On the Road Again

Waterfowl, by nature, are continental travelers, so it’s no surprise that waterfowl hunters often find themselves on the road. Traveling to new hunting destinations is a great way to meet new people, learn new tactics, and see the different habitats that waterfowl use across the flyways. Here’s some advice for planning a waterfowl hunting road trip to new places.

Freelance or Guided?

Preparing for a waterfowl hunting trip is a bit different for a freelance hunter than it is for someone hiring a professional guide. “There are pros and cons for both, but one of the upsides of using a guide is you don’t have to bring as much gear as you would on a freelance hunt,” explains Mike Bard, a waterfowl outfitter in upstate New York. “For instance, consider the spring Light Goose Conservation Order. A hunt in the spring often involves thousands of decoys, plus electronic callers, motion decoys, blinds, ATVs, and the trailers needed to haul all of it to the field. When you’re with a guide, you are not responsible for bringing any of that with you, and that makes a huge difference in terms of what you need to pack before you leave home.”

The type of gear provided by outfitters does vary, Bard adds, so it is best to check with your guide beforehand to know exactly what you are expected to bring. “In many cases, outfitters will have a list of items you will need to bring on their website, but don’t be afraid to ask if you have any questions. The outfitter may be able to provide items that can keep you from having to pull a trailer or allow you to take a smaller vehicle, and that can help save money when it comes time to fill up the gas tank,” Bard says.

Consider the Where and When

Bard adds that one of the upsides of a freelance trip is being able to choose when and where you want to hunt, and this flexibility should be considered when planning what to pack for the trip.

“Are you going to target mallards in fields or over water? Are you hunting early-season birds in warmer temperatures or hoping to take a crack at those big greenheads hanging out up north late in the season in wintry conditions? Those are things to consider when you’re packing clothing, blinds, decoys, and other gear for a freelance trip,” Bard says.

To minimize the amount of gear needed, it helps to focus on bringing items that are versatile enough to handle a variety of situations. These include clothing that can be layered for different weather conditions, silhouette decoys that can pull double duty in the field and in shallow waters, and a packable A-frame blind that can be hidden along weedy fence lines or nestled in the cattails.

“It never hurts to talk to other hunters who have visited an area and ask them about the conditions they experienced when they were there, and how the weather impacted their hunting at a particular time of the year,” Bard says. “The more research you can do beforehand, the better. You want to minimize the unknown.”

Don’t Forget the Basics

The weather, habitat, and species of waterfowl that you’ll encounter on the road may be different from what you typically see, but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pack the items that you’ve come to depend on for hunts close to home.

The garden shears you use to gather oak branches to touch up your permanent blind in Missouri will come in handy cutting lengths of willows for your makeshift hide in a Saskatchewan pea field, and the game strap that you use to haul greenheads out of the woods in Arkansas will work just as well loaded with gadwalls, wigeon, and green-winged teal on the walk back to the truck after hunting a public marsh in North Dakota.

“Consider all of the elements of your typical hunting experience when packing for your trip. You might be able to eliminate some bigger pieces of gear based on where you are going, but chances are the same basic items that you use at home are going to get used on the road,” says Georgia hunter Mark Smith, who frequently travels to hunt in the Prairie Pothole Region.

One difference to keep in mind, Smith says, is that you will need to pack some of the items that you use after a hunt too, like chargers for motion decoys and knives and other supplies for cleaning birds. You’ll also need to plan a way to dry and store wet boots and other gear.

Another important change from the normal routine is that, if you are bringing your retriever, you won’t have access to your typical veterinary care, should the need arise. “I like to prepare a hard copy of a list of veterinarians in the area that I am visiting before I hit the road in the event that I do not have cell service in a remote area and need to know where to go,” Smith says.

Be Prepared for Surprises

Taking care of a retriever on the road certainly adds another layer of preparation to a hunting trip, and with enough planning you can devise a good strategy for feeding, watering, and caring for your four-legged hunting partner.

The same goes for the rest of your experience. The weeks and months before a trip are the perfect time to visit trusted online resources for information about your destination, talk with other hunters or wildlife officials from the area, scour OnX for maps of where you’re heading, create a packing list and check it twice (or three or four times), and otherwise prepare for the trip.

Smith wisely reminds waterfowlers to expect the unexpected.

“Something will always come up. Maybe you lose the wiring harness to your decoy trailer in a corn field or get caught in an unexpected snowstorm, or maybe you have to switch to an entirely new area because of a lack of birds or too many hunters,” he says. “There is always some unexpected turn of events when you travel.”

To keep a surprise twist from ruining the trip, Smith adds, it helps to go with an open mind, knowing that those unexpected events provide an opportunity to learn something new. “The more you travel as a waterfowl hunter, the better you become at planning a trip, and that ultimately leads to more success,” Smith says. “And that success will lead you to explore new places, learn new lessons, and grow as a waterfowl hunter.”