Thousand dollar guns, hundreds of decoys, $40 for a box of shells, thousands of dollars in clothing, expensively trained gun dogs, the expensive paint jobs on boats, am I missing anything? This is what the modern day waterfowler has succumbed to. Granted technology has changed thus the price of items has increased but is it all needed? I'm a simple guy, I shoot a Stoeger because it was cheap 10 years ago, it fits me perfectly and I've never had a problem with it. My go to decoys for many years were the GHG "Hot Buy" Mallards which I still use to this day when I'm looking to add numbers to my spread. I use waders from Cabela's because they have proven their durability for my needs time and time again. However, there are certainly some items that you get what you pay for, like the clothing you wear that keeps you warm, I'm willing to spend an arm and a leg on that stuff if it keeps me warm, dry, and comfortable for several hours in the cold. Can anyone tell me when duck hunting became a fashion statement? And is Sitka Gear really so great that it has to cost so much? I honestly don't know, I don’t own any so that's why I'm asking.
I often think back to the late 1800's and early 1900's and what hunters wore and used when they hunted. A huge difference in their garb compared to today’s technologically advanced clothing. Ever further back in time in regards to decoys, the Native Americans weaved reeds into the shape of ducks and used them as decoys . When the Europeans came over they took that idea and ran with it carving decoys out of wood. Years later, man decided that cork floated the best and years after that it become plastic due to the ease of mass production. Decoys have continued to evolve over the years with real life paint schemes and more realistic carvings sometimes done by a computer hence the reason they need to cost so much these days. Some of the best duck decoys I own cost me over a $100 for a half dozen and it was hard to come off that kind of money. But when the ducks always seem to want to land on those specific decoys in my spread they obviously were worth the money. There is a fantastic book that I picked up years ago called "The Outlaw Gunner" written by Harry M. Walsh in which he talks about market gunning that occurred in the Chesapeake Bay, the Outer Banks, and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic. A lot of good information in there if you're ever curious about the history of waterfowl hunting in the hay day of market gunning. We've come a long way as hunters from the days of punt guns. As a matter of fact a lot of the legislation still in place today came from that general time period when some species of ducks were hunted almost to extinction due to the massive amounts of birds taken. I’m a simple man with a simple career that gets paid a simple salary. I started making duck calls years ago as a hobby and something to do with my buddy’s while we drank beer. We don’t plan on getting rich selling our calls these days but we enjoy providing an alternative to the mass production brands and a hand made item that is a conversation starter. As I was strapping down my boat at the boat ramp after a successful morning a few weeks ago two fellas drove up and asked how my hunt went. Always excited to talk about ducks I informed them there had been some action and I had knocked down a few. We talked for several minutes about the lack of birds in the area lately and how the season had panned out. The fella in the passenger seat noticed my No Quarter Waterfowl hat and asked me what I knew about the company as he had seen their trailer on the road earlier in the season. I sheepishly informed them that I knew they made duck calls, they were local, a small family business, and seemed like good folks over there. The man said that he had checked out the website and social media pages, thought the calls looked and sounded great but didn’t believe ”they” would be successful because they didn’t appear to be sponsored. Stunned I replied “well who cares if they are sponsored. I hope they do alright, I’m rooting for them!” Intrigued my eyes darted around the cab of the truck trying to figure these fellas out. In about 5 seconds I had gathered all the information I needed. I observed their expensive name brand stainless steel cups holding their coffee, $150 name brand sunglasses that accompanied their expensive waterfowl jackets that matched their same brand hats. I observed the high end gun stickers on the back window of the truck and the Movado watch one of them wore. What made me chuckle the most was the three call lanyards in the vehicle. One hanging on the rear view mirror, one on the center console, and the third in a cup holder on the floor. Each call was high end and cost over $130 from the catalogs I’ve seen them in. Some of those calls are magnificent as I’ve been out with other hunters that blow them and they do sound nice but I just have a hard time paying top dollar for a name brand item when I know for a fact I can get the same results with a cheaper version. I drove home that morning somewhat baffled. Is this what waterfowl hunting has come to? Your the best because you spend the most money on your gear or your sponsored by another company on your social media page? Is that what makes you successful? As I stated earlier I agree with good quality products to assist me in the field and I don’t mind paying a few extra bucks but does it really have to be the best and most expensive!? Does it have to be name brand because let’s face it, there are so many talented folks out there with products that are just as good if not better for less of your hard earned money.
If your draining your bank account to fund your duck addiction your doing it all wrong. Buy what you need, not what you THINK you need but what you ACTUALLY need to get the job done. Your gear doesn’t have to be the best, the newest, the hottest item of the season, or what everyone around you is doing. You do you and I promise you‘ll be happier. You won’t be worried about banging up your expensive decoys or freaking out when you get a little water in your gun. You’ll still have money in your pocket to take the family out for a nice meal. I think that sometimes we get so wrapped up in killing huge piles of birds for a picture that we aren’t just happy with a good hunt and going home with a pair of birds that decoyed perfectly into our spread. We are too quick to brag about what we shot that day rather than about the adventure of how it all came about. Guess what friends, freezing your butt off in the blind for several hours, watching the sun come up, sharing the moments with friends or family, and at least going home with some memories of a hunt, is a damn successful day.
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