vol. 23, no. 1 january 2011 · brunson publishing co. steve carpenteri tom huggler tom keer gary...

Serving The Hunter Who Travels

1 — The Bird Hunting Report — January 2011

Vol. 23, No. 1 January 2011

Reproduction by any means is illegal© Copyright 2011 by Brunson Publishing Co.

South Dakota .........................p.4Wisconsin ...............................p.5Briefly Noted .........................p.6Minnesota ..............................p.7Louisiana ...............................p.8Missouri .................................p.8California .............................. p. 9Kansas ................................. p.10Outfitter Critiques ............... p.11

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Fax Number: 240-599-7679 Order Line: 301-528-0011 Website: www.birdhuntingreport.com

Dateline: North CarolinaDateline: North CarolinaDateline: North CarolinaDateline: North CarolinaDateline: North Carolina

Great Plains Habitat in theMid-Atlantic

• Timetable: November throughFebruary• Accommodations: Local lodging• Food: Local fine dining• Hunt: Moderate

Let me start by saying this was notmy first trip to Foxwood Plantation ormy first acquaintance with Mike Hester.I’ve known Mike for over 20 years, whichincludes the time frame when he becamethe operations manager for FoxwoodPlantation. I know Mike through the

field trial circuit where he is a well-known and respected professional birddog trainer. His impressive résumé in-cludes futurity and National Champion-ship placements and wins, includinghigh-profile dogs like Therapy andRoll’s Black Bart. Foxwood Plantationis owned by a corporation while Mikeruns the place and is onsite.

I first visited Foxwood in 2000 justafter the State of North Carolina and theUSDA finished their property managementassessment. Back then the vast acreage ofmilo, sorghum, soybeans, millet and otheragriculture could easily be mistaken for aslice of Kansas, Nebraska or even SouthDakota. Now it is even better! The habi-

tat is so good that dozens of coveys ofquail can be found on any given day.Certain areas are set aside for hunting wild

Dateline: ArgentinaDateline: ArgentinaDateline: ArgentinaDateline: ArgentinaDateline: ArgentinaDucks and Doves on the

Outskirts of Buenos Aires

• Timetable: May through July• Accommodations: Historic andmodern estancias• Food: Local fare• Hunt: Easy to moderate

While Argentina is probably bestknown as a dove hunting destination,goose hunting was the primary drawwhen wing shooting was first discoveredby American hunters in the early 1970s.Later, duck concentrations were discov-ered that included a spectacular array ofspecies, and Argentina became a truewaterfowlers’ Mecca.

Last June I traveled to Argentinaand enjoyed six days of outstandingduck hunting in Buenos Aires Province.Because the hunting areas are only one

and a half to three hours’ drive fromthe international airport, clients arriv-ing in Buenos Aires on a morning flightare at the estancia in time for lunch

before the afternoon hunt.I hunted at two estancias during my

stay. Estancia La Palegaria is located

on the outskirts of Chascomus, about anhour and a half from the internationalairport. In its second year of operation,the hunting program is run by BrianHeywood, a transplanted Texan, and hisArgentine partner Maxi Dominquez.The estancia is leased for exclusive useby Brian’s clients during the hunting sea-son. La Palegaria can accommodate upto eight hunters in four single rooms withqueen beds and two double rooms. Sixhunters are preferred, and every client hasa single room. The food was first-classand included grass-fed beef and savorychicken and pork dishes with all the trim-mings. Quality Argentine wines accom-panied every meal.

While Brian has been running LaPalegaria for only two seasons, he has beeninvolved in Argentine hunting for 11years. Previously, Brian worked at Burt



For Bird Shooters & Waterfowlers

PublisherStuart Brunson

Managing EditorTom Carney

[email protected]

Senior EditorJohn Gosselin

[email protected]

Senior CorrespondentGary Kramer

Publisher EmeritusTod Sedgwick

Production/Advertising ManagerKathy Thorne

IllustrationsGordon Allen

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Contributors

The Bird Hunting Report (ISSN: 1084-8789) is a newsletterfor the active hunter/conservationist who travels in searchof the world’s best birdshooting and waterfowling, and isdeeply involved in efforts to save that wingshooting forfuture generations. The Bird Hunting Report is not a book-ing agent, nor is it affiliated with any booking agent, out-fitter or guide. All reports contained herein are based on thebest information available at press time. A one-year printsubscription costs $59 plush shipping. Single copies cost$6. Back issues cost $5.50. In the US add $4.95 In Canadaand Mexico add $6/year. Overseas subscribers add $21/year and send payment via major credit card or US bankdraft. Material herein may not be reproduced without per-mission of Brunson Publishing Co.

The Bird Hunting Report USPS (1084-8789) is publishedmonthly by Brunson Publishing Co, PO Box 328, BoydsMD 20841. A one-year subscription costs $59. Periodi-cals postage paid at Boyds, MD and at additional mailingoffices. Postmaster send address changes to: The BirdHunting Report, Brunson Publishing Co., PO Box 328,Boyds MD 20841.

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Argentina... (from page 1)Argentina... (from page 1)Argentina... (from page 1)Argentina... (from page 1)Argentina... (from page 1)

Copyright ©2011

Brunson Publishing Co.

Steve CarpenteriTom Huggler

Tom KeerGary Lewis

Greg MortonJosef A. Riekers

Nick SisleyDoug Stamm

Pine Plantation in Georgia as a huntingguide. He met his wife Vanessa at BurntPine, where she worked in the hospitalityend of the business. They later married andnow live full-time in Argentina.

Not only is La Palegaria close toBuenos Aires, the hunting areas areclose — only 15 to 20 minutes and sel-dom more than a 40-minute drive. Thehunting is over decoys, and every groupof two hunters is accompanied by aguide. Duck hunts are available bothmornings and after-noons. During a typi-cal day, hunters willfire three to fourboxes of shells in themorning and two tothree in the after-noon. In addition tohigh volume shoot-ing, another inter-esting aspect is thediversity of duckspecies available.During my stay, weshot rosy-billed pochard; yellow-billedand white-cheeked pintail; silver, ringedand speckled teal; red shoveler; Chiloewigeon and white-faced whistling duck.

While duck hunting is the primaryfocus at La Palegaria, perdiz huntingalso is available. While I did not huntperdiz, other hunters enjoyed good suc-cess and returned to the estancia with10-bird limits or near limits. The hunt-ing is over Labs and German shorthai-red pointers. The drives to the perdizfields are generally 30 minutes or less.

The daily rate at La Palegaria is$899 and includes all transportation inArgentina, accommodations, food andhunting services. Shotguns can be rentedfor $70/day and shells are $14/box.

Brian can easily arrange combina-tion trips with three days at La Palegariafor ducks and three days dove shootingat either Estancia Posta del Norte or LaAgauda, both near Cordoba. The six-dayitinerary is $4,595 and includes every-thing but shotgun rental, shells, tips andthe flight to Cordoba (about $300).

The other location visited wasEstancia San Juan in Buenos Aires Prov-ince, about 200 miles west of and a three-hour drive from the Buenos Aires air-

port. At the airport, we were met byAndres (Cane) St. Antonin of Four Sea-sons Adventures, a company that offersbird shooting, big game hunting andfishing throughout Argentina.

San Juan is a classic estancia builtin 1886 on an operating cattle ranch. Ithas all the modern conveniences butstill maintains the “feel” of an historicArgentine estancia. There are sevendouble rooms, two private bathroomsand two shared bathrooms. The preferred

group size is eightwith 10 maximum.

One of the advan-tages of hunting fromSan Juan is the drivesto the shooting areasare short — 30 min-utes or less. Four Sea-sons has 22,000 acresleased, with about 50percent of that totalwetlands. The balanceis used for cattle graz-ing and the cultiva-

tion of corn, soybeans, sorghum andwheat. This combination of marsh andagriculture provide excellent habitatsfor a wide variety of ducks and otherwater birds.

The first day, we arrived just beforedinner and after hors d’oeuvres and cock-tails and sat down to a sumptuous mealof tender beef, fresh-baked breads, veg-etables, fried potatoes and a glass of redwine. The final course was one of myfavorite desserts: flan with dulce deleche accompanied by a glass of port.

The next morning we were up earlyand after breakfast headed to themarshes. We met our bird boy in the field,and before long the decoys were set. Weused natural cover for a blind and whilewalking in knee-deep water was required,it was only moderately strenuous. Thefirst birds in were rosy-billed pochards,and we dispatched the pair as they hov-ered 30 yards above the decoys. Myhunting partner was out of the blind in aflash and quickly returned with the birds.This was his first trip to Argentina, andhe was anxious to take a closer look atthe pochards. Rosy-bills are about thesize of a mallard and are technically div-ing ducks. However, they behave more



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birds, but the pressure and limits are strictlyregulated. Other parts of the property arecontinuously enhanced with releasedbirds through Mike’s dog training regi-men and the hunts that are offered. Anybird dog lover will be mystified with theimpeccable performance of the pointers,setters and other breeds that will be work-ing to find birds. Hunters are welcome tobring their own dogs, and kennels withrunning water are available for their hous-ing. This is a great opportunity to haveMike make some suggestions about yourdog handling if you are working with ayounger, unfinished prospect.

The hunting requires moderate ef-fort because a lot of walking through veg-etation can occur. This isn’t true for allthe hunts as they are dependent on thebirds’ whereabouts. Horseback huntsand ATV hunts can be arranged for anadditional charge if you require easiertravel throughout the plantation or ifyou just want to spice it up a notch. Asyou might expect, the horses’ mannersare impeccable too since they are used towork dogs daily and frequent field trialsas well. In order to prepare dogs for thePheasant Futurity and other trials wherepheasant are encountered, Mike has ar-eas where they can be pursued by hunt-ing clients. The pheasants are usually re-leased the same morning of the hunt.These pheasants are high quality fliers.Since poor flying birds are detrimentalto a bird dog’s training progression, Mike

does not tolerate them and acquires onlythe best available. There were no chukarsat the time I was there, but they are occa-sionally available too.

Hunters must wear at least a blaze

orange cap and no more than three hunt-ers per group are permitted.

On this trip we flew into Greensboroand rented a car for the short trip to Mebanewhere Mike lives. The plantation groundsare a few miles farther in Burlington. Ra-leigh-Durham Airport is a viable option ata mere hour and a half away. The planta-tion had an old farmhouse for lodging ac-commodations when I was there 10 yearsago, but on this trip Mike said lodgingarrangements were being revisited by thecorporation and would be offered in thefuture. In the meantime, Mike has an apart-ment attached to his house that he offersto guests for an extremely reasonable rate.The only concern about this arrangementthat some might have is that the tempera-

ture in the apartment is set at 68 degreesand there is no control accessible withinthe unit. If that is out of the range of yourcomfort zone I suggest taking that up withMike upon arrival so he can adjust it toyour desire. Mike took us to local diningestablishments with an emphasis onSouthern cuisine for lunches and dinnervaried from one fine dining restaurant toChinese buffet. There is quite a varietynearby, and Mike let us decide among thechoices offered each day. While the lodg-ing and food were not fancy but accept-able, they were definitely offset by thehunting environment, dog work and birdsthat I rate an A+. The habitat and birdpopulations create a little slice of birdhunting heaven right in the middle ofNorth Carolina. Mike offers bird dogtraining for field trials or hunting as wellas deer and turkey hunting according tothe state seasons. He is also available forhabitat consultation if you are looking toimprove your own quail hunting property.

Foxwood Plantation offers dayhunts and annual membership packages.A visit to Foxwood Plantation offers achance to experience world-class quailshooting while learning about quail,dogs, horses and habitat from one of theindustry’s most knowledgeable people.

Mike Hester, 336-269-0296 (before8 p.m.), 336-421-3379 (after 8 p.m.),w w w. fo xwo o d p l a n t a t i o n . c o m ,[email protected].

—Josef A. Riekers

like puddle ducks, generally feeding inrice fields and shallow marshes. Drakesare handsome birds, sporting an unmis-takable bright red bill with a swollenknob at the base. They are consideredthe finest eating of the South Americanducks and that evening we were to findout just how good “pato picasso” waswhen marinated and grilled.

As the sky brightened, the birds be-gan to fly in earnest. Some, like yellow-billed pintails, circled warily before com-ing to the decoys. Others, including speck-led teal, came in small flocks and pairsstraight to the decoys as if they were look-ing for their long lost amigos. White-facedwhistling ducks never really decoyed butoften passed low enough for a shot.

Three hunting-day packages atEstancia San Juan that include transpor-tation in Argentina, accommodations,food and hunting services are $2,295. Afive-day package is $3,695. Shotgunscan be rented for $50/day and shells are$15/box.

In August 2010, Four Seasonsopened a new dove lodge in Entre RiosProvince northwest of Buenos Airesabout a four-hour drive from EstanciaSan Juan. The shooting at BolacuaLodge is classic high volume dove withhunting in fields and at roosts where fir-ing two cases of shells a day and a bag-ging up to 3,000 doves are realistic pos-sibilities. The proximity of the two prop-erties makes it possible to hunt ducks in

the morning followed by a midday trans-fer and an afternoon dove shoot. A hunt-ing trip that includes three days of duckhunting and two and half days of doveshooting is $3,595. Included are thesame services as the duck hunting onlypackages. Shells are $12/box.

For more info on Estancia LaPalegaria contact Burnt Pine Travel,www.burntpine-travel.com, 404-457-6581.

For more info: Four Seasons Adven-tures, +(54) 911-6444-2379, www.4seasons.com.ar, [email protected] Gage Outdoor Expeditions, 800-888-1601, www.gageoutdoor.com.

—Gary Kramer



BHR Field StaffBHR Field StaffBHR Field StaffBHR Field StaffBHR Field Staff The Bird Hunting Report is always

looking for people to join its Field Staff,subscribers who go above and beyondthe call by filing extensive reports ongreat places to hunt (or to avoid). Thesesubscribers who file the reports found inour “Field Notes” section remain “onstaff” for a year and receive a specialBHR cap.

Our current team members includeMark Rousseau, Woods Weathersby,Curtis L. Frisbie and Gary Sanden.

Reports need to be honest and bal-anced, indicating the bad as well as thegood. So instead of just filing the usual“Hunt Report Form,” why not join ourField Staff by submitting a completeaccount for “Field Notes” at The BirdHunting Report, PO Box 328, Boyds,MD 20841; 240-599-7679 (fax);[email protected].

Dateline: South DakotaDateline: South DakotaDateline: South DakotaDateline: South DakotaDateline: South Dakota

Aberdeen Area Lodge Richwith Offerings

• Timetable: Sept. 15 through Dec. 31• Accommodations: Family stylelodge• Food: Traditional American-stylecuisine served family style• Hunt: Easy to moderate

Daybreak Lodge is located inFrederick, S.D., 30 miles northwest ofAberdeen in Brown County. Despite thefact that 2010 marked the inaugural sea-son for Daybreak Lodge, the owners areveterans in the business and run a first-class pheasant hunting lodge on thislarge, beautiful property in the north-east corner of South Dakota.

Owner Mark Haglin is also theowner of Pine Shadows Kennels inBrainerd, Minn. In 1970, Mark’s wifeSophie gave him his first Englishspringer spaniel. Since then the familyhas built the largest English springerspaniel kennel in the country. In fact,Pine Shadows was one of the first ken-nels to receive endorsement from Orvisfor its hunting dog breeding and train-ing program. These well trained, livelyspringers are champion flushers andretrievers and a joy watch in the field.

Morgan Haglin, Mark’s son, is thehead dog trainer and guide at Pine Shad-ows-Daybreak Lodge. Morgan startedrunning the dogs in field trials when hewas 10 years old. In 2003, Morgan quali-fied to run in the National Amateur, priorto becoming a professional trainer at PineShadows. He has since qualified to run inthe Nationals every year. In 2009, Markplaced fourth in the Nationals with a dognamed Pine Shadows Wallace. At the ageof 28, Morgan became the youngesttrainer to place in the Nationals.

The beautiful Elm River mean-ders through the 6,000 contiguousacres of secluded private huntinggrounds, offering a variety of terrainfor everyone: moderate valleys andsloughs, as well as flat, easy walking.The cover is exceptionally rich withmanaged grasses, sorghum, corn, cat-tails, dry marshes, hedgerows and CRP.

Mark Haglin has worked closely withPheasants Forever biologists on gamehabitat improvement projects. He alsofounded the Brainerd, Minn., RuffedGrouse Society chapter back in 1986.

The Daybreak guides will providetransportation to and from the field in afour-wheel-drive Mule or the DaybreakLodge Hunt Bus — a converted four-wheel-drive short bus perfect for a groupof hunters. The guides know the terrainand are experienced hunters and dog han-dlers. Depending on the cover, somehunts offered scattered single birds, whileothers produce large bouquets of wild

roosters and hens. There might be an oc-casional sharp-tailed grouse flush, buthigher sharptail numbers can be found ashort drive to the west of Daybreak. Over-all, roosters and shooting opportunitiesare plentiful at Daybreak Lodge. Every-one in our group saw excellent action andwent home with packaged frozen birds andcomplimentary pheasant recipes.

The site of the Daybreak Lodge isrich with history. The property was the19th century site of the Campbell FurPost — the southernmost point of theHudson Bay Trading Company. It wasalso the site of one of the original Chi-nese ringneck pheasant releases into theUnited States over 100 years ago.

Three of the historic Hudson BayTrading Company buildings still sit onthe property: the Campbell House, theHudson House and the Katy House. Thebuildings have been modernized andcan comfortably accommodate a totalof 26 hunters. The main building, theCampbell House, sleeps about nineguests. It features a large dining roomand kitchen, four bedrooms with twinbeds, three private and shared bath-

rooms, wall-to-wall carpeting, largecushy couches and recliners and a largeflat screen with DirecTV.

In traditional South Dakota style,there was plenty of time to enjoy a satis-fying breakfast. Breakfast typically in-cluded coffee, eggs; French toast, pan-cakes or homemade cinnamon rolls; ba-con and sausage and an assortment offruits, juices and yogurt.

Lunches included soups, sand-wiches and chips, and were commonlyserved in the Post — an adjacent meet-ing building equipped with tables andchairs, a pool table and a bar. Happyhours in the Post included delicioushomemade venison sausages, cheeseand small hors d’oeuvre pickles and aselection of beers and sodas.

Dinners were always served familystyle in the dining room. After a longday, hunters welcomed the savory Ameri-can-style fare. Dinners included porkloin and glazed carrots, chicken Kievwith rice and veggies or steak and pota-toes cooked to perfection. Locally home-made cakes and pies wrapped up an al-ready superb day. Our hosts made surethat no one went hungry, and the kitchen



was always open to build your own mid-night snack.

Hunters are welcome to bring theirown dogs; however, depending on thesize of the groups and the dogs, the lodgeowners generally prefer that the dogsdo not come in the houses. Insulated dogcrate covers are recommended for dogsthat stay outside in a vehicle at night.

The closest airport is in Aberdeen,less than 30 miles away, served by Delta/Northwest airlines. A three-day hunt atthe Daybreak Lodge includes transpor-tation to and from the Aberdeen airport.Otherwise, it is a two and half hour drive

to the airport in Fargo, N.D. Those wish-ing to use the Fargo airport should renta car and drive to Daybreak Lodge.

An all-inclusive three-day packageat Daybreak is $2,000 per person, basedon a group of six to eight people. Thisincludes three full days of hunting andfour nights of lodging and almost ev-erything you’ll need. All meals, snacks,field transportation, Aberdeen airportshuttle, shells and clay pigeons are in-cluded. The Haglins will even provide agun if needed.

The only additional expense ishunting licenses and gratuities. Nonresi-

dent licenses are $110 plus a $4 fee andcan easily be purchased online. A typi-cal gratuity to the lodge is 15 percent.

The staff at Pine Shadows-DaybreakLodge is extremely personable and ex-perienced. Combined with top-notchhunting cover, excellent dog work andcomfortable accommodations, Day-break is sure to create a memorable tripwith good hunting, good fellowship andgood sportsmanship.

For more info: Mark Haglin, 218-821-1295 or 218-829-4736,[email protected].

—Sue Melus

Dateline: WDateline: WDateline: WDateline: WDateline: Wisconsinisconsinisconsinisconsinisconsin

Northern Range Ruffed Grouse

• Timetable: Mid-September throughJanuary• Accommodations: Local establish-ments, from basic to expansive• Food: Local restaurants, variety ofstyles• Hunt: Easy to difficult

Northern Wisconsin is prime ruffedgrouse country, with Park Falls proclaim-ing itself as being the “Ruffed GrouseCapital of the World.”

Chequamegon-Nicolet NationalForest provides 1,530,647 acres of as-pen, alder, fir and tamarack cover. Thearea is logged by successive clear-cut-ting, which provides perfect habitat forruffed grouse as the forest regenerates.Bogs, streams and lakes pepper the re-gion providing beautiful ever-changingviews and hunting possibilities. The for-est is crisscrossed with county roads,logging trails and service trails. Thecounty roads are heavily hunted by lo-cals, and many “Fool’s Hens” arequickly harvested. More energetic hunt-ers can find out why ruffed grouse arecalled the “King of Game Birds” bywalking the logging trails or regener-ated clear-cuts. Ruffed grouse have anuncanny knack of placing every tree inthe forest between themselves and thehunter when they flush. Hunting can beeven more challenging at times becauseof the nature of the terrain from clear-cutting. However the more difficult the

area is to hunt, the less pressure thegrouse will have seen, and the morerewarding the experience will be whena bird is bagged.

During early season hunts, dog own-ers need to watch and listen for the bay-ing of hounds. The hunting of black bearwith hounds is allowed in season andmay cause conflicts between the caninemembers of both parties if their pathscross.

Additional hunting opportunitiesare on the horizon. The National ForestService, with support from the RuffedGrouse Society (RGS), is proposinggrouse habitat improvement on 5,585

acres. Timber harvest, shear-cutting al-der growth and upland opening mainte-nance are included in the plan. This planwill assure continued improvement ingrouse propagation and provide valu-able feeding areas for American wood-cock as they migrate.

In addition to the public lands, littleknown private grouse hunting areas areavailable to RGS members.

Hiring a knowledgeable guideshortens the learning curve to findingprime grouse and woodcock huntinggrounds. Recently, I used the outfittersClassic Bird Hunts (CBH) located nearClam Lake in the center of a 400,000-acre block of the Chequamegon-NicoletNational Forest.

The guides of CBH love bird hunt-ing, and it shows in the amount of effortthey put in before a client even books ahunt. Guide and biologist Randy Matisspends 30 to 40 days in the woods priorto grouse season scouting and deter-mining brood success. This scoutinghelps him know the woods intimately.The CBH tailors hunts to match its cli-ents’ physical abilities, knowing that themore miles walked means the moregrouse flushed. Clients often move threeto four birds per hour, and my hunt wasno exception. During the day’s hunt, weflushed 25 to 30 birds.

CBH retains multiple Brittanys, ro-tating them during the day to keep themrested and fresh. As highly trained as thedogs are, it is hard to imagine that someof them are “rescued” dogs that camefrom abusive homes.

Safety is paramount at CBH, and astrict set of rules is in place to protectdogs and clients. Shooting birds on theground is unsportsmanlike, dangerousfor the dogs and not allowed. Carrying agun with the safety not engaged or fin-



ger on the trigger is taboo. Deviationfrom these rules can result in a cancelledhunt. These precautions, coupled withthe guides’ knowledge and experience,create a quality hunt, and CBH hasmany repeat clients as a result.

Lunch comes with the hunt and isusually served at the “Brittany Coast,”the CBH lodge that overlooks LowerClam Lake. When conditions are right,a signature meal includes wild mush-rooms. Head guide Mark Nissen is alsoboth a mycologist (an expert in fungi)and a chef, a combination of skills andexperience that makes for an unforget-table meal.

In addition to bird hunting, CBHoffers trophy smallmouth and muskiefishing trips. The Clam Lake area alsohas a herd of elk that can often be seenfeeding along the road.

Hunters bring their own firearms,ammunition, hunter orange hat and vest.Hunters are required to carry a small

game license that can be purchased atany licensing agent. CBH provides theguide, dogs, lunch and beverages.

Lodging is not included with theguiding fee. A full range of accommo-dations is found in and around Clam

Lake starting at $70/night for a clean,pet-friendly hotel room to $400/nightfor five-bedroom lake homes. Local din-ing will satisfy most tastes with choicesfrom café style to fine dining.

The season runs from mid-Septem-ber through the end of January. Huntingearly in the season, before the leaveshave fallen, can be very challenging.American woodcock season runs duringthe early part of ruffed grouse seasonmaking for additional hunting opportu-nities.

After grouse season in Wisconsin,CBH moves to the plains of Kansas forpheasant hunting, then to southern Ari-zona for winter quail hunting.

Classic Bird Hunts, Mark Nissen,414-915-9072 or 715-798-2477, www.classicbirdhunts.com, [email protected].

For tourism information: www.clamlakewi.com.

Chequamegon-Nicolet NationalForest map sales: www.nationalforeststore.com.

Ruffed Grouse Society: www.ruffedgrousesociety.org.

—Alan J. Garbers

Briefly NotedBriefly NotedBriefly NotedBriefly NotedBriefly Noted

Things to Do, Places to Go,New Developments

D.U. iPhone ApplicationWant to know the location of a

Ducks Unlimited event in your area oran area you plan to visit? Ducks Unlim-ited has an app for that.

Want to identify waterfowl in thefield through photos and sounds theymake? DU has an app for that.

Need hunting and cooking tips, in-cluding more than 360 DU videos, alongwith science-based conservation infor-mation about wetlands and waterfowl?DU has an app for that too.

Ducks Unlimited’s official iPhoneapp features an extensive waterfowl IDgallery of photos and sounds for themost popular species of waterfowl inNorth America. The app also allows DUmembers to browse a state-by-state list-ing of all DU events across the countryand provides a link for event details andcontact information.

“With the ever-expanding mobilesmart phone market, Ducks Unlimited hasa unique opportunity to leverage this chan-nel as a new way to communicate and en-gage with the waterfowl hunting commu-

nity,” Anthony Jones, DU’s web director,said. “The DU iPhone app is a valuabletool for waterfowl hunters. It also providesa way for our members — and thousands ofpotential members — to stay connectedwith the organization. We’re really excitedabout the benefits it will offer subscribers.”

The DU iPhone app can be purchasedthrough iTunes for $1.99. Proceeds fromapp sales will help fund DU’s mission.

For more information: www.ducks.org/iphoneapp.

• • •New Cookbook for HuntersFrom mcherald.com:Wild game and hunting club cook-

books aren’t new, but one with quitepossibly the most intriguing title justhit the market. Even more interestingis the fact that is contains recipes, duckhunting tales and photographs.

Wild Abundance, billed as “a cook-book anthology that celebrates ritual,revelry and recipes of the south’s finesthunting clubs camps,” is part coffee tablebook, part keepsake cookbook. Throughthe voices and recipes of some of theSouth’s most renowned chefs, the bookprovides a glimpse into nine private

hunting clubs on the Mississippi Flyway.Celebrity chefs that include Derek

Emerson, chef of Madison’s Local 463,share the kitchen and the spotlight withtraditional camp cooks offering recipesand wisdom. Wild Abundance pays hom-age to the efforts of these often untrainedcooks who make meals at duck huntingcamp an adventure almost as memorableas the hunt itself.

Madison County photographer WillSmith documented the Ward Lake chap-ter of Wild Abundance. In addition, manymembers of the Swamp Witches of WardLake and Fighting Bayou in LefloreCounty are Madison Countians, saideditor Susan Schadt.

Each of the nine celebrity chefspenned the chapter on his host huntingclub. Memories of being brought backhome, to the comforts of grandmothershouses, uncles, hunting trips of theiryouth, and the warmth of friendshipsflow throughout the book. They discussthe lessons learned from visits to thehunting clubs, including a new tech-nique or recipe, friendships and cher-ished memories.

The enthusiasm for their stories is



further illustrated vivid photographs byLisa Buser capturing the beauty of thelandscape, the food prepared by chefsand cooks and the camaraderie of theclubs.

Wild Abundance is on sale for $45at bookstores or at www.wildabundancecookbook.com.

The book was created through thecollaborative efforts of ArtsMemphis &Ducks Unlimited as the organizationcelebrated its fourth weeklong celebra-tion, Conservation Through Art, to sup-port the arts and conservation.

• • •Minnesota — Turkey Permit

Deadline Extended/Canada GeeseHead to State

From thefarmer.com:Turkey hunters have more time this

year than they have traditionally hadin the past to apply for this spring’s hunt,either electronically or by telephone.The deadline to apply for the 2011spring season has been extended byabout two weeks. Applications are nowbeing accepted through Friday, Jan.14, wherever hunting and fishing li-censes are sold and online at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/turkey/index.html.

“The spring turkey applicationdeadline tends to sneak up on hunters,”said Bill Penning, DNR farmland wild-life program leader. “Although we’veallowed additional time this year, westill encourage hunters to apply earlyand avoid the last-minute rush.”

This spring’s hunt will consist ofsix five-day and two seven-day seasons.All resident and nonresident wild tur-key hunters interested in hunting thisspring must apply electronically viathe Internet or by telephone toll-freeat 888-665-4236 (MNLICENSE). Resi-dent hunters must pay a nonrefundable$3 application fee at the time of appli-cation while nonresidents must pay anonrefundable $3.50 transaction fee.

Key changes include:• Licenses for the last two time pe-

riods will be sold over-the-counter only.• Hunters no longer must indicate

a second choice of season on the appli-cation.

“Hunters are strongly encour-aged to read the application materi-als before applying for the lottery,”

Penning said. “We want them to beaware of all the changes made to theapplication process.”

Hunters who are successful for in thedrawing and choose not to purchase a tagwill lose the current year’s preference pointfor future drawings but not accumulatedpreference from past years. Hunters whowere not successful in the drawing will beeligible to purchase surplus turkey per-mits. These are sold, on a first-come, first-served basis in mid-March.

Archery spring turkey licenses willonce again be available for residents andnonresidents and may be purchased forthe last two time periods only.

All wild turkey hunters seeking tohunt in spring 2011 may obtain an ap-plication information sheet at DNR li-cense agents or view hunt informationat http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/turkey/index.html. Hunt informationmaterials include a map of wild turkey

permit areas, permit quotas, dates andinformation on changes.

For more information: DNR Informa-tion Center at 651-296-6157 or toll-freein greater Minnesota at 888-646-6367.

•From bellinghamherald.com:Welcome to western Minnesota,

where the largest concentration ofCanada geese in the state gathers lateeach year at the Lac qui Parle and BigStone refuges before migrating south forthe winter. In early December, about93,000 geese were in the area, offeringgoose hunters some prime late-seasonwaterfowling and some stunning scenes.

There’s a new twist this year: Hunt-ers here got an 85-day goose season, thelongest ever for an area that long has hadrestricted, short goose seasons. And forthe first time in 40 years, hunters canhunt geese well into December. Thegoose season lasts through Dec. 25.

“A lot of our hunters are excited,”

said Dave Trauba, Dept. of Natural Re-sources area manager at the Lac qui Parlewildlife area, long a goose huntingMecca. “We could become a big desti-nation for December goose hunting. Butwe’ll have to learn how to hunt geese inDecember.”

As of mid-December, there were81,000 geese on the Lac qui Parle refugeand 12,000 on nearby Big Stone refuge.

The changes this fall are huge. Theformer West Central Goose Zone, an areafrom roughly Montevideo to Ortonville,had the most restricted goose season inthe state. Last year, the season was only41 days, with a two-bird daily limit. Thisyear, that zone was abolished, givinghunters 85 days and a three-bird bag.And the former West Goose Zone, whichcovered a much larger area fromMoorhead to Worthington (which had anearly 60-day season last year), also wasabolished, giving hunters there a longerseason and a three-bird daily bag.

It’s the first time since 1941 thatMinnesota has offered a three-birdCanada goose limit during the regu-lar waterfowl season.

What happened?For decades, hunting restrictions

were imposed because of concern overthe Eastern Prairie Population (EPP) ofCanada geese, a smaller subspecies thatnests along the west shores of HudsonBay. Wildlife officials long feared thatpopulation was declining, and thosebirds migrate into western Minnesota,especially around the Lac qui Parle area.

So the DNR has used special regu-lations, including goose zones, quotas,smaller bag limits and shorter seasons,to minimize harvest of those geese.

But several factors have changed ev-erything: The EPP goose population is ashigh as it’s ever been. Meanwhile, thepopulation of giant Canada geese contin-ues to grow. So more than 90 percent ofthe state’s harvest is giant Canada geese.

Thus the relaxed regulations.The changes could revive the Lac

qui Parle area as a goose-hunting desti-nation. Decades ago, thousands of hunt-ers descended there. It was the place tohunt Canada geese.

Many lined up to hunt in some of the100 or so public hunting blinds at the Lacqui Parle wildlife management area thatrimmed the parameter of the goose refuge.



But that all changed as the goosepopulation expanded all over the state.There was less reason for hunters to driveto the Lac qui Parle area, especially be-cause bag limits and seasons there werelimited. Hunter numbers fell dramatically.

“We may see a second coming nowwith this December hunting,” Traubasaid. “We’ll see. We’re in uncharted ter-ritory.”

• • •Louisiana — Two Possible Hunt

OpportunitiesLocated in South Central Louisiana,

Shallow Lake offers guided quail, pheas-ant and chukar hunts. Shallow Lake hasgreat hunting terrain with grassy fieldsand tree lines all on sloping ground.

Hunts are half-day hunts. The pre-serve offers only one hunt a day so thereis no rushing. After the hunt, hunters aretreated to a good home cooked meal,and use of the lodge is theirs for thewhole day.

Dog training at Shallow Lake isall about training a dog to enhanceyour hunting experience. A well-traineddog for duck or dove hunting, or uplandgame like quail or pheasant hunting, canonly make your hunting experiencemany times more enjoyable. Located inLouisiana where the weather is favor-able to train year round and with 35 yearsof training experience, Shallow Lake iscommitted to training a loyal huntingcompanion.

Shallow Lake Hunting Preserve,Vernon Fuselier, 242 Sonny Ln., Eunice,LA 70535; 337-224-5128; www.shallowlake.net; shallowlake@ excite.com.

•From louisianasportsman.com:LaCroix’s Hunting Lodge is a

unique waterfowl camp providing cli-ents with a fun and memorable outdoorexperience. The lodge offers hunting inflooded rice and soybean fields withvery experienced guides. This area isfamous for speckle-bellied goose hunt-ing along with mallards, pintail, wigeon,teal and grays. You can expect unsur-passed service and a first-rate hunt. Thepit blinds there accommodate two cus-tomers along with one guide.

While you are with LaCroix, youwill enjoy a first-class waterfowl experi-ence, coupled with great Cajun cookingand true southern hospitality. The camp

offers the finest Cajun cuisine with accom-modations for 14 and LaCroix will go outof its way to insure your comfort duringyour stay. The hunting package includesan excellent evening meal prepared bylocal Cajun chefs, “before the hunt” snacksand a full hearty brunch after your returnfrom the morning hunt. Satellite TV is pro-vided for your enjoyment.

LaCroix’s Hunting Lodge, MarkPrivat, 290 Shots Rd., Gueydan, LA70542; 337-774-5553; www.lacroixshuntinglodge.com; [email protected].

• • •Missouri — Head to the Bootheel

for WaterfowlFrom missourigameandfish.com:Missouri has long been known as

the home of some of the best waterfowlhunting in the nation.

Once Old Man Winter finally hitsthe Show Me State, waterfowling freezesover in the north and much of the middleregion, leaving diehard waterfowlers totheir own devices. For late-season hunt-ing, the southeastern section of the stateis second to none — especially thosecounties that make up the Bootheel.

Why does the Bootheel draw somany waterfowl so late in the year?Aside from being on the Mississippi Fly-way, the Bootheel is centered betweentwo national refuges — one on each sideof the Mississippi River. On the Missouriside is the 21,592-acre Mingo NationalWildlife Refuge where records showsome 125,000 mallards migrate or win-ter there.

A few wing flaps away on the otherside of the river is the 10,428-acreReelfoot National Wildlife Refuge wherean estimated 400,000 mallards havebeen recorded to spend their winters.Sandwiched in between lies theBootheel, with its snaking sloughs ladenwith bald cypress and water tupelomixed with lowland hardwood forests.

This is truly waterfowl country.Technically, the counties of

Dunklin, New Madrid, and Pemiscotcomprise the Bootheel; however, otherneighboring counties usually lay claimto its geographical description.

Otter Slough is located in StoddardCounty, west of Dexter. It is one of thestate’s most popular MDC-managed ar-eas to hunt waterfowl. There are 12blinds available, including one handi-capped accessible, as well as walk-inareas. All are assigned through the drawsystem, so plan to arrive early. The HQbuilding is located west of Dexter onHighway 60, then 10 miles south onRoute ZZ to County Road 675. Turnwest on 675 and travel two miles to thearea entrance. The area allowswaterfowling until 1 p.m. daily.

Duck Creek is located in Stoddard,Bollinger and Wayne counties. Head-quarters is nine miles north of Puxicoon Highway 51. The MDC-managed areaconsists of 2,400 acres of wetlands andoffers 1,800 acres of lakes and ponds. Itboasts 40 blinds and four goose pits. Thearea also has five walk-in areas. All huntsare on the draw system. Some parts ofDuck Creek close hunting at 1 p.m.

Ten Mile Pond Conservation Areais located in Mississippi County, east ofEast Prairie on Highway 80, then fivemiles south on Highway 102. To reacharea headquarters, from Highway 102turn east on the gravel county road 518,continue 2.5 miles and turn north onHighway VV. Go 2.5 miles north on VVto the headquarters on the west side ofthe road. Statewide shooting hours arein effect. Ten Mile Pond is closed onChristmas Day.

• • •Maine — Hunting OpportunityFrom boston.com:For 120 years, the Libby family has

been operating hunting camps near theOxbow in the North Woods. Today, MattLibby, great-grandson of the originalowners, runs Libby Camps with his wife,Ellen, their grown children, a staff or 10or more and a team of guides.

The main camp is a collection ofguest cabins and guide cabins, a boat-house, an ice shack and a grand lodgebuilt of native spruce logs — all on thesandy, driftwood strewn shore ofMillinocket Lake.



Libby Camps is a long, seven-hourdrive north of Boston. For those whowant to skip a few roads, Libby will flyhis floatplane to just about any lake inMaine, for a fee. Or it might be conve-nient to fly commercial to Presque Isle,a couple of hours’ drive from the camp(Libby can fly there too).

But by car, it’s a pleasant adventure.Past Bangor, the drone of the peopledlandscape fades to wilderness. Off thehighway, it’s a couple of hours throughrolling farmland with views of MountKatahdin. Eventually the empty roadslead to the Oxbow gate where a $30 feegrants access to the vast dirt road andbig woods and clear-cut kingdom thatis most of northern Maine.

Another hour of dirt road drivingleads to the camp. Dinner is at six in themain lodge. The dining room is decoratedwith generations of North Woods taxi-dermy; no creature left unstuffed. Seatingis communal. Booze is bring your own.

The food is served family style, allat once: giant steaks, baked potatoes,an iceberg lettuce salad with bacon andcheese, soft and sweet homemade bread,apple pie for dessert.

After dinner a guide leads the waythrough the drizzly night to a cabin in thewoods with a big view of the lake. Inside,the old iron woodstove clicks away, heat-ing the room to sauna temperature. Clus-ter flies buzz around the oil lamps.

Breakfast is served big and early.Strong coffee, blueberry pancakes withmaple syrup, eggs any style, bacon, sau-sages, homemade bread.

After breakfast, dogs and guests pileinto four-wheel-drive motorcades to thisbog or that cover. Libby takes his groupto a wild river about 10 miles away.

The men trudge through the alders.Libby leads the charge, chopping awayat the thickest branches, clearing as hegoes, dropping more tangle for futuregrouse and woodcock.

“Walking like this, I might justbump one,’’ he says. And he does. A ruffedgrouse explodes from the forest floor ina flurry of beating wings.

The bumped grouse flies high andfast but the men are good snap shots, andthey all fire at once and the bird falls.

“Dead bird, dead bird,’’ says Libby.Ike, the young Brittany, fetches thegrouse. Libby tucks the bird into the

game pouch in the back of his coat.Everyone eats lunch by the river.

Squash soup, meat sandwiches, plenty ofhot coffee, packed in the kitchen. It’sgood ballast for an afternoon of hunting,which turns out to be wet and not veryproductive.

The dates for bird hunting in Mainediffer from species to species and fromyear to year. Generally, the best huntingtakes place between early October andmid-November. Libby Camps is openfrom April until late November. Spacesfill up fast.

For more info: Libby Camps, 207-435-8274, www.libbycamps.com.

• • •California — Central Valley Wa-

terfowl Hotspots

From californiagameandfish.com:California winter brings to mind

images of lolling on sunny beaches, lis-tening to surfer boys doing dude-talk,“oohing” and “aahing” at the New Year’sEve fireworks at Disneyland and watch-ing the Rose Bowl. To be sure, Califor-nia is all that. But there’s so much more,especially for waterfowl hunters whotarget the Central Valley. And there isa lot to target.

The Central Valley, 500 miles long— north to south — running fromRedding to Bakersfield, is divided intotwo river drainages. The SacramentoRiver in the north and the San JoaquinRiver in the south meet in the Sacra-mento-San Joaquin river delta, a fertilestretch of marshes, sloughs, canals, stre-ambeds and peat islands. Toss into themix some 500,000 acres of rice fieldswithin 100 miles of Sacramento, about40 percent of which are flooded eachwinter to create wetland habitat. Add thewheat fields of the Sacramento and SanJoaquin valleys that produce 75 percentof the wheat grown in the state. Moistenthe mix with many smaller rivers run-ning through the area and it becomes

apparent why 10-12 million ducks cometo the Central Valley every year.

The mix of ducks runs the gamut:mallard, gadwall, pintail, teal (both cin-namon and green-wing), wood, wigeon,northern shoveler and more. Some areasare known to put out more of one vari-ety than the others. If you want species-specific hunting, a great source of in-formation is the California Dept. ofFish and Game (CDFG) WaterfowlHunt Reports. The information is bro-ken down for each state-operated hunt-ing unit.

Sixty percent of all Pacific Flywaywaterfowl migrate through or winterin the Central Valley, according toDucks Unlimited. Merced County, theheart of the San Joaquin, is thought tobe the second-leading county in thenation in numbers of waterfowl show-ing up in the Harvest Information Pro-gram.

A couple of general observationsabout Central Valley hunter success:Water is a key in most refuges, especiallyearly in the year. As the seasonprogresses, more areas within the refugesget flooded. Also, as the seasonprogresses, the birds coming downfrom the north have already beenhunted through Canada, Washingtonand Oregon. They are better able todetect fraud in calling, in blind con-struction and in hunter camouflage.Take care to properly set your decoys,take care to construct your blind and takecare to manage the little things like pick-ing up your expended shotshells. Avoidsimple mistakes and the success ratiowill increase. There is also thought thatthe concentrations of birds graduallymove south from the upper Central Val-ley as the season progresses. A shift inhunter focus should follow.

Federal RefugesThe Sacramento National Wildlife

Refuge Complex lies at the head of theCentral Valley. It consists of five Na-tional Wildlife Refuges (NWR) that al-low hunting, and three Wildlife Man-agement Areas (WMA) that are closedto the public. The Butte Sink WMA issaid to support more waterfowl per acrethan any other spot in the world. Beforelamenting that no hunting is allowed,take heed — the closed areas still pro-vide significant hunter benefit as they



draw more birds into the general area.More birds in the area mean more shoot-ing opportunities as those ducks arrivefrom the north and depart for their finalnesting grounds.

The Sacramento NWR (wigeon,green-winged teal, pintails and gadwall)offers 56 concrete pit, pad or assignedponds. Three are designated for disabledhunters. The others require walking up 1.3miles from the parking area. As in manyother things, walking has its benefits.Shooting usually improves the farther thehunter walks from the parking areas.

Delevan NWR (mallard and teal)has 30 hunt sites, three of which are setaside for disabled hunters. Able-bodiedwaterfowlers can get more exercise atDelevan as the longest walk is 1.7 miles.This is a traditional hotspot with boththe blinds and free roam areas produc-ing good numbers of birds.

Colusa and Sutter NWRs (bothmallards) have a combination of as-signed areas (ponds, pools and tracts)as well as free roam tracts and pools.For a complete description of each as-signed area, go to the Sacramento NWRwebsite and click on “Wildlife-depen-dant recreation,” then “Hunting” andfollow the prompts through to each area.

The Sacramento River NWR offersa different — some might say “primi-tive” — hunting experience. Composedof 29 units along 77 miles of river, therefuge offers islands, gravel bars,sloughs and other waterfowl habitat.There are no hunting fees or hunter quo-tas. Access to all areas is by boat only,except for Drumheller Slough and SulNorte units that also allow foot traffic.No bicycles or other conveyances areallowed. No fires are allowed thoughcamping stoves can be used on gravelbars. The area has limited day-use hours,except camping for up to seven days ispermissible on the gravel bars. The areawebsite warns that mountain lions havebeen spotted and requests that any ad-ditional sightings be reported to CDFG.

Unit maps, regulations and otherinformation hunters need to know isavailable online at the Refuge Complexwebsite and the individual refugewebsites. Hunters who plan to bring atravel trailer should confirm that the se-lected refuge allows trailers.

South of Sacramento, Stone Lakes

NWR hunters can take a whack at resi-dent wood ducks and mallards, withteal added later in the season. StoneLakes offers walk-in and boat-in blinds.For the latter, boats are provided, thoughhunters must bring their own PFDs.

Stone Lakes is unique among thefederal refuges. It was a former duck club“that retains the feel of a high qualityhunt,” according to Amy Hopperstad,hunt manager. Located near a major met-ropolitan area, the refuge offers localhunters an opportunity to hunt on a fed-eral refuge without having to drive forhours. It also reserves two blinds for youthhunters on Saturday, making it “a greatplace to bring kids,” says Hopperstad.

Farther south lies the San Luis Na-tional Wildlife Refuge Complex. Head-quartered in Merced and running southtowards Los Banos, this is teal countryat its finest. San Luis features seven hunt-ing units, each with its own set of hunt-ing regulations. Some are open Wednes-day, Saturday and Sunday only; someare open every day with different regu-lations for Wednesday, Saturday andSunday. Some have an afternoon shoot-ing session. Some are boat-access only.It’s critical to read the regulations be-fore leaving home. All the regulationsfor each hunting unit are posted on theSan Luis NWR Complex website underthe “Hunt Program” tab.

North and South Freitas units havein the past produced some the best suc-cess numbers in the state with huntersreporting more than six birds per hunter.

State Wildlife AreasPerhaps the best-known wildlife

areas in the Sacramento Valley areGrey Lodge and Upper Butte Basin.Each of these areas has abundant num-bers of greenheads, gadwalls and pin-tails. Both are Type A areas requiringreservations and area passes. Each areaoperates a morning hunt with an after-

noon refill, but leave your 10-gauge athome if hunting Upper Butte Basin.(Check out the specific area regulationsat www.dfg.wa.gov/land.wa/region2.)

Down south, the North Grasslandsarea features three units — Salt Slough,China Island and Gadwall. Grasslandshunters will get plenty of bird identifi-cation practice as these units featuregreen-winged teal, shovelers, mallardsand wigeon. Other popular MercedCounty wildlife areas are Volta and LosBanos. Further south is the Mendotaarea. For a complete list of state wildlifeareas, go to www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/wa,then select the region of interest.

River HuntingIf you have a boat but are aced out of

the reservation system, there can be won-derful jump shooting on a river. Try theSacramento from Anderson all the waypast Colusa. There are boat ramps in Ander-son, Red Bluff, Los Molinos, Corning,Hamilton City, Butte City, Princeton andColusa. The Feather River betweenOroville and Nicolaus is another float andshoot opportunity. Small boats can belaunched from either the Feather River orOroville Wildlife areas that border the river.

The San Joaquin River systemboasts the highest concentration ofwood ducks in the state. Focus on theriver between Modesto and the MendotaWildlife Area.

The Central Valley is a duckhunter’s paradise. It’s filled with birdsall season long and the federal and staterefuges offer a multitude of public hunt-ing options. Your tax dollars at work areyour invitation to play.

• • •Kansas — Quail Hunt at Fort RileyFrom kansascity.comTanks rumble across the rugged

landscape in the distance. The boom ofartillery fire shakes the ground. And thecrisp sound of gunfire cuts through thecold fall air.

Welcome to Fort Riley, the army basethat is the home of the Big Red One —and some of the best quail hunting in thenation.

One thing is certain: Fort Riley hasno shortage of good cover. About 71,000of the base’s 101,000 acres are open tohunting.

Military training takes precedence,of course. The areas that are open to hunt-



Outfitter Critiques:Outfitter Critiques:Outfitter Critiques:Outfitter Critiques:Outfitter Critiques:the Goothe Goothe Goothe Goothe Good, the Bad, the Uglyd, the Bad, the Uglyd, the Bad, the Uglyd, the Bad, the Uglyd, the Bad, the Ugly

This section of The Bird HuntingReport is based entirely on subscriber-written Bird Hunting Report forms re-ceived by our offices. It is designed toprovide first-hand opinions on what ishappening in the field. Our policy atThe Bird Hunting Report is as follows:We publish excerpts in the newsletter ofBird Hunting Reports as received, ex-cept in cases when booking agents oroutfitters submit reports on hunts inwhich they have a financial stake orwhen we have reason to questionwhether there are ulterior financial orpersonal motives on the part of the per-son submitting the report. It goes with-out saying that a single report in thissection should not be taken as the finalword on an outfitter’s competence. Manyelements of a hunt are subjective. Whatis wrong for one hunter might be rightfor another. Moreover, personality con-flicts often occur on hunts. It is obviousthat hunters, as well as outfitters, canbe the cause of a ruined hunt. We thinkall seasoned hunters can sort this outand make proper use of our Bird Hunt-ing Report Program. Our pages are openfor a rebuttal of equal length by anyaffected party.

Hey, here’s another country heardfrom! From Oct. 28 to Nov. 6, 2010, sub-scriber Finton P. Cordell of Lutherville,

Md., visited Slovakia to hunt drivenpheasants. He booked his trip throughTrek Safaris International/Shooting inSlovakia, and according to his com-ments had a simply wonderful time. Hesums things up succinctly by saying he’drecommend the trip to a friend becauseit was “first class in all aspects.”

He says the pheasants were abun-dant. He rates as “excellent” all aspectsof the outfitter/operator. His personalguides were Milton and Cara Hanburryas well as Ben Meckie. Cordell also ratesthem as “excellent” in all categories.Plus he was able to give Austrian Air-lines a 9 for its service.

He reports, this was a “couples trip.The hotel accommodations were allfive star! The restaurants and tours weresuperb. All personnel encountered werefriendly, knowledgeable and courteous.Hunts were well managed and timely.We never felt rushed.”

Cordell offers this additional bit oftravel advice to anyone considering thesame trip: “Take time to go through theBudapest airport. Arrive early.”

The trip cost $15,275 per coupleplus airfare. His party found airplanetickets for $1,118 per person.

Trek Safaris International/Shoot-ing in Slovakia; P.O. Box 1305, PonteVedra Beach, FL 32004; 904-273-7800.

• • •From May 2–6, 2010, subscriber

Paul Dickson chased wild turkeys inCampeche, Yucatan, Mexico. Hebooked his trip through Shane Smith atWingshooter Safaris and is satisfiedenough to be able to recommend it to afriend, mainly because the trip offers“good value for the price (low).”

On this hunt, Dickson called andstalked birds, which he found to beabundant. He rates the outfitter/opera-tor as “excellent” in the condition of theequipment category and “good” in theaccommodations and cuisine columns.His guide Manuel earned “good” rat-ings in knowledge of the hunt area, hunt-ing ability and communications, and a“fair” for personality/attitude.

Among the highlights, Dicksonsays, there were “enough singing malesto call one in. Many were call-shy dueto our being the last group. The callingmethod is well understood here.”

As far as problems go, Dickson saysthere were “not enough roads cleared.The outfitter admittedly is using only10 percent of his concession. More ac-cess is needed to reach unhunted birdsat the end of the season.”

Cost of the trip was $3,200. Airfareon Continental Airlines, whose serviceDickson rates with an 8, was $700.

ing change with the Army’s schedule.Hunters also have to purchase a spe-

cial Fort Riley hunting permit, in addi-tion to having a Kansas small game li-cense. And firearms have to be registeredbefore they can be brought onto the base.

For hunters, that opens the door toa unique experience. They see troopsout running with their platoons as theydrive through the developed part of thebase. But in just a short distance, theyare in a different world.

Remote fields filled with prairiegrasses, brush and timber stretch foras far as the eye can see. There alsoare crop fields, ponds and food plotsscattered throughout the grounds.

Wildlife biologists on base managepart of the land for wildlife, and it shows.

Fort Riley has an abundant populationof quail, deer, turkeys, prairie chickens,waterfowl and even elk. It also has pheas-ants, though not nearly as many as itonce did.

But it’s the quail that often attractthe biggest following. With all of thenational attention focusing on the quail’sdecline, Fort Riley stands out as a placethat is bucking that trend.

Fort Riley hunting:•What/Where: Fort Riley is an army

base located 125 miles west of KansasCity off Interstate 70.

•Hunting: It has excellent popula-tions of quail, turkeys and deer. It alsohas pheasants, prairie chickens, water-fowl, elk and small game.

•Access: The hunting at Fort Riley

is open to the public, though there arerestrictions and special rules and regu-lations.

•Open Areas: The areas open to rec-reational use are updated each Mondayand Thursday, but can change on shortnotice. The areas are posted on the 24-hour hotline (785-239-6669).

•Permits: Hunters ages 16 to 64 arerequired to have a Fort Riley huntingpermit, in addition to appropriate statehunting permits and tags (and federalstamps for waterfowl). The Fort Rileypermit costs $25.

•Other Requirements: Firearmsmust be registered with Fort Riley be-fore bring brought onto the base. Hunt-ers must register at one of 10 check sta-tions on base before going out.



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Web: southparanaoutfitters.comContact; [email protected]

Tel: 804-694-6110

UMDENDE LIFESTYLE SAFARISSOUTH AFRICA

World class Wing shooting on 10 species,Trophy Hunting, luxurious accommodationand in-house Spa - Where the whole family

will enjoy a true safari in South Africa.www.umdende.com

Tel (S.A.) +27 34 9816411Tel (USA) +1 972 769 8866

Tel (Germany) +49 89 [email protected]

THE ORIGINAL SINCE 1976Argentina Wild Wing Shooting SRL

Miguel MedusRanked company Top 78 in the world - SCIAs always offering the highest Volume of

Ducks/Doves/PerdizAt Entre Rios Province

2-3-4 hr. drive from Buenos Aires Airportwww.argenina.wildwingshooting.com

[email protected] Miguel Medus:

011(54-9-3444) 620-641 US Direct Lines in Argentina:

949-467-1967/301-533-8227

“Virginia Snow Goose Special “Electric calls, unplugged guns, extended

hours, no limit on Greater Snowsthrough February.

888-231-4868

AIM ADVENTURESOffering the finest in Worldwide

Wingshooting,Big Game and Fishing Opportunities

Contact us Toll Free: 877-374-4868 oremail - [email protected]

Remember you still have time to order agift subscription for your hunting

buddy! Simply call us with the names and addresses of the people you want to

send The Bird Hunting Report®We’ll send a gift card. Mail in a new hunt report and we’ll

extend your subscription by one month!Share your experiences with your

fellow readers!

Supplement to The Bird Hunting Report

Hunt Report FormOutfitted or Guided Hunt

(please see other side for self-guided hunt)

Dear Subscriber: The Bird Hunting Report gets the word out on both good and bad hunts. Please share yourrecent experiences in the field by filling out this form. Your report is invaluable to fellow subscribers; it willhelp them decide where to hunt and with whom. If you want to order other subscribers’ reports to plan yourhunts, see the Hunt Report Service Box in your newsletter. Thank you!

Date of trip____________________ to____________________20_____Outfitter or Lodge/Preserve Operator ___________________________________________________________Address (please fill out completely, or give name/telephone number of booking agent – see below)Street or box number _______________________________________________________________________City ___________________________ State ________Zip ________ Telephone ______________________Web site ___________________________Personal guide (if different from above)_________________________________________________________Booking agent (if any) ______________________________________ Telephone ______________________Place you hunted (State/Province/Country) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Specific area(s) ______________________________________________ Abundant Average ScarceSpecies sought ______________________________________________ Abundant Average Scarce

______________________________________________ Abundant Average Scarce______________________________________________ Abundant Average Scarce

Type of hunt (walk up, pit blind, etc.) __________________________________________________________

RATINGS

Airline _______________________________________ Please rate overall service, 1 to 10 (10 is highest)_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

YOUR SUMMARY REMARKSHunt highlights/special features _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Problems (if any) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Would you recommend this trip to a friend?_____ Why or why not? __________________________________Cost of trip excluding air fare _____________________________ Air fare ____________________________Cost of shells _______________________

PERSONAL DATAYour name _______________________________________ Date of report ____________________________Your address ______________________________________________________________________________Telephone (optional) _____________________________ E-mail ____________________________________

Outfitter/OperatorEquipment condition Excellent Good Fair PoorAccommodations Excellent Good Fair PoorCuisine Excellent Good Fair PoorDog work Excellent Good Fair Poor

Personal GuideKnowledge of hunt area Excellent Good Fair PoorHunting ability Excellent Good Fair PoorCommunications Excellent Good Fair PoorPersonality/Attitude Excellent Good Fair Poor

Mail to The Bird Hunting Report, PO Box 328, Boyds, MD 20841voice 301-528-0011 • fax 240-599-7679

www.birdhuntingreport.com

Mail to The Bird Hunting Report, PO Box 328, Boyds, MD 20841voice 301-528-0011 • fax 240-599-7679

Supplement to The Bird Hunting Report

Hunt Report FormSelf-Guided Hunt

(please see other side for outfitted hunt)

Dear Subscriber: The Bird Hunting Report gets the word out on both good and bad hunts. Please share yourrecent experiences in the field by filling out this form. Your report is invaluable to fellow subscribers; it willhelp them decide where to hunt and with whom. If you want to order other subscribers’ reports to plan yourhunts, see the Hunt Report Service Box in your newsletter. Thank you!

Date of trip____________________ to____________________20_____

Place you hunted (State/Province/Country) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Specific area(s) ______________________________________________ Abundant Average ScarceSpecies sought ______________________________________________ Abundant Average Scarce

______________________________________________ Abundant Average Scarce______________________________________________ Abundant Average Scarce

Type of hunt (walk up, pit blind, etc.) __________________________________________________________Permits, licenses, etc., required _______________________________________________________________How obtained _____________________________________________________________________________Special gear needed (decoys, waders, etc.) _______________________________________________________Dog requirement (if any) ____________________________________________________________________Where you stayed __________________________________________________________________________Address (Street or box #) ____________________________________________________________________City ___________________________ State ________Zip ________ Telephone ______________________Transportation in area _______________________________________________________________________How and where arranged ____________________________________________________________________Airline used (if any) ____________________________ Please rate overall service, 1 to 10 (10 is highest)_____Comment ________________________________________________________________________________Whom to contact to set up this hunt and phone number if available) __________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

YOUR SUMMARY REMARKSHunt highlights/special features _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Problems (if any) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Would you recommend this trip to a friend?_____ Why or why not? __________________________________Cost of trip excluding air fare _____________________________ Air fare ____________________________

PERSONAL DATAYour name _______________________________________ Date of report ____________________________Your address ______________________________________________________________________________Telephone (optional) _____________________________ E-mail ____________________________________

www.birdhuntingreport.com

vol. 23, no. 1 january 2011 · brunson publishing co. steve carpenteri tom huggler tom keer gary...

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