Author: Kevin Wilson

Increase your odds for success on unpredictable spring snow goose hunting by avoiding these six-common mistakes. With our decoys strategically placed, our speakers wired, and the eastern horizon beginning to illuminate, we moved our trucks to the far end of the field behind a stand of trees. As legal light arrived, distant cackling could be heard. The roost was over a mile away and birds were beginning to cackle. Minutes later, a pair of snow geese could be seen beelining for our spread. Without hesitation, both locked their wings. Webbed feet down and ready, the “Take ‘em!” command could be…

Least reliable of any waterfowl, snow geese can humble even the most seasoned hunter. Here’s how to improve your success on your next spring snow goose hunt. We’d been up for hours already. Carefully crafting our decoy spread of over 1,500 decoys, it was almost legal shooting time. Final checks were made. Spread look good, landing holes were obvious but imperfect, the electronic call worked. We could finally settle in among the decoys to rest and wait. A short while later, with the illuminating sky, distant cackling could be heard. Becoming louder as the birds approached, we all watched. Our…

We’re dropping our downriggers to 75 and 90 feet. The familiar hum and subtle nod of each rod tip looked perfect. Before long, one dove sharply toward the water and began to bounce. “Fish on!” chirped my buddy, Steve. Freeing the handle from its brace, I quickly began to reel while he retrieved the ball and brought in the other line. Sparring with the medium-sized Laker for the next five minutes, it was brought to net and hoisted into the boat. A few photos were captured as we admired the trout’s intricate parr marks and then, as swiftly as possible,…

It’s a game of patience and attentiveness. Staring at my rod tip and line for what seemed like an eternity, I second-guessed myself when I say the most subtle ‘tick’. It barely moved. Knowing that a lake sturgeon take in the North Saskatchewan River can be oh so subtle, I carefully liberated my rod handle from the holder and set the hook with one smooth but firm motion. It felt like I’d snagged a log but the log began to swim away! Pumping and reeling, I knew I had to keep the big fish coming. Let him run into the…

Calling from prime locations and capitalizing on the roster of sounds offered by e-calls can make your set irresistible to curious and hungry coyotes. Peering down into the deep ravine, an open hillside of patchy willows gave way to the frozen creek. It was the perfect calling location. Where there is food, there will be coyotes and from an elevated vantage point, the odds were good that we would not only avoid detection but draw in a curious, if not hungry, coyote in short order. Down the valley, we could see 250 yards in one direction and almost 150 across…

Lake trout can be caught all winter long, but savvy anglers know that the waning days of the ice fishing season can produce some of the best action of the year. Beelining for a shelf 200 metres off shore, we wasted no time firing up the auger to punch a series of holes into the ice. The top crust was soft, but below was still a substantial layer of solid. Eager to wet a line, our party of six cleared the holes and scurried to rig sonars and flashers, then plunged our offerings to a depth of 75 feet. Probing…

Breaking from the tree line, our party of four carefully stepped on to the ice. It was late November, indeed early to be fishing the hardwater. With no snow cover whatsoever, the surface was smooth and slick, best suited for skates, a stick and a puck. A brisk wind made it cool, but the temperature was only about – 2  Celsius. Acutely aware of the precarious nature of first ice, it was more the presence of freshwater springs in the lake that heightened my awareness. Shuffling down the lake, we soon found a suitable location, drilled a series of holes…

Apparel manufacturers are meeting our need for weather, habitat, and activity-specific clothing. No longer is it just about the pattern, functionality and fit now rank as top priorities. Perched 18-feet up in a tall leafless aspen, my wife Heather, was bowhunting the second estrus. With little cover, her subtle camouflage blended in well with the variable grey surroundings. She’d already invested 10 days on stand. If it weren’t for her technical apparel, designed specifically for cold November air, there’s no way should could have endured the frigid temperatures that Alberta throws at deer hunters. It was November 25 and the…

“Clack, clack, clatter…clash, clack, clatter, clack.” The sound of antler on antler resonated through the woods. Then, I gave my best rendition of a Whitetail buck tussle by adding a few soft, but deep, grunts. Moments later, I heard a branch snap. Waiting patiently, I recognized that I had the attention of a buck. I grunted again. Minutes passed before the buck finally stepped out from behind thick cover. Slowly making his way under the spruce trees, he stopped and meticulously sniffed the trail. I recognized then that I had made one of the most critical mistakes in the book.…