Traditions
Heat Awareness
What is HRI? HRI stands for heat-related illness. For dogs, it is more often referred to by the signs or stages of the illness: heat cramps (muscle spasms), heat stress, heat exhaustion [...]
Celebrating a Special Bond
Celebrating a Special Bond Waterfowl hunters share a unique connection with their retrievers The dog is a lanky, curly haired, rather goofy fellow, and yet he prances around the dinner party [...]
Labrador Retrievers
Labrador Retrievers What do you really know about North America’s most popular duck dog? The Labrador retriever is undisputedly the most popular duck dog in North America. In fact, according to [...]
An Unsung Conservation Pioneer
An Unsung Conservation Pioneer By Paul Wait, Editor/Publisher If you hunt waterfowl in the United States, you buy one every year. Many hunters buy two. And why not? Federal Duck Stamps are an [...]
The Little Brown Duck Dog
The Little Brown Duck Dog By Paul Wait Like many small-town doctors of his day, Fred J. Pfeifer was a prominent, revered man in the Wisconsin city where he practiced medicine. [...]
Big Duck Guns
Big Duck Guns It’s 9 feet long, weighs 105 pounds — and during the market-gunning era — its 22-ounce charges could kill dozens of ducks in one big blast. Learn more about punt [...]
Old Decoys, New Hobby
Old Decoys, New Hobby Rich history can be discovered through blocks of wood By Paul Wait Fifty feet down the first row of tables covered with elegantly displayed, handcrafted vintage duck [...]
An Improbable Journey
An Improbable Journey How a 100-year-old duck boat found its way back ‘home’ By Paul Wait The unfamiliar voice on the phone took me by surprise. “I have a duck boat [...]
Dear Dad, There’s something I’ve been meaning to say…
Dear Dad, There’s something I’ve been meaning to say… By Paul Wait I don’t know if you still remember my first duck, but I sure do. Hunkered low in the front of [...]
Men Overboard
Men Overboard Many hunters call body booting ‘crazy,’ but these guys call it ‘fun!’ By Paul Wait A rising tide of water rinsed over my shoulders as I gently kicked my [...]
Sliding Through the Cattails
Sliding Through the Cattails Marsh skis put hidden potholes within reach of Wisconsin duck hunters By Paul Wait Boot-sucking bogs and head-high cattail stands don’t stop Mark Kakatsch from reaching an [...]