Duck Hunting
Feel the cool, crisp autumn air and the dew on your feet as you hide in your blind, patiently calling. There is a flock in the distance! Your heart starts beating, your adrenaline spikes as they approach you. The thrill of duck hunting never grows old! When building your duck blind, remember the best location to find them would be small ponds, swamps, rivers or fields. Ensure you blend well with the brush you are hiding in. Especially above you!! Situate yourself so you have the wind at your back and in the ducks' face. There are many different types of calls ducks will respond to depending on the situation. Here are some examples:
Aggressive Calling (Loud, attention getting call)
- Used in most normal situations.
Soft, Mellow Calling (quiet, raspy and sweet sounding call)
- Used when ducks are wary or spooked.
- Some conditions that may spook them are:
- Local birds are decoy-shy
- New ducks have not approached the area for several days
- Weather is warm, gray sky and calm wind
Greeting Call (four to five notes)
- When ducks are passing you this may get their attention.
- If they have spotted you, keep your calls to a minimum.
- A single quack or two should do or a low-key feeding chatter.
Come Back Call (three to four notes)
- Works well when the ducks circle downwind.
- Do this only once, if they do not respond, they were passing by anyway.
Grouse Hunting
Grouse are sneaky, unpredictable creatures. Most often when you are flushing out grouse, they will take a couple of steps searching for a clear flight path before they thunder upwards in a loud heartbeat. Grouse typically hide in dense conifers at night and venture into the edge of spruce or pine woods feasting on small brush, berries, seeds and mushrooms during the day.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind while hunting:
- Stay on the edge of dense bush lines. (ie: where bush meets a roadside, swamp or field)
- Listen for rustling noises as the grouse searches for it's flight path
- Follow the flush. Grouse typically fly about 150 yards before landing halfway up a conifer tree or on the ground.
