The rolling prairie and farmlands of the Upper Midwest, through North Dakota, Montana and into Manitoba and Saskatchewan is often referred to as North America's "duck factory," with a sizeable percentage of the ducks and geese seen in the United States born there.
I’ve hunted throughout the Americas, from moose and caribou in the Canadian boreal forests to perdiz on ranchlands in Argentina and Uruguay. Each experience offers its own grandeur, but for sheer magnificence little compares with watching gigantic flocks of waterfowl rising into a predawn sky.
Waterfowl hunting has always been a favorite pursuit. Some of the best times are spent in duck blinds, enjoying those moments when birds present shots and interludes where you really get to know the person hunting beside you.
Last week’s trip to Saskatchewan to hunt with Pacific Wings Prairie Outfitters didn’t present many such interludes. From daybreak until it was time to pull in the decoy spread, it was near nonstop action. The Northern Hemisphere’s great “duck factory” certainly lived up to its name. Here's the rest of my story in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, plus many photos and a couple videos of the action from this great hunt.