field notes: on early season decoy spreads

Despite having brains roughly the size of ping pong balls, ducks are not stupid animals. They notice changes in colors, patterns, and calls, and they react accordingly. This is why when it comes to decoy spreads, many hunters fancy themselves artists. Spreads should reflect the natural behavior of ducks in specific waterways, temperatures, and times of the season. Ducks are dynamic, and decoy spreads should be too. So at the beginning of the season, how should you set up your decoy spread?

We recommend a J-shaped formation, like this one.

1. Understand the biology – Early in the season, ducks are likely to feed near shorelines. This is because they need protein to grow their flight feathers for migration, found in nutrient rich food sources near the water’s edge. Later in the season, they’ll look for more carbohydrate rich food sources, like grain found in field settings.
    
2. Introduce movement – Moving spreads are more lifelike than stationary ones, so many hunters make use of spinning decoys. Spinners are more effective early in the season because, with time, ducks become immune to their rhythmic motion. Don’t set up your spinner right in front of your blind though – doing so calls attention to it, blowing your camouflage. 
    
3. Embrace color – Blue and green winged teal migrate earlier than other species, so including some colored decoys in your early season spread makes it look more realistic.
    
4. Present a clear landing path – Ducks don’t like to fly over the heads of other ducks, so include a clear path for landing. And always have decoys face the current. 

Happy hunting!
Emily

10 tips to prepare for duck season

In just a few short weeks, hunters across the southeast will happily skip sleep as they celebrate the opening of duck season. We thought we’d help them prepare by gently reminding them to do the following:  

Do you have your ducks in a row?

1. Secure your space – Communicate with landowner(s) and any other members of your group to avoid surprises on opening day.
    
2. Check and double-check opening dates, times, limits, and licenses – Don’t rely on last year’s information; in many states, legal shooting begins later than normal on opening day.
    
3. Test your transportation – Nothing would be more frustrating than starting the season with motor trouble.
    
4. Scout – It’s likely that terrain has changed since last year; test your transport while scouting for areas that are holding water well or have a good food source. Take notes.
    
5. Prep your pups – Take your dogs scouting, do a couple practice retrieves, and let them explore the area to ensure they’re comfortable and calm on opening day.
    
6. Prep yourself – Get some exercise. This season will hopefully be filled with long and fruitful hunts: make sure you have the stamina to enjoy them to the fullest.
    
7. Clean your gun and buy ammo – Don’t be the person that has to blame not having limited on gun trouble. And if you’re applying a choke, make sure you’re using a lubricant that won’t freeze and bind it to the barrel when temperatures drop.
    
8. Plan your outfit – If you’ve been street-styling your Saint Hugh since teal season, you already know your gear is good to go. If not, pull last season’s duds out from the back of your closet, and make sure they still fit and work.
    
9. Organize your decoys – Are your decoys still the tangled mess they were at the end of last season? Fix that.
    
10. Practice your calls – Use a five-note descending call on opening day, then modify the tempo and timbre based on bird response.

Happy hunting!
Emily

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field notes: on feathers

Wade's When We Least Expect It

We recently came across the work of talented New Orleans artist, Jordan B. Wade, whose new collection, Serendipity, pays tribute to the grace in life’s unexpected moments. After happening on a particularly beautiful feather during a walk, she got thinking about its history and how (whether we realize it or not) our interactions with nature and each other enrich the world around us. Feathers became central to her series.

Feathers have captured the imaginations of artists, bird watchers, and nature lovers of all sorts, but for hunters they take on particular importance: a difference between feathers can mean the difference between legal and illegal hunting. So, we got to thinking… Where do feathers come from? How did their colors change and why?

It is thought that dinosaurs evolved long feathers on their arms to help with balance while running or climbing. Nowadays birds have up to seven different types of feathers, each serving a different purpose: flying for windproof wing feathers, steering for fanned tail feathers, or insulating for fluffy semiplume feathers. Feathers are made of a protein called beta-keratin and grow tip-first from the skin; most baby birds develop their flight feathers by about three weeks.

Like the dinosaurs, birds have evolved to better suit their habitats and lifestyles. Differences in feathers’ coloring help birds identify members of their own species, attract a partner, show aggression, and camouflage themselves. Within species, slight evolution can occur due to differences in behavior: blue-winged teal tend to nest close to shorelines, while green-winged teal nest in grassy areas further from the water.

So, as habitats change and their inhabitants evolve, it’s likely that future hunters will be seeking very different looking birds than the ones we see today. Fortunately for today’s hunters concerned about proper identification, these things happen slowly.

Happy hunting!
Emily

in our sights: decision 2016

And now a moment for everyone’s favorite topic: the 2016 presidential election. As one of the very first issues covered in Wednesday night’s debate, second amendment rights clearly weigh heavily on the minds of many Americans. During the debate, both candidates spoke generally about their stances on guns, but we wanted to take a closer look at each candidate’s view on specific gun matters.

What follows are just the candidates’ positions – no opinions or endorsements.

Happy voting!
Emily