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WATERFOWL HUNTERS
2010 Special Edition
Volume VII
FREE
Lac Qui Parle
Honkers
Divers On The
Delta Marsh
Spring Snows In
NW Missouri
Specs & Snows In
Saskatchewan
DEDICATED TO QUALITY SERVICE FOR THE SERIOUS HUNTER
Dedicated to Quality Service for the Serious Hunter
Table of Contents
2. About HuntTheNorth.com
3. Outfitter Of The Year
4. Lac Qui Parle Honkers Watson Hunting Camp
5. Hunting Spring Snows With
A Goose Hunting Fanatic
6. Specs And Snows On the
Saskatchewan Prairie
7. Gunning The Delta Marsh with Black Duck Outfitters
8. Waterfowl Hunting Adventures
9. Waterfowl Hunting Adventures
10. Waterfowl Hunting Adventures
11. How High Is Too High?
12. Hunters Lodging
13. Conditioning Your Retriever
14. Retriever Breeders & Trainers
15. Conservation & Property
At HuntTheNorth.com we offer a full service website to utilize
when planning your next hunting adventure, finding your next
hunting companion, all the way through putting that trophy on
the wall. We have thoroughly researched and Hand Selected several of the Premier Hunting Guides and Outfitters in each statecovering the entire Midwest, Canada and Alaska.
G
oing into our 7th year of being in business, we have now established ourselves as a strong
online presence with a brand name that thousands and thousands of hunters across the
country have already come to know and trust. Since the inception of the company back in
2003 our original business model is still in place today. We strive to offer a very select group of the
top waterfowl hunting guides and outfitters in each state and each year we continue to expand into
new regions of the country.
Our goal has been, and still remains, to reward hard work and dedication for those who are doing
things the “Right Way” by representing and promoting what we have deemed as “Quality Hunting
Outfitters” through our web center at www.huntthenorth.com. When you log onto our website you
can relax, knowing that we have already spent countless hours researching, meeting and hunting with
the outfitters that you will find through our service. No matter what type of hunting adventure you
are looking for, or where you are planning to go, you can feel confident that we have an outfitter who
can meet your specific needs.
We have also worked hard to incorporate some very unique and exciting hunting adventures that are
outside the box of the traditional waterfowl hunting experience. For instance hunting Tundra swans
over decoys, or shooting trophy sea ducks off the coast of Alaska. These are just a couple of the waterfowl hunting adventures that you can find through our service. After we complete a hunt, we then
write up a full review on that outfitter, as well as write a detailed article on exactly what we experienced on that hunting adventure. This review is then available for you to read online in the comfort
of your own home.
Management
16. Waterfowl Hunting Decoys
HuntTheNorth.com
1646 Xerxes Avenue N
Minneapolis, MN 55411
612.599.9944
Info@HuntTheNorth.com
In addition to our incredible waterfowl hunting adventures, we also offer the same caliber of hunts
for: Big Game, Upland Birds and Wild Turkey. Over the years we have also expanded our service to
include several of the top hunting dog breeders and trainers and professional taxidermists. In addition to that, we offer Hunter Friendly Hotels, Motels and Bed and Breakfast style lodging establishments for you in each of our states. Most of which will allow your four legged hunting companion
to join you for a warm nights sleep indoors! We are striving to be a tool in your arsenal to be used
frequently for most all of your online hunting needs!
Online At HuntTheNorth.com You Will Find:
• Top Rated Hunting Guides and Outfitters
• Weekly Waterfowl Migration Reports
• Premier Retriever Breeders and Trainers
• Professional Waterfowl Taxidermists
• Detailed Outfitter Reviews
• Hunter Friendly Lodging Establishments
• Tips and Tactics From The Pros
• State of the Art Hunting Equipment
• And Much, Much More…………
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: At HuntTheNorth.com we strive to offer a Quality Resource of a select
group of premier outfitters through our service. However since we have no control over
the way each outfitter runs their business, we cannot offer any guarantees or warranties
with any of the services provided.
3
2010 OUTFITTER of the YEAR
MIKE FRANKLIN
Mike Franklin began waterfowling as a
young man in the area around Spokane,
Washington. He began hunting ducks with
friends and relatives, but in the 1970’s
the goose bug bit him hard. In order to
learn the ways and language of Canadian
geese, Mike spent weeks camped out on the
Columbia River and practiced his goose
calling until he could hold an intelligent
conversation with the local goose population.
Mike has been hunting in Saskatchewan for the
past 17 years for one week a year. He acquired
his outfitter’s license in 2004 and has been growing every season with custom decoys and custom
blinds. He now spends about 45 days a year
outfitting in Canada.
Pacific Wings Prairie Outfitters
For 2010 we have chosen Mike Franklin of Pacific Wings Prairie Adventures as our
Outfitter Of The Year. We had an opportunity to join Mike on one of his “World
Class” waterfowl hunting adventures in Saskatchewan, Canada during the fall of
2009. What we felt set Mike apart from the crowd was his attention to detail regarding every aspect of the trip.
The main elements that stood out were:
• The ability to hunt every species of goose in North America
• An incredible decoy spread with an experienced outfitter
• An on-site lodge with excellent home cooked meals
• Pre-purchased hunting license and game cleaning included
The fact that this is one of the only opportunities in the country to hunt over a
spread of over 650 full body snow goose decoys was a real attraction, especially for
the hardcore waterfowl, hunter. After harvesting a large amount of game it is always
was a real treat to have all the birds legally cleaned, bagged and ready for travel for
each hunter. It was also very unique to have the opportunity to hunt every single
species of goose in North America during the hunt. The comfortable on-site lodge
with home cooked meals included, truly rounded out the overall experience. The
aspect that put it all together was the fact that an all inclusive three day hunt was
available for a realistic price that the average hunter can afford with no hidden fees.
See PAGE 6 for Full STory
CONTACT INFO:
Outfitter Mike Franklin
509-967-2303 pacific-wings.net
76708 N. Yakima River Drive West Richland, WA 99353
4
Lac Qui Parle - More Than Just Honkers
At The Watson Hunting Camp
By Dan Wennerlind
hen we turned off of
County Road 32 overlooking the Lac Qui
Parle state refuge in western
Minnesota and pulled into the
Watson Hunting Camp, the anticipation for our upcoming
hunt started to grow. In addition to our upcoming Canada goose hunt with outfitter Chuck Ellingson, we were
also going to have a chance
to hunt some late season mallards as well as hopefully
sneak in a wild pheasant hunt
on some of the area’s pristine
native prairies. I couldn’t wait
for the adventure to begin.
time in the field together with him. I think
it was as much of a treat for me to be able to
invite Ken with us, as it was for him to join us
for that special hunt.
W
Tradition has it in our family that every year
my father and I make an annual hunting trip
out to western Minnesota. Over the year’s we
have found that there is a lot more to do than
just hunt Canada geese in the Lac Qui Parle
area. Since 2003 we have been able to take
advantage of the camp that Chuck has on
the south shores of the Lac Qui Parle refuge.
Chuck’s camp has become like a second home
for us during our annual venture to the area.
With his 8 bedroom on-site lodge, we have
found everything we need. I have yet to find
another place where you can be serenaded by
thousands and thousands of Canada geese
before bed each night.
After getting checked in, we had a chance to
meet up with Chuck. We were in luck as it
was “Taco Tuesday” at the lodge. It was a real
treat not to have to drive back into town for a
hot dinner that night. Three or four tacos and
a beer or two later and I was pleasantly full.
After dinner my father and I had a chance to
sit down with Chuck and hear our options
for the next two days. Ellingson shared with
us that this had been a tougher year than
normal for hunting Canada geese in the area.
He stated that normally this time of year the
refuge would be holding well over 100,000
geese. However due to the mild weather in
Manitoba, the official refuge count was a mere
44,000. But again we only needed a handful
of those 44,000 to make the hunt a success!
Chuck also shared with us that he did have
several fields holding geese at this time, so having an opportunity at honkers was not going
to be a problem. He also shared with us that
since the crops had come down late this year,
the pheasant hunting was just getting good.
That being said, we elected to try a big water
mallard hunt for our first morning and save
the Canada goose hunt for day two.
Early the next morning my father and I made
our way up to the Marsh Lake boat landing.
With a southeast wind, we traveled across the 2
mile wide reservoir to the south side of the lake
We pulled out of the camp at around 6:30
am and made our way north of the refuge to
a chiseled plowed cornfield. Not wanting to
leave anything to chance we dug in the layout
blinds and covered them with corn stalks and
dirt to make sure the incoming geese would
not pick us out. Chuck then proceeded to toss
decoy after decoy out of his huge enclosed
goose trailer. After about 7 dozen full body
decoys were on the ground, he shouted out
“Think that’s enough?” We put the finishing
touches on the spread and we were ready!
for our first morning’s hunt. Sitting on a nice
rocky point overlooking the lake, I couldn’t
help but remember the many hunts we had experienced together over the years on this body
of water. While scanning the horizon for flocks
of northern mallards, I noticed how much the
lake had changed since the early 80’s when we
first started hunting it together. Many of the
islands that had been so productive back then
had long since been washed away and new
islands and backwaters had developed changing the entire topography of the lake.
Without warning 6 big northern mallards
sailed right over the top of us. I quickly
grabbed for my duck call and gave a couple
soft quacks. Four of the six ducks kept going
but the back pair locked their wings and
banked right into the spread. I raised my 870
and squeezed the trigger. The big greenhead
folded in the middle of the decoys, about a
foot off the water. My girl Jada lunged through
the cattails and hit the freezing water like a ton
of bricks. As I pulled her up off the rocks with
her prize in mouth, I noticed a silver band on
the duck’s left leg. A nice little bonus to add
the memory of the hunt with my dad that day.
After lunch we met up with Chuck and his
brother Matt for an afternoon pheasant hunt.
The hunt started off with a bang as Chuck’s
chocolate lab Morgan jumped a nice rooster
out of a small cornfield. With 7 dogs in the
field these birds didn’t stand a chance. The
highlight for me was watching Chuck’s Brittany- Gunner lock up on a nice rooster about
15 yards in front of me. The entire afternoon
was quite enjoyable watching the dogs work
for some heard earned roosters.
At around 4 pm we hit the road to do some
scouting for our main Canada goose hunt
scheduled for the next morning. Chuck knows
all too well that having a field full of fresh geese
in it the night before is crucial for a successful morning’s hunt. Although Chuck actually
owns land inside of the refuge lines, he likes to
get away from the refuge as far as possible due
to the fact that the “sky busters” in the state
blinds have really educated the geese and it
doesn’t take long for the birds to recognize that
they need to be up well over 150 yards high to
dodge the incoming fire.
Driving around the refuge that night, it was
discouraging watching the hunters in the
state blinds firing off barrage after barrage at
flocks of geese so high they didn’t even flare.
Although the DNR does their best to manage
the hunters in the area, I was sure glad that I
would be hunting over decoys with a seasoned
guide the next morning, in a field that was full
of geese the night before; rather than staring at
geese a mile high while standing next to a piece
snow fence in a row of trees.
At dinner Chuck shared with us that he had
found a field full of Canada geese in it, for the
next morning’s hunt. Since it would just be my
father and I hunting, I had an opportunity to
invite a close family friend from the area- Ken
Jensen, to join us on our hunt. The time sure
flies by and I don’t think I can remember how
long it had been since we had a chance to share
The sun came up over the horizon and single
honker made its way across the field. We hit
the calls and the goose circled twice and almost
touched down about 20 yards away. Unfortunately there wasn’t much of a wind and he
came in behind from us, which didn’t offer us
a safe shot. So we let him go. From then on we
were covered up in honkers. First a three pack
circled twice and gave us a nice left to right
flyby. The first bird of the morning fell to the
ground and we were on the board! Flock after
flock continued to make their way across the
horizon from the refuge. Then a 6 pack of big
Canadas glided into gunning range and we
dropped two more. As the dogs brought the
birds back I noticed that they both had a grey
stripe above their eye brows. These were not
the typical eastern prairie Canada geese that
normally stage in the refuge from Hudson Bay,
they were the true Giants!
While the morning proceeded, the sun continued to rise on a clear, no wind sky and the
birds started flying higher and higher which
made the hunting tough. Chuck shared with
us that this was not an easy time to hunt right
now as most of the geese had been in the
area for a while and were used to the “game”.
Although the big flocks did not drop into the
spread feet first like we had hoped, everyone
in the group had an opportunity to take a
goose. And unlike any of the other hunters in
the area that we talked to that day, we all had
a bird to go home with. It was also fun to see
as many geese as we did, working the spread.
There was never a dull moment all morning
long. After we got back to the lodge, it was
time to get packed up and hit the road. We bid
Chuck farewell and thanked him for all of his
hard work. It was another successful adventure
together and we already have plans to return
again next fall!
TO BOOK THIS HUNT:
OutfiTTER: Chuck Ellingson
Watson Hunting Camp
(320) 269-9136
www.Watsonhunting.com
5
Hunting Spring Snows with a Goose Hunting Fanatic
First Flight Finishers
By Dan Wennerlind
N
ow after having an
opportunity to hunt
canada geese with
outfitter adam johnson of
first flight finishers the previous fall and having a fantastic hunt near the twin
cities in minnesota, i could
hardly wait for a chance to
join Adam on one of his exciting spring snow goose hunting adventures in Northwest
Missouri!
As I met up with Adam the night prior to
the hunt, he shared with me that they had
been having a successful season thus far.
Adam stated that his clients had excellent
hunting all week leading up to my hunt.
Adam has been hunting northwest Missouri for over six years now and has found
an area that he feels comfortable hunting
each year, away from all of the hubbub surrounding the Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge. Adam shared with me that he
really enjoys getting away from the crowds
of hunters around the refuge and feels that
the migrating spring birds respond much
better to decoy spreads that are found away
from the refuge firing line.
The next morning as we pulled up to the
field, Adam and I took the ATV’s out to
the spread and brought out the gear needed
for the morning’s hunt. I was amazed by
the number of decoys that Adam runs. We
were hunting over a spread of well over
1,800 silosock snow goose and blue goose
decoys with close to 50 Avery full body
decoys mixed in around the kill hole. It
was definitely a site to behold. Adam also
informed me that each of his full body decoys, as well as almost 100% of his silosock
decoys all have the new UV paint on them
which he feels has helped him finish the
bigger flocks of snow geese into the decoys.
As we got set up in our respective lay out
blinds for the day, I had a chance to meet
the group of Adam’s hunters that I would
be sharing the hunt with. And wouldn’t
you know it the hunter that I was sitting
next to was a friend that I had met at a
local Delta Waterfowl Banquet a couple
weeks prior to the hunt, what a small
world. We took about 20 minutes right
off the bat getting situated into our blinds
and moving a few decoys around as we got
to know each other a little bit and awaited
the first wave of snow geese to make their
way up to us. Then we heard Adam give
the “Get down, here they come” call and
we all jumped into our blinds as quickly as
possible.
Not more then ten minutes later we were
completely covered in snow geese. As far as
I could see there were geese in air and we
had the big tornado circling right over our
heads. As I patiently awaited the geese to
drop into gunning range I could tell that
my little chessy Jada was as excited about
the activity overhead as I was, as she shook
uncontrollably inside my blind.
I could also tell right off the bat that Adam
was an old pro at this, as we let the birds
swing around and around and around. He
even let them make one more pass than
I would have normally allowed, to make
sure that we had geese in our face before
he made the call “Take Em”! As the blinds
flipped open it sounded like a war zone
and geese started raining all over. I think
we counted 9 geese on the ground when
the smoke finally cleared.
We quickly picked up the downed birds
and hustled back into our blinds as the
next wave of geese were
already on their way. Not more then
five minutes later and the same scenario
repeated itself. Again we had countless
numbers of snow geese with their wings set
headed for our spread. As the birds made a
final pass at about 25 yards Adam gave the
“Take Em” call again and geese started falling. What a thrill to have that many birds
working the spread right off the bat. The
action continued until about 10:00 am.
Then as things started to quiet down Adam
and I decided to look for a couple of the
crippled geese that we were unable to find
earlier in the hunt.
another swarm over our heads. And again
Adam was able to land close to 250 geese
before we took fire. I have heard stories of
hunters landing the huge flocks of snow
geese but this was definitely as many snow
geese as I have ever had land in the decoys.
One unlucky snow goose poked his head
up at about 300 yards out in a plowed field
across from the spread which gave me an
opportunity to let my dog Jada make a
fantastic blind retrieve. She made me quite
the proud papa after that retrieve, that was
for sure.
Adam then shared with us that the action
would be pretty slow until usually around
3:30 in the afternoon and gave us the
option of sitting in the spread or heading
back for a bite to eat in town. Knowing
how long the days tend to get in the spring
I elected to head in with Adam for a hot
lunch and a short nap in the truck before
getting prepared for the evening hunt.
With a half hour of light left the action
died down a little bit and we had a chance
to round up all of the downed geese. The
final tally for the afternoon hunt alone was
48 geese in a matter of about 45 minutes of
fast action gunning.
At about 5:00 pm the geese started raining
out across the horizon again and we were
ready for them. As the birds started cycloning over Adam’s massive spread, this time
he elected to let them come in even closer
then in the mornings hunt until the first
200 geese actually touched down! Let me
tell you it was all I could do to keep my
blind lid closed as we had close to 1,000
snow geese within 25 yards. As I pulled up
I could hardly pick out one bird to shoot
at. Not more then 20 minutes later we had
One thing I would like to make clear is
that this was an excellent day when it
comes to spring snow goose hunting and
although it is what many hunters hope
for when they set foot in the field, it is
definitely not the norm and should not be
expected when booking a hunt with any
spring snow goose hunting outfitter (including Adam) for that matter. But when
the stars align and the birds do decide to
commit, it is a rush let me tell you! As we
headed back to the truck with a sled full
of dead snow geese, everyone was grinning from ear to ear. Definitely a hunt to
remember!
TO BOOK THIS HUNT:
Outfitter Adam Johnson
First Flight Finishers
651-442-7259
White Bear Lake, MINNESOTA
6
Specs & Snows On The Saskatchewan Prairie
with Pacific Wings Prairie Outfitters
dropped right into our laps, over and over
again. The guns kept sounding off and
the geese kept coming. It was very evident
that Mike’s spread made a huge difference
in how well the geese decoyed. With our
fearless leader sitting in the center blind
calling the shots we did our best to fight
off the incoming birds. Mike explained
that this season he was averaging 77 birds
per day for each hunt. Mike said that his
best hunt this season so far was a 250 bird
morning. Even more impressive was the
fact that with a poor spring hatch over
85% of the geese harvested were adults so
far this year.
By Dan Wennerlind
T
ake Em!” outfitter Mike
Franklin called out
as another flock of
Specklebellies dropped into
our spread of over 650 full
body decoys. The flaps sprung
open from our lay out blinds
and a barrage of shots went
off. Another 6 geese hit the
ground! This became a common theme for the day as
flock after flock of specs
and snows continued to be
fooled over and over again
by our incredible set up.
This was a hunt that I had been looking
forward to for months, ever since outfitter Mike Franklin of Pacific Wings Prairie
Outfitters gave me an open invitation to
join him on one of his “World Class” Saskatchewan goose hunts. After an in depth
conversation with Mike on the phone the
previous summer, HTN field rep Kyle
Hamilton and myself penciled in a two day
waterfowl adventure with Mike set for October 15th and 16th. The day was finally
here and the hunt lived up to everything
Mike had promised so many months ago
and more.
The morning started out at 3:45 am sharp.
Kyle and I arose from a much needed sleep
after a 17 hour drive from Minneapolis
to a small town that I am quite sure most
hunters have never heard of, in south
western Saskatchewan. I had to think that
a short plane ride into Saskatoon might
have been a smarter choice of traveling but
regardless we were there and ready to go.
As we left the cozy lodge at 4:30 am sharp,
there was not a lot of time for small talk
since we had a considerable task in front
of us. Mike does not run what I would
consider to be a standard decoy spread by
any means. We followed Mike’s 20’ x 7’
cargo trailer into a recently harvested wheat
field and I could only imagine how many
decoys Mike had jam packed into that
trailer. When he opened the trailer door,
the decoys literally jumped out of the back
end and I now realized why we had a small
army following us out into the field that
day. Mike definitely had a system down
pat for getting a spread of 650+ full body
decoys out of a trailer, set up and ready
hunt over, in less then 2 hours. Now this
may seem like a lot of work for the average
waterfowl hunter but with Mike’s direction
the process went smooth as can be. Twelve
of us, including two of Mike’s hired hands
and nine hunters, took specific directions
on what was expected of each of us and the
set up was fast and easy.
While I continued to feed Mike decoys
that morning from the guys who were
unloading them from the trailer, I had
a chance to quiz Mike on exactly what
he had in store for us this day. I found
out that Franklin was definitely not your
typical outfitter that was for sure. In fact
Mike himself, had over 19 years of hunting
experience in this region of the country.
Five years ago Mike decided to expand his
guide service from West Richland, Washington- up into Saskatchewan. Mike and
his son Justin then proceeded to purchase
two outfitter licenses which gave them over
20,000 consecutive square miles in west
central Saskatchewan to guide in. Mike
then explained to me that one of the main
reasons that he wanted to start his own
guide service way back in the day was so
that he could offer the avid hunter an opportunity to hunt over the best equipment
on the market, giving them the edge over
their wary feathered adversaries. Mike’s
first big investment after getting started in
his new endeavor was to buy not one but
TWO semi trucks full of brand new Hardcore brand snow goose, blue goose, Canada
goose and speckle belly decoys. I found
out that was just the beginning. Mike then
took these 5,000+ decoys that he had just
purchased and proceeded to sand blast all
the paint off of the decoys. He then custom painted every single decoy to his own
specifications. I found that Mike is very,
very detail orientated and takes great pride
in his mass customized decoy spread to say
the least.
The sun finally came up over the horizon
and the anticipation started to grow. We
lay patiently in our blinds, overlooking an extraordinary goose spread by
anyone’s standards. As the first flocks of
snows hit the horizon Mike turned up
the E-caller and the geese responded accordingly. The first flock came in so close
you could actually feel the rush of their
wings as they banked over the top of the
blinds. Throughout the morning everyone
had more then enough shooting as they
One of the things I personally enjoyed
best about this hunt was the opportunity
to take a limit of Specklebelly geese. After
many seasons of hunting snow geese in
the spring conservation season and having
hundreds of flocks of Specklebellys work
the spread 20 yards high and having to let
them go, it was time for a little pay back!
Although I knew that this area was considered to be the White Front goose capital
of the world, I could not truly appreciate
the uniqueness of this hunt until I actually
experienced it for myself.
Throughout the morning my chessy Jada
had a chance to make some incredible
retrieves. In fact when the morning’s hunt
was finally over, we had 79 light geese and
a limit of 27 specklebelly geese on the
ground with a ½ dozen mallards to boot.
I thought what a perfect place to introduce
a young, well trained retriever
to goose hunting.
After the hunt was officially over we took
some great photos and rounded up what
was left of any crippled birds. Then the
process of picking up the spread ensued.
I was happy to see Mike’s two scouters
return to help us. They had been out all
morning scouting for the evening’s duck
hunt and our next morning’s goose hunt.
The pick up process was just as fast and
efficient as the set up had been. Before I
knew it, we were back at the lodge where
a hot lunch was waiting for us prepared by
Mike’s full time chef Dave.
At that point we had a chance to take a 2
hour nap before we needed to get ready
for our afternoon duck hunt. For this hunt
Mike split us up into a smaller group size
of 4 and 5 hunters so that we would have a
chance to have a more personable experience. This time we set up a considerably
smaller spread consisting of about 3 dozen
Canada goose decoys and a couple spinner
mallard decoys. Mike explained that the
previous night’s storm had wreaked a little
havoc on the ducks in the area and they
had lost some of the large flocks in the
area, so even though there were ducks in
this field the night before this hunt was not
going to be a gimmie by any means. Normally Mike’s hunters have excellent success
in the evening duck hunts, but this evening
we were not able to harvest a full limit of
mallards. This was ok with me as my
shoulder was getting a little sore anyway.
As soon as we walked through the door of
the lodge that night, I was immediately hit
with the smell of a hot steak dinner with
all the fixings. One can only imagine how
good that tasted after a long day in a cold
field. Mike joined us for dinner and we
were able to recap the day’s events while
getting a chance to get to know everyone
in camp a little better. After all of the off
season effort that he put into his operation
I deemed Mike more of a goose hunting
entrepreneur then a guide.
Mike went on to tell me that his main
goal was to take away every single aspect
of the hunt that was a challenge for the
hunter. Therefore he has all of his hunters
email their personal information prior to
their arrival so that he can pre-purchase
their hunting licenses and have them ready
when the hunters get to camp. Mike also
hires a couple of full time scouters whose
job is to make sure that his hunters are
always in a fresh field full of birds from the
night before and help with the set up each
morning. Franklin also knows that taking
care of the game is always a challenge, especially when harvesting the kind of numbers
of waterfowl that his hunters take. Therefore he has hired a bird cleaner to take care
of that aspect as well. At our departure we
had a cooler full of frozen birds that were
legally cleaned and ready for travel.The fact
Mike was able to offer such a high quality
lodge in a town of this size, was also amazing. I was very impressed with Mike’s overall operation. He is able to offer an incredible “All Inclusive” 3 Day Hunt, (mornings
only) for $1,500 is well worth the money.
Two additional afternoon duck hunts are
also available for $1900. It was clear that
Franklin had truly done his home work. I
was very pleased in honoring Mike with
our highest award naming Pacific Wings
Prairie Outfitters as HuntTheNorth.com’s
2010 Outfitter Of The Year!
TO BOOK THIS HUNT:
Outfitter Mike Franklin
Pacific Wings Prairie
OUTFITTERS
509-967-2303 pacificwings.net
7
Gunning The Delta Marsh
with Black Duck Outfitters
it still was a real treat to watch Alfie identify
the flocks of ducks way off in the distance
that even my experienced eye could not
quite identify. For an old timer he sure
knew his waterfowl identification!
By Dan Wennerlind
B
ack in the early forties
when the market hunters ruled the marsh
with their wooden skiff boats
and their punt guns, the Delta Marsh located neaR St. Amboise Manitoba was one of the
main areas for these highly
sauté after waterfowl. Back
then there were no limits on
the numbers of ducks taken
and the skies were black during the peak of the migration,
they would say. At that point
in time the all mighty Canvasback brought the highest price and was thought
to be the best table fair on
the market. Since then things
have changed immensely in
the duck hunting world but
there is still a place that has
a lot of tradition and history from way back when.
The Delta Marsh is located on the south
end of Lake Manitoba in the south western
region of the province. On this trip outfitter Scotty Barmby of Black Duck Outfitters
shared with my hunting partner Kyle Hamilton and myself that we were going to have
the opportunity to spend time in the duck
blind with one of the oldest living duck
hunting guides to date- Alfred Levallee
better known to his friends as Alfie. Now
73 years old, Alfie grew up back when the
duck hunting was at its prime, something
we will never have an opportunity to witness with so much habitat loss and predator
invasion into the once pristine waterfowl
nesting regions of the continent. Alfie
recalled the uproar from hunters back in
the 60’s when the limit was dropped from
50 ducks to 25 ducks per day. As a kid,
Alfie said he would get paid five cents per
bird to pluck a duck. At the end of the day
there would be piles and piles of ducks to
be cleaned as the market hunters (his father
being one of them) would come in from
a long day on the marsh. Alfie still recalls
how sore his fingers would get after
a long night of plucking birds.
As we overlooked our spread of 3 dozen
brand new top of the line plastic blue bill
and ring neck decoys, Alfie shared with us
that as he grew up, he started carving his
own decoys out of balsam wood. In fact
Alfie still carves decoys to this day. Not so
many anymore he states, maybe a dozen
a year now. But hey when your 73 years
old quality is much more important than
quantity.
One of the main things that still gives the
Delta Marsh the throw back feel from way
back when is the fact that motors are not
allowed on the marsh and most of the local
hunters still use hand crafted wooden boats
and decoys. As great as it was to be rowing through the dark on the Delta Marsh
with a seasoned veteran of the sport who
has hunted the area for over 65 years, today
we were at the mercy of mother nature due
to the fact that we were in the middle of a
late season October storm- bringing with
it freezing temps and 45 mile per hour
northwest winds. This definitely limited
the areas of the marsh that we were able to
hunt. However just having a chance to hear
the stories of way back when and asking all
kinds of questions while scanning the same
skies that so many waterfowl hunters have
in years past, including the infamous Jimmie Robinson, it was truly a great experience. In fact Alfie said “That is Jimmie’s old
camp right there as he pointed across the
marsh through a sea of cattails”. Built back
in 1973 that was Jimmie’s second camp
Alfie explained. As the morning moved
along we did not see the big flocks of divers
that the hunters earlier this season had, but
Since the majority of the divers had already
moved through the area this season and the
conditions were rough, we were not able to
experience the great shooting that the previous hunters in camp had. Around 11:00
am Alfie said we needed to head back to the
lodge for a hot lunch and to meet up back
up with our outfitter Scotty Barmby. Scotty
had an afternoon hunt set up for us of field
hunting Canadas and Mallards- a great Plan
B for days like this. On our way back to the
lodge we saw an old sign that said “Hand
Made Decoys For Sale” and we had to stop.
In an old farmyard we met Ron and Steve
who were a father and son decoy carving
team and also seasoned vets of the marsh.
When I inquired about the decoys they had
for sale, Ron showed me a set of 12 beautiful hand carved Canvasback decoys that
they had made several years ago. Since then
the father son combo had been gunning
over them each season. I just couldn’t pass
up the opportunity to go home with a pair
of canvasback decoys from the infamous
Delta Marsh.
As we pulled back into our camp at The
Black Duck Lodge (formerly The Hextall
Lodge) located on the south end of the
marsh, we were treated to an incredible
hot lunch of duck chili. At that point
Scotty told us that he had an excellent field
lined up for us, for the afternoon shoot.
He stated that there were well over 5,000
Canada geese in the area and they had been
switching back and forth throughout the
week between our field and several others in
the immediate area.
After a quick lunch and a short nap it was
back to the grind. As we set up in one of
the rare corn fields in Manitoba, we were
joined by two of Scotty’s faithful customers from Tennessee. We all raced to put the
finishing touches on the layout blinds as
the geese started arriving a little earlier then
normal due to the cold whether conditions.
Right away a pair of honkers sailed right in
and Kyle and I tag teamed the big honkers.
As the afternoon lead on we had more and
more Canada geese working the spread and
we had several nice flocks drop right into
our lap. Then as the sun hit the horizon the
mallards started buzzing the tower. Since
it is legal to hunt 1/2 hour after sunset in
Manitoba, it didn’t take long before we had
a nice pile of mallards in hand. Just as we
were about to call it quits we had one last
flock of 5 mallards come banking in and as
we dropped all five, it was the perfect end
to a fantastic day of waterfowling!
Back at camp that night we were treated
to a scrumptious four course meal including fresh duck hors d’ oeuvres, T bone
steaks and home made chocolate cake for
desert. I’ll tell you what those ladies sure
can cook! After dinner we had a chance
to look around the lodge at all of the old
photos and decoys that the tradition of the
old “Hextall Lodge” had to offer. Over a
couple cocktails that night Scotty shared
with us how he had taken over the camp
back in 2003 and how tremendous the
duck hunting on the marsh has been each
year ever since. In fact Scotty said the duck
hunting had been great all the way up until
this last front moved in. Scotty said that
they normally close up the camp the day we
arrived but he kept it open a couple days
longer this year to accommodate our trip
at the end of October. Scotty shared with
us some of the photos of the hunters who
had been there the week before and had
taken 9 different species of diver ducks on
the marsh. Scotty then shared with us that
he was hitting the road after our morning’s
hunt on his long trek back to Maryland
where he had to get ready for his first group
of sea duck hunters on the Chesapeake Bay.
I don’t know of too many other outfitters
that have as much experience hunting divers and sea ducks than our outfitter Scotty
Barmby. What an experience to have the
chance to spend time with two great waterfowl hunting minds and to experience the
tradition that this area has to offer.
This is definitely one trip that all serious
waterfowl hunters need to add to their
waterfowl resumes at some point in their
hunting careers.
TO BOOK THIS HUNT:
Outfitter Scott Barmby
Black Duck Outfitters
1-877-607-6014
blackduckoutfitters.com
8
Waterfowl Hunting Adventures
Snow Geese On The Saskatchewan Prairie
With
Top Gun Guide Service
“We Make Every Day in the
Field a Hunt of a Lifetime"
• Offering World Class Field Waterfowl Hunting
• Snow Geese, Canada Geese & Ducks
• Large, Custom Decoy Spreads
• Hunt Out Of Comfortable Lay Out Blinds
• Pre-Scouted Fields With Fast Action Shooting
• All Inclusive 3 Day Hunts Starting At $1000
• References Available Upon Request
Please mention HuntTheNorth.com at booking
Hunt 1
Quill Lakes Region, Saskatchewan
- Snows/Blues/Canadas/Specklebellies/Ducks
- Field hunts from layout blinds
- Morning & afternoon hunts
- Exclusive field for parties of 6
- Big decoy spreads and E-Callers
TOP GUN GUIDE SERVICE
MATT KOSTKA
507-696-0208
Spring Snows in NW Missouri
With the
Snow Goose Specialist
Hunt 2
Spring Snow Goose Hunts
- Missouri, South Dakota, North Dakota,
Saskatchewan
- Hunts available February 15th-May 6th
- Mobile with the migration
- Seasoned, energetic guides
- 2,000-2,200 decoys spreads and E-Callers
WWW.TOPGUNGUIDESERVICE.COM
Guided hunts around the
Squaw Creek, NWR
• Huge Decoy Spreads and E Callers
• Field and Water Snow Goose Hunts
• Proven, Seasoned Guides
• State-of-the-Art Lay Out Blinds
• Specializing in Decoying Spring Snow Geese
• Daily Hunts from $175 per Gun
• References Available Upon Request
Please mention HuntTheNorth.com at booking
Hunt 1
Fully Guided Spring Goose Hunts
- NW Missouri- 1 HR from KC Airport
- Hunts Available February-March
- Fun, Energetic Guides
- Missouri License only $46.00
- No Limits! No Shell Limits! Pure Fun!
SNOW GOOSE SPECIALIST
SCOTT ROBINSON
269-760-6219
Hunt 2
Fall Waterfowl Hunts in Michigan
- Operating Fall Hunts Since 1990
- Specializing in Giant Canada Geese &
Puddle Ducks
- Fall Hunts Starting at $100 Per Gun
- Featured in Numerous Outdoor
Publications
WWW.SNOWGOOSESPECIALIST.COM
9
Waterfowl Hunting Adventures
South Dakota Waterfowl Hunting Adventures
With
With Nenaber Hunts
Some Of The Best
Waterfowl Hunting The
Dakota’s Have To Offer
• Early Season and Late Season Waterfowl Hunts
• Early Canada Goose & Pothole Duck Hunts
near Huron, SD
• Late Season Canada Goose Hunts Near The
Missouri River
• Combo Waterfowl / Pheasant Hunts Available
• Over the Counter South Dakota License
Hunts Available
• High Quality Equipment With An Experienced
• Outfitter Daily Rates At $225 Per Hunter
Please mention HuntTheNorth.com at booking
Hunt 1
SD Waterfowl Hunts Near Huron
- Fast Action Pothole Duck Hunts
- Early Season & Regular Season Goose Hunts
- Lottery Hunting License Needed
Nenaber Hunts
Scott Nenaber
605.350.7229
Midwest Waterfowl Hunts
With
Prairies Edge
Hunt 2
SD Canada Goose Hunts Near Pierre
- Late Season Hunts Available Into February
- Up To 500,000 Canada Geese
- Over The Counter Hunting Licenses
WWW.THEPHEASANTRANCH.COM
Experience the Wisdom of
“The Goose Guru”
• World Class Missouri Field Waterfowl Hunting
• Snow Geese, Canada Geese & Ducks
• Large, Custom Decoy Spreads
• Hunt from Heated Pit Blinds
• Field Duck & Goose Hunts
• Expert Duck & Goose Callers
• Daily Hunts from $155 Per Gun
Please mention HuntTheNorth.com at booking
Hunt 1
Northwest Missouri Waterfowl Hunts
- Private Fields Near Squaw Creek NWR
- State-of-Art Hunting Equpment
- Snow Geese, Canadas, and Duck Hunts
- Over 2 Decades of Experience
- Spring and Fall Hunts Available
Prairies Edge
SHAWN ELDREDGE
Hunt 2
Central Iowa Canada Goose Hunts
- Early Season Guided Hunts
- Regular Fall Daily Hunts
- Private Fields
- Expert Goose Callers
- Professionally Trained Retrievers
515-321-GOOS (4667)
WWW.GOOSEGURU.COM
10
Waterfowl Hunting Adventures
North Platte River Waterfowl Hunts
With
High Plains Wingshooters
Torrington, Wyoming
“The Uncrowded
North Platte”
• Wyoming / Nebraska Waterfowl Hunts
• Big Greenheads On The Platte River
• Late Season Canada Goose Hunts
• Heated Pit Blinds
• 4 Canada Goose Daily Limit
• Experienced, Full Time Guides
• Customizable Hunts For Each Group
Please mention HuntTheNorth.com at booking
Hunting Opportunities
- Field Canada Goose Hunts
- River Canada Goose Hunts
- Pothole and River Duck Hunts
- Spring Snow Goose Hunts
High Plains Wingshooters Bret Van Rensselaer
Central Nebraska Waterfowl Hunts
With
Black Goose Outfitters
On-site Lodging
- 5 Bedroom Lodge, Sleeps 10
- Big Screen TV
- Pool and Poker Tables
- Full Kitchen Facilities
307-259-2664 www.wywingshooting.com
Premier Fall Canada
Goose & Spring Snow
Goose Hunts
• Late Season Giant Canada Goose Hunts
• Heated Pit & Above Ground Blinds
• Lake & Pothole Duck Hunts
• Spring Snow Goose Hunts
• Saskatchewan Field Goose Hunts
• Affordable Pricing- Call For Group Rates
Please mention HuntTheNorth.com at booking
Hunt 1
North Central Nebraska
- Field Canada Goose Hunts
- NO Layout Blinds!
- Full Body Decoy Spreads
- Hunts Available: November - January
Hunt 2
Nebraska/Missouri/SD
- Spring Snow Goose Hunts
- Big Sillosock Decoy Spreads
- Liberal Bag Limits / E-Callers
- Hunts Available February - April
Black Goose Outfitters Jay Brinda & Larry Frimann 402-376-6793 or 402-660-1220 www.blackgooseoutfitters.com
11
How High is Too High? Waterfowl Hunting Ethics
By B.C. Maximas
ing a mentor and a roll model to not only a
kid but to an inexperienced hunter can be a
great thing. Let’s spend time with a young
hunter well in advance of bringing them
out on their first hunt. Get that new hunter
through a gun safety program and then out
to a sporting clays range in the “pre-season”.
This will give them the confidence that they
can make a clean kill. It will also show them
what their limitations are. Then teaching
that hunter how to set up a decoy spread
and when to call the shot is a much more
rewarding feeling than taking them out on
their first hunt with no knowledge of what
is going on and watching that new hunter
struggle and miss shot after shot because
they really didn’t have a chance to begin
with.
T
his is as close as their
going to get, it’s now
or never...Take Em!” That
is a phrase that is heard all
too often in the field these
days. Whether it is because waterfowl are getting smarter
each year or that the hunting pressure is increasing;
many hunters are having
trouble getting the birds to
decoy in close enough for a
clean kill and are resorting
to shooting at birds that are
just too far away.
At some point the ethics of hunting have
to come into play. Talk to any serious bow
hunter and you will find out what dedication to the sport of hunting truly is. It is
not uncommon for an avid bow hunter to
spend weeks or even months in a tree to get
one chance at a trophy buck. He will spend
countless hours target practicing in preparation for that one shot. In many instances
when that one opportunity comes along,
the shot is just too far away for a clean kill
and he elects to pass out of respect for the
animal. I have never heard a bow hunter
say “I had that big 12 pointer at about 75
yards and he wasn’t getting any closer so
I let a couple arrows fly just to see what
would happen”. However duck and goose
hunters seem to take pride in telling their
friends that the bird they shot had to be at
least 80 yards up there! And unfortunately
when one stray pellet drops a bird at a great
distance, now that hunter seems to feel
that distance is a killable shot. They fail to
take into account that although one in a
hundred shots at that range may kill a bird,
there are dozens and dozens more birds that
are hit but do not go down right away and
end up suffering and dying weeks later in a
slough far away. Weather it is a trophy buck
or a green wing teal, our natural resources
need to be treated as a treasure and not a
video game. A much better mind set would
be; how close can we get the birds to decoy
in, rather than how high can we drop them
from.
Over the many years of guiding novice
hunters, as well as spending time in the field
with seasoned outfitters, I have seen and
heard it all. One of the most common questions that gets asked before a hunt is: what
sized shot do I need? Inside of 30 yards most
any size waterfowl load will kill a bird if it
is in the pattern. Recently though, the craze
in the industry is for the use of after market,
tight patterned choke tubes and 31/2” inch
shells. The ammunition manufactures are
making claims of being able to take birds at
longer and longer distances with this new
cutting edge technology. However tight
choke tubes are not as effective for shots
taken under 30 yards. Have we not gotten
away the true sport of hunting? At the basic
level, the sport should be about matching
wits with nature to proficiently harvest game
for the consumption of its meat. Sure it is
rewarding to watch a big Canada goose fold
clean at 40 yards and drop stone cold to the
ground. There is always a personal satisfaction that comes from a clean kill that you
personally made. However for me, it is just
as rewarding having a flock of Canada geese
fly by so close you can feel their wing beats
over your blind. Or the satisfaction of having the birds touching down in the decoys
before taking the shot. The final shot should
be the icing on the cake to a well planned
out hunt.
It is very unrewarding for the ethical hunter
to watch a bird sail away and even drop
dead a mile out in some marsh, knowing
there is no way to ever retrieve the bird. In
fact, I feel that as Ethical Hunters we have
an obligation to inform our fellow hunters
of their unethical practices. Some hunters
may try and justify that situation by saying
“well something will eat it” or “that’s just
food for the coyotes”. Those are the same
hunters who are emptying their guns when
they jump a coyote out of a cattail slough
the next weekend on a pheasant hunt. I
think there has to be a personal responsibility on each hunter’s conscience to put the
effort in well before the hunt, to make sure
that everything is done to make a clean kill,
no matter what you are hunting. Then to
follow that up by making sure that the harvested game is cared for and used properly.
I also hear many hunters say at the end of
a hunt that they do not want the birds they
shot, especially Canada geese and Snow
geese. They just don’t like the taste of the
birds. I rarely hear an argument at the end
of a pheasant hunt over who is going to
take the harvested game home. In fact some
hunters are as pompous as to expect their
outfitter to dispose of the birds for them!
My feeling is if you do not like the taste of
the game you are hunting, maybe it is time
to focus on hunting something that you do
enjoy eating. After all, going back to our
ancestors, the reason we are hunters is to put
food on the table for our family…right?
To end this article on a positive note, I
know there are many, many hardcore
waterfowl hunters out there who have the
experience and knowledge to get their birds
to decoy in close and make a clean kill. Be-
For those hunters who are new at the game
and do not have a person to teach them
how to be successful in the field, booking a
hunt with a quality, reputable outfitter can
be a much better option then investing a lot
of hard earned money on a lot of unnecessary gear and equipment. As always the best
advice for anything is; practice, practice,
and practice. Join a summer trap and skeet
league and become a competent shot. Then
learn some great recipes on how to cook the
game you are planning to hunt before you
even harvest your first bird. Trust me, if you
can shoot well and are excited to take your
game home, you will most likely be invited
back to hunt with any group. And finally
treat each bird or animal as if it were a true
trophy…it truly is!
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12
Waterfowl Hunters Lodging
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On Beautiful Lake Traverse - A Sportsman’s Paradise
Located in western MN on the border waters of SD / MN
LODGE HALL AND SUITES
- PRIVATE CABIN RENTAL
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3 short hours west
of Rogers, MN
WORLD CLASS
WATERFOWL HUNTING
& FISHING
FOR RESERVATIONS CALL:
605-237-8323 wingandfintraverse.com
Bird Hitch - Original Bird Breaster
Works great on ducks, pheasants, and geese.
Only $99, “The Bird Hitch” is designed for hunters that take out of town trips for several days where you are required to leave a wing on for legal
transportation. With “The Bird Hitch” you can also leave the head on if that is what your state requires. There is also saw teeth for wing removal.
DEER’S FOOD LOCKER
Deer Park, Wisconsin 54007
FOILESSTRAITMEAT.COM
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Custom Processing:
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Retail:
Meat by the half, Quarter or Pound
Cheese and Sausage • Locker Rental
715-269-5118
13
Conditioning Your Retriever for the Upcoming Season
D
r. Eric Ruhland shines a
light on the large thing
walking behind you, and
it’s not your shadow.
for ultra conditioning. Roading is the use of
trucks or ATV’s to condition dogs, and I neither recommend nor condone its use. Optional
ways of ultra conditioning without roading
is the concurrent use of swimming, bumpers,
and jogging, in that order to minimize risk and
optimize gains. The key is to gain 5-10% of
the workout per week. Your dogs muscle will
respond to the stress you put on it, it just takes
time and consistency.
Centuries before we walked the earth our
ancestors domesticated canines for the sole
purpose of putting more meat on the table.
Today meat is not the primary reason most of
us go afield, but the premise behind what we
do has not changed. Man and dog still work
together. As dog owners and hunters it is our
responsibility to optimize the genetic ability
of our dogs. When my dogs’ feet hit the field
I want them at the top of their game. This
goal not only leads to a healthier bag, but also
a healthier dog and healthier bond between
hunter and his four legged companion.
We cannot simply expect our dogs to take the
field on opening day with no prior preparation.
On opening day many of us have seen our dog
charge the field excitedly, only to have him
dragging behind an hour later. How embarrassing. A man would never walk to the starting
line of a marathon without jogging a few miles
first, and neither should your dog. I’m not
saying you and your dog should run a marathon. What I am saying is that opening day
preparation for your dog begins long before
September. To me there are a few simple steps
to getting your dog prepared. These steps will
make it more likely to see less of your veterinarian, and more of your dog come opening day.
Please note that any phase of this program
should be preceded by a visit to your local veterinarian, to rule out any preexisting
conditions that may put your dog at risk. Any
lameness or bouts of inactivity experienced in
this workout should also be evaluated by your
veterinarian.
Step 1: Evaluate your dog’s body
condition score (BCS).
Body condition score is a range from 1-9
(9=severely obsess and 1=emaciated) and takes
into account bone density and muscle mass of
a dog, not just their weight.
First step- Put your hands on your dog. Can
you easily feel his ribs, spines of the vertebra,
and hip bones with mild pressure (BCS 4)?
Are they covered in a two inch layer of fat
(BCS 8)? Can you SEE your dog’s ribs and
spine (BCS 2)? Notice I don’t say anything
about weight. This may be easier than it sounds
but it is the single most important thing you
can do and is often overlooked. If you do not
feel comfortable assessing your dogs BCS ask
your veterinarian when the time comes for annual physical/shots.
Overwhelmingly the largest problem facing
most of our dogs is that they are too fat. If
your dog is obese a good goal for weight loss
is 2-4% body weight reduction per month.
Anything over that is considered risky. This
is the phase of training when I DO use a scale
to check the weight and the percentage we are
loosing every month. It is important to recognize that this Step of pre-hunt conditioning
be done before true conditioning and workout
phases can begin. Also understand that this
phase of conditioning may take some time. If
your dog is 15-20 pounds overweight, it may
take 4-5 months to get your four legged monster ready. Those winter months when most of
your buddies’ dogs are packing on the pounds
should be when your pup is leaning down, if
he isn’t lean already.
Step 2: Intro to Conditioning
It is ideal to have a dog at a BCS of 4-5 before
this phase, however slightly obese dogs can
begin light conditioning. In this phase I
will stress again and again; do not push your
dog. DO NOT push your dog. DO NOT
PUSH YOUR DOG. This is the introduction
phase. Keep it fun, light, short. Food intake
will NOT increase during this phase, so don’t
fall into the trap of feeding your dog more!
This is a great time for both of you to get off
the couch and do something together. You
can begin this at any time but if true hunting
conditioning is your goal, you do not want to
begin any later than mid July. These are short
10-20 minute sessions held 4-5 times per week.
Light running, walking, and swimming are
ideal. Simple, get out and get moving.
STEP 3: True conditioning
Now is the time that we start to crank up the
miles and build from what we have done ear-
lier. You may notice at this point that your dog
no longer gets tired from his usual routine and
his energy levels seem higher. In this phase our
target is to build muscle, cardiovascular supply,
and endurance. In this step you may increase
your dog’s food intake but be careful NOT to
overfeed. Only increase the food if you think
your pup is getting too lean. On a good day of
upland hunting you may be in the field anywhere from 3-6 hours, we need him ready for
such days. This phase consists of 4-6 workouts
per week ranging from 45-60 minutes. These
days will be broken into 2-3 speed training
days, and 2-3 conditioning days. Speed days
look to build muscle, and conditioning days
look to build endurance.
SPEED DAYS: You can still do your usual 20
minute routine as before but now we add in
more time, and more speed drills. I like to do
speed drills in the middle of a workout. A dog
that is not warm will pull a muscle and a dog
too tired will blow a ligament. After a 10-15
minute warm up, in the middle of a workout
do 10-15 minutes of all out throwing bumpers.
This is what some trainers call ‘fun bumpers.’ I
throw as fast and far as possible. When my dog
gets back at heel I immediately throw and send
him. Trust me, your pup will be gassed in 15
minutes, and so will your arm. This is speed
training. Slowly increase speed training until
you can do this for 20-30 minutes. After the
‘fun bumper’ session continue with conditioning for another 15 minutes.
CONDITIONING DAYS: Conditioning
days are simple, keep your dogs pace and heart
rate up for at least 45-60 minutes, whatever
you need to do it. Just be careful of heat, and
be sure to give water breaks ever 15 minutes.
Some trainers like to use the term ‘roading
Step 4: Off Season
The off season for dogs and professional athletes (not much difference) is more important
than many people give credit. For most of us
in the Midwest this is January-May. All of the
work you have done will be lost if your pup
lays around every day and does not workout
for another 5 months. It is critical to continue LIGHT workouts 1-2 times per week
to maintain muscle mass and cardiovascular
supply. This is a great time to go to the game
farm. The off season is also a time for the body
to heal lagging ligament and tendon injuries
which take weeks to heal so don’t push dogs
during this time. Also be sure to adjust food
intake for workouts. If your dog needed more
calories during hunting and conditioning seasons then bring the food back to maintenance
levels during this down time.
Key Points to General Dog Conditioning
• Be sure your dog is healthy enough to
begin training
• Evaluate your dogs body condition score (BCS) and be realistic with yourself
• Adjust food intake for your dogs
BCS needs.
• Give yourself plenty of time
• Keep workouts fun and safe!
Again, if you are thinking about starting a
conditioning program for your dog be sure
to see your local veterinarian first. They will
be able to answer any particular questions
you may have. The above are simply general
recommendations and may not apply to your
dog. The most important thing to remember
is to keep workouts and training fun. Our
four legged beasts are only with us for a limited
time, and we need no better excuse to spend
more time with them. Use your passion for
hunting to get the both of you off the couch
this spring. Believe me, when your dog’s feet
hit the ground this opening season, you will
not be sorry.
Until next time, here is to birds in the air and
a steady dog at your foot.
Dr. Eric Ruhland
14
Hunting Retriever Breeders & Trainers
Top Flight Golden Retrievers
St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin
Specializing in: Excellence in Golden Retrievers for field and home
About The Breeder:
We are a small home based kennel located in the rolling hills of north western Wisconsin, an hour from the Minneapolis/
Saint Paul metropolitan area. Top Flight Golden Retrievers is our hobby turned passion. We have 3 or 4 carefully planned
litters per year, using dogs from healthy, long lived lines, who have proved their intelligence and drive through competition.
Our dogs possess health clearances for genetic defects of hips, elbows, eyes and heart. Pups are sold with a 24 month
health guarantee. Our dogs are home raised and owner handled. They possess the true “golden nose” and a love of water
and retrieving that make them a joy to work with. They are tireless workers in the field and calm, bidable companions in
the home.
Whether you want a competition golden or dream of an ideal hunting buddy and companion, look to Top Flight Golden
Retrievers.
Also Offering: Puppies and Stud Service - Started dogs sometimes available
Contact Information:
Owner/Trainer: Greg Netys 715-222-5887 1624 210th St. Croix Falls, WI www.topflightgoldenretrievers.com
Make sure you mention Hunt The North.com when you contact this breeder
Starkeeper Kennels
Dubuque, Iowa
Specializing in: Professional Retriever & Gun Dog Training
About The Trainer:
Dwayne’s forte is his work ethic and his ability to read the dogs, which enables him to bond and gain the trust of the dogs.
He recognizes that every dog is different in temperament and maturity and with that he is able to adjust the training to bring
out the best attribute of the dog and work on their weaknesses.
Dwayne firmly believes that if you have a trained dog that there should also be a trained owner. He is very hands on with the owners and works with them as well. By the end of the training owner and dog are trained to be lifelong partners. Depending on the
client and their needs Dwayne can offer waterfowl training, upland training, hunt test training, and gundog training.
Starkeeper Kennels Offers:
* Retriever Foundation Training * Hunt Test Training
* Gun Dog Training
* AKC & UKC Black Lab Pups
* AKC & UKC Yellow Lab Pups * Started Dogs & Finished Dogs (When Available)
Contact Information:
Owner/Trainer: Dwane Durant 563-580-8199
8182 New Melleray Road Peosta, Iowa 52068 www.starkeeperkennels.com
Make sure you mention Hunt The North.com when you contact this breeder
Northern Plains Retrievers
Madison, MN
Specializing in: Professional Gun Dog Training & AKC Labrador Pups
About The Trainer:
You will find excellence in training at Northern Plains Retrievers. We concentrate on proven training concepts that will help
develop your dog into an impressive gun dog or winning hunt test candidate. We start with a foundation of obedience, add to
it an extensive force-fetch program, and finish with plenty of birds and marks. This system is designed to bring out your dog’s
natural hunting and retrieving instincts, and allow you the control needed to work together as a team. We have training programs
for all levels and ages of retrievers. Whether you desire a great upland dog or a superior waterfowl dog, or both, Northern Plains
Retrievers has the right training program for you and your dog.
Our Breeding Program:
The goal of our breeding program is to produce puppies that will make great hunting dogs, as well as fine family dogs. The main
dogs in our breeding program have earned AKC, UKC, or APLA Hunt Test Titles, as well as winning or placing highly in Pheasant Championships. The others are used to guide with at a South Dakota Pheasant Lodge. All of our dogs hunt waterfowl and/or
upland game. Most of our dogs point and throw point in their puppies. We guarantee the hips and eyes on our labrador puppies
for 28 months. Occasionally we offer offer started and finished dogs.
Contact Information:
Owner/Trainer: Wade Stottler 320-598-7827
2280 260th Street Madison, MN 56256 www.northernplainsretrievers.com
Make sure you mention Hunt The North.com when you contact this breeder
Dreamcatcher Retrievers St. Paul, MN & New Richmond, WI
Specializing in: Pure Bred Chocolate Labrador Retriever Puppies
About The Breeder:
At Dreamcatcher Retrievers we specialize in breeding Premium Chocolate Labrador Retrievers. We offer Chocolate Labrador
stud service and have 1 – 2 litters per year. We are one of the only breeders of Chocolate labs in which all dogs used for our
breeding program have had a minimum of AKC Master Hunter accomplishments. All of our dogs are extensively hunted and
trialed throughout the United States. They are well socialized with people and live in our house and kennel. Our breeding
program produces intelligent dogs that are competing and hunting across North America.
Services Provided:
We have 2 Master Hunters at Stud, as well as newest dog, TJ, pictured above. Our dogs have produced; NAHRA Intermediate
Competitors, NAHRA Master Competitors, UKC Hunting Retriever Champions, AKC Master Hunter competitors, Senior
Hunter competitors (the youngest earning it at 17.5 months old), Junior Hunter Hunt test titles (the youngest earning it at 6
months old). We have also produced Master National competitors and Finalist, Open All Age dogs, Qualified All Age dogs
and Derby Competitors including the 06 High Point Chocolate Canadian Derby Dog.
Contact Information:
Breeders: Mike Conroy and Bill Domeier 651-774-7007
962 Arcade Street St. Paul, MN 55106 info@mnceramic.com
www.mnceramic.com/dogs Make sure you mention Hunt The North.com when you contact this breeder
15
Waterfowl Conservation & Property Management
Dawn breaking over a favorite marsh.
Whistling wings. That big flock cupped and
committed on final approach. A long retrieve.
Time with family and friends. These experiences
define waterfowl hunting and waterfowl hunting
defines everything we do at Delta Waterfowl.
From our work on duck production to defending
waterfowl hunting wherever it is threatened
Delta Waterfowl is there.
Delta Waterfowl -The Future of
Ducks and Duck Hunting.
For more information, visit www.Deltawaterfowl.org
or call 1.888.987.3695
16
Waterfowl Hunters Special Edition
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