Tristen Turley
Waterfowl hunting, in itself, is an experience that will consume you from the moment you set out your first decoy or blow your first call. Now, mix that with the rush and challenge of bowhunting and you have an experience that will last a lifetime.
All waterfowl hunters know the hardest part of hunting is getting birds to commit to the decoys and set down right where you can make clean, ethical shots. Now imagine having to perfect your spread and calling so much that the birds are comfortable enough to set down, and stay down. This was something a couple good buddies and I did on a recent hunt.
We scouted a field that attracted about 100 local honkers from a lake in town. After figuring out where the birds wanted to be, we set up a makeshift blind out of cedar limbs and set our Avian-X and Divebomb decoys in small communal groups about 40 yards from the blind. As the sun came up, we could hear birds moving from their roosts to feed. If you haven’t already looked at Divebomb decoys, check them out. They are an amazing decoy for the price and so much easier to store.
Our first group worked exactly like we planned. However, they set down about 40 yards outside of the decoys, making for a lengthy 80 yard shot. I drew my bow back and picked the biggest bird, anchored, and squeezed the trigger on my release. A few short seconds later a loud whack rang out and the bird barely moved before expiring. I chose to shoot the new SIK broadheads, as they provided the quickest, cleanest kill on these big geese. As I ran out to retrieve the bird and my arrow, my heart raced as I grabbed a leg that wielded a shiny piece of metal. That piece of metal is what every waterfowl hunter dreams of, a federal leg band.
As the morning moved on, we shot a few ducks that worked into the decoys, and a few more geese, including two more banded birds. This hunt was one of the most fun and challenging hunts I’ve been apart of. Although, we could’ve easily killed our limits with shotguns, it was fun to challenge our skills. I’d recommend anyone who has a love of waterfowl and bowhunting to give this a try.
