Sandhill Crane

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Sandhill Cranes

Hunting Tips, Sandhill Crane

#HuntingwithJR – Sandhill Cranes

Hunting Tips, Sandhill Crane

Concealment! Concealment! Concealment! Sandhill Cranes have excellent vision and flare the second something doesn’t look right on the ground. Blend into natural setting with face painted and being total camouflaged – head to toe!

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Goose Hunting

Goose, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Goose Hunting

Goose, Hunting Tips

Never wear black on your head while hunting, geese can see you miles away. Black will keep geese from coming to your calls. It is called flaring in the blind.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Exaggerate your lead: Over shoot like you are going to miss. Most doves cross in front of you. Work at over exaggerating your lead by 6 feet or more, which means your barrel needs to be 6 inches in front of the dove. One inch of barrel movement equals about 1 foot of distance when …

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did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

In some states such as Texas, you can only use a shotgun in the spring for harvesting your bird. Fall you can use a rifle.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

If you’re out in a cornfield standing on divots and rough ground, flatten an area beneath your feet so you have a level spot to stand.

etiquette in the field

#HuntingwithJR – Etiquette in the Field

Etiquette, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Etiquette in the Field

Etiquette, Hunting Tips

Hand signals are used in the blind and/or field while walking silently or light on your feet is a good thing. Animals have a keen sense of hearing or movement on the ground. Alligators can feel movement five miles away.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Dove decoys placed near you, to entice birds to fly by at close range, does not require a pattern.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

You’ll actually need to aim a few inches below the bird to shoot in front of it. Envision the bird floating on your gun barrel as you squeeze the trigger.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Sandhill Cranes

Hunting Tips, Sandhill Crane

#HuntingwithJR – Sandhill Cranes

Hunting Tips, Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Cranes are the longest living survivors amongst birds, They are also the most thrilling type of waterfowl to hunt. Not all states permit crane hunts. Cranes pose significant challenges and frustrations to the inexperienced hunter.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Hunt in or around fields of sunflowers, corn, wheat, oats, millet & other grains. Doves are seed-eaters.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Doves often light or snags on power lines or fences before landing or while loafing.

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#HuntingwithJR – Duck Hunting

Duck, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Duck Hunting

Duck, Hunting Tips

Canvasback hens eat eggshells after ducklings are hatched.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Wood Ducks

Duck, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Wood Ducks

Duck, Hunting Tips

As wood ducks approach they flare and give streak over-head shots-much like shooting teal. I suggest you take iffy shots at woodies.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Duck Hunting

Duck, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Duck Hunting

Duck, Hunting Tips

Shooting into a large flock of ducks is difficult for an instinct shooter because you are glancing from bird to bird. Shoot under a high, retreating duck to intercept its course.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Shooting stance is very important when standing while shooting. Stay Flat-Footed!

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Duck Hunting

Duck, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Duck Hunting

Duck, Hunting Tips

Shooting fleeing ducks after a directional shift…if helicoptering rapidly for the heavens, swing up and through the duck as shooting a springing teal clay target.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Size of shotgun shells matter. Plus, tiny pellets quickly lose energy at longer range.

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#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Pick a bird when shooting. When doves approach in a flock, don’t get distracted and shooting into the mass because you will likely miss.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

The color of the tip of the turkey’s tail is a sure sign what species your turkey is…i.e.. white, Merriams, and rust, Rio. The tail is referred to as a fan.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

Judging a mature bird: Toms have a long paintbrush size beard, 8-12” long. Young males, or Jakes, have a small one-two inch beard. Aways shoot the mature bird!

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Dove water before returning to roost. Evening hunts should be around a body of water.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Wood Ducks

Duck, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Wood Ducks

Duck, Hunting Tips

Wood Ducks alter their feeding, loafing and roosting areas-even flight paths-to avoid hunting pressure.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

There four different sub-species of turkeys in United States. Rio, Merirams, Oscela, Eastern. Collecting all four results in a Grand Slam.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Dove

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Dove

Dove, Hunting Tips

Here’s the tip. Did you know.

hunting with JR

#HUNTINGWITHJR – GOOSE HUNTING

Goose, Hunting Tips

#HUNTINGWITHJR – GOOSE HUNTING

Goose, Hunting Tips

Never wear black on your head while hunting, geese can see you miles away. Black will keep geese from coming to your calls. It is called flaring in the blind.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Wood Ducks

Duck, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Wood Ducks

Duck, Hunting Tips

Wood ducks hang around northern regions longer than people realize, even though they rule the first days of a waterfowler’s autumn.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

When hunting tree lines blend into features of landscapes and remain in shade.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Doves eat on bare ground because their legs aren’t strong or long enough to scratch through litter.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Take your time, (LOL, better practice…doves fly like rockets) when shouldering on an approaching bird. Otherwise, you will shoot high.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Wood Ducks

Duck, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Wood Ducks

Duck, Hunting Tips

Wood ducks don’t often decoy in classic fashion. They do not circle endlessly or offer multiple chances of a shot. You shoot them as they make their first pass.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Maintain good form and continue to focus on your gun mount. I suggest you practice shooting a few clays from a sitting position before heading out to the field.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

When thinking shot placement, aim where the head meets the body.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Space four or five decoys out and double up a pair or two. Place decoys into the wind. Use spinning-wing dove decoys also to offer an added attraction from a distance (check state laws if moving decoys are legal).

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Shortly after dawn…doves fly from roost to a watering hole, then off to feeding where they remain for the day.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Sandhill Cranes

Hunting Tips, Sandhill Crane

#HuntingwithJR – Sandhill Cranes

Hunting Tips, Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Cranes are notorious for not flying into feeding/hunting fields in the fog. Be patient on foggy mornings…just wait it out. When fog burns off the birds will be up & moving in a hurry.

etiquette in the field

#HuntingwithJR – Etiquette in the Field

Etiquette, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Etiquette in the Field

Etiquette, Hunting Tips

When bird hunting in fields with multiple hunters be respectful. Pick up your spent shells, trash & know your turn when shooting.

etiquette in the field

#HuntingwithJR – Etiquette in the Field

Etiquette, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Etiquette in the Field

Etiquette, Hunting Tips

Etiquette in the field is compared to being a house guest. You are only there for a short time. Manners make a difference…even paying guests are not invited back.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

Turkey can not smell but they have keen eye sight and can see you clearly over 300 yards away. You can not blink without being noticed.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

50-100 yards are too far to take shots. Shots should be 35-50 yards of range for tiny rockets. Open Chokes: Use modified or improved cylinder choke tube to provide a wider pattern.

etiquette in the field

#HuntingwithJR – Etiquette in the Field

Etiquette, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Etiquette in the Field

Etiquette, Hunting Tips

When I mentor new inexperienced huntresses or youth in the field and/or blind, I explain etiquette is really important and being respectful of others is key to being successful harvesting game. If a bird is closer to opposite end do not shoot over or crisscross a shot of another hunter. It takes only one to …

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did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Duck Hunting

Duck, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Duck Hunting

Duck, Hunting Tips

Redhead hens will deposit their own eggs in another ducks nest hoping they hatch & foster her ducklings.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Sandhill Cranes

Hunting Tips, Sandhill Crane

#HuntingwithJR – Sandhill Cranes

Hunting Tips, Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Cranes are called “Ribeyes in the Sky”. Their meat is cooked exactly like the finest cuts of beef.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

On average, hunters take four shots per dove that are bagged.

etiquette in the field

#HuntingwithJR – Etiquette in the Field

Etiquette, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Etiquette in the Field

Etiquette, Hunting Tips

When walking a line during a bird hunt such as pheasant, quail, chucked, guinea fowl or etc. stay within your line walk at a pace set by the group. The hunter ahead of the line is referred to as a “Field Hog” thinking they will be first to harvest the bird.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Shoot while sitting. Many shots in the dove field happen fast and you need to shoot while seated.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Coming in shots at doves require a different sight picture. As a dove descends over decoys or about to land on a fence, power line crop field or trees, let it begin to descend and begin your swing below it. Just as the gun barrel blocks the bird from sight, squeeze the trigger.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Sandhill Cranes

Hunting Tips, Sandhill Crane

#HuntingwithJR – Sandhill Cranes

Hunting Tips, Sandhill Crane

When shooting on fields, wait til cranes have made a total commitment before shooting.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Doves have keen eyes to spot you in the field.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Goose Hunting

Goose, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Goose Hunting

Goose, Hunting Tips

Geese are a challenging, but fun, hunt. If you want a prize goose to mount, wait until later in the season.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

Picking Shot & Chokes are just as important as shot placement. Size 5 Shot & Full Choke.

etiquette in the field

#HuntingwithJR – Etiquette in the Field

Etiquette, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Etiquette in the Field

Etiquette, Hunting Tips

Keep gun muzzle pointed up if shooting a semi-automatic or broken over your shoulder when shooting an over/under shotgun when walking through fields. Safety is the key!

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

Pattern your shotgun prior to turkey hunting. Patterning you shotgun results in shooting at a board or turkey target at 25’ yards and knowing where the majority of your shots are hitting. Success will be within reach!

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Goose Hunting

Goose, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Goose Hunting

Goose, Hunting Tips

Canada geese don’t typically nest until they are two to three years old. Juveniles (young geese) begin their migration earlier because they do not have nesting privileges. They are easier to call during hunting season.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Best dove hunting is with many hunters present to keep dove stirred up and flying

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Sandhill Cranes

Hunting Tips, Sandhill Crane

#HuntingwithJR – Sandhill Cranes

Hunting Tips, Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Cranes fly fast and glide long distances. They are heavy bodied and have a dup wing beat like a great Canada Goose or Swan. Lead the the key. I always suggest to give at least a school bus lead to women & 8’ to men hunters.

etiquette in the field

#HuntingwithJR – Etiquette in the Field

Etiquette, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Etiquette in the Field

Etiquette, Hunting Tips

Silence is golden in a blind! Wearing perfume is a no-no. Scent blocks are a good cover-up for human detection. Selfies are easy to see from miles away!

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Goose Hunting

Goose, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Goose Hunting

Goose, Hunting Tips

Geese are attracted to movement on the ground and they will come closer for a look. Too much movement in the blind can deter geese from taking a second look!

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

#HuntingwithJR – Turkey

Hunting Tips, Turkey

Picking Shot & Chokes are just as important as shot placement. Size 5 Shot & Full Choke.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Mounting your gun requires proper mount of your gun with your cheek on the stock.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Focus on one bird and follow it until it falls.

hunting with JR

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

7 1/2 or 8 shot for dove…at close range, there are so many pellets in shells that you can pulverize your birds. I upsize my pellets for dove – 4s, 5s or 6s. There are still plenty of the larger pellets for a dense pattern and the knock-down pattern is better at longer range.

did you know

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

#HuntingwithJR – Doves

Dove, Hunting Tips

Going away shots at doves require a front lead to push up.