Steps to Get Ready for the Next NC Duck Hunting
Season:
|
- Plan Your Duck Hunting Season. A
waterfowl hunting journal is a great tool for
planning the upcoming season. If you don't
already keep a journal, let this year be your
first! Keep up with your best producing
hunting locations, dates, migration activity,
species present - kind of like a fishing report.
What effect did weather have? River
stages? A few years of keeping a hunting
journal will be invaluable to you as you plan
the upcoming season.
- Keep in Practice with Your Duck Call.
The time to try a new duck call is not the day
before season opens. Make sure you are in
tune and sounding good long before the season
starts.
- Maintain Your Shotgun. A first
step, of course, is a thorough cleaning. If you
have access to a small compressed air tank, use
it to blow powder residue and other grime out of
the trigger assembly and receiver. Then treat
all metal surfaces with a light coating of
high-quality gun lubricant. Next, check for
damaged or worn parts. Replace as needed
by a gunsmith. Next, check for accuracy,
and get your practice time in! Sporting
clays is a fun and effective way to hone your
shotgun skills.
- Decoys. Either replace or
repair worn or sinking duck decoys.
- Get Your Retriever Back In Shape.
Everybody gets a little lazy when allowed to
lounge around all day, eating freely and not
exercising. Get the hunting dog out and do
some drills to keep in shape and in practice
- Maintaining Your Boat. Devote
a Saturday afternoon to routine maintenance on
your boat, motor, and trailer. First on your
list should be an inspection of the boat. If the
hull is aluminum, check it for stress damage
near welds or rivets and for wear spots on the
chines and bottom. Check the gas tank for
rust or leaks and check the gas line and
fittings for leaks. Take your outboard out
for a spin to make sure its dependable for the
upcoming season.
- Secure Your Honey Hole. Be
creative in showing appreciation to land owners
for allowing you to hunt, and let them know you
hope to be able to come again next year.
it's important to keep in touch with the
landowner throughout the spring and summer, not
only to maintain a positive relationship, but
also to keep informed of any land management or
farming changes that might impact your hunting
spot. For many hunters, they plan a duck
hunting trip with a professional. The Pro
Duck Hunting Lodges and Guides keep up with all
the details and maintenance of land, dogs,
equipment, decoys so you can just relax and
enjoy the hunt. It's a great way to go and
just may save you a lot of time and money.
- Are Your Duck Blinds In Good Condition?
Did you notice the ducks passing you by just as
you thought they were about to land? It
may be that you need to re-think or patch up
your camouflage netting or blind.
- Get in the "Duck Hunting" State of Mind:
Read some new waterfowl hunting
stories. Get involved in your local Ducks
Unlimited Chapter. Scan the outdoor
stations for Duck Hunting specials and shows.
- Overall Check List. Check your
gear and make sure you have everything you need
for a safe and exciting duck hunt.
Clothing, boots, socks, hats, gloves, optics,
ammunition, calls, dogs, hunting buddies, ect...
|
Popular Goose Hunting Species:
|
| Canada Goose: Soft tan
bodies with black heads and white detailing at the
throat. Under bodies are light in color.
The adult Canada Goose is from 11-13 lbs and from
25-45 inches tall.
There are 7 recognized subspecies of Canada geese:
Atlantic, Hudson Bay or Interior, Giant, Moffitt’s
or Great Basin, Lesser, Dusky, and Vancouver. In
general, the subspecies nesting farther north are
smaller in size and darker in color to the west.
This is a long-lived bird, living as long as 30
years. |
 |
|
 |
Greater Snow Goose:
Beautiful white goose, larger than the Lesser Snow
Goose and more densely populated along the eastern
coast of Canada and the US down to the North
Carolina coast. The average adult weight is
6-7 lbs and from 30-31" long. |
| Lesser Snow Goose: Close
in appearance to the Greater Snow Goose, just a bit
smaller. These birds migrate all the way down
to Mexico, particularly enjoying the farmlands and
grasses in the Mississippi delta regions of
Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas. |
 |
|
 |
White-Fronted Goose or the
Speckled Belly goose: This medium
sized goose (about 6 lbs) is a hunting favorite!
It is named for the distinctive white band found at
the base of the bill - or the speckled belly.
The legs and feet are orange, and the bill is a
pinkish color. These birds can be found
migrating along with the Canada Geese and Snow
Geese. |
Popular Duck Hunting Species
|
| Mallard Duck: AKA the
"Green Head". The male duck has a
recognizable green head and white ring around his
neck, not visible in the photo. The female is
mottled brown and has a violet speculum bordered by
black and white. Average weight of an adult
Mallard Duck is about 2 1/2 lbs and 24" long.
The Mallard Duck is the most common duck in the US,
with great abundance between the Appalachian and
Rocky Mountains. |
 |
|
 |
Green-Winged Teal: These
ducks are the smallest of the North American ducks
with a short neck and small bill. Average
weight is just about 0.7 lbs and only about 14"
long. This beautiful duck has an extensive
range from as far north as Canada and as far south
as central California. |
| Gadwall: Common medium
sized duck, about 2 lbs and 21" long. It is
common to see Gadwall traveling with Mallards, and
their size is similar. This is a very popular
duck to hunt, because they are so widely distributed
throughout North America. |
 |
|
 |
Wood Duck: The wood
duck is so beautiful, it is hard to describe.
The colors and lines on the male species are
striking. The bill is orange, red, black and
white. The eyes have red lids around them
which stand out around the dark green head.
The underbelly is golden, and on the chest you will
see white spots in the chestnut colored feathers.
Females nest in tree cavities and next boxes and lay
an average of 12 eggs. In eastern and western
US about 30% and 75% of wood ducks are permanent
residents. Migratory wood ducks use the Atlantic
Flyway from New Brunswick to Georgia and south to
eastern Texas, and the West Indies. The western
migratory birds use the Pacific Flyway from British
Columbia to the Central Valley of California. |
|
Northern Pintail: One of the most
graceful looking ducks because of the long, slender
neck and narrow wings. The adult Pintail
weights about 2 lbs and about 25" long.
Hunting the Pintail Duck is challenging, but very
rewarding. The Pintail is commonly found
migrating with Gadwall and Mallards. |
 |
| The Ducks and Geese
listed above are only a few of the most popular
species to hunt. You will find a complete list
of all duck and goose species available to hunt in
the US and Canada at
www.ducks.org. Due to the tireless efforts
of our friends at Ducks Unlimited and the ongoing
game management strategies practiced by ethical
hunters across the US and Canada, the waterfowl
populations have steadily increased. |
Popular Goose Hunting Species:
|
| Canada Goose: Soft tan
bodies with black heads and white detailing at the
throat. Under bodies are light in color.
The adult Canada Goose is from 11-13 lbs and from
25-45 inches tall.
There are 7 recognized subspecies of Canada geese:
Atlantic, Hudson Bay or Interior, Giant, Moffitt’s
or Great Basin, Lesser, Dusky, and Vancouver. In
general, the subspecies nesting farther north are
smaller in size and darker in color to the west.
This is a long-lived bird, living as long as 30
years. |
|
|
|
Greater Snow Goose:
Beautiful white goose, larger than the Lesser Snow
Goose and more densely populated along the eastern
coast of Canada and the US down to the North
Carolina coast. The average adult weight is
6-7 lbs and from 30-31" long. |
| Lesser Snow Goose: Close
in appearance to the Greater Snow Goose, just a bit
smaller. These birds migrate all the way down
to Mexico, particularly enjoying the farmlands and
grasses in the Mississippi delta regions of
Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas. |
|
|
 |
Ross Goose: The Ross
Goose is the smaller of the white geese, maturing at
only 3-4 lbs and only 25" long. It's beak is
shorter than the other geese, too. The
California Central Valley is currently the main
wintering area for Ross' geese, but increasing
numbers are wintering in Arkansas, Louisiana, New
Mexico, Texas, and the north-central highlands of
Mexico. |
Popular Duck Hunting Species
|
| Mallard Duck: AKA the
"Green Head". The male duck has a
recognizable green head and white ring around his
neck, not visible in the photo. The female is
mottled brown and has a violet speculum bordered by
black and white. Average weight of an adult
Mallard Duck is about 2 1/2 lbs and 24" long.
The Mallard Duck is the most common duck in the US,
with great abundance between the Appalachian and
Rocky Mountains. |
|
|
|
Green-Winged Teal: These
ducks are the smallest of the North American ducks
with a short neck and small bill. Average
weight is just about 0.7 lbs and only about 14"
long. This beautiful duck has an extensive
range from as far north as Canada and as far south
as central California. |
| Gadwall: Common medium
sized duck, about 2 lbs and 21" long. It is
common to see Gadwall traveling with Mallards, and
their size is similar. This is a very popular
duck to hunt, because they are so widely distributed
throughout North America. |
|
|
|
Wood Duck: The wood
duck is so beautiful, it is hard to describe.
The colors and lines on the male species are
striking. The bill is orange, red, black and
white. The eyes have red lids around them
which stand out around the dark green head.
The underbelly is golden, and on the chest you will
see white spots in the chestnut colored feathers.
Females nest in tree cavities and next boxes and lay
an average of 12 eggs. In eastern and western
US about 30% and 75% of wood ducks are permanent
residents. Migratory wood ducks use the Atlantic
Flyway from New Brunswick to Georgia and south to
eastern Texas, and the West Indies. The western
migratory birds use the Pacific Flyway from British
Columbia to the Central Valley of California. |
|
Northern Pintail: One of the most
graceful looking ducks because of the long, slender
neck and narrow wings. The adult Pintail
weights about 2 lbs and about 25" long.
Hunting the Pintail Duck is challenging, but very
rewarding. The Pintail is commonly found
migrating with Gadwall and Mallards. |
|
|
|
|
| The Ducks and Geese
listed above are only a few of the most popular
species to hunt. You will find a complete list
of all duck and goose species available to hunt in
the US and Canada at
www.ducks.org. Due to the tireless efforts
of our friends at Ducks Unlimited and the ongoing
game management strategies practiced by ethical
hunters across the US and Canada, the waterfowl
populations have steadily increased. |
