As most of you know I love to waterfowl hunt. I got into the sport from my father when I was around 6 or 7. Back then it was never about the number of kills or the number of birds we saw. Never about driving for 2 days to make sure we killed the almighty limit. It seems these days that everyone and I'm not talking about anyone from this site wants to make it big in the hunting industry. I am really happy that during the middle of last season I decided to do away with the large hunting groups and stick to a small core group and try to have fun quality hunts. I just was wondering if anyone else feels like the sport today has gone down hill from 15 years ago?
The reason we do it.
- Thread starter countryhunter50
- Start date
I have no long term experience, but I'd still like to offer some perspective from my seat on this ride.
Hunting mature whitetails with a bow was my first passion in the outdoors. I had grandiose plans of being a redneck Drury brother and did some time "in the industry", so I know what that rat race is like. As far as I'm concerned, the industry can suck it. From what little I know of the waterfowl industry, it might be as bad or worse than the deer hunting side. Now that I have that perspective, I will never make the mistake of chasing that "dream" with my waterfowl hunting.
Just about 5 years ago I started to get the bug from seeing pics from Sean, Jim, Zach and Jake over on another forum. At the same time, I was starting to have a rough go at things in my deer hunting and it left me wanting more from my time outdoors. A good friend of mine took me on my first duck hunt and right before first light, a pair of mallards landed in front of the blind and the countdown began! Using a borrowed 870, my first shot was a clean water-swat kill on the drake and my second shot folded the hen as she tried to fly away. I was partially hooked from that very moment! A few weeks later, Kaiser set the hook and the rest is history. If you have never experienced a morning like this, you haven't lived!
The reason I love waterfowl hunting is for the camaraderie. After fruitless years of sitting 25' off the ground staring at leaves alone, I'd much rather stare at a beautiful morning horizon with a few good buddies while we laugh and share in the battle againt the elements and a worthy adversary. Hunting ducks and geese requires the same drive to scout and work hard as my bowhunting pursuits, but without the pressure and without the tendency to get wrapped up in one specific animal. At least for me. I love being on the water listening to mallard wings whistle or brushing in a layout to try and fool weary geese. I love duck meat and have found a few good ways to dispose of the geese we kill. Waterfowl hunting is good for my soul and it is something I plan to do for as long as I'm capable of doing so. That's why I do it.
Hunting mature whitetails with a bow was my first passion in the outdoors. I had grandiose plans of being a redneck Drury brother and did some time "in the industry", so I know what that rat race is like. As far as I'm concerned, the industry can suck it. From what little I know of the waterfowl industry, it might be as bad or worse than the deer hunting side. Now that I have that perspective, I will never make the mistake of chasing that "dream" with my waterfowl hunting.
Just about 5 years ago I started to get the bug from seeing pics from Sean, Jim, Zach and Jake over on another forum. At the same time, I was starting to have a rough go at things in my deer hunting and it left me wanting more from my time outdoors. A good friend of mine took me on my first duck hunt and right before first light, a pair of mallards landed in front of the blind and the countdown began! Using a borrowed 870, my first shot was a clean water-swat kill on the drake and my second shot folded the hen as she tried to fly away. I was partially hooked from that very moment! A few weeks later, Kaiser set the hook and the rest is history. If you have never experienced a morning like this, you haven't lived!
The reason I love waterfowl hunting is for the camaraderie. After fruitless years of sitting 25' off the ground staring at leaves alone, I'd much rather stare at a beautiful morning horizon with a few good buddies while we laugh and share in the battle againt the elements and a worthy adversary. Hunting ducks and geese requires the same drive to scout and work hard as my bowhunting pursuits, but without the pressure and without the tendency to get wrapped up in one specific animal. At least for me. I love being on the water listening to mallard wings whistle or brushing in a layout to try and fool weary geese. I love duck meat and have found a few good ways to dispose of the geese we kill. Waterfowl hunting is good for my soul and it is something I plan to do for as long as I'm capable of doing so. That's why I do it.
I love brushing in ground blinds for deer TOO! I'm 1/16 Shawnee and I like to think the Native American in me is going back to my roots when I work on blending in with my surroundings!!!
Started duck hunting back in the early 80's and thats all we did. Very lttle deer hunting. In between the split we would hunt pheasants and rabbits.What is now Maumee bay state park was our stomping grounds. I remember hearing back in the day people saying the state was going to make that land a park and we thought no way. I liked the older days when there were a lot of spots to hunt. Metzgers marsh on a weekend with 50 guys highballing a lone hen mallard killed it for me. It was great fun and i have a ton of great memorys from it but im a deer hunting addict since the early 90's now.
Rutin
Senior Member
Been in the "industry" for WAY to long.... this year I sold ALL of my camera equipment (except DSLR) and ride solo now. I enjoyed seeing my videography on the outdoor channel and other dvds but the headache it caused and the amount of stress that went along with it blew ass!!!! So this past summer I sold it all and said NEVER again will I make hunting a job! I'm still affiliated with some great companies but I'm back to my roots and doing it for the love of the game, NOT what someone else thinks or wants me to kill. Waterfowl hunting actually became my release from the stress of the deer woods. The only reason the deer woods were so stressful was the expectations that I set and others had set for me. Now it's all about what "I" want and then I go from there.....
With 90% of my farms never even being sat for deer this year due to slow cameras and no shooters, I would normally lose my mind! This year I really don't care bc I know they will show and feel comfortable, its just a matter of when. The DNR isn't helping the sport, a lot of hunters aren't helping the sport, and media is KILLING the sport. So for me I'm going to enjoy what little I have and go back to having fun when I was kid (I find that in duck hunting). Too each their own but it's our duty now to police our own herds, hunting ground, and other hunters.......
With 90% of my farms never even being sat for deer this year due to slow cameras and no shooters, I would normally lose my mind! This year I really don't care bc I know they will show and feel comfortable, its just a matter of when. The DNR isn't helping the sport, a lot of hunters aren't helping the sport, and media is KILLING the sport. So for me I'm going to enjoy what little I have and go back to having fun when I was kid (I find that in duck hunting). Too each their own but it's our duty now to police our own herds, hunting ground, and other hunters.......
Yep!!!!^^^ My old 1978 870 with a half dozen decoys and a nice soft muskrat hut to sit on in the marsh with a thermos of hot coffee!!! It would be nice to get out there again!!!
Longdraw
Junior Member
Well said, I feel a lot like you on deer hunting, I've been deer hunting for over 20yrs. and just need a break from, and I am having so much fun waterfowl hunting, I really have no urge to deer hunt at this time
Longdraw
Junior Member
Well said, I feel a lot like you on deer hunting, I've been deer hunting for over 20yrs. and just need a break from it, and I am having so much fun waterfowl hunting, I really have no urge to deer hunt at this time
You can say that again. rotflmao
For me it's about finding the balance between the two. I duck hunted a couple times here & there in college, but growing up in a deer hunting family that was really all I could see at the time. I had blinders on. After college, my buddy Rob, drug me out of the tree to go duck hunting again. Our first time out we had an absolutely miserable hunt. Slogging through knee & sometimes hip deep mud in waders. Setting decoys in freezing cold water. Watching pressured birds fly over without even giving us a look. I think it might have been sleeting / drizzling on us too. Well, for some reason I was wanting to go back for more, and did so several more times that season.
Fast forward many seasons later, and if I had to pick one and only one hunting pursuit between deer and waterfowl, I'd have to go with the birds at this point in time. Don't get me wrong, I love to bow hunt, deer camp is like heaven, and the rush is something all together different. But for me, there's just so much more fun to be had waterfowling. The dogs, decoys, blinds, calls, friends, family, scouting for birds, finding the X, sunrises in the field or over the water, hot coffee, hot breakfast, mud, snow, rain, sun, cut corn fields, beaver ponds, cattail sloughs, big water, small water, rivers, streams, puddles, the list goes on and on.
I've love to hunt... Period. Ducks, geese, deer, pheasants, whatever. I love it all. But there's just something really special about waterfowl hunting that pulls me in like nothing else. I'm sure the camaraderie has a lot to do with it. Sharing the experiences with friends and busting each others chops is great fun. The art of wingshooting is another thing that keeps me interested. There's indescribable satisfaction that comes from watching a duck's head snap back as you fold him over the decoys. But of all the things related to waterfowling, there's one that does it for me like nothing else... It's that " moment." You know what I'm talking about... That moment when you have 50 ducks crisscrossing and gliding into your shooting hole... Or a flock of geese cloverleafing as they make their final approach... That moment where time just seems to stand still and all goes quiet... That one incredible moment right before you call the shot...
...that's why I hunt waterfowl.
...that's why I hunt waterfowl.