Yardbird Hunt Club-Texas Goose & Duck Hunting

Ammunition - Buy your ammo before the season. Do not wait until 9:00 PM before opening day to make you mad dash to Academy. Start out with the following mix of ammo:

1 case 3.5" BBB Steel*

1 case 3.5" #2 Steel*

1 case 3" #2 Steel

4 boxes 2 3/4" #4 Steel (Teal season)

1 case Dove Load (Any brand)

*Buy 1 case 3.5" BB instead of the two cases of 3.5" BBB/#2 as a less expensive alternative.

What brand of ammo to buy?

Best Winchester Supreme Loads

Better Winchester Super-X Drylok

Good Kent Fasteel

Do not experiment with Winchester Xpert or other 'discount' brands. The shot size is inconsistent and you will see the difference in range and impact when you shoot.

Boots – You will need several types of boots to get you through the season. We will recommend the necessary types of boots and also suggest adding additional types to your closet.

The basics:

Breathable Chest Waders – lightweight breathable chest waders. Worn during teal season and 50% of the hunts for the duck/season. Boot or stocking foot is ok. Hodgeman or Cabela’s brands recommended. {link} Premium -

3mm Neoprene Stockingfoot chest waders – You must purchase shoes separately to fit of the end of the stocking waders. Purchase a camouflage pattern of any type or the basic brown. Worn during cold and/or rainy days or when hunting flooded fields. Hodgeman or Cabela’s brands recommended.

Rubber boots – knee high. Buy what fits you and what is on sale. The more important thing is get a pair that fits like a shoe. You will get blisters if they slip and slide on your feet. I look for a boot with the minimum insulation, usually 400 grams of Thinsulate. You can go with un-insulated, but I like having that extra cold weather protection and it does not add bulk. Look at LaCrosse or Muck brands.

The nice to haves:

Leather field boots – Can be worn dove hunting, work days and goose hunting in a dry field. Try the Cabela’s Guide Series 9” boot.

Rubber Hip Boots – good to have when you are worried about how deep it is and do not want to suit up in your breathable chest waders. Good for work days as well. Cabela’s Ultimate Uninsulated Contour Hip Boots cannot be beat. Hands down they are the best hip boots I have ever owned.

One more must have is a pair of camouflage rain pants. These can be plastic or Gore-Tex. I prefer the plastic because they will suffer abuse and are easily repaired with duct tape from the inside. They are to be worn with your knee high rubber boots or leather field boots when goose hunting. A ‘dry field’ still has dampness in the ground. The pants will keep you butt and knees dry when you are crouched against a levee. They will also keep you dry during a small shower.

Purchase a five or six gallon Rubbermaid tub to store and transport your waders in. The tub protects your waders from sharp objects, protects them from the elements and protects your car from the muddy waders. The tubs can easily be rinsed out when you clean your waders.

Guns – Probably the most debated item in this list, so we will keep it simple. You should own two guns, a Primary and a Backup. Or at least have a good friend with two so you can borrow theirs when yours goes down. Remember the gunsmith is busiest during hunting season and it may take you 2+ weeks to get yours back.

Primary

Benelli Super Black Eagle II – semi-automatic. I have shot an SBE for 5 years and have had very few problems.

Remington 870 – pump action. The 870 is hard to beat on all levels. Been around for many years for a reason, it takes a beating.

Beretta A391 Extrema – semi-automatic. Gaining in popularity and a solid performer.

Backup

Any of the primary choices

Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag Waterfowl – pump

You want to have the capability to shoot 3.5” shells. You want a black matte or camouflage finish. Barrel length should be 26” or 28”, your preference. Verify that your model can before purchasing. You should also buy a sling if the gun does not come with one and lightweight waterproof case for each guns. ick here to add text.

Clothing – You need the have the ability to add or shed layers as the weather changes. You should have three basics layers:

Foundation layer (long underwear) – Needed for weather below 40 degrees. Under Armour ColdGear top and bottom works well.

Insulation – Used for those rare blustery days. A zip-up fleece jacket is a great way to add warmth with minimal bulk. I carry a Polartec 300 this jacket everywhere just in case. Cabela’s, Land’s End, LL Bean all make excellent fleece jackets.

Waterproof – Your camouflage jacket is worn from the start to finish of the season. Make this purchase a good one. The parka systems work well and can provide you with your Insulation and Waterproof layer. Just make sure they can be separated. Cabela’s Dry-Plus Dri-Fowl 4-in-1 Wading Jacket and Drake’s MST Strata Systems Coat are two solid suggestions for parka systems.

Camouflage patterns – Mossy Oak Shadow Grass is one of the best all around patterns to own. Mossy Oak Duck Blind pattern is new for 2007 and looks promising. The Max 4D and many others are too green for our cover conditions.

Pants – If you have a pair of camouflage plastic pants, you can do the majority of you hunting in regular blue jeans. If you find a good pair of camouflage jeans in a one of the recommended patterns above you should pick them up. But those can be hard to find.

Facemask – Carry and wear a face mask at all times. I always have two in my bag because I know someone is not going to have theirs.

Gloves – A good pair of neoprene fleece lined gloves are good to have. You may only wear them once a year, but you will be glad that you have them.

Neck Gaiter – Very under-rated piece of equipment. Keeps you warm and stops the wind from going down the back of your neck. Fleece or wool is fine. Put it in your bag.

Stocking cap – I carry Gore-Tex / wool stocking cap on cold days. I will switch to it when I need to warm up.

Click here to add text.