Bang for the Buck

What's a good buy or value for your money?  Are you a waterfowl fanatic?  Or, are you a person that gets out a few times and maybe takes some vacation to hunt away from home?  When purchasing equipment it can be easy to think, 'I only hunt a few times per year, so I'll buy the cheaper version.'

It can be tempting to buy less expensive gear for waterfowl hunting.  If most of your hunting occurs on a week long trip away from home it can be easy to fall into the trap that a quality hunting jacket is not a necessity.  That is, until you only hunt the first hour in the morning of a major fall flight because you're soaked to the bone.  The rest of the time you sit in the truck shivering and trying to get dry while your partners knock down greenheads.  The next time that happens, ask yourself, 'Am I getting my money's worth now?'

Do you look at spending money on a professional trainer for your dog as an unnecessary expense?  Do you think, 'I can train the dog well enough myself.'  However, on hunts you call the dog names you wouldn't say in mixed company.  If you spend almost a $1000 on a puppy, hundreds of dollars on vet bills and food annually, and the dog lives for 12 years, then maybe its worth dropping a few hundred bills on a well-trained dog.  After 12 years, a few months of professional training will be a small expense compared to the other dog expenses like food and vet bills.

Is it worth hunting with a less expensive shotgun?  If you're on vacation and your shotgun jams on a pintail with a full sprig, will you wish you had splurged five years ago for a better swamp cannon?  Do you dream of going hunting with your children and their children?  If that's the case, be sure to outfit your kids, when they're young, with quality gear.  It is difficult to convince a 12-year old hunting is fun in 35-degree rain when a jacket and hat aren't rainproof.  If you want them to hunt when they're 40 and you're in your 70's, be sure they're having fun at 12.

What seems like a good buy in the short term can be costly in the long term.  When making a hunting equipment purchasing decision weigh a lot of factors.  Will I hunt more frequently?  Will the hunt be more enjoyable?  Will I be more successful (however you gauge that?)  Is the equipment a long-term value?

Take all of this into consideration when making purchasing gear decisions.  If you spend half as much money on equipment, but also hunt half as much because of its quality, then is it really a good buy?  A great purchase is when your gear causes you to want to get out and hunt and makes it more relaxing.  Check out www.MeskousingBoats.com and weigh these questions when making your next duck boat decision.

Take a kid harvesting.

Turning the Page

I'm not sure if humans detect changes in photoperiods, but it sure seems as if I can sense a change in the last week or two.  I feel as if I'm turning the page on summer and heading into fall.  Although I like fishing, it feels as if there's a pull towards getting ready for fall and the long (dare I say it?) winter.  The wood needs to be split and stacked; berries are ripening and need picking; decoys need some prep work; and wild rice beds need to be scouted.

Tonight I picked some choke cherries to use in wine.  I'm not sure why, as there are choke cherries in the freezer from two years ago.  Maybe it was that internal solar clock telling me it is time to fatten up (not that I need any help.)  More than likely it is that innate sense that hunters and gatherers have inside.  We know that when the berries are ripe its time to harvest.  We know that when the birds are flying, work can wait another day.  Come December, we'll only have the berries we harvest this time of year.  There's no chance of berry picking at Christmas.  After hunting season, there are only tales to share and plans to hatch.

Fall is approaching, so take the time to enjoy the remaining days of summer.  It's also a great time to get out and begin preparation for the fall.  Make a list of gear that needs to be replaced, augmented, and repaired.

Keeping Wildlife Wild

It's baby animal season.  There's nothing that gets people to say "Awwww," like a spotted fawn.  Little rolley-polley black footballs, otherwise known as bear cubs, are about as cute as anything in the world.  Furry little ducklings waddling across the road being led by momma will lift anybody's spirits.  As cute as baby critters are, it's important that we keep wildlife wild.

Hunters love wildlife and need wildlife.  We understand the precarious balance mother nature runs in keeping wildlife populations healthy.  We also know that mother nature needs WILDlife to maintain that balance.  Wildlife is not meant to be domesticated.  Mother nature doesn't want or need domesticated deer, bear, baby birds, etc.  

I am forever frustrated by people that think a fawn lying curled up in the grass has been abandoned by its mother.  Wildlife does not have the same needs or exhibit the same behaviors as humans.  A fawn or other baby animal is adapted to be left alone for periods of time and to survive on its own at a young age.  Mother nature can get along just fine without human interference.  

Let's call the do-gooders that pick up these "poor orphaned babies" what they are: thieves.  They are stealing this year's recruitment from the wild.  This is the same as any poacher shooting a deer.  They are stealing a baby from it's mother.  They are disrupting the natural events in nature's cycle.  

Hunters and nature lovers, we need to help spread they word that this thievery is unacceptable.

It's summer!!!  Even in northern Wisconsin. 

A nod to the past with an eye to the future

This past weekend we were at Shipwreck Adventures' demo day in Two Rivers, WI.  We met some great people and had a great opportunity to showcase Meskousing Boats' Backwater skiff.  Thank you, Greg Such.  On Sunday, Shelley and I visited the Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, WI.  What a trove of maritime information about the Great Lakes!  DO NOT miss the opportunity to tour the Cobia submarine.  To think 80-some sailors lived in that steel tube for 3+ months.

Of special interest to waterfowl hunters was a display of Wisconsin made wooden duck hunting skiffs and blocks (decoys.)  People familiar with Meskousing Boats will recognize some similarities between the Backwater and the past skiffs.  Meskousing Boats' Backwater is built upon the traditions of waterfowl hunting in Wisconsin and the Mississippi flyway.  The Backwater's design improves upon these time-tested designs, but equally important is the construction materials and processes that bring us to the modern day.

Instead of using wood, we use a high-grade fiberglass that flexes in all the right ways without sacrificing structural integrity.  We keep the weight down by eliminating excess resin.  After all, if resin was the key of a strong hull, we'd just build the boat with resin and skip the 'glass.  Our skiffs link us to preceding generations of waterfowl hunters before surface drive motors and spinning wing decoys with the advantages of modern materials.

Marsh skis and a skiff. 

Probably a good thing we don't use punt guns anymore.

Have a great spring.........  into summer!

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Spring Cleaning

Today I ventured out into the duck marsh to do some spring cleaning of the wood duck boxes I built.  There's a property owner that lets me hunt on his land and as a token of appreciation I've installed a few boxes.  One of them is in front of his house, which he seems to enjoy.

The marsh is a flowage, but there was still ice.  Northern Wisconsin has been in a deep freeze since about Halloween and we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  At least the walk in was mostly devoid of snow.  The dogs got some running on grass and also got to roll around in the last snow of the year.  There was enough ice for me to stand on at the first box.  There were a few feathers from a woodie inside.

Due to some open water, I had to take the scenic route to the second box.  This also had some duck feathers.  Two for two!  The geese nearby kept honking at us trying to keep us from their claim.  A few mallards even flushed.  The sandhill cranes sang an ancient chorus.  Ah, spring is here.  It may not always feel like spring, but it sounded like spring today.

I felt a bit lazy and tried to take a shortcut back to the truck.  I'm fairly convinced Olive is a very simple and a bit on the slow side, but she was the smarter of the two of us today.  While I worked on the wood duck box, she stayed safely on shore watching the birds.  When I called her, she begrudgingly followed my beckon.  About 15 feet from the wood duck box, the ice gave way.  I'm not sure if the water is chest deep or if my elbows caught the ice.  I got out quickly only to break through a second time.  This time I remembered about the importance of rolling or climbing across the ice.  It worked.

Once on shore, I emptied my hip boots and began the walk back to the truck.  The air temperature was warm enough that I wasn't worried about hypothermia and even stayed fairly warm.  Lesson learned.  When the swimming-fool chocolate Lab won't go on the ice, don't go.

DU Banquet

Thank you, Ducks Unlimited!!

Last night I had the privilege of attending the Langlade County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited annual banquet.  It was held in new digs, at the Edison Club.  I don't know the specific numbers, but there were more people in attendance this year than past years and DU raised a lot of money for wetland protection.  It also seemed as though the people in attendance were very generous in their purchases and raffle participation.

Meskousing Boats is very pleased to have been a Sponsor.  The money raised for being a sponsor equals the same amount as it takes to save an acre of wetland.  Money well spent.  We were also lucky and won a beautiful print of a pair of pintails in a silent auction.

We are all busy with life and can't fit in anything extra.  Thank you DU volunteers for finding the time to help in such a valuable way.

What is success on a hunt?

I recently got out for a ruffed grouse hunt with Olive.  I never mounted my shotgun towards a bird, but still had a successful hunt.  From my perspective, it seems as though there is a lot of focus in hunting circles on shooting limits and trophies.  For me, it's about the experience.  I seldom get a limit and in northern Wisconsin a lot of the waterfowl aren't in their prime plumage during our seasons.  If we, as hunters, only use trophies and limits as our measuring stick for success, then we will be disappointed on a lot of other great hunts.

Many of my hunts include optimistic goals.  For example, on our recent hunt I really wanted to shoot a grouse so Olive could get a retrieve.  However, soaking in a finer point of the experience is what really makes it successful.  We had snow the previous day and the trees all had a coating of snow.  I was blazing a trail with my snowshoes, which always makes me feel like I'm a rugged individualist.

The highlight of my hunt was in the "game" I took home.  I was hunting on a state wildlife area and Olive pointed a folding camp chair.  It wasn't much of a point, but she sniffed it long enough to draw my attention.  The chair appeared to be in good shape and even had a carrying bag left with it.  The snow is at least 16 inches deep and there were no indications that someone was coming back to get it.  I don't know if anyone was planning on getting it, but I also hate litter.  So, I brought it home and can't wait for camping season.  There might not be any meat in the freezer from my hunt, but there is some new furniture in the garage.

The hunt was also successful because we were out for over two hours.  We covered some ground I hadn't seen for a while.  I like going to familiar places throughout the year so I can compare game tracks, trails, water levels, etc. during the various seasons.  One of the bigger reasons I like grouse hunting with Olive is that it tires her out.  Another simple pleasure is the tranquility of a tired puppy in front of the fireplace.