One of the most important factors in hunting whitetails is the wind. Whitetails are creatures of habit and they should always be hunted with caution. If you try to over pursue them you’ll loose. You should always make sure the predominant wind is in your face or from a crosswind direction from your stand. The most powerful defense mechanism a whitetail has is its nose. There are many scent cover up sprays and clothing available today and when used in the right wind conditions your chances of success are much better. So remember, if you hunt a stand with the wrong wind, after time you will educate them to where your location is. Whenever it’s possible, try to hunt different stands to try to break up your routine. Again too much pressure in one area can result in little to no success.

Probably the second most important factor of hunting whitetails is mental. Hunting a mature whitetail deer is a very mental game and being successful in the deer woods requires constant concentration and focus. It is inevitable that the minute you take your mind off the hunt, the deer of a lifetime will present itself. It is very easy throughout the course of a season to get frustrated or lose confidence and these are the times when it takes the most concentration. There will always be multiple variables to deal with in the deer woods such as wind, weather, time of day and all of these can take your mind off the hunt. Stay focused and you will be successful.

• Decoys can be very effective when hunting doves, especially early seasons.
• Grouping Dove decoys together on a setup shows a safe haven and a great place for feed.
• Dove wires can be constructed to be placed in the middle of fields to create a place for birds to land. When using a dove wire, try to not crowd the wire with decoys. Doves will keep their distance if there is no room.
• In cut open fields placing decoys on the ground shows another great feeding area.
• If possible place decoys in or around dead trees. Visibility is better for the doves to spot decoys.
• Always try to offset decoys to the left or right of your setup. This will make the birds pass in front of you for a cleaner shot.

Remember calling to ducks and geese can make or break your hunt. When is the right time to call? It is important to always start with soft and subtle calling, if birds respond then it becomes evident what type of calling will be successful for the day. If soft calling is not turning heads, a more aggressive style calling may be needed.

Head cover is a must when hunting from a blind. The aerial view from a bird's perspective makes even the slightest movement visible from above. When possible try not to hunt fields in the evening near roosting waters. Giving waterfowl a safe resting area near a food source will make for many great hunts throughout the year.

When hunting waterfowl, it's important to remember to position yourself with the wind at your back or from a crosswind position. Birds will always land with the wind in their face. The wind gives waterfowl additional lift and makes landing and taking off easier so you can always count on them using the wind to their advantage. This setup strategy will add to your success throughout the season.

• Try to string big groups of your decoys together with one anchor. This will show small groups moving together, and not just individual decoys floating alone all over the water.
• Never leave your spread of decoys on the water when you are not hunting. (#1 rule: never educate the birds, especially when you're not even hunting).
• Mixing species is great to add realism. Just make sure that every species you have in your spread are common to your region.
• Using larger decoys within your everyday spread improves your chances of high flyers coming in.

Early Season is closing in fast, and we need to start to brush up on our hunting skills.

• Always size shells, full bodies, and remember different head positions are key.
• When watching fields before season, keep your distance. Try to never disturb the flocking/eating birds.
• Group calling can only help with your group calling efforts, providing a real-to-life sound of more than one goose.
• Movement is not always bad if done correctly. Flagging can persuade birds to turn your way, I recommend flagging on gloomy days when visibility is not great.
• If lying directly on the ground or in a blind, place decoys around you to break up the outline of your blind. Birds will focus on the decoys over the blind.