Waterfowl & Duck Hunting

“Feeling the teal” is an expression used by supporters of UNC-Wilmington’s athletic teams. Teal became the school’s official color in 2009 after serving unofficially for many years prior. Greenish blue or bluish green, depending upon your perception, it is an iridescent color present in the speculums of blue-winged and green-winged teal.

These two tiny waterfowl species lure early birds like Paul Sasser of Greensboro, a dedicated hunter, to the marshes north and south of Wilmington in September. He says the four-hour drive is worth the effort.

According to Dean Harrigal, SCDNR’s waterfowl biologist, hunting on WMAs is divided into two classes of hunting units: Class I and Class II.

With three major sounds, a half-dozen big rivers, hundreds of feeder creeks and small streams — all located along the Atlantic Flyway —  coastal game lands dominate public-land waterfowl hunting in North Carolina.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recently released its report on 2016 Trends in Duck Breeding Populations, based on surveys conducted in May and early June by FWS and the Canadian Wildlife Service. 

What’s the quickest method to deploy a dozen decoys? It’s the same method to deploy four dozen, a hundred, or even more. It’s called the Decoy Raft, and it’s the product of a handful of friends from North Carolina who are passionate about waterfowl hunting.

If you happened to catch the newest episode of Drake’s Migration on the Sportsman Channel this morning, and you know anything about waterfowl hunting in the Carolinas, you surely noticed some familiar faces on the show. 

In a first for waterfowl season dates, bag limits, and regulations, the NCWRC has already announced these details for the upcoming 2016-17 waterfowl, webless migratory bird, and extended falconry seasons.

Have you ever wondered where agencies like the NCWRC and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service get their ideas for what they think will benefit outdoorsmen? These agencies often ask for public input concerning topics like migratory bird seasons, and they are requesting such input now through April 10. 

What if you could eliminate the time it takes to deploy dozens of decoys down to the amount of time it takes to drop a sheet into the water? What if that sheet disappeared, leaving only the decoys to show on the surface, and what if that sheet allowed infinite adjustability to your spread of decoys, and even allowed hunters to change the direction and orientation of all the ducks with one jerk of a rope?

That big black and white goose is a favorite among waterfowl hunters, but many don’t seem to know they aren’t called Canadian geese. This is probably one of the most commonly mistaken words among hunters, and it makes sense why. It’s a goose, it’s from Canada, so it makes sense to call them Canadian geese! But, their proper name is actually Canada geese. There’s no such thing as Canadian geese.

Nearly 10 years ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued the “light goose conservation order” that resonated throughout every waterfowl community across the country. The USFWS pulled out all of the stops to encourage hunters to combat the exploding snow goose explosion.  

Snow geese travel thousands of miles to reach their southern wintering grounds. After hunters study the flocks and finally get a group to creep into shotgun range, the hard part is over, and hunters need to use their equipment to bring them to the dirt.

As soon as duck season ends, a choice few waterfowlers will pack away their duck decoys and layout boats and unload masses of white decoy shells for the snow goose conservation season. 

With duck season ending on Jan. 31, hunters across the Carolinas can turn to resident Canada geese to get their last waterfowl fix of the year, but even those birds who are used to contact with humans can be a little tougher to take.

Excel Boat Co. and W.L. GORE & Associates have partnered to offer Excel boats in GORE OPTIFADE Concealment Waterfowl Marsh Pattern. The pattern takes into account how ducks and geese see the world below them. Since birds are particularly sensitive to color and continuity with their surroundings, OPTIFADE micro pattern is extremely detailed to confuse bird vision. OPTIFADE is available on all Excel boats including the popular Excel F4 and Bay Pro.

When the talk turns to snow geese, most North Carolina hunters immediately think about a long trip to the great plains of North Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, Manitoba or any of the other states and provinces along the central flyway.