2020 Christian Waterfowler Magazine - Fall Issue

Christian

FALL 2020

WAT E R F O W L E R

PRESERVING OUR CHRISTIAN AND WATERFOWLING HERITAGE | THECWA.ORG

ANXIOUS PREPARATION Teal Hunting Tips

Conversation with a Champion

TABLE

of

CONTENTS

OUR HISTORY

3

CONVERSATION WITH A CHAMPION

7

NATIONAL CHAMPION CALL MAKER MIKE STELZNER

ANXIOUS PREPARATION

15

TEAL HUNTING TIPS

19

SWEET JALEPENO GRILLED DUCK

22

FIRST TIME OBEDIENCE

25

THE BLIND BAG: SOUL GEAR FOR WATERFOWLERS

30

BELONG, BELIEVE, BECOME

35

SENIOR EDITORS Ti m & R a c h e l l e S a l l e e Ta r a S a l l e e B r i t t a n y B a n k s CREATIVE DESIGN & EDITING Va n c e K l e m p l e COVER PAGE PHOTO To m M a r t i n e a u

CONTACT INFO INFO@THECWA.ORG 479.957.3033

PHOTO BY STEVE OEHLENSCHLAGER C H R I S T I A N WAT E R F O W L E R |

2

OUR HISTORY

“Preserving Our Christian and Waterfowling Heritage” The Christian Waterfowlers Association was formed by Tim and Rachelle Sallee in September of 2009. However, the idea for the CWA originated back in 2002 while on a duck hunt with his brother Anthony Sallee on the banks of the Arkansas River.

Tim was first introduced waterfowling while serving as a youth minister in Fort Smith, Ark. almost thirty-three years ago.

One of his youth members demonstrated using a duck call during a “Gong Show” talent night. He was fascinated with the call and after inquiring about the call and duck hunting was invited to go on a hunt by the youth and his older brother.

The hunt experience was incredible, with awesome weather and the perfect sunrise.

Right after daybreak about fifteen mallards flew over our backs and circled back with their wings cupped and feet down. “Take Em,” yelled the youth, as Tim raised his gun to shoot. He was so moved by seeing ducks decoy, that he shot three times and did not hit one duck.

However, a few weeks later on his second hunt he bagged his first ever mallard and was hooked on duck hunting for life.

Tim then introduced waterfowling to his older brother Mark Sallee, his younger brother Anthony Sallee and Mark’s sons Mitchell and Matthew. He always looked forward to spending time in the duck blind with his family and friends each year.

Anthony moved to Nashville, Tenn. in the 1980’s and early 1990’s to play bass for the Christian band “White Heart.” He went on to play for Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant and Matthew West to name a few. While taking a break from the road, 3

| C H R I S T I A N WAT E R F O W L E R

he traveled back home to spend time with family as well as spend time in the duck blind.

While on a hunt in 2002, Tim and Anthony first brought up the idea combining a passion for Christ with the passion for waterfowling, as well as the idea of a Fellowship of Christian Athletes for waterfowlers, but the idea didn’t get much further than Anthony designing a sample logo or two.

After hosting a Wild Game Dinner in September of 2009, Tim saw firsthand the impact of bringing sportsmen together for fellowship and introducing them to Christ. The idea for CWA resurfaced.

After much prayer and consideration, he felt it was time move forward with the launching of the CWA website and forum as well as crafting the CWA mission statement: “Preserving Our Christian and Waterfowling Heritage” Since that time the CWA has launched close to fifty chapters in fifteen states and continues to add new chapters each month. Chapters meet monthly for food, fellowship, pro-tips, devotion and an invitation to know Christ. Chapters also hold various youth hunting, conservation, and CWA Hunts for Hereos events.

including the CWA International Duck and Goose Calling Competition, Duck Waterfowler’s Trap Shooting Competition, 3D Archery Competition and Wild Waterfowl Cook-off Competition. Other activities included our Blue Wings Youth Kidz Zone featuring a fishing derby, seminars, Outreach/Fundraiser Dinner, Sportsman’s Chapel, concerts and more.

In 2012 the CWA held its first Blue Wings Youth Waterfowl Hunting Event during the Oklahoma youth waterfowl hunt. After receiving requests to organize a Wounded Veteran’s Duck Hunt, the first ever CWA Wounded Veteran’s Waterfowl event took place in January of 2014 at the Crooked Slough Hunting club in east Arkansas.

Since the beginning of CWA, hundreds of lives have been impacted by the Gospel of Christ. We invite you to join the Christian Waterfowlers Association today in preserving our Christian, waterfowling heritage. To become a member visit www.thecwa.org or call 479-957-3033 for more information.

(The Christian Waterfowlers Association is incorporated in Arkansas as a non-profit religious organization. The Christian Waterfowlers Association is also registered with the IRS as a 501 (C)(3)non-profit religious organization. All donations are tax deductible except for any gift items and magazine received with your support membership)

The CWA also hosts an annual benefit banquet. In 2019 the CWA celebrated its 10th Annual International Waterfowl Festival & Outdoor Expo. Over the past ten years, thousands have attended from nineteen states and Canada, with many accepting Christ during the two day event.

The event features many competitions

CWA Founders Tim & Rachelle Sallee

Anthony Sallee (Left) Tim Sallee (Right)

PHOTO BY STEVE OEHLENSCHLAGER

CONVERSATION WITH A CHAMPION NATIONAL CHAMPION CALL MAKER MIKE STELZNER

CWA Let’s begin with a little history on Mike Stelzner. Give us a brief summary of your journey, and tell us how and when you discovered your love and passion for call making, as well as for waterfowl hunting.

MIKE STELZNER I was raised in the outdoors; I spent most of my childhood fishing and hunting big game. Even though I am the oldest of 7 and my father was busy working, he still found time to get us out for hunting whitetails with the gun and bow. We spent time at the range and had a backyard target for shooting. Those early years of shooting and enjoying the outdoor life were a crucial platform for my future in the outdoors. Waterfowl didn’t come until later on around my freshman year of college. I had a friend at Bible college who was a big waterfowler and we started chasing birds together. We were serious rookies; poor calling, and even worse decoy spreads, but we had a lot of fun shooting a single Shoveler and a random wood duck. Waterfowling had sunk its’ teeth in and I was done for! Over the next several years, I took a steep interest in waterfowling and everything that was involved with it. I made a lot of fishing rods and handcrafted arrows, so when I began getting into calling, it was just natural for me to want to pick up a tool and see if I could make one for myself to use. It

wasn’t because the market didn’t have what I needed, but rather a simple desire to make something I could use to call in a bird.

In the early years of my marriage, my wife Sarah didn’t like calling in the house, but soon she realized it was a losing battle, and grew quite supportive of my newfound hobby. Call making became a hobby and a passion. My wife and I were new parents as we had just adopted our oldest son, Bryan, so being home more was easy. He would often help me in the shop from a baby chair I hung from the ceiling. He seemed almost content with the humming sound of the lathe and the sound of duck calls. Not something most kids would find soothing I’m sure, but at 13 he is passionate about waterfowl, so it’s no surprise. In about 2005 I started moving forward full steam and founded C&S, built a semi functional website, and started selling a few calls. From 2006 to about 2012 I was hand making around 2 to 400 calls a year and things continued to grow. We moved a few times and soon adopted our second son, Eli. As the family grew, so did the shop as well as my business. My wife was also very career driven and worked her way up through the ranks toward owning her own therapy business. This gave us both an opportunity to be home with our children the most we could when they were very young. It was a huge blessing. Long nights in the call shop and long days on my day job eventually drove me to go full time with calls in 2012. It was a large, scary step, but my wife was extremely supportive. The first few years I was really just a stay at home daddy-making duck calls for some extra income. In 2014, things really began to take off and it’s been history ever since as we continue to grow each year and sell more and more calls. The Lord has certainly blessed us and directed us down the path to serve Him!

CWA What was the first call that you made and how has the design of your calls changed from the original design? Also talk about some of the details about your calls that make them unique from other calls.

MIKE STELZNER The first call I was really proud of was made out of an old maple rod dowel. Around 2004 I finally had one that was truly decent sounding. Well, decent like a good bullfrog. From there I moved forward and upward, continuing to gain skill on the lathe and on the call. Most of my designs continued to get better and I just started playing around with shapes and lengths that worked really well. In 2007 I came up with my first really 7

| C H R I S T I A N WAT E R F O W L E R

them all my life. Faith and Christ have always been first and foremost in my life. Certainly there are days I could do a better job, but I’m not far from His hand on those days. I have a degree in Youth and Family Ministry and Pastoral Ministries, so carrying that faith into calls was automatic. The easiest way for me to do that was with call names and logos and such. The customer can find names like, The Preacher, Prophet, Disciple, and more in our lineup. Most of our logos have a cross or some other Biblical connection on them, and most of the calls have a crown of thorns around the insert representing the great sacrifice Christ made for our salvation. My goals with C&S differentiate from a lot of other companies. At times I am drawn into the industries ideology of success being based off of income and followers, but I really try and focus our call company upward.

My main focus is to minister to Gods’ people, but some great good duck call tone board. The Justifier was a good all-around call and I was cutting all my duck calls off that new jig for about 4 years. I also started building goose calls in 2006 and had my original Prophet out then. It was a long goose call, short reed design, but it did a good job and was easy for people to use.

Fast forward 15 years, and I have several models of calls each built for different scenarios or callers. Mostly the models came from trying to improve the previous model or tweak something to have a different use; open water, timber, etc. I have always tried to build calls that were different from everything on the market. Full custom calls are always unique and were my mainstay for many years. As demand grew, I started to supplement the line with CNC parts or partially prepped parts that I would finish in house. This gave me the ability to speed up the process and still maintain high quality. Today we continue to do this with most of our line. Everything in our production line is mapped off originals and replicated exactly to the standards of each call. The repeatability of the CNC, especially in a duck call tone board, is amazing as far as consistency and sound quality. My CNC line is just rough cut for us and we hand polish, laser, and tune each call in the shop here, as well as apply any banding or extra adornments a customer wants.

We sell a lot of stock options but also do a lot of custom art and options on each call. Over the years I have poured money back into the business to make sure I have the tools to do everything right that a customer might want. Instead of sending a call out for laser work or special art, we can do that right here! It is a very nice way to do business.

quality calls can be a guide to others navigating their way through life. It has become extremely busy, but I always try and remind myself why I have been given the gifts I have and what God wants me to do with them. We donate a lot of calls each year to special groups and I like to focus those donations toward Christ centered organizations dedicated to the morals and ideals Christ represents. Faith is integrated into every aspect of my business in some shape or form and it is my goal to continue to represent Him with our company until He sees fit to take it from me.

CWA Talk about getting into call making competitions, especially the NWTF, and some of the awards, etc.

CWA

MIKE STELZNER

Talk about your faith and how that carries over into your call making, as well as some of the names of your calls and how you came up with them.

MIKE STELZNER

Call contests have been so much fun for me over the years. I started in 2008 at the National Call Making Competition held at the NWTF National Convention every year. They have Turkey, Duck, Goose, and more represented in the contests. I started entering because I wanted to see where my calls stacked

I was raised in an extremely loving, Christian home and those values were instilled in me at an early age and I have stuck to

(Continued on next page) C H R I S T I A N WAT E R F O W L E R |

8

relevant. Luckily, I have an incredible full-time employee who kept things afloat while I suffered through my grief. Christ never left my side and my faith was refined once again as I worked through the battle. I have no doubt that Sarah is enjoying her time in heaven. The boys and I have changed a lot around here. Bows and game calls are on the tables and we spend a lot of time doing bachelor things! Sarah took good care of us and I never once have doubted my faith or the God I serve.

I have no doubt that Sarah’s life and her death have a massive testimony and will continue to influence people toward Christ and His kingdom. It has given me a story of great loss and great triumph as He continues to support me as a Dad with my boys... God is good all the time and I am reassured by His love and blessings daily in the smiles of my boys, and the words of encouragement and love from my friends and customers. Both of my sons love to chase waterfowl, turkeys, and more, and we spend a lot of time in the woods making new memories together.

I’m assured Sarah is enjoying each and every memory we make!

CWA Any future call designs that you are working on now? up against the best makers in the country. The best callers in the nation gather as judges for the hunting divisions and avid collectors judge the decorative divisions. It’s really an excellent contest. The CCAA (Call Makers Collectors Association of America) also puts on a contest every year in the spring for makers wanting to enter calls in a decorative division. These contests continue to spring up all over every year. From 2008 until the present, I have been blessed to be a National champion 10 times, as well as a 4 time National Grand Champion of Champions. It’s been a huge blessing to have my calls do so well when being judged by the nations’ best callers. I retired in 2019, and my son, Bryan, now enters and is carrying on the tradition of doing well, as he has won a few Youth call maker awards as well as a few best of shows! We are very proud to see all of the hard work pay off and all the blessings come from that hard work. God has had His hand in C&S since the beginning!

MIKE STELZNER We are working on a deer grunt for fall of 2020 and I also have a new goose call coming out here in mid to late August that I feel is a great culmination of the years of my goose call building!

New duck call will be released in 2021! Always building and innovating here at C&S.

CWA Anything else that I didn’t cover that you would like to add?

MIKE STELZNER C&S is a family run and operated business, we are focused on quality, innovation, faith, and family. We do our best to take care of every customer like they are family. From our calls to our faith, we are happy to share anything we can to bless the people we come into contact with!

CWA Talk about your family; Sarah, the boys, and how you guys are working through Sarah going home to heaven.

MIKE STELZNER Oh yes the Sarah question.... My wife of 20 years passed away in March of 2019 of Ovarian Cancer at the age of 40. To say it was devastating for us all is a huge understatement. After almost a yearlong battle, she went to heaven. Not a day goes by that I don’t really miss her and who she was to my sons. She always drove me to be a better person and to work hard. C&S would not exist without her. It was hard to maintain composure here and keep up with the day-to-day stuff to keep a call company 9

| C H R I S T I A N WAT E R F O W L E R

Mike Stelzner C&S Custom Calls 17910 Wedgewood Dr Zumbrota, MN 55992

mike@cscustomcalls.com

C H R I S T I A N WAT E R F O W L E R | 1 0

PHOTO BY STEVE OEHLENSCHLAGER

KEVIN HUTCHESON 479.601.1299

ANXIOUS PREPARATION

BY BENJAMIN LYLE

Regardless of what activities you have resorted to throughout the summer in order to get through the off-season, I believe we all have that sub-conscious ticker in the back of our mind that’s counting down the days to duck season. When is it too early to start preparing? Well, it’s not time to charge the batteries or test your waders, but it won’t hurt to let the thoughts start creeping in as you organize your game plan for the fall.

If you’re like me, and your outdoor passion turns straight to fishing once duck season closes, there’s likely a few things that need to be tended to in an effort to make things go smoothly once duck season arrives. Hopefully your gun is not in the state of neglect that mine is in; sitting in its’ case with last year’s mud still clinging to it and a heavy coat of oil sprayed on as its’ only preventative care.

In addition to cleaning up your gun, organizing leftover shells, and polishing up the ol’ duck calls, let’s think about what shape your decoys are in. If you hunt with more than just a few dozen, there’s likely several things to be done here that could keep you busy for a weekend or two. Retying lines that were cut, replacing weights that were lost, or touching up paint are all things that you will want to get done now rather than waiting until the night before opening day.

Now, let’s say you are an avid turkey hunter prior to hitting the lake and much more disciplined than myself, maybe your gun is in good shape and your thousands of dollars in gear is well organized just waiting for you to load it up and go. Kudos to you for having the self-discipline and organizational prowess to maintain a well-oiled duck hunting disease! I’ve always had good intentions, but my hobbies and interests transition so quickly that I rarely have the opportunity to wrap something up before I’m ready to see progress on the next activity. But, if your gear is in good shape and ready to go, it’s still not too early to start prepping.

PHOTO BY ANTHONY SMITH

Is your duck hunting location secured for this season? Is the blind in good shape? Maybe you hunt public land. Is everyone in your group prepared for the blind drawings? The time will be upon us before you know it. As the days click by, keep in mind that dove season is a good opportunity to do some scouting as well as a trial run on how well you did cleaning up your shotgun and getting it put back together.

If I were to twist Benjamin Franklin’s quote about prevention, I would say that an ounce of preparation is worth a pound of ingenuity in the field or on the water. Granted, I’ve seen some unbelievable repairs and genius use of available resources to salvage a duck hunting trip, but things would have been so much easier on those days if we had been prepared and our equipment well maintained.

As you begin to think about the upcoming season, don’t lose sight of who provided us with this beautiful opportunity, and think about your connection to our creator often when you are outdoors. An ounce of preparation for your eternity far outweighs anything that can be done once our time on earth is up.

Benjamin Lyle Owner BearKraft Game Calls CWA Member www.bearkraft.com

PHOTO BY ANTHONY SMITH

1 5 | C H R I S T I A N WAT E R F O W L E R

GRAND REFUGE 2.0™ ZIP-FRONT WADER

Multi-climate, insulated bootfoot camo chest wader with a patented removable zippered liner system for complete versatility and adaptive comfort in all weather conditions.

• Removable zip-in/out 120-gram insulated liner • Heavy-duty, abrasion resistant nylon in the shin, knee and seat are • 4-ply polyester upper • Zippered flip out security pocket • 2 fleece lined hand warmer pockets • 2 oversized storage pockets on chest • Adjustable elastic suspenders with quick release buckles • Adjustable wading belt with locking buckle • 1,600-gram Thinsulate™ boot with cleated outsole • T-Zip® waterproof zipper for easy on and off

Use code CWA 3 0 at checkout to receive 30% any pair of GRAND REFUGE 2.0™ ZIP-FRONT WADER Offer only available on froggtoggs.com! Expires November 1st, 2020

PHOTO BY STEVE OEHLENSCHLAGER

TEAL HUNTING TIPS

BY ANTHONY WADE SMITH

Insert jet sounds! You know...Jet sounds, like when a jet screams by at mach 1. Do you get where I’m coming from? It’s the sound you hear coming, and you nearly break your neck as it zooms by....that’s the sound.

God’s creation is amazing. So amazing that he created something the wise men of this world tried to duplicate in a jet sound.

The sound of a Green-winged Teal coming into a spread of decoys in the early morning hours sounds just like those jets you imagined. God created this little creature called a Teal; who’s power, size, and speed have amazed many men. There are over 20 species of Teal world-wide. Here in the U.S., we mainly harvest 3 species, each unique and amazing on its own.

The three species consist of: the Cinnamon Teal, the Greenwinged Teal, and the Blue-winged Teal.

Teals are amazing creatures, but when I think of Teal Season, I have a mixture of emotions. In Tennessee, we are able to hunt Teal and Wood Ducks during the first 4-5 days of the early season. We hunt mostly public ground so finding these waterfowl and working for these waterfowl doesn’t start a few days before the opening day. It starts weeks and months ahead.

In our house we live and breathe the outdoors. We build calls, build blinds and speak at seminars on waterfowl and deer hunting throughout the year. We also work for companies who sell hunting products. We scout! Opening day is like a holiday for us, so we prepare. So how do we scout you ask? He are a few high tech tips to finding those mini jets this Teal Season.

TIP 1 One of the new ways to scout are by drone. If you comply with local, state, and federal laws when it comes to UAV operation you can use them for scouting purposes. Some areas may also require authorized clearance. Please check the laws of your area before attempting to scout for any wild game. If you are able to scout by drone, here are some tips for to help you make the most of your scout. 1) Know your limits and always use a visual observer. This is a person who is monitoring the drone in case of an issue. Never lose visual site of the drone. 2) Don’t disturb the waterfowl; use the quietest props available for your drone and check with your drone/UAV manufacturer to find the right quiet props. 3) Stay high and move slow - there are a lot of times where you can spot waterfowl when reviewing your footage later 1 9 | C H R I S T I A N WAT E R F O W L E R

PHOTO BY STEVE OEHLENSCHLAGER

that you did not see while in flight. A good distance is 300’-400’which will help in not spooking the wildlife. 4) Don’t just look for just waterfowl, look for potential hunting spots and food. Learn what duck weed/smart grasses look like from the air and find the feed; then you’ll find the ducks.

TIP 2 A second tip for scouting is to not forget that there are other things that fly. Always remember your camo face mask and mosquito repellant, especially if you are hunting in the South.

One tip for fighting off the mosquitoes is to move out somewhere off the island or land. Most large congregations of mosquitoes will be found on or around land. If you can hunt 10-20 yards off the island or land, the threat of mosquitoes will not be as large. There will still be mosquitoes but hopefully not as bad.

TIP 3 Third, decoys are not always necessary and trail cameras are beneficial in scouting. If they have feed and you know you’re on the mark, you will not always need decoys. They are going to come there and know it. Timing and location are what matter in this tip. Using a trail camera can be an essential part of food or rest area scouting. Not only can it tell you when the birds are working the area, how many birds, and what part they are feeding in. It can also tell you if they are still there or if they have moved. Some tips for using trail cameras for hunting early season. 1) Mount cameras 10-12ft or higher in a tree overlooking a field hole or resting hole. This will keep it out of reach of most people who would want to steal it. 2) Don’t forget to turn on time lapse mode if your camera offers it. On most cameras that offer this mode, it takes an intermittent picture at a set time

when motion is not detected. 3) Go cellular if you can afford it and setup a cellular or WiFi trail camera. This will help you keep the scouting location updated in real time. There are also new universal cellular adapters that turn your non-cellular trail cam into a cellular device. This a convenience but does save time especially remotely receiving the information. Once you have all of these checked off, decoys may not be as necessary. Especially if you need a quick shoot before or after work or school.

TIP 4 Fourth tip: Motion! I don’t think I could write a waterfowl hunting article with writing something about motion. It’s that important when decoying waterfowl. When hunting with decoys in early Teal Season, my spread normally consists of a large jerk spread of 4 to 8 decoys on the jerk and 2-3 spinning wing decoys.

I hope these tips can help you enjoy hunting the amazing creature that is the teal. Spend some time in the great outdoors and implement these tips to help your teal hunting be an amazing experience.

Anthony Wade Smith Owner American Waterfowl System Rig’Em Right Waterfowl Brand Ambassador CWA Team Member

SWEET JALAPENO GRILLED DUCK Don’t let the number of peppers scare you!

The cooked marinated duck will be milder than you might think. If you want to lower the heat factor, avoid the top part of the pepper, the area closest to the stem where the heat is more concentrated.

Scott Leysath The Sporting Chef

INGREDIENTS

HOW TO FIX

•

1.

4 whole ducks

MARINADE • • • • • • • • • •

2 cups water 2 cups orange juice concentrate 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup white sugar 1/2 cup vegetable oil 6 jalapeno peppers thinly sliced widthwise 2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 6 garlic cloves minced

To prepare ducks, place breast side up on a firm surface.

With a sharp, thin-bladed knife, slice along each side of the breastbone to remove the breasts from the carcass.

Work the knife towards the back of each side and remove the legs at the joint where the thighs connect to the body.

2.

Combine marinade ingredients in a large non-reactive

bowl (plastic, ceramic or glass). Reserve 1 cup of marinade

to use as a baste while grilling. Place ducks in remaining

marinade and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours, turning occasionally.

3.

Remove ducks from marinade. NOTE: For tender duck legs, prepare as per instructions above* and bake for 2 to 3 hours before grilling breasts.

4.

Place breasts, skin side down (if skin is intact), on a medium-hot grill for approximately 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. If legs were oven-baked in advance, grill with breasts until browned. While grilling, baste with reserved marinade.

5.

Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

6.

Serving Suggestion – serve with warm flour or corn tortillas and mild tomato salsa.

C H R I S T I A N WAT E R F O W L E R | 2 2

FIRST TIME OBEDIENCE

BY KEVIN ERDMIRE

Does your pet listen the first time?

Obedience is defined as compliance with an order or submission to another’s authority. It is an act of obeying instantly. Synonyms for obedience include compliance, conformity, and submission. The point of obedience training is for your pet to comply instantly or immediately. If your pet is running towards a highway, do you want them to turn around immediately and come back to you, or do want to yell at them several times before they comply? If you are having to repeat yourself, your pet could be injured. Just as you would want a child to listen to you when you are trying to keep them safe, you want your pet to know that you have their best interest in mind when giving a command. Proverbs 22:6 says, “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” God gave us dominion over animals in Genesis 1:26. This is one of the reasons I feel obedience is so important in training.

Achieving obedience takes a lot of repetition, consistency, and patience. Repetition means repeating an action or event. During obedience training, we repeat actions over and over. If we are working on “sit” and a dog moves one foot, we put them back in the same spot they were before they moved. Everyone has heard the saying, “practice makes perfect.” In the instance of training a dog, “perfect practice makes perfect” is more accurate. My point is that you can practice something over and over, but if you are not going about it the right way, you could create bad habits in your pet. How does that go in dog training? In my experience it leads to inconsistencies. Either you don’t practice perfection, or you just train sometimes when it is convenient. You must train continually and consistently. Perfect practice at least 10-15 minutes a day is key. You must practice for perfection each session and try to always end on a good note if possible. If you must end the session unsuccessfully, get them back out later in the day and try again. It will come with many, many repetitions and a lot of patience. It may take two times or two million, because just like children, every pet is different. Stay the course, keep putting in the time, and you will succeed.

There are many ways to train your pet or hunting companion.

Positive reinforcement can be giving treats and/or praise when a task is completed correctly. Negative reinforcement is correcting your dog when they make a mistake. This could be tug on the leash, a pop on the tail, or e-collar stimulation. I have used positive and negative reinforcement in obedience training. I read PHOTO BY CORNERSTONE GUNDOG ACADEMY each dog’s temperament, actions, and reactions to try to train the 2 5 | C H R I S T I A N WAT E R F O W L E R

pet the way they learn best. Some do not respond to negative reinforcement, but will respond to positive reinforcement. For praise, I just pet and love on the dog for good behavior. The reason I use this type of praise is because you can always praise them either with your voice or by petting them with your hand.

I do not use treats, because I may not always have one with me.

Too many times I see a pet that will do anything when you have the treat in your hand, but will not listen if you do not. I have also seen many overweight pets that are “treat trained.”

Whatever method you pick, the golden rule is to be consistent.

Dogs are intelligent animals that learn quickly to make specific associations. Specific associations could be when you come in from work, change clothes, and take your pet for a walk. This leads to your pet believing that every time you come in and change clothes, it’s time to go for a walk. When training for obedience habits, they will know based on consistent correction or reinforcement what behaviors/habits are acceptable to you.

We bring dogs in our kennel at different times. We do this because some dogs can actually learn by watching other dogs.

When possible, we let the newer dogs watch the ones that have been in training for a while. Always remember your pet can make a liar out of you! I tell my customers this all the time. I can have a pet trained for behaviors, add distractions to increase the difficulty of obedience for the pet, and have video evidence of them following commands, then their owner shows up, and they act like they don’t know anything that we have taught them! This is usually due to excitement of seeing their owner. I have also had owners tell me things that their pets won’t do, but when they bring the pet out to me, they will do it for me right in front of their owner. Pets can be unpredictable and sometimes enjoy making us look crazy. However, with proper and consistent training, we can help achieve the outcome of a well-behaved and obedient pet.

Kevin Erdmier Owner Southern Pine Kennels

www.southernpinekennel.com

Blue Wings is our initiative to teach and engage young people with the great recreation that is waterfowl hunting. We all have a call to pass on the knowledge and heritage of our pasttime to the next generation. At the Christian Waterfowlers Association, we do that through our Blue Wings events.

PHOTO BY STEVE OEHLENSCHLAGER

2 9 | C H R I S T I A N WAT E R F O W L E R

PHOTO BY RED SHUTTER MEDIA

T HE BLI N D BAG: S O UL G EAR FOR WATERFOWLE RS

BY TIM SALLEE

As a waterfowler, there is nothing quite like duck hunting in flooded timber in the south. I remember hunting some flooded timber in Oklahoma with my brother and nephew several years ago that could have easily turned into a rescue situation instead of a hunt.

The area surrounding the place we were going to hunt had received some heavy rain and thunderstorms the previous evening. Even though the rain and storms had dissipated, the overflow of ponds, lakes, and streams which were left in the wake of the storm had not yet reached our hunting area.

Everything seemed normal as we carried our gear down the levee to the turn off to enter the flooded timber. After wading back to our spot, we placed our gear on a mound of dirt about two feet above the water, and began to set up our decoy spread. The ducks started flying into, and landing in, our decoy spread at a fast and furious pace. It seemed that no sooner than we would shoot and begin retrieving our birds, that another group would begin to come down through the timber to our spread. After about 30 minutes, when we were only about two ducks shy of our limit, we noticed that the water had risen without us even noticing it to the top of the dirt mound where we had placed our gear as well as up to the bottom of our Mojo spinning wing decoys. We really wanted to stay and finish our limit, but felt we needed to pick up and quickly leave the area.

In another translation, this verse reveals that each one “ is carried away and enticed by his own lust.” A great way to illustrate this is to use fishing. A fisherman baits his hook and casts it out into the water. A fish swimming along sees the bait and it lures, or draws, him toward it, thinking that he will get some food.

Instead, he gets hooked and reeled in, where he becomes the food. The temptation to sin is just like that; we see sin as something appealing that will satisfy us, but instead, it hooks us and drags us to destruction.

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:13, that when we are vulnerable to falling into sin, “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out.”

When tempted to sin, you may feel that God is nowhere to be found, but this verse assures us that He is faithful and will provide a way out so we can endure it.

So, the next time you feel tempted, remember that you are not on your own.

God is with you and will provide a “way out!”

At that point, the water had risen so fast, that as we made it out to the levee, the ditch we had to cross was now almost chest deep, and about a foot of water was spilling over the levee. We were able to make the long walk in time, as well as snap a photo or two, then load up and drive out. We later learned that by the end of the day, the whole area was completely flooded and covered with flood water.

I began to think about how when we are tempted to sin, it seems attractive and enticing. However, once we give in to the temptation, sin begins grow to the point that it becomes frightening and overwhelming like rising flood water with no way of escape.

In chapter 1:14-15 of the book of James, it says “14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

Tim Sallee CWA - Founder

C H R I S T I A N WAT E R F O W L E R | 3 0

PHOTO BY STEVE OEHLENSCHLAGER

BELONG, BELIEVE, BECOME

BY CHUCK MCALISTER

Waterfowl have 3 basic needs that an effective waterfowl hunter will use to their advantage.

In the same way, you and I have similar needs.

WATERFOWL 1 To Belong Waterfowl are not lone creatures. They travel in flocks. That is why the skilled use of decoys is a vital part of attracting waterfowl.

2 To Believe Waterfowl instinctively know that safety is found in realizing the absolute truth about whatever situation they are facing. They must believe that they are safe. That is why camouflage and concealment done well are so important in effective waterfowl hunting.

3 To Become Like all creatures, waterfowl are motivated to survive, to become what they were meant to be. They will find the places on their migratory route that affords them the best opportunity to meet their need for food to ensure their survival. That is why site selection is vital to have a successful hunt.

HUMANITY 1 To Belong No man is an island. We need to love and be loved. We need relationships.

2 To Believe In our day of information overload, many people live confused lives wondering what is and is not true. It is a basic need for us to know the truth. Our soul craves it.

3 To Become We want to survive, but we also want more. We want to thrive.

We are driven to become who we were meant to be, someone whose life matters.

People will succumb to a substance, betray a friend, work themselves to exhaustion, or embrace the latest and greatest just to move a little closer to possibly resolving these cravings. The irony is that there is nothing we can do to meet these needs in our own lives. Our Creator placed these cravings in us, and only He can satisfy them. They are there to draw us into His embrace.

3 5 | C H R I S T I A N WAT E R F O W L E R

Jesus provided us with the answer to our dilemma when He stated, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.“ John 14:6 Only in Jesus do we find “the way” to unconditional love, we belong to His family; “the truth” we can believe; and the opportunity to become, to have “the life” that we were created to have, the life that counts. How do we come to Jesus so that we can have the peace of having our deepest desires satisfied?

Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him…” Rev 3:20 These desires are lodged in our hearts. Jesus, at your invitation, will come into your heart and satisfy these cravings. He will give you peace. You can invite Him into your heart today by simply praying this prayer: “Jesus, I need You. Please forgive me for the mistakes that I have made as I have attempted to satisfy the longings of my soul apart from You. I admit that I have sinned against You. Please forgive me. I surrender my life to You and invite You to come live in my heart. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me.”

If you prayed that, and you meant it with all your heart, you are on the road to recovery. Welcome to the family of God. Jesus has brought you to the Father today. The cravings of your soul will now be satisfied… FOREVER!

Chuck McAlister Founder Adventure Bound Outdoor TV Program Founder Promise of Hope Ministries Board Member CWA