Bird Hunting

How to Pluck a Duck Wild ducks are best cooked with the skin on. That means you’ve got to pluck their feathers, which can be a tedious and time consuming task. The most straightforward way to pluck a duck is by tearing off the feathers until the skin is clear and clean. However, there are … Read more

Georgia Considers Open Season on Raccoons and Opossums to Help Turkeys Politicians in Georgia believe more needs to be done to help wild turkey populations in the state. To address this, they have passed legislation that would allow year-round hunting and trapping of raccoons and opossums. These two species are known to eat turkey eggs … Read more

The Most Underrated Hunting Dog Breeds As an owner and breeder of the rare hunting dog breed, the Deutsch Langhaar, I receive numerous questions from fellow bird hunters unfamiliar with the gun dogs I follow each fall in pursuit of grouse, Hungarian partridge, chukar, quail, and other birds. I appreciate that my dog is equally … Read more

The Best Tips and Tactics for Roosting a Turkey Roosting a turkey is a combination of science and art. The science involves studying the bird’s behavior, understanding its habitat, and observing its movements. The art lies in locating a gobbler’s specific position in a darkening forest, and getting it to gobble. In simpler terms, roosting … Read more

How to Remove a Tick From a Dog Maybe you already know how to remove a tick from a person, but do you know how to remove a tick from a dog? Every dog owner should possess this skill. Because when it comes to pulling ticks off your pup, it’s a matter of “when,” not … Read more

Good News for Duck Hunters: Mallard Limit in the Atlantic Flyway Returns to Four The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published its final rule for the 2023-24 migratory bird hunting season. The bag limit for Eastern mallards in the Atlantic Flyway is going back to four birds, only two of which can be hens. This … Read more

The Weirdest Critters I’ve Ever Hunted: 4-Legged Ducks, Medusa Bucks, and Muletail Hybrids If you spend enough time in the field, chances are you’ll encounter strange critters. Mutants, albinos, melanistic creatures, animals with extra appendages, hybrids, and critters with bizarre injuries are often more memorable than perfect trophy specimens. I’ve been lucky to hunt throughout … Read more

Confessions of a Belly Crawler: Late-Season Turkey Hunters Who Adapt Have Better Success I was lying in the grass of a Wisconsin farmer’s field edge, peering through the rain and wilting feathers of the tail fan in my hand at four turkeys on the hillside below. Two jakes were on top of the opposite hill, … Read more

College Kid’s First Turkey Sets Record Emma Dearing waited eight years to shoot her first turkey, but it was worth it. Her tom is likely to become Minnesota’s top typical turkey ever taken. Dearing’s gobbler is massive. Weighing 23.74 pounds, it had an 11.25-inch beard and spurs measuring 2 inches and 1 15/16 inches. The … Read more