The Tip Corner: Duck Hunter’s Checklist
|
|
Time to read 5 min
The older I get, the more I seem to forget, so lists – Anti-Forget Charts – have become somewhat of a necessity, particularly in those situations where there’s a lot of stuff involved.
I make lists to keep my stuff organized, as well as to ensure I have all the stuff I need for any given occasion. Like a duck hunt. Despite having 50 duck seasons behind me now, I still make lists. I establish what I call a staging area; an all-too-rare space of uncluttered floor in the shop where I can lay everything out, look it over, touch it, feel it, make sure it’s as it should be, and then, satisfied as only a duck hunter can be when surveying his stuff, putting it into a seemingly unorganized pile prior to it all going into the truck.
Sometimes the list is mental, which is risky these days. More often, it’s written on whatever’s handy or, should I have an unoccupied flat surface, laid out in the order it will be carried to the ’90 Ford. It sounds perhaps excessive, these lists, but it sure helps the prevent me having to say … “Now where is that thing?” … once I get into the field.
So what do I check off prior to each duck hunt? Truth is, it depends on the hunt; however, the ‘short list’ would look something like this –
(Photo credit: MD Johnson.)
Vehicle
Funny, but every duck hunting checklist I’ve ever seen seems to forget THE major part of the equation when it comes to getting you, your retriever, and every single item on your checklist from Point A (home) to Point B (your hunting spot), and that’s your vehicle.
I’m of the opinion that your hunting vehicle is deserving of a checklist of its own. Fluids, including oil? Wipers? Wiper blades? Tires inflated to the proper air pressure? A good and properly inflated spare, including all the tools necessary to change a flat alongside the road? How about a current AAA membership card? Enough fuel? Flashlight and/or headlamps? Portable jump starter, e.g. the Wolfbox 4000A 24,000mAh unit, for those ‘just in case’ moments? I look at it this way. It makes no sense to have all the latest ‘n greatest duck hunting gear, if your vehicle lets you down due to an avoidable oversight.
Licenses, stamps and other paperwork
Here in Washington state, I need the following to legally duck hunt – a small game license; migratory bird permit (formerly known as a state duck state); and a federal migratory waterfowl stamp or simply, federal duck stamp. I carry all of this paperwork in my wallet, my wallet in a sealed Ziplock bag, and the Ziplock in the right rear pocket of my fleece wader pants. Every hunt. Always.
My point here is check and even double-check to (1) ensure you’ve purchased all of the requisite duck hunting paperwork, i.e licenses and stamps, prior to your hunt, and then (2) make sure you have them with you. Wallet. Pocket. Blind bag. Zipper wader compartment. Somewhere, and somewhere they’ll stay dry and secure.
Shotguns
Don’t laugh. I have a good friend who on more than one occasion, typically during turkey season but a time or two while duck hunting, has gotten to the field with a truckload of gear, minus his shotgun. “I forgot my gun,” he’d text me. “Again.”
This one’s simple. Put your shotgun in a case, put the case in the vehicle, and then before you leave the driveway, lay your hands on said shotgun case. Oh, and take a minute and be 100 percent sure the shotgun in question is indeed plugged or restricted to holding a maximum of three shotshells. Why this note? Twice now I’ve had the wooden plug slide out of the magazine tube of my Mossberg Model 930, unnoticed, while I was cleaning the firearm, post-hunt. Both times, I discovered this omission while afield prior to starting my hunt, and both times I was able to quickly whittle a wooden stick/plug, install said stick, and thus be in compliance with federal waterfowl regulations. My advice should this matter concern you? Double check before leaving the house.
Ammunition
I always make a point of checking and double-checking my ammunition supply prior to a hunt; that is, the ammunition I’ll actually be taking into the field with me. Typically I’ll have a box, 25 rounds give or take, of duck loads, which for me are HEVI-Bismuth 12 gauge 2-3/4” #5 shot. If geese are a possibility, I’ll pack a half dozen 3” HEVI-XII #2s just in case. And because I’ll shoot a 12 gauge, 16 gauge, and a 20 gauge throughout the season, I’ll make sure I have the proper ammunition for the shotgun I plan to use on any particular morning.
Cheating? Perhaps, but I’ll always have a box of 12, 16, and 20 gauge shotshells behind the seat of the truck. Always. I figure it’s better to have it and not need it than need it…well, you know the rest.
Credit: MD Johnson
Blind bag
My blind bag gets packed, unpacked, dried, cleaned, and repacked dozens of times throughout the Pacific Flyway’s 107-day duck season. Why so often? One, I genuinely enjoy taking care of my gear, including all the necessities (and niceties) that go into my blind bag. Two, I like starting each hunt with clean tools, so to speak. And three, the step-by-step maintenance gives me a chance to make sure I have everything I’m going to need … and, yes, then some … once I get afield.
While I’m certain every ‘fowler’s blind bag contains something a little bit different, mine includes the following –
Shotshells
Call lanyard with calls
First aid kit
Canine kit
Toilet paper
Snacks
Hydration
Dark Energy Portable Power (recharging cell phone)
Camo compact
Brown jersey gloves
Headlamp
Multi-tool
Duck strap/bird tote
Choke tube wrench
Dog biscuits
(Photo credit: MD Johnson.)
For the retriever in your life
Abigail, the black girl dog, has been working every day all summer in preparation for the opener. She still has her moments, but for the most part, she’s as ready as I am. But there’s a list for her, too. She does wear an e-collar afield, which will be fully charged. The transmitter houses a new 9-volt battery. On the list is a back-up e-collar, as well as a short field leash, the latter packed in my blind bag, the former in the truck. Also in my blind bag is a small canine first aid bundle consisting of a military suture kit, Super Glue, medical and duct tape, surgical shears, alcohol pads, gauze, and tweezers.
If it all seems excessive, and there’s that word again, let me tell you it’s not. It’s easy to forget things in the whirlwind that is pre-hunt chaos; however, a simple list – Write it down/Mark it off – can help those omissions to the barest of minimums, not to mention virtually eliminating embarrassing questions to your hunting buddies, such as – “Dude! You seen my gun?” Ugh!
Author
M.D. Johnson
M.D. Johnson’s full-time outdoor writing career began in 1992. Prior to that, he worked with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife in their Outdoor Skills Unit, helping to coordinate hunter education courses and resources across the state.
