Waterfowl Gear You Need Right Now

When Chêne Gear launched its first wader, it caught my attention. I wore it for two seasons, on over 150 hunts from Alaska throughout various flyways in the Lower 48. They’re great. When their new Cypress 2S Wader hit the market, I was eager to try it. I’m glad I did, and so is my dad.

I wore them on three hunts, then left them at home while on a road trip. That’s when my dad grabbed them. He’s 84 years old and has worn them on every hunt since. He’ll be the first to tell you the new 2Ss are easy to get in and out of, have a waterproof front zipper, and are easy to work with. Plus, the weight distribution of these waders makes them comfortable and streamlined, not bulky and cumbersome to move in.

The boots are exceptionally comfy, stable, and warm. The elastic base on the drain vent that covers the boot ensures there’s no loose material to potentially hang up on brush, aquatic vegetation, or submerged sticks. Every pocket option is strategically designed and serves its purpose. Dad loved the hand warmer pockets once cold weather hit our area. The 2Ss aren’t cheap, but they’re one of the best all-around waders on the market, and I’m confident Dad—and I—will continue wearing them into next season.

The first time I wore Sitka’s famed Duck Oven Jacket, it was so cozy it instantly became my Christmas sweater. I wore it on a few cold-weather hunts in the Midwest, but it was a bit warm for where I do most of my waterfowl hunting in the Pacific Northwest, and it lacked a hood. Then their new Duck Oven LT Hoodie arrived. It’s a warm, wind-proof, durable hoodie with an ergonomic design that makes it perfect for wearing under waders.

The hood cuts the wind, and its streamlined design prevents it from blocking your field of view. The uniquely lined interior, along with the pockets, further increases the overall comfort of this hoodie. Once I wore the Duck Oven LT Hoodie, it replaced my bulkier, less functional cotton hooded sweatshirt and base layers; it’s that comfortable and efficient.

Last winter and twice so far this season, I hunted surf scoters in multiple bays along the Pacific Coast. You don’t need camo on these hunts. They take place in a dark boat on gray water, but you’ll need quality gear that can handle potentially brutal conditions. I wore Grundéns Neptune Thermo Bib. Their medium-weight, polyurethane-coated, fleece-lined fabric is comfortable and stretches well, making getting up and down and swinging on birds easy. Grundéns Portal GORE-TEX Wading Jacket is my jacket of choice on these hunts. The Portal is also a top-notch saltwater fishing jacket. The protection and warmth this jacket provides against high winds, driving rains, and boat spray is exceptional. I’ve worn this set from California to Alaska, in saltwater and torrential downpours, as well as extreme winds. It’s worth every cent.

In recent years, I’ve been shooting a 20-gauge more frequently. First, a gas-operated gun and, recently, an inertia gun. I do a good bit of hunting in creeks and sloughs, and some amid lightly pressured, private farm ponds. In these situations, the shooting can be quick and close, so I like a pattern that opens up, yet packs a punch that kills birds. Enter Kent’s TealSteel Precision in 3-inch #6 shot, which has shot impressively well in both guns.

The first time I used this load was on a wood duck hunt in a creek. Next came a teal hunt in a wide-open farm pond. Little green-winged teal buzzed into the decoys, and again, the TealSteel shot great. Soon after that, I was hunting the slough of a rising river, where fat mallards from the North were the target. The #6 TealSteel had no trouble cutting through the fat, densely feathered mallards. These precision loads deliver accuracy with a punch, and the reduced recoil makes follow-up shots fast and dead-on.

I use a variety of Big Al’s silhouette duck and goose decoys in many of my spreads. I like their photo-finish realism because they don’t glare, are easy to clean, and retain their color season after season without fading or turning dark. I also like hunting wigeon late in the season. With the influx of Eurasian wigeon along the coastal zones and Western valleys of the Pacific Flyway, Big Al’s timing was perfect to introduce their Eurasian Wigeon Pack. These unique silhouette decoys are available in a 12-pack or 5-dozen pack.

If you have a bunch of buddies, going in on a 5-dozen pack so you can make them part of every spread is a good choice. Over the years, I’ve routinely watched incoming Eurasian wigeon land with their own kind amongst a flock of 5,000 or more American wigeon. It amazes me how Eurasian wigeon can pick out the other copper-topped ducks amid a flock of thousands. I ran these silhouettes last season, and we shot a Eurasian drake and an American/Eurasian hybrid over them. I’ll be using them in multiple spreads this season once the wigeon arrive.

Slayer Calls has two new goose calls that late-season hunters will appreciate. Their SnowstormGoose call is super easy to run and delivers high volume. Buddies hammered the snows with this call earlier in the season, while trafficking on public grounds. If you want to sound like a flock of geese, not just a loner, this is the call for you. Friends and I will be putting the Snowstorm Goose call to further use in the late season.

Slayer’s new white-fronted goose call, dubbed The Rice Wrecker Speck call, was a little more challenging for me to run right out of the box. However, I’m not a great caller. Once I got it dialed in, though, oh my. It produces a smooth break-over and extremely life-like sounds. Instantly hit soft murmurs and crisp clucks for finishing geese. This is going to be a popular one for late-season speck hunters concentrating efforts on fields as well as trafficking birds.

My first experience with a Turtlebox speaker came last winter when six buddies and I started setting a massive goose decoy spread at 2:30 in the morning in Northern California. It made the laborious process fun. So fun, I had to have one. I chose their new Ranger. There are a few pieces of outdoor gear I recall enjoying as much as this. I use it a lot, multiple times a week, be it working outside, in the shop, or when getting a workout in.

This season, I got the new Gen 3 Turtlebox. Now I can rock out to my 80s hairband music anytime I want. It’s been fun on boats and when picking up massive spreads of goose decoys with buddies in the middle of the day. This thing is plenty loud for my needs, is powerful, clear, and simply rocks! The USB-C charging port is a nice addition. It can be paired with other Turtlebox models for a surround-sound experience. It’s easy to pack, has outstanding battery life, and doesn’t take up much space. Oh, and it’s absolutely 100 percent waterproof.

I hunt from a variety of blinds throughout the week, all season long. There’s only one fixed blind where I keep a chair and necessary gear stowed, ready to hunt two to three times a week, all season. For nine seasons, I fiddled with cheap chairs for the blind. Last year, I picked up an Alps Outdoorz Stealth Hunter Deluxe Chair and was mad at myself for not getting it sooner.

In addition to a large swivel seat, the four adjustable legs and armrests mean you can get level and steady with ease. The feet are also on a swivel system, adding to the range of functionality of this blind chair. The breathable mesh material lets water through, so there’s no need to collapse it when you’re done hunting. This is my second year using the Deluxe Stealth Hunter, and it still swivels like new. It’s smooth, quiet, and comfortable, and because it easily rotates 360º, it’s perfect for keeping an eye out for birds, no matter the wind direction. Often I’m sitting in it six hours a day, sometimes more.

With the best weeks of waterfowl season still ahead for most of us, it’s not too late to invest in new gear. Trust me, you’ll be using it next season, and likely the season after that, that’s how good these things are. Good hunting and Happy Holidays.

Note: For signed copies Scott & Tiffany Haugen’s popular book, Cooking Game Birds, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.