1.
It’s not how many,
it’s how close!
– Having the right perspective about what success means when you are
waterfowl hunting is important.
When I was younger I “measured”
this by how many birds I shot. Today
it is measured by the experience, by the challenge of seeing how close I can
get birds, not how many birds we shoot.
The real challenge is the art of fooling ducks and geese. To know that my decoys, my blind, my
calling, etc fooled them.
It’s seeing the birds cupped and coming in to land that is
invigorating. Yes it is fun to
shoot, but that’s not as fun as getting them close and watching someone
else shoot.
2.
Take a kid hunting – Most avid waterfowl
hunters got their start as kids. I
can still remember the anticipation of getting up early, of venturing out with
the men to the duck blind. Do you
remember what that was like?
You and I have a responsibility to pass this heritage on. Take a kid hunting… it could spark
a love for the outdoors and significantly impact their life.
3.
It’s a year round sport – If you are an avid waterfowler it is a year round sport. The “off-season” as some
call it can be filled with working on blinds, improving habitat, working the
dog, practicing calling, etc.
4.
Learn from others & by
experimenting
– There are several people who have taught me a lot in waterfowl
hunting. Too often we get in our
way and think we know how it’s “supposed” to be done. When you hunt with others, ask questions
and learn from their experience.
Something that I really enjoy is experimenting with decoy spreads,
calling, and blind locations. When
you’re in the blind and the birds aren’t doing what you want,
change things up. Sometimes it just
takes a little tweak here or there.
5.
Get involved in conservation – You and I have been
entrusted with a great responsibility.
We need to insure that this sport and the resource will be here for our
children and our grandchildren.
There are organizations like Ducks Unlimited that are doing a great
work! Get involved we can make a
difference.
