New Outdoor Callings, Maybe with Calls

Another waterfowl hunting season come and gone in Southwest Ohio (well maybe one more week for geese) and I didn’t hunt waterfowl. I joke about embracing cold or wet, but never the two simultaneously. Cold and wet is what waterfowl hunting has always looked like to me, never mind the really early mornings. But I know there has to be more to it than that because it clearly gets to people I know and becomes their passion. 

I was pheasant hunting along the Mad River years ago when I heard what I was sure had to be the worst duck caller in the world. It didn’t sound at all what I thought a duck call should sound like. Clearly my experience was limited, because there weren’t any other hunters on the property, just hundreds of ducks filling up the ice free river that day. I filed that in my brain under “outdoor TV shows haven’t actually taught me much about duck hunting.” So I don't know anything, but there are ways to learn. The ODNR has outlined steps.

• The Benefits of Learning to Hunt
• Waterfowl Hunting Considerations
• Hunter Education and Safety
• Build Your Skills: Learning Opportunities
• Learning Resources: Preparing for the Hunt
• Learning Resources: Hunting Equipment
• Learning Resources: Hunting Waterfowl
• Learning Resources: After the Hunt
• Cooking - Make Your Culinary Experience Wild!

Read the complete column here: It's a good time to prepare for new outdoor interests

Check out the ODNR Getting Started information here, from pollinator gardens to waterfowl decoy setup.

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Getting Started Waterfowl Hunting

Cabela's Bargain Cave