First Waterfowl Hunt in Canada 🇨🇦 — A Week We’ll Never Forget

The First Few Hunts

Our first evening set the tone. We spotted massive flocks of snow geese, knocked on a few doors, and managed to get permission for a couple of quick jumps. Before long, feathers were flying, the boys were hooting and hollering, and the trip officially began.

The next morning, we set up on a promising field we’d found the night before. Thousands of birds filled the sky — mostly snows and lessers — with that classic prairie sunrise lighting it all up. The birds didn’t finish like we hoped, but we still got in some good shooting to kick off the week. And of course, plenty of “I got that one!” debates followed every volley.

Over the next few days, we hunted everything from grain fields to small potholes and sloughs. When the bigger Canada geese and puddle ducks didn’t show up, we adapted — heading north and finding water loaded with mallards.

Finally, the Ducks

Our first duck hunt up north started slow, but once the sun rose, birds began trading back and forth across the marsh. Jetta made a few impressive retrieves through thick cattails, and we finally got some greenhead action. It was a fun morning, but we still didn’t get into them thick. You know those hunts where you feel like you’re in the right spot, but the birds just don’t cooperate? That was one of them. We were still searching for that magical “you won’t believe this” kind of hunt.

Not every setup went perfectly. Some mornings were cold, wet, and slow. One morning, I fell backward into the water and soaked a full pocket of shells — an impromptu “Federal Bismuth waterproof test" (they still worked flawlessly).

But every hunt added a new story. Like the day we spotted sandhill cranes, set up behind a little hill, and had them glide right over our heads. None of us touched a bird — except Easton, the least experienced shooter — who dropped one clean. The kid was beaming, while the rest of us couldn’t believe we’d whiffed on birds that close.

The Solo Hunt

By the end of the week, we’d hunted everything from snow geese to mallards, battled classic Canadian mud, and made a lifetime of memories. But the best moment for me came on the final evening — a solo hunt I’ll never forget.

I waded into a shallow slough packed with reeds and cattails. We’d scouted it earlier in the week and found it loaded with ducks, so when they flew out to feed, I slipped in quietly. No dog. No decoys. Just me, knee-deep in the middle of that slough. Once I settled in, it was just a waiting game — or so I hoped.

Around sunset, everything changed. Ducks started dropping in from every direction — mallards, pintails, you name it. My GoPro died right before the madness began, and I was left trying to shoot, reload, and soak it all in. Hundreds, if not thousands, of birds landed all around me. I shot a limit, lost my gloves, and eventually got turned around in the dark trying to find my ducks, my gloves, and my way out. Total chaos — and absolutely epic. The perfect combination!

Even when the guys showed up and sent Jetta to help, birds were still landing. She was swimming circles, chasing live ducks while I was still trying to recover what I’d shot. It was unbelievable.

When I finally made it back to the truck, soaked and grinning, I knew I’d just wrapped up one of the most memorable hunts of my life — one that will live only in my mind.

Reflections

Looking back, this trip was everything a great hunting trip should be — fun, unpredictable, humbling, challenging, and unforgettable. We might not have stacked piles of birds every day, but that was never the goal. It was about the experience.

Watching Rylan experience his first waterfowl hunts, seeing his excitement, and sharing those long mornings and late nights together — that’s what it’s all about. As a dad, it doesn’t get much better than that.

Big thanks to OnX Hunt for being such a key part of this adventure. Even without landowner info in Canada, it was our scouting lifeline — keeping us organized and efficient all week.

Would I do anything differently? Maybe pack an extra pair of gloves, tie a string to Rylan’s, throw in a few extra GoPro batteries, and bring a towel for the next time I fall into a freezing pond. Other than that — I wouldn’t change a thing.

Hunting’s about more than limits; it’s about moments.
And this trip was full of them.

Whether it’s targets in the field or targets in life, you’ll only hit what you’re focused on — live the #TargetFocusedLife.

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