By Michael R. Shea

The National Climatic Data Center just released its state of the climate overview, confirming what bird hunters have suspected all season long: 2012 was the warmest year on record for the United States. [ Read Full Post ]

By Duane Dungannon

Now you see them. Now you don’t.

Northwest ducks have been hatching a shell game of sorts with the region’s hunters, showing up one day and disappearing the next, proving that the hen is quicker than the eye.

Ducks continue to streak south in the Pacific Flyway, but hunters like Richy and Ron Harrod of Harrod Outdoors say the birds are just making whistle stops, so you better be at the station when they pass through. [ Read Full Post ]

By David Draper

Late last summer, just before the opening bell on early waterfowl seasons, the chatter among hunters was about the record number of ducks poised to come down the flyway. Now that seasons are closed for many waterfowlers, or at least will be closed in the near future, that cautious optimism has done a 180. From the forum posting and bulletin board chatter, you would think every duck in the Central Flyway made it south safely and is now wintering in some secret refuge. “Worst season ever!” decry anonymous Internet types, who lay the blame for their lack of success at the feet of everyone from local DNR officials to other hunters to Mother Nature herself. [ Read Full Post ]

By David Draper

I’ve eaten a lot of great meals in the field—from my dad’s fried-egg sandwiches to breakfast burritos the size of my forearm—but it’s hard to top the prime rib I had marsh-side after a morning of gunning for ducks on the Great Salt Lake back in November. The memorable meal was cooked up by Camp Chef field chef Matt Anderson. Coming in a close second were the chili cheeseburgers Anderson’s co-worker Steve McGrath fired up from the deck of an airboat the day before.

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By Chad Love

To the alleged duck hunter(s) who visited the east side of Fort Supply Reservoir in Woodward County, Oklahoma on or around the weekend of December 29-30th: I'm sure you don't give a damn, but I picked up all the empty shell boxes, used wet wipes, plastic bags, candy wrappers, pop cans and other assorted garbage you left strewn across the parking area this past weekend. You're welcome. That was right classy of you.

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By M.D. Johnson

North of Missouri, duck seasons are but a memory – and, for many, not a real good memory. So bad, in fact, a buddy from here in Iowa recently posted a thread on a ‘fowling forum titled “Good Riddance to 2012.”

Cruising the Internet reveals gunners for the most part are having a tough time of it in places like Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi (but there are some happy exceptions). A lack of water seems to be a common denominator throughout much of Arkansas and Mississippi, though the lack of new ducks, aka The Stale Bird Syndrome, appears a frequent complaint, too. Conversely, though, I get the impression that some closed-mouthed hunters in some spots are getting some birds.

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