1. Practice

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Above all other tips, just get out and shoot in the pre-season. Find a clay skeet shooting range and go after shots you might see while on the pond (crossing, incoming, etc.). Ask an instructor at the range for advice or take a lesson. Begin on a less challenging station until you master it. An instructor can offer guidance on proper mounting, how much lead to hold, and following through. The more you shoot, the more comfortable you will become with your shotgun.

2. Invest in a Fitted Shotgun

Many hunters don’t take advantage of shooting a fitted shotgun. If you buy a gun off the rack without concern for the pull length, drop at comb, and pitch measurements, chances are your shotgun will not fit properly. Instead, purchase from or take your favorite gun to a gunsmith who can help you get the right fit. A shotgun that is customized to personal proportions is far easier to swing, target, and take down birds.

3. Toxic Loads

Steel shot loads have drastically improved. Choose a premium non-toxic load. Today’s high quality steel loads are fast and have plenty of power to bag ducks cleanly. Beyond 40 yards steel will lose power, so select loads containing alloy-shot of tungsten, bismuth, iron and other non-toxics metals for long range birds.

4. Patterning

Test your shotgun’s pattern with various loads and choke combinations. Set up a pattern board cover in white paper and draw a duck in the center. From 40 yards back, shoot at the image with your shotgun stabilized in a rest, then try different chokes and loads to see how various combinations perform. Patterning allows to you see which combination of choke and load provides the best performance and to visualize how big a duck is at 40 yard distance. Finally, patterning boosts the hunter’s trust in the shotgun’s ability.

5. Don’t Compute Lead

Sure, you do have to hold the right lead time to hit a flying bird. But there are far too many changing variables (distance, direction/angle/speed of flight) too analyze each situation. Thankfully, you can count on your internal instinct to determine how much lead is needed. When tracking a bird, a shooter should use the shotgun barrel as an extension of his line of sight. If you have a proper gun mount, holding the lead will come naturally.

6. Slow Down

Rushing shots is one of the most common mistakes an inexperienced waterfowl hunter can make. Take your time and make an effort to ease into mounting your gun, tracking your bird, and pulling the trigger. Jumping up and firing at a flock of birds is a guaranteed way to end up with nothing. Wait for the flock to be in the right location before slowly rising to your feet and firing directly at a single bird.

7. One at a Time

Beginners often get excited and shoot into the flock at large instead of targeting a single duck. Set your intention to aim at one bird. Rise above by concentrating only on a single bird. The area of an incoming flight is mainly air, so you must to lock in on one duck and stay with it until it drops. Resist the urge to switch targets by staying focused. If and when that bird is hit, move onto a second target.

8. Aim at the Trailer

As a flock of birds comes into the shooting area, do not go for the lead bird. Many hunters have trained themselves to fire at the leading bird, so chances are that your hunting partner is aiming at the same animal. If you choose the trailing bird, you will most likely be the only one shooting at it. More importantly, it will put your gun in perfect the position to fire successive rounds at fleeing birds.

9. Focus on the Eye

Focus on your target bird’s eye. Shooting at the whole bird can result in hitting tail feathers rather than a deadly blow. To correct this, focus and aim directly at the eye of the duck. If you cannot see the eye, then the bird is too far away to shoot. If you can see the eye, keep your attention fixed on it, which helps swing the gun ahead of the bird rather than behind.

10. Continue the Swing

Stopping the swing of the shotgun is a sure way to miss birds. You have to follow through in order to bag a duck. Abruptly halting the swing will ruin timing and coordination. Keep the barrel moving after firing. Having good follow-through is key whether you are shooting at fowl or swinging a golf club.

Bob’s Sustainable Ranching Story – Filson in the Field Video, Wyoming from Filson on Vimeo.

Bob Taylor, with the help of his wife Maggie and their daughter, Marisa, raise organic, grass fed, Black Angus beef cattle on Lonetree Ranch in Lonetree, Wyoming. An accomplished veterinarian (and one time host and focus of Animal Planet’s Emergency Vet), Bob spends about 365 days a year applying a blend of art and science to the task of managing their land and animals in a way that considers the preservation of natural resources and protects natural ecosystems. “Because we believe it is the right thing to do, and because it is the best business practice for a sustainable future. “

I confess that I only discovered Filson a few years ago. I mentioned to an avid outdoorsman friend of mine that I was in the market for a good quality winter coat. I explained that I wanted a wool coat that would hold up to the elements, one that could transition from the woods to the office, and finally, one that was made in the USA. I said that I had given up looking and was on the verge of caving in and going with a synthetic, foreign made product. My friend looked at me quizzically and asked why I didn’t just buy a Filson. I checked out Filson on-line, read the reviews, ordered a catalog and very quickly became the owner of a Double Mackinaw.

Since then I have ordered a vest, a weekender jacket, two wool hats, and a raincoat. I got tired of having my Mack “borrowed” so for Christmas last year I gave my son his own Mack! Filson does it all. I have a hunting dog and winter is our favorite time of the year. The more snow the better. My Filson Double Mack has not let me down. Whether I am shoveling snow or layered-up trudging thru the woods in near-blizzard conditions I am ALWAYS confident that my Filson is going to keep me dry and warm. What more can you say about an article of clothing. Thank you, Filson for making great products, from a fairly new but dedicated customer.

Share your own memories about your Filson Mackinaw Cruiser. We want to hear who wore it, where it’s been and how it performed for you. You can include photos or not. If you just want to send a photo, that’s OK, too. We will go through all the stories and select the best. The winner will receive a free new Mackinaw Cruiser. Click here to enter.

I was 17 years old when I bought my red/black Mackinaw Cruiser at the Portland Outdoor Store in 1973. I had just moved to Portland, and the coat served me well that year. Through numerous trips in the woods and on city streets, the Mackinaw would soak up all the rain and still keep me warm and dry. The coat proved to be a sturdy companion throughout the years that followed—up to The Evergreen State College where the duck pocket came in handy for all sorts of things (though never for ducks) up to Seattle, where I trained to be a teacher, and then with me across country to Boston where I got my first job. Eventually, my 17-year-old body expanded a bit, as aging men’s bodies sometimes do, and I passed the coat on to Dan, a good friend who had long admired it.

A number of years later, Sam, another old friend of mine, called me to say that his son, Nathaniel, who had just moved from Woods Hole, Massachusetts to begin studies at The Evergreen State College, wanted to know if I had that old jacket and, if I did (and if I didn’t wear it anymore), whether I would mind giving it to him. I told Sam I no longer owned the coat but that I would call my old friend Dan on the outside chance that he might be willing to part with my hand-me-down of some years past.

As it turned out, the timing was perfect. He told me his great affection for the coat was not shared by the woman who would become his future wife. In fact, she had such strong feelings about the coat that she had said that she might not become his future wife if he kept wearing it when they went out. So Dan packed up the Mackinaw and sent it to Nathaniel, who wore the coat throughout college and continues to wear it today on his farm in Galvin, Washington. While no longer spanking brand new, it has held up pretty darn well for a coat that is nearly 40 years old and has made its way across coasts and generations. (Photos: Me standing, circa 1986, Nathaniel with dog, circa 2010)

Share your own memories about your Filson Mackinaw Cruiser. We want to hear who wore it, where it’s been and how it performed for you. You can include photos or not. If you just want to send a photo, that’s OK, too. We will go through all the stories and select the best. The winner will receive a free new Mackinaw Cruiser. Click here to enter.

From the woods of the Adirondack Mountains to the cosmopolitan streets of Manhattan, my Mackinaw served me well and kept me warm. While others chose noisy, temperamental, synthetic fabrics I sported my Mackinaw made from comfortable and reliable wool. During the week my Mackinaw set me apart from the pack, kept me warm and provided some unique pockets for carrying the essentials a city slicker needs. Why do I speak of my Mackinaw in the past? About 3 years ago a good friend was in need of a winter coat for his next assignment in Toronto, Canada. He remarked at how great looking my Mackinaw was and wanted to know where he could get one before he left in 24 hours. I took the coat off my back and gave it to him. I always lived by the motto, I might as well have the best, and I wanted my good friends to live by that, too. He is now living in Switzerland and the Mackinaw continues to perform well for him and set him apart from the pack. He told me that everyone there wants to know how to get the VERY BEST as well. Someday I will get around to replacing my favorite winter coat, but until then I will wear one of my 5 other Filson jackets.

Share your own memories about your Filson Mackinaw Cruiser. We want to hear who wore it, where it’s been and how it performed for you. You can include photos or not. If you just want to send a photo, that’s OK, too. We will go through all the stories and select the best. The winner will receive a free new Mackinaw Cruiser. Click here to enter.

Kevin McDonnell is the President, Whid Isle Brittany Club, WA and is no stranger to hunting with dogs. This time he shares his insight on The Whid Isle Brittany Club AKC Hunt Test 7/21/12 and 7/22/12 and everything that it involves.

This July, the Whid Isle Brittany Club held its 3rd annual Hunt Test in Fall City, a farming town just 40 minutes outside of Seattle, Washington.  Thanks to Jim Cochran of JC Sporting Dogs, we were able to secure the private grounds at Carlson Canine Country Club; a beautiful 265 acre property surrounded by the Snoqualmie River   www.jcsportingdogs.com

At Saturday’s event we reached a high temperature of 78 degrees and a high of 69 degrees on Sunday.  We could not have asked for better Hunt-Test-Weather! We even have picture proof that it doesn’t always rain in Seattle.

Rob A. Johnston/ Walkabout Wolf Photography

Rob A. Johnston/ Walkabout Wolf Photography

Rob A. Johnston/ Walkabout Wolf Photography

And while we’re showing off, let’s talk about the variety of pointers we had participating including: Brittanys, German Shorthaired Pointers, Vizslas, Irish Setters, Griffons, Weimaraners, German Wirehair Pointers, English Setters and Spinones.

Rob A. Johnston/ Walkabout Wolf Photography

Rob A. Johnston/ Walkabout Wolf Photography

We even had one participant; Arwen Daab, who drove 13 hours from Alberta, Canada to participate in this year’s Hunt Test.

Rob A. Johnston/ Walkabout Wolf Photography

Keeping things exciting this year, we also switched things up this year and decided to run two separate courses: one course just for the Junior Hunter Dogs and the other for Senior and Master Hunter dogs.  Knowing a long day in the saddle can be brutal on anyone, we ran two pairs of judges to keep everyone fresh.

For Saturday’s event, we had eight braces of Junior Pointing Dogs, six braces of Senior Dogs and six braces of Master Dogs. With local Starbucks coffee in the morning and a quick BBQ sandwich for lunch, everyone was kept happy, full and caffeinated.  We were also fortunate enough to have a published freelance photographer, Rob Johnston on hand Saturday.  He took some amazing photographs of our four legged friends on point with his high-powered lens.  We finished the day just around 3pm with plenty of sunlight to spare and time to rest up for the next day of events.

Rob A. Johnston/ Walkabout Wolf Photography

Rob A. Johnston/ Walkabout Wolf Photography

Sunday greeted us with cooler conditions.  We had another full-scheduled day with seven Master braces, five Senior braces and eight Junior braces. Sunday’s event ended just around 4 pm with many happy handlers and dogs.

Rob A. Johnston/ Walkabout Wolf Photography

Rob A. Johnston/ Walkabout Wolf Photography

Our judges were thrilled to receive the gifted Filson merchandise and we would like to give a special thanks and shout out to Filson for their generous support.

Primos Hunting Calls

We have to agree with the ratings on the best-selling hunting app of all time. Primos Hunting Calls attracts prey with a variety of over twenty remarkably natural calls. Improve your ability to lure in turkey, elk, deer, duck, hogs, and more. Use tried-and-true favorites of the hunting professionals at Primos like “The Gobbler” and the “Heart Breaker.”

Ducks Unlimited Waterfowler’s Journal

The DU Waterfowler’s Journal is the only app designed exclusively for waterfowl hunters to keep a detailed log of each trip to the field. Both seasoned pros and beginners can build a detailed diary of the number and type of birds harvested, hunting blind locations, weather conditions, photos, and personal notes. In addition to creating your own journal, you can catch up on Duck Unlimited’s extensive glossary of waterfowl ID characteristics.

iSonular Hunting & Fishing Times

Filson anglers and hunters can trust the up-to-date hunting and fishing information from iSonular Hunting & Fishing Times. iSonular provides the best time of day for hunting and fishing anywhere in the world. Using astronomical data from the US Naval observatory, you can find precise local information on feeding/activity times, day rating, current weather, moon phase, moon rise and moon set, and Sunrise and Sunset periods.

Ducks Unlimited Waterfowl Migration

Follow the ducks on your iPhone this season! The DU Migration App gives you access to more than 10,000 real-time migration and hunting reports across North America. View local reports of those from across the U.S. and Canada if you are planning a trip. Waterfowl hunters can submit their own report on current findings and access reports from trained Ducks Unlimited Field Editors and Avery Pro-Staff.

Hunting Light & Blood Tracker

This app enhances hunters’ visibility in all lighting conditions. Hunting Light & Blood Tracker is a handy flashlight that provides screen lights of various colors for specific uses in the field under variable light conditions. Green light enables night vision and blue light enhances green objects that would otherwise be camouflaged. The addition of a “blood tracking” light filter enhances the visibility of a blood trail left by wounded game so you are quickly on the move to recover.

My Filson Mackinaw story begins long ago…in the winter of 2012. I am a self-affirmed outerwear aficionado. I own high-tech down jackets and waterproof parkas. I own motorcycle jackets. Classic black pea coats. A shearling car coat. A wool greatcoat. And on and on. My wife has to remind me to buy socks and periodically “misplaces” my rattiest t-shirts, but my outerwear collection is the one area of clothing that I truly love.

I had heard of Filson and their legendary wool garments. I had been searching for a heavy all-wool jacket. Not 60/40. Not 80/20. Not 90/10. One-hundred percent pure wool. Well, last January I bought a Filson Double Mackinaw in Charcoal. It is the ultimate evolution of outerwear. Now I understand. Is it absurd that I didn’t want to stop wearing it after Winter had passed? Is it absurd that I tried it on once in June just because I missed wearing it? Yes…it’s completely absurd! I can’t explain it. The coat has the widest range of temperature I’ve ever felt. I wore it in bone-chilling weather with a sweater underneath and was toasty. It was sixty degrees outside and rather than grabbing one of my lightweight jackets I wore the Double Mac. Crazy except that I wasn’t too warm. It was just right. I can go on for days about details – how I love that the inner sleeve can go inside the side pocket while the outer sleeve covers all and keeps the wind at bay. Or the fact that my Kindle fits perfectly in one of the top pockets.

I’m aware that my Mackinaw story isn’t one for the ages. My grandfather didn’t hand it down to me after using it as a middle layer while climbing Everest, but I am definitely going to complete the holy trinity of outerwear when I purchase a Single Mac and a Mackinaw Vest. I’m looking forward to handing them down to someone someday. In an age of more/cheaper/faster it’s inspiring that a company still values quality and value over profits and trends. Keep up the great work.

Share your own memories about your Filson Mackinaw Cruiser. We want to hear who wore it, where it’s been and how it performed for you. You can include photos or not. If you just want to send a photo, that’s OK, too. We will go through all the stories and select the best. The winner will receive a free new Mackinaw Cruiser. Click here to enter.

Gary Lewis is the host of Adventure Journal and author of John Nosler – Going Ballistic, Black Bear Hunting, Hunting Oregon and other titles. This time he shares his insight on traveling to Yakutat, Alaska, for prehistoric pike.

The last time I was here it was with no gun, no GPS, no map and no DEET. Last year’s poor planning resulted in a three-hour slog through devil’s club, muskeg and black water.

This time I carried heat in an Alaska Sportsman holster and an aerial photo. Dad had his GPS unit. Photographer Sam Pyke was our witness should a bear eat us or a troop of prehistoric mosquitoes take us hostage.

Two brown bears had crossed the road on the way here. Now we were in their backyard.

Unchanged in 8,000 years, this valley, surrounded by humped-up mountains, bordered by trackless forest, was a geologic refugia. When glaciers covered the land, it remained free of ice, and a chain of still waters was preserved that holds pike biologically distinct in North America.

A trail led into the ooze through tall grass and hip-deep channels. We aimed toward a stand of trees north by northeast, then crossed a patch of skunk cabbage, over a bear trail and through a creek. Soon, a meadow was visible beyond the trees and then dark water with the mountain behind it.

Nothing moved on the surface. Lily pads ringed the lake and the banks were carpeted in moss and waist high grass. Our rods were rigged with floating lines, steel leaders and streamers. I pointed dad toward a channel that emptied into the lake with a patch of open water where no lily pads grew.

On the third cast, a fish boiled. After more than two dozen casts, dad connected. By the time I reached him, he had a pike to hand, a fish that measured 30 inches and sported the grizzly hackled streamer that had teased him out of the lilies.

Dad worked the streamer side-to-side to make the fly behave like a wayward frog. His next fish was a two-footer with razor teeth.

I cast my streamer into voids in the lilies and teased it from pad to pad. A pike streaked out and missed the fly. Moments later, another charged, its mouth gaping at the surface. I missed, but the electric current that passed between us almost stopped my heart.

On the downwind side, Dad cast a Gibbs spoon with a lazy zigzag retrieve and caught two more. I missed another. Dad handed me the spinning rod.

Concerned now, I waded in and fan-cast out from the weeds. I hooked and lost one. Down to last cast time. Twenty more ‘last casts’, the spoon stopped, the line knifed through the water, a wedge of tail broke the surface.

Through the maze of lily pads, I brought the beast to hand and admired my first pike, my quest fulfilled.

Note: Anytime you’re fishing in bear country, bring a survival kit to include the following.

1. A map

2. A compass

3. Waterproof matches or a lighter

4. Extra clothes or a space blanket

5. A knife

6. Mosquito repellent

7. A little food and water

8. A first aid kit

9. A shotgun, a revolver or bear spray

10. A flashlight with extra batteries

Today marks the beginning of two great opportunities for you diehard Filson fans and even those of you are new to Filson. It’s time to trade in your old Mackinaw Cruiser OR get in on a chance to win a new one!

Here’s how it works. Through September 30th, when you buy a new Mackinaw Wool Cruiser and we will charge your credit card full price. Then, you send in your old Mackinaw Wool Cruiser and with a note that includes your order number and “Money for My Mack” written on it and we will credit your card $60.

To take your Mackinaw Wool Cruiser love even further, we want to hear your stories and memories on who wore it, where it’s been, and how it performed for a chance to win a new one. Share your story on our Submit your Story page. Photo inclusion optional, however, you can send only a photo too, if you want. We will select the best and the winner receives a free, new Mackinaw Cruiser.