Canada is home to nearly a quarter of the world’s wetlands, and the prairie potholes of the country’s western provinces are the planet’s richest water bird nursery—aka, the duck factory. For the North American waterfowler, it is a land of hope and opportunity. Witness the tornado of wings descending on your decoys as storms of snows and mallards blow across the prairies and you will experience one of the wingshooting world’s epic events. When it comes to theater and spectacle, no natural stage delivers more awe. Is it any wonder every waterfowler has a trip to the top of the flyway on their bucket list?
Last night’s scout brings us to a field of dreams where the decoys will be set as party invites. We must place hundreds of decoys and a blind and wait for dawn to bring us our feathered guests. Will it be a mix of ducks early and geese late? Or will the birds drift to another field altogether? Such are the questions that we ask each morning with hope in our hearts…and fingers crossed.
Sunrise on the prairies is a waterfowler’s dream. The mix of snows, Ross’ geese, Canadas, white-fronts and myriad ducks provide an embarrassment of riches.
A lodge with a view—few Canadian waterfowl destinations combine luxury accommodations, gourmet food and a captivating setting—all in the heart of the game—no long drives in the wee hours.
Ducks Unlimited TV host Colin Mulligan prepares for an afternoon pothole shoot, positioning a motion mallard decoy in the landing zone.
The Flyway Lodge started with a vision to be one of the world’s great wingshooting destinations located in the planet’s richest waterfowling zone.
For most, hunting is about who you share the experience with and for these prairie home companions, savoring the memories is among the sport’s greatest appeal.
Waterfowlers who journey to the Canadian prairies have plenty of reasons to smile. For the author, a trio of specks was a reward for an early dawn spent deploying a trailer load of decoys.
Adding motion to a spread—like these Lucky decoys—is the kind of animation that often makes all the difference.
Want the birds to decoy? Just pour coffee or reposition the decoys and odds are they will arrive.
The Winchester SXP proved to be good medicine when it came to intercepting the many waves of decoying ducks and geese.
Sharptails and Hungarian partridge are two more attractions to the province’s menu of bird hunting opportunities.
Snows and blues flock to the Saskatchewan prairies providing the salt and pepper seasoning to the continent’s best waterfowling.
Each dawn on the prairies brings renewed hope for more flocks whiffling to the decoys and loads of birds to pick up.
There’s nothing quite like the chaos of a blind full of guns greeting a flock of decoying geese. The anticipation of an approaching flock might be the wingshooting world’s most delicious moment.
Editor’s Note:
This essay is adapted from Chris Dorsey’s newest book, Call Time. From one of the world’s most widely traveled wingshooters and the largest producer of outdoor television in history comes the first of its kind celebration of the planet’s greatest bird hunting. Dorsey’s new book and film set takes readers and viewers to unforgettable fields, marshes and mountains from Africa to Canada to South America and many points in between. Click Here to Order Today!