WaterfowlEarly September Canada Goose SeasonDates: September 1-15, 2007 Youth Waterfowl HuntDates: September 15 - 16 Note: The youth waterfowl hunt straddles the early and the regular goose seasons. Thus, youth will have to possess an Early Goose Season permit if hunting on Sept 15th , and a regular season permit if hunting geese on the 16th in the Exterior, Horicon or Collins Zones **The daily bag for Canada geese on Sept 15 is the same as the early season (5 geese) and the daily bag on Sept 16 is the same as the regular season (2 geese, regardless of zone). DucksDates:
**Shooting hours begin at 9am on Sept 22 and Sept 29 Canada GeeseDates:
Note: Wisconsin is entering a 5-year stable season trial period for the regular Canada goose season. The quota system has been eliminated during this time. This means that there will be no early closure in the Exterior Canada goose zone, and hunters will enjoy 85 days of goose hunting with 2 birds per day for the full 85 days. Canada goose harvests in the Exterior zone must still be reported to the 1-800-99 GOOSE line.
**Shooting hours begin at 9am on Sept 22 and Sept 29 Other GeeseLight geese (Snow, Blue and Ross) and Brant White-fronted geese Other Changes for 2007Horicon Zone: Hunters may place decoys and shoot at birds that are within the 75 yard Horicon Refuge boundary, provided the hunter is outside this boundary. FalconryDucks - Dates are all the days ducks are open to gun hunting in the respective zones plus Sept. 15 and 16 and January 11 - February 24, 2008. Geese - Dates are the same as the statewide gun season.
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Snow Goose Burger’s
By Rick Spoerl
Want to know what to do with all those spring season snow goose breasts? Try this recipe. Make these for a back yard party, for the family or for the people at work that don’t get the privilege of hunting.
Ingredients-
5 pounds snow goose breasts
2 ½ lbs 50/50 pork fat or bacon
2 tablespoons ground sage
1 package backwoods seasoning (jerky mix) 3.9 oz (available at bass pro shop)
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
3 tablespoons oregano leaves
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
Grind up all snow goose breasts and pork or bacon. Mix well. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Make all ground ingredients into burger sized patties. Turn frying pan on medium high and place into covered pan. Turn burgers often every 1-2 minutes until done. This usually doesn’t take any more then ten minutes. You want the burgers juicy yet done. Don’t overcook! You can also cook them on the grill. But remember to flip often and check one after ten minutes by cutting it in half. They have a little kick but not to spicy. My kids love them.
Bluebill’s, on Ontario’s Lake of The Wood’s
By Rick Spoer
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The brisk October wind was biting at my cheek’s and was anxious to roll some butterball’s. That is, down some plump lesser and greater scaup, along with perhaps a golden eye or two, and maybe if were lucky a pretty bufflehead drake to hang on the wall. It was the beginning of my first "diver hunt". I have shot diver ducks before, but not specifically hunting for the pochards, I usually shot them over my spread of puddle duck blocks. But not this time. Now we were targeting just divers. Specifically, bluebills. Their low speed assaults on diver spreads tests even the best sporting clays shooters. And you better hit em hard, because if you don’t, their sure to dive and not be seen again. "READ MORE"
Calling the Shot
By Rick Spoerl
"Kill um". The guide called the shot on the flock of some 500 snow geese. The seven of us popped out of our lay-out blinds and unloaded each of our five shots per gun. After the flurry of shots rang out from the seven of us only two geese hit the ground. "A little high don’t you think", I said to Tony, our guide for the day on a spring snow goose hunt in Missouri. "Well, I don’t think they would have given us much more" he replied. I asked him how he decides when to call the shot. "READ MORE"
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Decoy Talk
By Rick Spoerl
So many types of decoys… regular, magnum, super magnum, roto-wing, flying, swimming and splashing decoys. There are plastic decoys, rubber, Styrofoam, wood, and burlap. There are also weighted keel decoys, un-weighted keel, and aqua keel. Which ones should we use?
In my thirty years of duck hunting I’ve purchased many different types of decoys. Some have worked better than others. The situation itself seems to dictate the type of decoys to use.
Years ago I had a friend who was a huge proponent of super magnum decoys, which, when the ducks were at a long distance, seemed to work well; but when the ducks got close, they seemed a little intimidated by them. Then again, I’ve sat under one of those huge goose chair blinds and fooled snow geese (although, at the time, I was in the middle of a thousand other natural-sized snow goose windsocks). I think it’s easier for the flocks to overlook one or two obnoxiously large decoys if there are enough "normal looking" diversions. The bottom line, I think, is going with decoys of a natural size. If most of your birds are coming in at a long distance, you may want some super magnums to pull them close; but the majority should be average duck size. "READ MORE"
10 Wood Ducks (5 man limit)
Hunting for Wood Ducks
By Rick Spoerl
This past year our group of wood duck slayers put twenty seven of the little beauties on the table. Our group of six hunter’s personnel record is thirty eight in one year. The wood duck to me is the prettiest of all ducks in North America. They fly fast, are extremely maneuverable and stealthy little buggers. And they taste great. Their diet in the fall consists mainly of high protein foods. Nuts and berries are their favorite. I have also shot them feeding in corn and alfalfa fields. The limit on them in Wisconsin is two ducks per day. If you do your homework you should get a limit nearly every time out. "READ MORE"
North Dakota Duck’s
By Rick Spoerl
Lake Sakejawea is located in northwestern North Dakota and is a large lake formed in the Missouri river. It’s named after a Indian woman that guided Lewis and Clark along their famous journey to find the pathway to the west. The lake is largely known for its big walleyes in spring and summer, huge pike in the fall and plentiful perch through the ice. But the area also is home to large quantities of ducks. The lake itself is big and intimidating but there are tons of potholes and sloughs to hunt ducks in. I will leave the lake to the diehard fisherman and search the country side for ducks. "READ MORE"
Opening Day Duck Hunt
By Rick Spoerl
Although Wisconsin doesn’t provide the early teal season like many states, its season does start quite early. Personally, I wish it opened later because of the huge flocks of mallards I see nearly every year after duck hunting closes. The Blue Wings have mostly gone south by the opener. A couple of frosty nights and they’re out of here.
Wisconsin’s duck hunting changes throughout the season. The early part is mostly warm with opportunities at only local ducks. The middle of the season brings in some migraters, but it’s still mostly locals-- very educated locals. And finally the late season, with mostly migraters moving through.
But let’s talk about the early season-- where to hunt and how to hunt. "READ MORE"
Power Gunning Snow Geese
By Rick Spoerl
"BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG" ETC., ETC., ETC. and ETC. After the barrage of shots and several complaints of a head ache I heard my friend Larry reply "boy that sounded like the grand finale at the end of a fourth of July fire forks display". Thirty rounds went off from six hunters from Wisconsin on their first snow goose hunt in northern Missouri. Nine geese dropped out of a flock of some four or five hundred birds.
Although thirty shots may not seem like a lot for only dropping nine geese, but we were ecstatic. Not a goose was less than forty yards. We were there at the request of the USFWS on a spring snow goose hunt, doing our part to save the northern habitat which these birds decimating. Every hunter has heard the horror stories of the snow geese, and many are taking advantage of this incredible opportunity.
Myself, son Sean, my father Ralph, brother in law Bob and friends Larry and Scott booked a snow goose hunt with Tony Toye and Big River Outfitters from Wisconsin. Although Tony is well known for his Mississippi river duck hunts, we heard he also chased snows in the spring. We had also heard he hunted in Missouri. That’s where a lot of the birds are in February, which is when we wanted to go. That way it would be a couple months in between duck hunting and turkey hunting giving us a well needed hunting fix in the heart of winter. "READ MORE"
The Key’s to Jump shooting Ducks
By Rick Spoerl
It was an hour before the close of opening day 2007 and I was heading back to the truck. I finally scored my sixth duck. A drake blue wing teal would be the last duck of a limit which included two drake wood ducks, one drake mallard and two green wing teal. I killed these birds without a boat and three of them without any decoys. This is jump-shooting.
I arrived at the parking lot of a southern Wisconsin public hunting area at 7:00am. Two hours prior to the 9:00am opening my dog Xena and I headed out to the familiar spot along the winding river to start out with some wood ducks. "READ MORE"
Woodie's On "The Pipe"
By Rick Spoerl
As I prepare for my annual pilgrimage to "the pipe" on opening day of duck hunting this year I reflect on some of the moments I spent there with my family and friends.
The "pipe" is a special place. It has the natural beauty that can only be shared with special people. It was discovered by my Father and Uncle on a local duck hunt just kind of walking through the woods some twenty years ago.
My father shot his first drake wood duck there, I shot my first drake wood duck there and both of my sons have followed suit. Many more friends and relatives of ours have harvested their first drake woodies there also, and I’m sure many more to come. "READ MORE"
Sean Spoerl in the layout blind
Jeff Rach & Rick Spoerl & four Canada Geese
Sean Spoerl & Xena with a limit of Wood Ducks
Bob Kalivoda & Zoey with their Wood Ducks
Rick Spoerl with a limit of Ducks
Ralph and Ryan Spoerl with their limit of ducks
Skip, Rick, Sean, Ralph, Bob and Larry on a spring snow goose hunt
Sean in a layout blind
Ralph at the 2007 opener
Josh at the 2007 opener
North Dakota Duck Ball’s
By Rick Spoerl
I named this duck recipe "North Dakota Duck Ball’s" because I was on a duck hunt in northwestern North Dakota. I had my dehydrator full of duck meat for jerky and I still had ground duck meat left over. As usual after a long days hunt, our hunting party was hungry. So I decided to use the ground duck I had left over and whip something new up. I guarantee, although slightly unusual, this recipe will touch the stomach of the hungry hunter. Try it, and you will likely be making it every time the dehydrator is full. Although this is manly set up as an appetizer you can also make the balls into a hamburger type patty for the entrée of a dinner.Ingredients
2 lbs ground duck
1 bag ruffles potatoe chips
1 package of "Backwoods jerky seasoning, Hickory flavored" this can be purchased at bass pro shop.
1 jar of your favorite barbecue sauce
Mix a half of a package of jerky mix with your ground duck. Most packages of the jerky mix are set up to do 4 lbs of meat. Crush two to three large handfuls of ruffles potatoe chips and mix with meat. Roll meat into golf ball size balls. Set on covered grill at medium heat for two minutes. Turn onto other side for two minutes covered. Uncover grill and cook a couple of minutes longer turning frequently until done. Don’t Overcook. Serve with toothpicks and sauce on the side. If you cant find Backwoods jerky mix, any hickory jerky mix will work.
Rick’s Teriyaki Duck Nuggets
By Rick Spoerl
This recipe has been the talk of the duck camp, ever since I conjured it up. It can be made with any species of duck. I started out making it with diver ducks but soon found out it’s just as tasty with all puddler's as well. I let a chef at an outfitter in North Dakota in on the recipe who now serves it regularly. I have also experimented with pheasant and goose. They all tasted great, give it a try at your next hunting camp.
Ingredients:
4-6 duck breasts
Half cup teriyaki
4 eggs
2 cup’s flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
Half cup cooking oil (olive or vegetable)
2 one gallon zip lock bags
Mix flour, garlic powder and salt together and put in a one gallon zip lock bag. Scramble eggs and put into a separate zip lock bag. Cut duck breasts into 1 to 2 inch squares. Put duck pieces into the zip lock bag with the scrambled eggs. After pieces of duck are covered in egg you may transfer them into the zip lock bag with the flour. Make sure pieces of duck are completely covered in the flour mixture. Next heat large frying pan on medium heat and add a quarter cup oil (or enough oil to cover surface of frying pan) until hot. Add a quarter cup teriyaki sauce to pan. Stir oil and teriyaki sauce up. Layer pan with the pieces of duck and cover. Turn duck pieces after five minutes. Cook an additional five minutes covered. Stir pieces up and cook until pieces are dark brown to black. This only takes a minute or two. "Don’t over cook". You may need to repeat for an additional pan full of duck pieces if your frying pan doesn’t fit all the pieces. Serve with toothpicks as an appetizer or serve over wild rice as a meal.