34 Nebraskaland • January-February 2021
Before hunting cornfi elds, Wessel recommends scouting to look for a
fi eld that the birds are using or one that is located along a direct fl ight
line from a roost. Spinning wing decoys and fi eld decoys work well in this
case, and camoufl aging with a layout blind is important. However, there
is one caveat when hunting "roost" sites.
"Hunting roost sites like this is usually a one-and-done aff air. Once
they've been shot at, they won't likely return soon or at all," says Wessel.
"Furthermore, if there are signifi cant numbers of birds using the site,
hunting there may negatively impact other hunter success in the area —
particularly for fi eld hunters."
Calling
Birds will respond to calls diff erently later in
the season than earlier. Geiser's tactic is to do
what they do. Bisgard prefers the minimalist's
route. Juelfs takes a more proactive approach.
"Birds can get educated as the season goes
on, and I usually go by how much the ducks or
geese are talking, calling as much or as little as
they are," says Geiser. "If you see birds a ways
off , call to let them know where you are, and
then watch their body language, listen to their
calling and mimic them."
Haider Kazem of Lincoln calls in ducks while hunting at Pawnee Lake State
Recreation Area.
Ice, frost and snow make decoys look unnatural to birds flying overhead.
During the late season, Terry Bisgard of Omaha leaves his blind as often as
every two hours to clean decoys.
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
