Farewell Post!

Hey guys, today I'm going to be doing my very last blog post! Here are some highlights from my blog!

1. Top Three Favorite Posts!

 One of my favorite posts was the cost of duck hunting post. I liked this post because it helps the young people who are not familiar with the sport know just what exactly their getting in to. Here's the link to that blog post! Cost of Waterfowl Hunting

Another one of my favorite post was the post about a successful hunt of mine. This was a fun one to create because it brought back some great memories of a great day! Here's the link! GreenHead Beatdown

My last favorite post would be the How To post. I showed you how to make goose jerky. I liked this one because again, it helps the first time waterfowls know what exactly to do with your birds after your hunt! Goose Jerkey

2. Here are a few other blogs that i encourage you to check out. There funny, informative, and a lot of fun to explore!
Corbins Blog
Bretts Blog
Joshs Blog

3. A few posts ago I made some memes and I just wanted to show them off one more time! I really enjoyed this meme because its funny and I often feel just like these little kids! I love duck hunting and I get very excited to go! These kids look so happy and the caption fits perfectly!

4. One post I feel we should've done is a "Backup Blog" post. We could explain why we chose our blog topic and if we didn't chose this or couldn't chose this what we would chose to write about and why. I feel this would be a more humorous post and wed see a lot of variety in everyone!

Farewell Readers!

How To Brush in Your Blind

Hey Guys! Well today is going to be one of my final blog posts and I thought id leave you all with a little "How to" post to help you in the future of your waterfowling career! Today I want to talk a little bit about how I personally brush in my blind and what tips and tricks work for me while in the field!

Step 1: Here is where you get a little freedom. the main point of this first step is to find a field with a lot of loose stubble (short hay, grass, corn stalks etc.) you can cut to help brush in your blind! Once you find a field that fits this description you can move on to step 2!

Step 2: Now I want you to decide if you feel comfortable brushing in your blind in the pitch black early hours of the morning or if you'd like to do it before hand. I personally like to do it in the field so I can be sure I blend the blind in with the ground and the grass is fresh and not discolored.

Step 3: Once your blind is in the field your going to want to grab grass and stubble from and area AT LEAST 75 yards away. This will prevent there from being a big empty hole right near your decoy spread. Another thing your going to want to remember is that it will take a TON of grass so bring a bucket or two!

Step 4: Prep your blind base by rubbing in some mud and dirt to get the shine off the exterior. Make sure you get the creases where the door opens really good as this will hopefully get a lot of wear and tear and the mud WILL fall off.

Step 5: Now you can actually start the brushing in process. I like to start from one side and move from head to toe across the entire length of the blind. Take small handfuls of grass and weave them in and out of your blinds brushing slots. This will take a long time so plan ahead and get to the field early! Get grass to fit the blind don't try and skimp out on the grass because you will need to fill the holes or the birds will see it.

Step 6: Once you have this finished take some loose grass and throw it around the edges and on top to allow for maximum security in the field. You will need to keep throwing more and more grass on top of the blind as it will keep falling off as the hunt goes on. Repeat these steps as needed and you will be all set for a great hunt!

Quote

Hey Guys! Today I wanted to share a quote with you that really hits home for me. I love this quote because it shows what the true meaning of the sport is. It shows you that no matter how many giant bucks or stacks of ducks you shoot, they mean nothing without the memories you create when getting them. When I think back to successful duck hunts, yes, I remember the huge piles and good times but most importantly I remember the buddies I shot them with and what we had to go through to get those ducks. I remember a wouldn't goose we shot that took off running. We all chased after it and I blew passed everyone and jumped on top of it. Yes, it was the only goose we shot that day but it was a memory that will last forever. This quote really shows the true meaning about how important the memories you make are. I hope you all enjoy your weekend and take the time to think about this quote!

Memes

Hey Guys! I just wanted to share with you some different memes that I really enjoy. These were ones that I created but I did steal the ideas from other people! In the off season I enjoy looking at these and its a lot of fun seeing the different memes people come up with. There very funny and I enjoyed making these for all of you to enjoy as well! Happy Hunting!

Uncut Angling

Hey Guys! So today's post is going to be a little different... i'm going to talk about a fun ice fishing youtuber I like to watch and helps pass the time. Many of you have probably herd of him and his channel Uncut Angling. Uncut Angling is a funny fisherman who records his crazy tactics when summer and winter fishing. One of my favorite episodes is when hes on the way to a lake and sees a deer on the side of the road. He pulls over and small patch of white fur off of its belly. A while later as hes sitting in his fish house he grabs the patch of fur and proceeds to tie it on to a fish hook. He makes his own jig with real deer hair and proceeds to catch a TON of 12-15 inch crappies! Its so insane it will make you want to never stop watching! Before you know it you've been watching for an hour and your late for class! I strongly encourage all of you to check it out!

The Cost of Waterfowl Hunting

Hey Guys! Today i'm going to talk a little bit about what you will need as a beginner waterfowler and how much your start up costs are going to be.

First your going to want to get yourself a spot to hunt. This is the most important part to having a successful hunt. It wont matter how good your gear is unless there are ducks in your spot. This is a very cheap and easy thing to do. Don't feel pressured to rent a field from a landowner just because there is ducks.

Next, your going to want to get a call or two. You can look at mine and other waterfowlers lanyards and see a variety of different calls with different sounds styles. To start out all you need is one. Find a cheap call with good sound and really learn the call inside and out. This can be bought for anywhere from $10-$50.

Third, your gonna need a gun. Stick with a 20 or 12 gauge shotgun as these will be the easiest to shoot and have a better accuracy in hitting different waterfowl. A decent (cheap) shotgun will run anywhere from $400-$500. Again, this is a beginner gun and you will want to upgrade if you are a serious, and avid waterfowler.

Fourth, depending on the area you choose to hunt will need some sort of decoy. Earlier in the season you don't need as many decoys and can easily get by with 6-12 decoys. As you get later in the year you will want to expand your spread and narrow down which ducks are in the spread. The best "bang for your buck" decoy would be something in the GHG line and will run you about $50 a dozen.

Last your going to want some sort of camouflage to ensure the ducks or geese will not be able to see you. You will find that ducks and geese are very picky. Everything could be perfect, your spread, calling, and wind, but the minute they see something they don't like about your hide they will break and fly off. Your hide is the most essential and most important thing about your ability to shoot and kill tons of ducks and geese.

Now that you know a little bit more about how much it will cost to get started in waterfowl hunting and the requirements for it. GET OUT AND HUNT! 

Profile Post

Hey guys! Today i'm going to talk about a local Minnesotan waterfowl guide and calling champion that I really look up to. Here's a brief background and profile on Ben Meillier!

What are they famous For? Ben is famous for his extreme goose calling talent and is professional guide service.

Where do they live now? Live in Albert Lea, MN.

Are they married? Yes!

Do they have kids? Yes, Ben has one daughter who is 4 years old

Most impressive thing they've done? Started his own guide service with a few other popular guides known as Legends Outfitters and Feet Down Waterfowl

Famous piece of advice? His most famous piece of advice that he always preaches is dont ask for handouts. Weather its asking for a spot to hunt or fish, it will be way more rewarding if you scout and do the work yourself and then have a successful hunt.

What is his job? Professional waterfowl guide in Central MN

Who does he work for? Legends Outfitters, Feet Down Waterfowl, Fowl Family TV

Sponsored? Yes, Ben is sponsored by Sitka Cold Weather Gear, Avian-X Decoys, Dakota Decoy Company

What do they do in the off season? In the off season of the winter and summer months Ben likes to travel and spend the entire winter in his ice Castle fish house, in the summer he likes to take many vacations with his family.

Game Fair

Hey Guys! I want to tell you a little bit about an event that I go to every year. If your an avid Waterfowler or Upland game hunter this is the event for you! Its called Game fair, Its located in Anoka, MN. Its a 2 weekend event running a total of 6 days. They have calling competitions, you can bring your dog and enter them in a variety of different skills competitions, they have key note speakers, tons of booths set up with different vendors that you can look and buy new products from, and various competitions to test your archery and trap shooting skills. The event usually runs the second and third weekend of August and costs around $10 per person to get in. There is so much to explore at game fair and I strongly suggest you all go check it out!

New Year Resolutions

Hey Guys, Congrats! You all made it to 2019! A big thing that always circles around is our new year resolutions. A few of mine would be to 1. Get more active and involved, 2. Step out of my comfort zone and do things that might scare me a bit. Third, I would like to try and swear a little less... lol enough said. Fourth I want to try and be open to new ideas and be willing to work better with others. Last but not least, its more of a wish than a resolution, but this year I would like to graduate my senior year of high school with straight A's and my highest GPA yet! Good luck to All in this New Year and I wish you the best. As always, Stay Safe and Happy Hunting!

My Hometown

Hey guys! Today I want to share with you a little about my hometown where my love for hunting and fishing first took root; St. Joseph. I started waterfowl hunting my 8th grade year with a few buddies on the Sauk River. The river runs right through on the outside of town and is home to lots of mallards and wood ducks. It is harder to hunt with the flowing current but it also stays open a lot later in the year compared to other lakes so that attracts the birds as well.

Another area we used to hunt was the private pond right behind my old house. It was a small 30 acre lake surrounded my reeds and big woods that was a huge home to geese and wood ducks. We shot tons of ducks on these two bodies of water and had a lot of great memories on them!

When I wasn't duck hunting I was bow hunting. My friends dad owns a small 50 acre slot of land on the outskirts of town that they allowed me to hunt. I went back and set up three trail cameras to attempt to survey their patterns. With little to no luck I rearranged my setup and got a few does and fawns and a nice 8 point buck. I hunted for awhile and passed up a few nice does. This was a fun area to hunt and I am now starting to doing some trapping on the property.