[870]

Another non-resident coming to ND for the first time (sorry about that). I promise not to shoot your swings! Besides bringing "everything you own" as a friend who experienced a 50 degree drop in one day advised, any sage words for gear some may forget and always need? Arriving last week of October and heading east of Bismarck.

Hope to do our homework and shoot decoying birds over small water. A few dekes, maybe some goose silhouettes, waders and a box of BB's and I'm good to go. A big question for me is water depth. As we will have no boat, are waders a necessity or will hip boots get you through most situations?

Thanks and here's to a safe and successful '02-'03 season.

 

[MRN]

Waders keep your butt dry. That's really high in the comfort department. Pocket and toe warmers are often overlooked too. Packing heavy isn't a bad thing in late Oct - you could get stuck somewhere.

have a good hunt,
M.

 

[870]

Understood. Nothing like laying in the mud or a leaking coffin blind with a wet butt to suck the enjoyment right out of an otherwise perfect day. One concern I had was the wide open spaces I've seen in various articles and photos, and what I estimated to be a considerable hike to hunt most good spots. Rather than hump all that distance in waders, I can always walk in in boots then don the waders once its time to settle in.

 

[Matt Jones]

Don't be too concerned about walking...I think it's safe to say most of us drive right up to our spots. Why Walk when you don't have to?

 

[KEN W]

870...as Matt says you can drive off established roads and trails when waterfowl hunting,but not upland or big game.Unless we have big rains or snow to make everything soft and muddy why walk.

 

[Nick Roehl]

We usually walk out our decoys, because the farmers I have met really get mad when you drive out on their land. Get this, last weekend before pheasant opener, we found a perfect slough one night and it wasn't posted so the next morning we quickly drove down to the slough, through bean stubble(1/2 mile) dropped our decoys off and drove the truck back out. Had a great hunt and left. Next, day we were driving by and we saw what we thought was a posted sign on that field. I ran up and read it and it said PLEASE NO DRIVING ON LAND. Which was better than I expected to see. We ended up talking to the guy and he just didn't want people driving in the field, but he gave us permission to hunt it whenever.But I still don't understand why farmers don't want you to drive on stubble.It is not going to hurt anything. This has happened a couple of times in the past 2 years. I have only drove down to 2 sloughs in my life and each time the farmer got mad so, unless we are hunting family land, I hike the dekes in on my feet.