As the waterfowl season is nearing its end and with all the ponds being frozen over, the fast flowing river remained the go to place for ducks and geese. So, with only a few days to go, I decided to head out to the river in hopes of harvesting a few more birds to close another successful season. So, I parked my truck on one the many public dirt roads which led to the river, jumped into my waders, loaded up my gear into my backpack and headed southwest. I had to make my way through knee deep snow across an immense prairie field, all the while keeping an eye out for jack rabbit to harvest along ..read more

My plan was to launch my kayak on the south-eastern shore and hug the shoreline to find a good spot to setup my temporary water based blind. Just like a car in reverse, having hugged the edge of the waterway I was going to find the best place which had the most cover and back in then sit in my cockpit and wait for the birds to fly into my shooting arcs.   Having finished loading the remaining gear into my kayak, I gabbed hold of the pull rope on the stern and began dragging it through the high grass, what seemed like just a few meters to the edge of the water where I was going to launch p ..read more

Last Sunday I went for a drive to scope out a new waterfowl site that I had discovered last year, however never took the opportunity to visit. One of the reasons was the road from the south leading to the site was too close to farmers homes. The road from the north was more secluded and had better parking spots along the sides, so I decided to come in from the north. It was a beautiful drive through the prairies and the sky was majestic with overcast clouds towering high above. As I approached the entrance from the north, the road was becoming less navigable and I knew that it could damage the ..read more

As the temperatures continued to drop this winter the lakes and tributaries began transforming into these white desolate waste lands of ice and snow. As a result of this change in the weather, the waterfowl season for some would have ended early for those hunters who wish not to hit the dark waters of the river or cold winds in the open fields of the prairies, but for a resilient few there were still a few days left to harvest.   There are hundreds of thousands of hunters across North America and there is no doubt in my mind that their hunts are challenging and rewarding, however there ar ..read more

The kayak was gliding through the water with incredible ease. It was both peaceful and beautiful to see the water split on the bow and overflow on the camouflage netting on top of my craft. My strokes were so powerful that the water would bounce off the haul and hit the side of the banks in the canal.  The waves would then bounce back and cause me to shift slightly in the black waters. The canal walls were quite high and filled with overgrowth and wild prairie grass, the lower parts of the mud walls were bare with intertwined roots.  Here I was all alone in these remote wetlands, tuc ..read more

There are only two days to the opening season of waterfowl in my area and throughout my various summer activities just like the “Meat Eater” website wrote, I have also been scouting which resulted in “hours of windshield time scanning skies, fields, and marshes.”   I am not going to write a long blog entry about scouting because the “Meat Eater” website does a great job, however I will share my experience. I have most definitely done it right, and as a result have found some amazing sites for the upcoming season, having spent lots of my time in the prairies and foothills finding potholes ..read more

A few years ago, I lost some great books in a flood, they covered a wide range of topics like the outdoors, natural history, north American wildlife, waterfowl and survival. Over time, I replaced some of them while visiting thrift stores and used book stores.   One of the books I picked up and started to read again was the following: The Survival Handbook, essential skills for outdoor adventure, written by Colin Towell. I remembered in the book, on page 12 there is a quote that really resonated with me. “There is a thin line between being in awe of an environment and being at it ..read more

After a long day on the river navigating the rapids, there is no better feeling then slipping into your sleeping bag and tent on the river bank. As you sink into the bag your feet feel all secure like a moth in its cocoon, there is a sense of being invisible in this protective shell tucked away from the elements and all the wild beast outside.  And once darkness sets in, for a moment your eyes remain open. However you are now at the mercy of your hearing and your imagination, every sound is amplified and you can only rely on your knowledge to provide a rational explanation for what the so ..read more

Over the past few weeks, I have been taking some time on the weekends to begin my scouting for Snow and Ross’s geese in the nearby fields, ponds and lakes. Even though hunting seasons have specific periods assigned, scouting can be done all year and you can increase the amount of outings leading up to the opening day. In my zone the season for overabundant migratory bird species kicked off on March 15th for Snow Geese (Greater and Lesser) and Ross’s Geese. Now since the season has started, when I scout, I often take my duck gun along and for a few hours I setup in some of my favorite spots and ..read more

Throughout the years I have harvested a wide variety of game birds. The bird species I pursued were simply magnificent and so grew my collection of memorable hunts. And over time these hunts became part of my being and have transformed into my very own folkloric stories.  As I have now settled in the West and keep on discovering more of its wonders, I had the privilege of experiencing a ringneck pheasant hunt. There I stood between the golden grass and the glistening white snow, fully immersed like a classic huntsman brushed deep within the canvas pores of a game bird painting.  Exce ..read more