Neither! Upland all day.

Love going for a hike and watching the dogs work. Nothing better than that explosion of quail or pheasant or....

Plus it's usually far less crowded for me.

 

Neither! Upland all day.

Love going for a hike and watching the dogs work. Nothing better than that explosion of quail or pheasant or....

Plus it's usually far less crowded for me.

This is the way, Big game, then upland, then everything else.

 

I enjoy them both in their own ways equally. Both poses challenges that fun to address decoy spread, calling, your hide, decoy motion, weather etc. Big game tends to take more planning, patience, love to shoot a rifle really enjoy processing an animal from gut, skin, hang and cut. Preparing all wild game is a passion and love the different varieties. I’ve been blessed to waterfowl hunt private along with a ton of public. Seems big game in the state is not getting any easier as far as opportunity but do enjoy the entire aspect of deer or elk camp. I’ll continue to do them both as I still have yet to meet someone that has perfected either and don’t believe that is possible as to your point the obsession continues.

 

I grew up duck hunting and it ruled my fall and winter for many years. But I have become obsessed with blacktail hunting in the last few years and duck season for me doesn’t start until I’ve killed a buck or until deer season is over.

 

Latecomer, or I guess I'm a late returner to big game hunting, but now I love both. Fortunately the season overlap is pretty limited, so at least an Oregon hunter has plenty of time to enjoy both. For big game, I love hunting public land forests. If you're willing to walk, you can get away from the yayhoos and enjoy plenty of solitude. For waterfowl, it's just about the weather and migration - when the timing is right, it's magic to have the whistling wings overhead.

 

Waterfowl done right is my choice every time. Very few other kinds of hunting with as many moments of excitement and adrenaline. Plus dogs. Waterfowl without dogs is half the sport. Big game hunting seems like alot of endless walking around in the woods by comparison. And I don't have to wait 5 or 10 or 20 years to draw a good opportunity.

Course if your only waterfowl experience is waiting in the sweat line for a spot at mudhen and doing it with no dog, I understand why an endless walk in the woods seems nice by comparison. There's a pretty big spectrum to waterfowl.

 

Definitely waterfowl for me !! Its a Iong season and you can hunt every year ! Plus hunting with a dog is one of the coolest things ever !

 

Big game and it’s not even close. I’ve had some great times duck hunting with buddies but it doesn’t compare to big game. The anticipation. The highs and lows of the season. The missed opportunity and the redemption that comes when you get back on the animal. The feeling of accomplishment when tag soup felt like a foregone conclusion. The feeling of finishing a six mile pack out with a buddy. Filling the freezer with a single shot. An entire year of dinner time stories told while enjoying the meat from another memorable hunt. God, I love elk hunting🍺😎

 

It just occurred to me that this might have alot to do with whether you like being alone (big game) or with others (waterfowl).

Waterfowl can be done solo, but it's way more fun and less work as a group. I'll solo hunt, but not without at least the dog.

 

Waterfowl for me.

Big game, you are looking for one animal out of a population. If you do find him, the entire hunt depends on you closing the deal on that individual.

You might look for days for that one critter. With ducks, I might have 20 flocks work the decoys in a morning.

With ducks, I want to watch the dog work, and make memories with loved ones. It's hard to tell a joke and laugh when stalking big game. But it's common when ducks are circling the decoys.

 

A double on decoying green heads or a triple on a rising group of teal gets my attention. But equally stalking a heavy horned three point mule deer in a sage flat under 200 yards with a one shot clean kill is addicting as well. Both whenever the opportunity.

 

this year is another season without a dog. buried jack this week. so i will not be waterfowl hunting very much this year. the backyard pet cemetery is getting full. i am looking for the next duck retriever. the requirements are = retrieves a duck, not gun shy. free preferred, rescue mutt

 

I can't sit in one spot long enough to ever think about waterfowl hunting

 

It's tough for me to say. Love them both. Gotta love the build up and anticipation up to deer/elk season after drawing a tag and spending a bigger chunk of time in the woods. It can be a lot more work, though. Been working on getting prepped for deer season for a couple of weekends now. Duck season, I'm throwing my waders, some decoys, my shotgun and the dog in the truck and will most likely kill a couple. Even less prep for upland.

Travel time is also a factor. Most decent big game hunting is a minimum 2+ hour drive and I can be at a decent duck or upland spot in about 30 minutes.

I do have to say after a successful hunt, I prefer eating the big game. My duck cookery is getting better, and I do like to eat it. But it's tough to beat a good deer/elk/antelope steak.

 

I've done both since I was 12. Deer season was always exciting, but just a long weekend usually and it was over. For probably 15 or so years I gave more time, money & energy to waterfowl, mostly because the season was so long. I was way, way, way, way into it. Slept in the back of my Suburban at Sauvies in the non res line quite often. Three-time state duck calling champion. Competed at worlds three times. Generally disregarded all other responsibilities as waterfowl hunting took priority. In the last decade I've switched gears. I'll no longer bird hunt if I have a valid big game tag. I don't think I've hunted waterfowl before Thanksgiving in a decade; other than a couple September goose hunts. Big game seasons are shorter, big game tastes better and big game is simply a "bigger" deal.

 

I could have swore the question was between big game and waterfowl?🤔

 

Elk back strap and heart or a mud duck for dinner. No comparison.

 

What specie do you consider a mud duck out of curiosity? I really enjoy elk heart and steak grilled rare.

 

This is a hard choice, love my archery elk hunting, and on the other hand I love spending time in the duck blind with my lab and watching him do what he loves so much doing, so I’ll just keep it the way it is for now....

 

They’re different, that’s all. One isn’t better than the other.

 

Culinary there is a huuuuuuuuuuuuggggge difference along with prep. I assume you are being facetious?

 

No, not at all. The question was hunting, not eating.

 

Correct my bad I misread sorry bout that.

 

Let me think, I can shoot seven times a day for three months and my dog will bring the kill to hand. Or I can shoot once and pack it out on my back.

Waterfowl hunting and Ribeye steaks for me.

I have eaten my share of back strap but until you have had med rare duck breast on an open fire with mustard sauce you may want to hold judgement.

 

Let me think, I can shoot seven times a day for three months and my dog will bring the kill to hand. Or I can shoot once and pack it out on my back.

Waterfowl hunting and Ribeye steaks for me.

I have eaten my share of back strap but until you have had med rare duck breast on an open fire with mustard sauce you may want to hold judgement.

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Can't wait to have that back on the menu !!

 

Any duck I shoot and try to cook tuns into mud duck. Thats why I only sporadically hunt them. When I do shoot ducks, I give some to my Chinese friend and he hangs them in his basement ungutted for days.

 

I cut my teeth duck hunting but also enjoy big game about as well. I feel like a great deer/elk/bear trip isn’t matched by any single waterfowl hunt however it sure is easier to have a good waterfowl hunt.

 

Duck is better eating and more productive and consistent. But I find myself enjoying the challenge of big game hunting more these days. The added mix of mushroom hunting while big game hunting contributes to a lot of good days in the field as well.

 

They are so different. I grew up mule deer hunting with my dad & uncles. During that same time I was duck hunting with my high school buddies Doug & Tad. We had access to some great properties. Then I got to the point where used to live for coastal Blacktail hunting, but as soon as that was over, I was right back in the duck swamp.
I hope I never have to choose. I recently discovered that I have been walking past a lot of great food in the woods. Like Liquiddeath I like the added bonus of mushrooms.

Short version: Waterfowl. More shooting, more action, longer season, plus I really like playing in the mud......BUT if deer populations rebound in my lifetime, I will definitely spend a LOT more time chasing those.

 

Words to live by; “the more you cook duck, the more it tastes like duck”

Virginia brand Vidalia Onion Dressing: shhhhhh secret

 

Words to live by; “the more you cook duck, the more it tastes like duck”

Virginia brand Vidalia Onion Dressing: shhhhhh secret

The secret to good duck is leaving the skin on the breasts and legs and getting it rendered down as crispy as possible. No one would hate a good skin on duck breast.