Articles

THE DECLINE OF BOBWHITE QUAIL POPULATIONS DURING THE 20TH CENTURY

Not so long ago the call of “bob...white” was as ubiquitous on the southern landscape as were the mist-laden scents of honeysuckle in the spring and a riot of red and gold leaves in the fall. But that is no longer true. Quail are no longer there, at least not as many, and in some places, they’re simply gone. Even the honeysuckle and fall’s royal colors have dwindled in many areas. What happened? What went wrong? What if in 1950 there was a group completely bent on the removal of quail from the

5 REASONS YOU SHOULD HUNT CROWS IN THE OFF-SEASON

Whether you’re getting warmed up for the arrival of dove and duck season or looking to make up for missed opportunity once waterfowl season wraps up, nothing delivers a more budget-friendly shotgunning opportunity like crow hunting. Disregard the bitterness and angst that often comes with the thought of hunting crow. Pound for pound, nothing else comes close to the endless opportunity that the pursuit of crow hunting provides. It was many years ago that I discovered that few things can cure an

LATE SEASON WATERFOWL TACTICS

In no time at all waterfowl seasons will be coming to a close and this how to article will be helpful for you in trying to find some last ditch efforts to locate some ducks before the final whistle blows. When I first started duck hunting 20 years ago, I had no idea on where to start; I am an Indiana deer hunter by trade, growing up in the cornfields of southern Indiana. I have deer hunted all my life and I wanted to try something different. I decided I wanted to be a duck hunter, which was a

HUNTING WARY WATERFOWL

After the first few hours or days of duck season, waterfowl get wary. The birds are still out there, somewhere. You can wile away the hours waiting for them to come to you, or you can get out and go after them. Here’s a few ideas on where to start your quest for quackers. LIKELY LOCATIONS Farm Ponds - Most farms have ponds and while many might seem more suited place to spending a summer afternoon with a worm and a bobber, they also attract waterfowl when they have been blown out of their usual

SPECIES PROFILE: MALLARDS

MIGRATION North America is divided into four major flyways for waterfowl migration. Mallards can be found on the Pacific, Central, Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways. Some mallards will travel over 1,500 miles during their annual fall migration. Migration altitude varies ranging from 200 feet up to 4,000 feet. When spring migration arrives, mating pairs of mallards fly north to the breeding grounds together. WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT Moist soil management is simply the strategy of encouraging natural

THE NAMING OF THE WATERFOWL SPECIES

DID YOU EVER WONDER HOW SOME WATERFOWL SPECIES GOT THEIR NAMES? Bob Humphrey It is fairly easy to see how the black duck, redhead, pintail and green-winged teal got their common names. For others it is not so obvious, and sometimes it is quite interesting. The wood duck is an obvious one, so named for its fondness for flooded timber and nesting in tree cavities. Another diminutive duck that prefers beaver bogs and timber-trimmed potholes is the ring-necked duck, which is easily identified by the

MAGNA CARTA OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

The most vigorous participants in healthy land, clean water and prospering populations of wildlife are hunters and fishers – a seminal fact that is not lost on most outdoorsmen. Like all great truths, the ideology of such world-class stewardship is best shared as a very short non-fiction. The title of this one is The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Incremental commitments by Mossy Oak to the American conservation movement include a preeminent partnership with Ducks Unlimited, the

Teamwork

Podcast Transcription: Teamwork Speakers: Billy McOwen Andrew Walters Click Here to Listen to the Podcast Billy McOwen Hey everybody and welcome. This is episode number seven of find your favorite place. My name is Billy McOwen and I'm your host. I am joined today by our broker in charge out of the Greenville office, Mr. Andrew Walters. Andrew, how you doing? Andrew Walters I'm doing great. How are you? Billy McOwen It's good to see you, brother. So let me take care of some business right off

FOOLING DECOY-SHY DUCKS

HOW TO BRING EVEN THE MOST GUN-SHY DUCKS INTO GUN RANGE THIS SEASON. by Bob Humphrey The phrase “decoy-shy ducks” is a bit of an oxymoron. After all, ducks are gregarious, preferring the company of others of their kind. Decoys are meant to present that. Yet waterfowl seem to become warier, and ducks develop a knack for distinguishing decoys from the real thing with each passing day of the season. If you want to stay in the game, you may need to do like the ducks and modify your behavior

A DUCK HUNTER’S GUIDE TO ENJOYING THEIR DAYS AFIELD THIS SEASON

CONTROLLING THE CONTROLLABLES Brent Birch Duck season is now upon us with many seasons in the upper half of the country underway and southern states cranking up soon. By all reports, this could be a tougher than tough season given poor habitat on the breeding grounds this past spring and summer. No one truly knows, because the aerial surveys weren’t conducted due to COVID-19 protocols in Canada. How sports arenas and stadiums can be packed with fans but a couple of guys can’t get in an airplane