Migration Update – April 21, 2014

Spring has spring across the nation and the majority of snow geese have crossed the 49th parallel into Canada.  Waterfowler.com begins the official off-season with the celebrated return of Waterfolwer.com Journal – in free, digital format for our readers. Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. After an extended hiatus, Waterfowler.com Journal will again be published, albeit paper free and also free of any annual subscription fee.  Thanks to advances in digital publishing technology and the widespread use of hand-held mobile and tablet devices, we are excited about the advances that make it possible. Over the past two-years, the number of readers that access our website via mobile devices has sky rocketed.  In response to this changing statistic, Waterfowler.com migrated our website to a mobile friendly, responsive layout and the number of hunters who visit our site, from the field and on the road, continues to grow. Continue reading

Migration Update – March 31, 2014

The spring thaw is finally underway in the northern tier and light geese have arrived in the Dakotas in significant numbers.  While some juvenile birds remain in parts of Nebraska and Iowa, light geese are another step closer to the 49th parallel and the return to their arctic breeding grounds. Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. The spring migration is generally a hurry-up and wait process.  Ducks and geese are in a hurry to return to the breeding grounds and they wait for a break in the weather to push northward.  Canada geese and mallards, being more cold tolerant and stubborn, generally arrive in the south last and are the first to push north – arriving ahead of light geese. As southerly winds and warm temperatures pushed to the far north this past week, so did waves of waterfowl and songbirds.  Flights of Sandhill Cranes were reported in… Continue reading

DOA Introduces New Gunning Floaters

Relying on the quality design and manufacturing process that rocketed their full-bodied ROUGE SERIES decoys to popularity amongst hard-core goose hunters, DOA DECOYS introduces their new floating decoys to their gunning decoy line up. The decoys feature a recessed hexagonal keel,which provides maximum movement in the slightest wind or current.  In addition, the decoys have movable heads and boast their exclusive, durable paint process, which gives these decoys unrivaled realism. The decoys are packaged with 4 active heads and 2 sentry heads and retail for $169.99 per box. These decoys can be ordered online, direct from DOA and delivered right to your door.  For more information, visit DOA DECOYS online at: http://www.doadecoys.com Continue reading

Bushnell’s New Excursion HD Binoculars

Overland Park, Kan – Bushnell, an industry leader in high performance sports optics for 65 years, has introduced a new binocular that defines versatility. Available in two popular configurations – 8x 42mm and 10x 42mm – the Excursion HD Binocular incorporates high-quality, lead-free optics to provide a remarkable viewing experience. Featuring BaK 4 prisms, PC-3 Phase Coating and fully multi-coated optics, the Excursion HD binocular provides incredible image clarity and brightness. The roof prism binocular features a compact open-bridge design, resulting in a class-leading field of view. Continue reading

FWS Announces 2014 Expansion of Hunting and Fishing in NWRS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe today announced the agency will expand hunting and fishing opportunities throughout the National Wildlife Refuge System, opening up new hunting programs on six refuges and expanding existing hunting and fishing programs on another 20 refuges. The rule also modifies existing refuge-specific regulations for more than 75 additional refuges and wetland management districts. The Service manages its hunting and fishing programs on refuges to ensure sustainable wildlife populations, while offering traditional wildlife-dependent recreation on public lands. “For more than a century, hunters and anglers have been the backbone of conservation in this country and a driving force behind the expansion of the National Wildlife Refuge System,” said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. “By providing more hunting and fishing opportunities on refuges, we are supporting a great recreational heritage passed down from generation to generation, creating economic growth in local communities… Continue reading

Migration Update – February 27, 2014

A quick glance at the Snow Cover and Surface Temperature maps provide and instant locator for Mid-Continental light geese in the Central and Mississippi Flyways.  The burgeoning population of snow geese continue to stage below the snow and freeze as they await the spring thaw (like the rest of us) and the flight back to their nesting grounds. Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. The Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge in Missouri remains 97% frozen and light goose numbers are setting at a paltry 18,000 as of the last count.  Light goose numbers are good to excellent in Arkansas at this time and hunter success is fair to good. Continue reading

D.T. Introduction to E-Collar Conditioning

In the 12th D.T. the Dog Training Video, Dan Ihrke shows how to properly introduce your dog to e-collar conditioning. Dan Covers the basics of what a proper e-collar working level is and how to teach the dog to respond to corrections. Dan also talks about how to slowly introduce e-collar conditioning that is most effective for training. In this video Dan is using the D.T. Systems H2O 1820. Continue reading

DU pleased NRCS providing innovative ways to conserve grasslands

BISMARCK, N.D. – Feb. 15, 2014 – Ducks Unlimited applauds USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) increasing its efforts to work with landowners in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) to conserve grasslands and wetlands. Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Robert Bonnie announced today that NRCS is committing up to $35 million over the next three years for prairie conservation in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. “We are pleased to see NRCS renewing its commitment to grassland and wetland conservation in the PPR, which is so critical to waterfowl production,” said DU CEO Dale Hall. “We’re seeing unprecedented pressures to convert native prairie and drain wetlands. We need to look for new ways to make conservation programs more economically competitive and attractive to landowners.”    Continue reading