[Glenn]

Here is a recent article from one of our prostaff, Charles "Hammertime" Snapp.

HammerTime

“Quality or Quantity”


It was late January, totally overcast and very little wind. Conditions were terrible, especially for late season in Arkansas. There were good numbers of birds in the area and even with the advantage of resting our ground three days a week, my staff and I knew today’s conditions would present us with problem after problem.

At this point I could easily write about how our calling or our ability to read the ducks over came the odds, but the truth is … I just wanted you to start thinking about those days when you experienced tough hunts. The days when the ducks seemed call shy and certainly wouldn’t come close to your decoys. I believe it’s the tough hunts that separate the hunters from the killers. Yes, I much prefer days when conditions are ideal and there’s an abundance of birds. Those are the days we all look good, but favorable conditions or not … our clients want and expect decoying ducks and that brings me to the focus of this column.

Have you ever been to an I.Q. Zoo and watched a chicken or duck play a piano? What about one of the exhibits demonstrating the art of hunting with a Falcon? For that matter, have you ever seen the world famous Peabody Ducks marching into the lobby fountain? If you’ve experienced these or similar events, have you taken the time to think about what they have in common? One word will describe it, “conditioning”.
To understand why waterfowl respond the way they do, I believe you have to understand the role conditioning plays in their life and their survival. Understanding the influence of conditioning on waterfowl will provide you with incite and should eventually improve your waterfowl knowledge, thus improving your ability to overcome the odds on those tough days.

The affect of conditioning on waterfowl isn’t new, but it is pretty simple to understand. Young ducks, fresh off the breeding grounds, are usually pretty easy to work and decoy. As they experience and survive more hunters, they become more educated about hunting tactics, including the use of decoys. As waterfowl become more conditioned to decoys and what to expect from them, they become harder to decoy. Manufacturers seem to understand this more and have seen the need to keep improving their decoy line or loose their market share. After all, who wants to hunt over decoys that aren’t as effective as the hunting group just down from you?

Like many manufacturers, I’m a firm believer that quality in decoys is much more important than the quantity of decoys. As a youngster I can remember using glass jugs dipped in a mixture of Kerosene and tar. The black jugs looked and worked great, but those days are long gone. While you might find a few days a year where those old black jugs would still work, wouldn’t you like to be one of those hunters that can overcome the odds on a regular basis? If so, there’s a line of decoys I want you to see!
I haven’t hunted over these decoys yet, but I’m going to give them a test run next season. I can hear my wife now, “What’s wrong with the decoys we already have?” Next, in a shrill voice she’ll say, “Why are they so expensive?” My response will be simple, “Can we afford not to continue to improve our bag of tricks, thus our clients success?”
When I first saw these decoys, I was amazed at the realism and the detail, but was a bit shocked at the price. Then I thought about the need for realism and how it would affect those tough, late season days and my mind was made up. I have no choice, I owe it to our clients to give the Columbia River Decoys “Premier Collection” a try next season and I’m confident they will make a big difference … especially on the tough days.
Columbia River Decoys are still made one at a time, from molds cast off the original carvings of Master Carver Donald Guthrie. Their feather details are nothing short of fantastic and a dozen of these decoys do have attitude, with nine different head positions. Their paint job looks like it would be better suited on a mantle than on a hunting trip, providing the most outstanding and realistic colors I have ever seen on a decoy. These decoys also come standard with an inverted keel, allowing for control in windy conditions, but providing for exceptional movement on near calm of days.

Columbia River Decoys are pricey, but when you see them I think you will agree with me about the quality. As previously mentioned, from a guide/outfitter standpoint, we owe it to our customers to provide them with the best and part of that includes decoying ducks under the toughest conditions. I’ve been wrong before, but I can’t help but believe a dozen of these decoys will out perform anything I have in my bag of tricks right now … especially on those nasty, tough days. Look them over for yourself and see what you think will be the most beneficial on those tough days “Quality or Quantity”.
Charles “HammerTime” Snapp

Snapp1@sbcglobal.net
www.arkansaswaterfowl.com


For additional information visit their website www.ColumbiaRiverDecoys.com