway, or species by the proportion of banded birds harvested each fall. They can then assess whether the hunting season in a flyway or state is too early or late, or too long or short for a particular species or population, and make annual adjustments as needed.

Rewards AND Collars
Some geese sport neck collars, the colors and numbers of which can be easily read from a distance with binoculars or a scope. This allows researchers to identify and track individual birds without having to capture or harvest them. Canada geese are commonly marked with neck collars and colored leg bands. Small subspecies—including Richardson’s, cackling, and Aleutian geese—get smaller three-digit collars. Large Canada geese get four-digit collars, except in the Atlantic Flyway, where bib-type collars developed to reduce icing are used.

As part of an extensive effort to track populations and movements of Canada geese, biologists use orange collars in the Canadian portion of the Mississippi Flyway, and blue collars in the U.S. portion. The Arctic Goose Joint Venture uses three-digit collars of seven different colors to signify different populations of white-fronted, small-form Canada and cackling, lesser snow, and Ross’ geese.

Band collection is not only beneficial, but it can be lucrative. As part of a study to learn the effects of switching from mail to phone-in or e-mail band reporting, banders apply $100 reward bands to some birds.

Five Simple Duck Hunting Tips

Alex Robinson — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 08:42:01 -0400

If practical limitations, such as monetary concerns, or even life-preserving cares, like spousal contentment, keep you from joining the ranks of wannabe professionals with trailers splashed with decals, resr assured that a simpler path to ducks exists.

Hunting like a beginner, with little if any gear, can pay dividends and save you the hassle—and cash layout—of messing with decoys and blinds.

Remain mobile and simplify your next waterfowl hunt by keeping these tips in mind.

1) Spot and Stalk
Take a page from the big-game hunter’s playbook and glass bodies of water or fields for loafing ducks and geese, and then stalk your way to a shot.

The key to remaining unseen on the approach is the same as when you’re pursuing a trophy mule deer in the wide-open West: Use the natural terrain and cover to conceal yourself. Follow high banks and other raised contours, hide behind tall vegetation, belly-crawl through the thin stuff—whatever you have to do to remain unseen.

To keep your bearings as you move between hiding places, make a mental note of landmarks near your target’s location. Slowly work your way toward loitering waterfowl, approaching from downwind if possible to help conceal audible missteps and to slow the ascent of fleeing ducks and geese.

2) Find a Field
Locate a field that has ducks or geese feeding in it consistently. You need to know exactly where the birds are landing. This goes beyond simply finding the “X” of a field—it requires that you pinpoint the exact center of the letter. If you’re off by even 50 yards, you’ll be out of position, and without the help of decoys you won’t be able to pull birds in.
“You have to start scouting before the birds get to the field so you know exactly where they’re coming in,” says Pennsylvania’s Mark Spence, a pro staffer with Final Approach. “A lot of times they land in a field and move as they feed. If you get there to scout an hour after they land, and then try to set up in that spot the next day, they’re going to land out of range.”

When pinpointing landing spots, note the direction of approach, exactly when and where they touch down, and where they move after they’re on the ground.

3) Get a Bird-Dog Buddy
A good hunting buddy is like a good spouse; sometimes sacrifices need to be made in order to maintain a happy relationship.

When hunting a creek holding waterfowl, send your buddy on a stalk so that he is upstream of the birds. If he can get close enough, he might get a shot off. But the birds should begin swimming downstream and then alight down the channel—right into your shooting zone.

4) Walk on Water
Wary of ground predators, waterfowl are much more lax in guarding against attacks taking place from the water. With a small watercraft, such as a canoe, kayak, or specially designed low-profile sneak boat, you can approach ducks and geese unnoticed for close-in action.

Bends in the river tend to hold ducks nearby; get into position prior to turning the corner. Lying low and lifting your head just enough to peer over the edge to scan upcoming water will allow you to float right into resting and feeding flocks. Muted earth-tone colors help keep your boat inconspicuous.

5) Be the King of a Hill
Pass-shooting is another technique that lets you skip the decoys and the blinds.

When ducks and geese move between roosting and feeding areas, they often follow topographical funnels, especially when feeding fields are positioned above roosting ponds. Gaining significant elevation quickly can be troublesome, particularly for geese. By positioning yourself on a hillside within a low-lying funnel, you can take shots at passing birds.

The key is finding the flight paths, and that requires scouting—and lots of it. At daybreak, watch as birds leave roosting waters. Note the direction of travel and try to ascertain their destination. Look at a topographical map or GPS and mark possible ambush points. Low-impact hunting of this nature can result in more access to property than if you have hundreds of decoys and several layout blinds stashed in a trailer behind your truck.

Photo: Denver Bryan

Duck Hunting Tips: 6 Old Tricks That Still Work

OL Editor — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 12:36:49 -0400

Waterfowlers have proven to be some of the most resourceful of all sportsmen throughout history, with their combined approach of calling, decoying, and plain old woodsmanship. Here are six old-school tips worth remembering as you prepare to hit the water for ducks and geese this fall.

Add motion ▶ Before motion decoys, hunters used jerk strings and pumped their legs in the water to send ripples through their spread. Another great trick is to mount an electric trolling motor to your blind or on a wood frame painted to blend in, set it near your spread, and let the propeller run just below the surface. The motion will provide silent but continuous motion to your decoys and keep water from freezing, too.

Fake a water hole ▶ Virginia waterfowler Kurt Derwort can be found most days of the season hunting geese on the state’s famed Eastern Shore, where on frozen mornings old-timers used to use large sheets of plastic—cut in irregular shapes—to mimic a shallow depression of water in a field. To make the trick work for ducks or geese, Derwort says to find a depression, remove any big stalks and weeds, lay the plastic down, and put the weeds and a few decoys around the edge. Sprinkle the plastic with water to give it more reflection and shine. From the air, it will look like open water when everything else is frozen.

Muddy the waters ▶ Ducks feeding in the shallows upset the bottom and make the water muddy. Clear water will look unnatural to ducks pulling a fly-by, so stir the muck up in your spread by stomping through it and grinding your feet around during slow, flightless periods. Skim the submerged soil with a paddle, or if you’re on an ATV, drive it in figure eights to stir up silt, which will linger for at least a half hour.

Multiply with mud hens ▶ Another old trick is to hunt a marsh at low tide and flip a shovelful of mud onto an existing mud mound or in a very shallow spot to make it look like a duck floating among a scattering of real decoys. Derwort says mud hens or mud ducks are a cheap way to make it look like there are more bodies in your spread than you’ve actually put out.

Ratchet it up ▶ One of the best pieces of waterfowling gear to carry along with your calls and shells is a pair of ratchet cutters. Whether your blind needs a quick spruce up just before legal shooting light or the ducks prefer landing in another part of the lake and a move is in order, cutters allow you to quickly and quietly snip limbs up to a half inch thick that can be used to brush-in a favored spot or set up an impromptu blind along an open bank where the ducks are waiting to land.

Look lazy ▶ On warm, still, or cloudy days when ducks can see every detail and flights are few and far between, add a few sleeper decoys to your mix, as well as field decoys lined up on a log. Real ducks tend to loaf like this on such days, and adding these dekes to your mix will make your spread appear far more realistic. A cordless drill enables a quick and easy setup. Just drill a few holes in an existing log and insert your decoy stakes into the holes. Sleeper decoys will also help add to the realism of your goose spread—and can be effective straight through the tail end of the season once ice becomes a factor. A spread of standing, floater, and sleeper decoys can be just the ticket to fool late-season birds that have been shot at for weeks on their way down the flyway.

Five Most Underrated Places to Hunt Waterfowl

Alex Robinson — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 09:49:23 -0400

If you love to hunt ducks and geese, and have been doing so for years, then you probably already know you can’t always wait for the birds to come to you. Heck, in some years—just last fall, in many parts of the country—they won’t come to you at all. Or if they do, it’s after the season has closed. So sometimes you have to go to them.

Here are five unsung waterfowl hotspots where you can get in on some non-stop hot-barreled action until the birds finally wing their way to your home waters.

1) Western Kentucky
Down-N-Dirty Outdoors owner Mark Coin is a local, and while he isn’t about to offer up the GPS coordinates of his favorite duck holes, he admits that of all the places he’s traveled to work ducks and geese to his custom-made calls, some of the best hunting he’s found is within 30 minutes of his home.

With hundreds of miles of river and more than 200,000 acres of public hunting land, the western third of the Bluegrass State is a do-it-yourselfer’s paradise. Coin says the best part of the season is when it opens in November—if it’s not frozen out—though the best holes will take effort to access. Mallards, gadwalls, and many of the larger ducks pour through the region.

2) Southern Saskatchewan
Ducks Unlimited TV host Mike Checkett puts southern Saskatchewan squarely on his list of top-five waterfowl destinations. While the region isn’t necessarily a huge secret, the fact that it provides most U.S. hunters with a jump on their home season (the best time to hit the lower province is in late September and early October) makes it a must-visit. The area is the most important breeding area for mallards, pintails, and other large ducks in North America, and is also a key staging area for geese descending from the Arctic region. Many of DU’s wetland projects there offer great public hunting, and quality outfitters abound.

3) Southern New Jersey
New what? You heard it. While it may not compare with the best of the best along the Mississippi or Central Flyways, this being the union’s most populous state and within less than a partial day’s drive of a bulk of the nation’s population, New Jersey is one of waterfowling’s best-kept secrets. From Barnegat Bay all the way around to Delaware Bay, New Jersey’s southern shore and watery points west boast protected bays and marshes bordering agricultural land where housing developments have yet to pop up. Hunt the more open water for abundant divers or keep along the shore and go inland for dabblers and geese.

4) Northern Montana
In a state known more for its big-game hunting, northern Montana—along the Missouri and Milk rivers, and even farther west—boasts some of the most unpressured duck hunting of the Central Flyway. In fact, with hunters’ sights still set so squarely on big game and, to a lesser extent, upland birds at this time of year, I know a couple of sportsmen who make the trip out West and are still able to secure spots to hunt by knocking on doors.

5) California’s Central Valley
For phenomenal pintail action, Ducks Unlimited’s James Powell loves California’s Central Valley. It lies in the heart of the Pacific Flyway, and the rice farming in the region serves to attract and hold large flocks of wintering ducks. In fact, the region may well hold more than 60 percent of the Flyway’s total ducks and geese during the heart of winter shooting. Private duck clubs abound, but there are still some tightly managed (isn’t everything in California?) public hunting areas, as well as enough outfitters to easily accommodate a visiting shotgunner.

Photo: Donald M Jones

Duck Season 2012 Goal: Bag a Drake Harlequin

Alex Robinson — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 10:32:02 -0400

Last year I set some waterfowl and upland-bird goals, and as I look at the upcoming season I’m thinking about some new ones. Well, sort of new.

One objective was to bag at least one mature king eider and one mature harlequin while hunting St. Paul Island, Alaska, with Ramsey Russell from getducks.com. I completed those goals, bagging a mature drake of each species, as well as a juvie of each. However, I’m feeling greedy and want more.

In Alaska, the non-resident season limit of eiders (in any combination; the most desired being the king), harlequins and long-tailed ducks (formerly known as old squaw) is four. I only bagged half of my allotted limit, but count myself lucky as being able to have a king eider for the wall. I’m confident I could have collected two more harlies with Alaskan Eider Outfitters in those final days (there were tons of them working along the shoreline), but we were looking for kings.

Now that I’m home and the king, harlie and long-tails are with award-winning taxidermist Dale Manning of Custom Birdworks in Missoula, Mont., my mind keeps going over the poses I’ve picked for each in anticipation of receiving them and where they’ll go on the mantle (OK, end tables and bookshelf).

The harlequin will be mounted by himself, swimming in a resin replica of the water’s surface next to a detailed sea rock (check out some of the shots in Manning’s gallery; they’re awesome). But, for some reason when I imagine it, that single drake harlie just seems so damn lonely. Another drake standing on the rock would make the mount look so much better.

So there’s my goal. Bag another drake harlequin.

Here in Washington state, residents can take one harlequin a season. That’s pretty damn restrictive, but better than none – at least it’s an option without having to travel out of state. So while I’ll be gunning for pheasants, quail, chukar, and puddle and diver ducks in eastern Washington, I’m looking to set up a trip to the western Washington coast to bag a single drake harlequin.

I can’t help it. These little birds are just so cool looking and a few together in a mount will be something to treasure for years.

What’s your goal for this season? Comment below!

New Regulations Boost Duck Hunter Numbers and Success Rates in Minnesota, But What About the Ducks?

Alex Robinson — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 11:20:12 -0400

Last year Minnesota made serious duck hunting regulation changes including an earlier season opener and more liberal bag limits for hen mallards and wood ducks. These changes encouraged more hunters to take to the marsh and also helped put more birds in their bags.

According to the Star Tribune: "Hunters killed an estimated 621,000 ducks, up 97,000, or 18.5 percent, from 2010, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife figures released last week. Hunters averaged 8.1 ducks for the season, up from 7.5 ducks in 2010…

The more liberal regulations also apparently enticed more hunters to duck blinds: Duck hunters increased 10 percent, from 70,000 in 2010 to 77,000 last fall. Hunting a week earlier than usual, waterfowlers shot far more early migrant ducks. They bagged 150,000 wood ducks, 92 percent more than the 78,000 killed in 2010. Also a factor: The wood duck daily bag limit, previously two, was increased to three."

But are the new regulations a threat to duck numbers or are there plenty of birds out there to spare? Opinions are mixed.

"Even with the liberalized regulations, only one of three adult mallards we shoot are hens. We're still giving hens a pass," Todd Arnold, a professor at the University of Minnesota's Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, told the Star Tribune.

Other veteran duck hunters in the state aren't so confident.

"It's concerning to me," Roger Strand of the Wood Duck Society told the newspaper. "We've been urging biologists to continue to be conservative with wood ducks because we can't accurately count them. We shouldn't take it for granted that wood ducks will be able to bounce back. We're going to have to wait and see."

Photo: Jeff Coats/Avery Outdoors

Gun Dogs: What Problems Does Your Dog Have in the Duck Blind?

Alex Robinson — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:07:10 -0400

It’s the middle of summer and now is the time to work on fixing those dog-handling problems you experienced last season. Your problems or the dog’s problems; fault usually can usually be found with both to one degree or another.

However, we all usually wait until the last minute to do what should have done been months before. It’s hard to think about freezing temps and the duck blind when it’s hotter than sin and summer vacations with the family take precedence.

But this year I'm trying to look ahead. I’m about to start writing a piece for the November issue of Outdoor Life on some of the most common problems duck hunters experience in the blind when it comes to their dogs. Then I'll explain how to fix them.

I already have an idea of some of the most common issues – breaking (going for the bird before being sent), whining (as birds are working and/or when calling takes place), dropping of birds (usually as the dog exits the water) or not delivering to hand, hard-mouthing the birds (breaking the skin, or even bones, with teeth), moving in the blind (pacing, walking, etc).

So, Gun Doggers, do you experience any of these problems? What are some of the other issues you have with your dog in the duck blind that you’d like solutions for?

Let’s hear it. The most common problems will be addressed in the November issue, but we’ll do a few in the blog as well.

Louisiana Delta: The Duck Pipeline

Alex Robinson — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 12:51:46 -0400

My brother once worked for a master plumber—and, yes, his official job title was a plumber’s helper—and often he would come home from work with a bit of wisdom from Lenny, his boss.

One of Lenny's favorite sayings was that there are two ends to a pipe, and he would remind my brother of this frequently and at high volume. He knew that most people, my brother included, have a difficult time staying focused on more than one task at a time as they move through life, and especially with that half of the pipe that is behind us out of view.

One of the most important pipelines for sportsmen is the one that our waterfowl migrate through each winter and spring. The end of the pipe near where I live in Montana is the famous duck factory of the Plains that extends through the pothole region of the Dakotas up into Canada.

These fertile grounds are critical nesting habitat for ducks, geese, swans and countless other birds. The National Wildlife Federation says that the prairie pothole region accounts for 50 to 80 percent of the ducks in North America — so the importance of that habitat cannot be overstated. Not surprisingly, there has been a concerted push by conservation groups for years to keep the duck factory healthy.

But there are two ends to a pipe, and at the other end of this pipe is the mouth of the Mississippi River. The Mississippi Delta in Louisiana is the winter destination for the upwards of 13 million waterfowl — 28 percent of the entire waterfowl population in Alaska, Canada and the Lower 48.

So nearly one-third of all the waterfowl in North America end up concentrated in the marshes of Louisiana during the winter. These marshes provide critical food and shelter and are what sustain the breeding pairs of ducks that will return to the prairie the following spring to hatch the next generation of birds.

Unfortunately, these marshes are in deep trouble. They’ve suffered from a perfect storm of destructive forces. They are struggling due to the channelization of the Mississippi, which has left the Delta vulnerable to erosion, rising sea levels from global warming, and disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the BP Deep Horizon oil spill.

Help is on the way with efforts like the RESTORE Act, which will channel money into restoring the ability of the Mississippi to heal itself — but even the most realistically optimistic projections indicate that it will be decades before the marshes start to regain ground.

One way to gain an appreciation for this end of the duck pipe is to visit it your self. I’m planning to spend a few days this coming winter hunting the bounty that the Mississippi River Delta holds and it would be great to see you down there too.

More Louisiana Delta Coverage
- Big Win for Outdoorsmen: Senate Moves to Pass RESTORE Act
- Louisiana Delta: The Biggest Habitat Catastrophe You've Never Heard Of
- Louisiana Delta: Mother Nature Got it Right the First Time
- Louisiana Delta: Why I Love Fishing the Marsh

Duck Numbers at an All-Time High, 48 Million Birds Estimated

Alex Robinson — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 16:35:35 -0400

According to the latest survey by the U.S. and Canadian Fish and Wildlife Services, duck numbers are at an all-time high.

The survey, which is conducted every May, put North America's total spring duck population at an estimated 48.6 million birds. That's the highest count in the history of the survey, which was first conducted in 1955.

Last year officials estimated 45.6 million birds, which was also a record at the time.

"We had excellent wetland conditions in 2011, the second-highest pond count ever. So last year, we made a pile of ducks. This year, we're counting them," Dr. Frank Rohwer, Delta Waterfowl's scientific director said in a press release.

Some species-specific stats…

Mallards: 10.6 million, 40 percent over long-term average

Gadwalls: 3.5 million, almost double long-term average

Scaup: 5.2 million, highest breeding population since 1991

Redheads: 1.3 million, second highest population estimate in history of survey

This of course is great news for duck hunters across the country, but don't count you're mallards just because they've hatched. Last year duck numbers were also up, but hunters in many regions still had trouble putting birds in the boat. This was because a late winter kept ducks from migrating south before the hunting season closed.

Did this happen to you last year? What are your expectations for this season? Comment below!

Best Duck Stamps: The Top 35 Federal Waterfowl Stamps

Alex Robinson — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:39:43 -0400

The duck stamp is going digital. As a bill that would allow the online sale of the federal duck stamp works it's way through congress, we take a look back at the 35 coolest stamps since 1934.

The 35 Best Hunting and Fishing Towns in the US

Alex Robinson — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:54:56 -0400

Now in its fifth year, our annual “Best Towns for Sportsmen” feature is an OL institution. Readers love to argue the merits of their burgs based on our rankings; local newspapers crow about the inclusion of their town; and realtors call to ask for extra copies of the issue.

This year we’re forgetting all the socio-economic data and focusing on what matters most: hunting and fishing. In the next few pages, you’ll find the 35 towns in the U.S. where we would live right now, based solely on the outdoor opportunities there. Some boast bass and deer, others elk and trout or ducks and redfish. Regardless, each of these towns is an outdoors mecca in its own right, and from sea to shining sea, they offer the best hunting and fishing in America.

#1 - Appleton, WI
More than 170 years ago, trappers and fur traders chased the promise of lucrative beaver pelts up the Fox River and settled the town of Appleton. Today, enormous whitetail deer draw outdoorsmen and -women to the Fox River Valley. The Boone and Crockett Club recently anointed Wisconsin the number-one trophy whitetail state in the country, with Cheesehead hunters logging 383 B&C entries in the last five years. In the last three seasons, three different bucks killed within 50 miles of downtown Appleton have either broken or threatened Badger State records. But there’s a lot more to do in Appleton than sit in a treestand.

Nearby Lake Winnebago and the Fox River, which runs through town, are premier walleye fisheries. Green Bay, 30 minutes to the north, offers some of the best smallmouth bass and muskie fishing in the country. Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area sits 70 miles to the south and is the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the country. Hundreds of thousands of geese migrate through the region each fall. Sixty miles to the north, the 661,000-acre Nicolet National Forest, home to deer, bears, and grouse, is one of the last true wild places in the northwoods.

#2 - Salmon, ID

This town’s name should be your first clue as to why it attracts sportsmen the way a spawning run draws bears. Located right on the Salmon River—and bordering millions of acres of public hunting ground, including the largest wilderness area in the Lower 48 (the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness)—Salmon has, well, everything.

The Salmon and its tributaries offer world-class fishing for trout, steelhead, and other species year-round. On the crags and benches above the Salmon and other nearby rivers, wingshooters chase chukar and huns, while at higher elevations blue and spruce grouse predominate.

The big-game scene has changed in Salmon with the resurgence of wolves. But trophy elk, mule deer, and whitetails are still accessible, and the hunting for bears and mountain lions is second to none.

#3 - Venice, LA

If you like your saltwater rimmed by white sand beaches, palm trees, and tiki bars, this is not the place for you. However, if you live to hunt and fish, and yearn to do it 24/7/365, then this tiny community at the mouth of the Mississippi River beckons.

Despite its infamy as the epicenter of both Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Venice remains arguably the greatest place in North America to fish and hunt waterfowl.

In 2011, Bassmaster Classic competitors ran down the Mississippi from New Orleans to Venice—more than two hours by boat—to fill their livewells with largemouths. However, it’s world-class redfish and speckled trout fishing that draw the recreational fishermen. You will catch fish here every day that you hit the water, and you can’t say that about very many other places in the country.

If you get bored in the marshes, big-game fishing opportunities—from marlin to tuna, sailfish to swords—are plentiful around the offshore gas and oil rigs.
September marks the beginning of teal season in this waterfowler’s paradise, with more than 14 percent of the country’s wetlands located in this region of southern Louisiana.

#4 - Rapid City, SD

This gateway to the ruggedly beautiful Black Hills region of western South Dakota offers its 67,000 residents a wide variety of hunting and fishing opportunities. Mountain lakes and coldwater streams to the west of town are home to brook, brown, and rainbow trout. In the surrounding prairie, a constellation of reservoirs and stock dams hold largemouths, pike, and panfish.

Hunting opportunities are available nearly year-round. Whitetails, mule deer, elk, and Merriam’s turkeys prowl the mountains. A short drive will put you into pheasants, sharptails, and prairie chickens. Pronghorns, coyotes, and prairie dogs are plentiful in the grasslands.

#5 - Centerville, IA

They got the name right. Centerville is in the middle of a sportsman’s paradise. Epic whitetails get the headlines (the 307-inch Lovstuen Buck was killed just north of here), but south-central Iowa has plenty of four-season opportunity: abundant turkeys and waterfowl, plus great crappies, walleyes, and channel cats on Rathbun Lake north of town.

But it’s the human dimension of this place—the classic Midwestern courthouse square, the easy friendliness of its residents—that makes this a great town to call home. Plus, Centerville has some bona fide hunting pedigree: It’s the original home of groundbreaking Knight muzzleloading rifles.

#6 - Grand Junction, CO
Magnificent mesas and endless elk—Grand Junction’s breathtaking scenery makes the perfect backdrop for chasing public-land bulls. Numerous alpine trout lakes keep local anglers busy.

#7 - Georgetown, SC
Several rivers converge at the Intercoastal Waterway in this city in the Carolina Lowcountry. Famed lakes Moultrie and Marion are a short drive to the west.

The Francis Marion National Forest provides more than a quarter million acres of public-land hunting for deer, turkeys, quail, and small game.

#8 - Bend, OR
Drive less than an hour from Bend and you can be fishing a stream in a desert canyon, a high alpine lake, or a spring creek.

#9 - Bismarck, ND
If you’ve got your eye on walleyes, set your sights on Bismarck, on the banks of the Missouri River. Grouse, pheasants, ducks, and geese abound in fall and winter.

#10 - Saratoga, WY
With the North Platte River running through downtown Saratoga, your next trout is never more than a cast away. Elk, deer, and pronghorns roam the mountains and prairies around town.

#11 - Traverse City, MI
Glacial inland lakes hold perch and smallies, and Traverse Bay offers big-water angling opportunities. But the area’s four blue-ribbon trout streams get top billing. The Boardman, which winds through downtown, is the birthplace of the Parachute Adams fly.

#12 - Lake Placid, NY
Fish for brown trout on the famed West Branch of the Ausable River, and catch lake and rainbow trout on Lake Placid. Whitetail deer and black bears roam the quarter-million acres of state lands surrounding this quaint Adirondack mountain town.

#13 - Cody, WY
Cody is heaven on earth for big-game backcountry mountain hunters. Mild weather means more opportunities to chase bighorns, elk, mule deer, and pronghorns.

#14 - Islamorada, FL
Watch the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean, where offshore fishing for everything from grouper and snapper to dolphin and swords abounds. Cast to tarpon, permit, and bonefish on the flats as the sun sets over the waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the west of town.

#15 - Ely, MN
Just miles from the million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Ely is a pike and walleye fisherman’s paradise in the summer, and a whitetail mecca come fall.

#16 - Thompson Falls, MT
This secluded town west of the Rockies is surrounded by massive swaths of national forest. The two most accessible, the Kootenai and Lolo, hold elk, whitetails, ruffed grouse, and turkeys.

#17 - Show Low, AZ
You’ll find pronghorns to the north of town, and elk, deer, and lions to the south and east. The nearby White Mountains are the only place in the world to fish for Apache trout.

#18 - Russell, KS
Pheasants, quail, doves, turkeys, waterfowl, and deer provide hunters in the heart of the Smoky Hills a dizzying array of opportunities.

#19 - Toccoa, GA
Tucked into the southeastern corner of the Chattahoochee National Forest, Toccoa is 15 minutes from the Lake Russell Wildlife Management Area, home to deer, turkeys, bears, squirrels, rabbits, and wild hogs. Lake Russell is stocked with trout, and nearby Lake Hartwell has hybrid stripers, brown trout, and crappies.

#20 - Craig, CO
Craig offers access to a million acres of public land just 7 miles from town, and boasts two of the largest elk herds in North America.

#21 - Cadiz, KY
In less than 30 minutes, you’ll be into bass, crappies, and catfish on Kentucky Lake or Lake Barkley. Deer and duck hunting are vital threads in the local sporting fabric.

#22 - Logan, UT
Located in the Cache Valley, Logan is surrounded by marshland for waterfowl hunting and myriad blue-ribbon trout streams.

#23 - Homer, AK
Halibut, ling cod, salmon, and rockfish are plentiful in Kachemak Bay, while local rivers host spawning salmon runs, plus Dolly Vardens, grayling, and monster rainbows.

#24 - Wellsboro, PA
Nearby Pine Creek, which runs through Pine Creek Gorge—aka the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon—is a prime flyfishing destination. Surrounding that oasis is state land set aside for whitetails, black bears, rabbits, squirrels, and pheasants.

#25 - Rogers, AR
In the heart of the Ozark Mountains, Rogers is a short drive from 31,700-acre Beaver Lake and its epic striped and largemouth bass fisheries.

#26 - Montauk, NY
The Atlantic Ocean and the Long Island Sound meet at this home of world-class saltwater fishing. Hook up with bluefish and stripers faster than you can count them during the spring and fall blitzes.

#27 - Goldendale, WA
Salmon, steelhead, bass, walleyes, perch, crappies, and catfish live in nearby waters. Duck, goose, and deer hunting starts at the edge of town.

#28 - Los Alamos, NM
Stay close to home for walleyes, catfish, bass, and trout, in waters like Abiqui Lake, Rio Chama, and Rio Grande. The nearby Valles Caldera National Preserve runs a lottery program for monster elk.

#29 - Sebago, ME
Sebago hugs the northwestern shore of Maine’s deepest lake (and the town’s namesake). Locals troll for landlocked salmon around rocky points and shoals.

#30 - Arnold, NE
With only 500 residents, tiny Arnold is home to more whitetails and mule deer than people. That game-rich environment has fostered a hunter-friendly culture in this north-central Nebraska town.

#31 - Mammoth Lakes, CA
Surrounded by dozens of fishable lakes and streams, this central California fishing hotbed is ringed by the stunning Sierra Nevada mountains.

#32 - Woodward, OK
Kansas’ big-buck cup runneth over the border into Woodward, in northwestern Oklahoma, where a number of 150- to 200-class bucks are tagged every fall.

#33 - Beckley, WV
The New River is a prime destination for smallmouths, walleyes, and muskies, and many of its tributaries teem with wild trout.

#34 - Harrisburg, IL
Though the nearby Shawnee National Forest is best known for its whitetail hunting, the area is also home to turkeys, waterfowl, upland birds, and small game.

#35 - Uvalde, TX
This beating heart of south-Texas deer country is also home to some of the best dove hunting in the nation. Lake Amistad sits on the Mexican border 70 miles to the west of town and offers excellent bass and catfish opportunities.

Worst Town - Camden, NJ

Little-known fact: The upper Delaware River’s fabled American shad run is caused in large part by the fish trying to get the hell away from downriver Camden as quickly as possible.

Who could blame them? Camden, a perennial favorite on any “Most Dangerous Cities” list, laid off half of its police force in January. Take a cue from the shad and stay far away from Camden.

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