A trip to Alberta has officially kicked off the 2003 waterfowl season for the Media Relations Department at Avery^®. Follow along with our own Bill Cooksey and several outdoor writers as they chase ducks and geese throughout Central Alberta. The trip to Alberta is one of several media hunts Avery^® will be sponsoring during the 2003-2004 season. These hunts are organized to host the nation's top outdoor writers and editors a few days at a time. This will allow writers to gather needed information for upcoming stories and features for their respective magazines, newspapers and/or columns. The media hunts also enable Bill to highlight a few of Avery's new products for the upcoming season.

The first 3 days of the hunt include freelance outdoor writer Monte Burch and editor of Cabela's Outfitters Journal Bill Bynum. Later in the week, Avery^® will host outdoor writers Nick Sisley and Gary Garth. Be sure to visit averyoutdoors.com each day to see photos and read updates from each day's hunt. The guys in Alberta will be hunting geese in the morning and ducks in the afternoon (weather permitting) so please check back daily as we track the success or lack thereof! To learn more about hunting waterfowl with Pinfeathers and Hackle Lodge, contact Steve Chorney at (780)325-3817.

Howdy from Central Alberta! - Day 1 Central Alberta, September 22, 2003 By Bill Cooksey, Associate Avery® Pro-Staffer Avery's Tommy Akin waiting on the next flock of ducks to arrive on Day 1! DATE: Monday, September 22, 2003 SUNRISE/SUNSET: 7:20 a.m. and 7:29 p.m. WEATHER: Partly cloudy in the morning turning mostly cloudy in the afternoon. TEMPERATURE: Mid to Upper 60's lowering to Upper 30's in the afternoon. WIND: Very little morning wind. Steady 10-15 mph afternoon wind. EQUIPMENT USED: Greenhead Gear® Full Bodies, Greenhead Gear® Over-Size Series™ Canada Shells, Migrator™ Blinds, Finisher® Blinds, Greenhead Gear® Life-Size Series™ Mallards, Greenhead Gear® Blue-Bills, Greenhead Gear® Ring-Necked Duck Decoys, Kent Fasteel #2's and BB, Greenhead Gear® Universal Motion Stakes™, Avery® Floating Duck Strap JOURNAL NOTES: Monday, September 22nd in Alberta dawned warm, clear and without a hint of wind. Steve Chorney of Pinfeathers and Hackle Lodge had scouted our field and the droppings and feathers in the area in which we set up, reassured us that birds were there. But, even Canada can sometimes be tough, and although many birds worked our spread, the lack of wind kept most from finishing. Even though the morning was slow by Canada standards, we managed 13 Canadas and 3 snows. By early afternoon we were set up in a log jam on a large lake. While warm and still weather had dominated the morning hunt, there was a definite shift happening. Large storm clouds to our north were bearing down and the wind was rising. Along with the weather change came the divers. We set a mixed spread of Greenhead Gear® decoys, and our strings of Life-Size Series™ Blue-Bills and Ring-Necked duck decoys were the focal point of the birds attention. While divers bombed our spread, we were challenged to keep our guns loaded and our equipment dry. Rain came in sheets, and the wind whipped the white-capped water into a frenzy. In less than an hour, all four shooters had a limit of seemingly every diver in the flyway. In the afternoon bag were Barrows and Common Goldeneyes, Buffleheads, Blue-bills and redheads. What a day to start our trip in Alberta! Ducks and Geese Arrived in Alberta!!! - Day 2 Central Alberta, September 23, 2003 By Bill Cooksey, Associate Avery® Pro-Staffer DATE: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 SUNRISE/SUNSET: 7:21 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. WEATHER: Mostly sunny in the morning turning party cloudy in the afternoon. TEMPERATURE: Mid to Upper 40's lowering to Upper 30's in the afternoon. WIND: Steady 10-20mph wind throughout the day. EQUIPMENT USED: Greenhead Gear® Full Bodies, Greenhead Gear® Over-Size Series™ Canada Shells, Migrator™ Blinds, Finisher® Blinds, Greenhead Gear® Life-Size Series™ Mallards, Greenhead Gear® Blue-Bills, Greenhead Gear® Ring-Necked Duck Decoys, Kent Fasteel #2's and BB, Greenhead Gear® Universal Motion Stakes™ Joe Larkins Host of Channel 3's Mid-South Outdoors with a nice banded mallard! JOURNAL NOTES: Tuesday, September 23rd in central Alberta brought a beautiful sunrise and with it a stiff wind. Our guide Steve scouted a field that was loaded with Canadas the night before. Large numbers of birds worked the spread, and huge flocks of geese finished perfectly without detecting the hunters in our hidden Migrator™ and Finisher® ground blinds. The added benefit of hunting with our Greenhead Gear® Over-Size Series™ Goose Shells was exactly what the Dr. ordered. Today's hunt was a classic early season Canada hunt where the birds are oblivious to hunters and are fooled with little or no calling. We ended the morning with over 40 Canada geese and 22 ducks. One of the ducks that was shot by Joe Larkins of Memphis, TN (Channel 3 Mid-South Outdoors) was a banded drake mallard. Congratulations, way to go Joe! This is what Canada is all about. (L to R) Avery's Bill Cooksey, Bill Bynum of Cabela's Outfitter's Journal, outdoor writer Monte Burch, Host of Mid-South Outdoors Joe Larkins and Avery's Tommy Akin enjoy a fabulous morning hunt in Central Alberta - Day 2. Mallards are Everywhere in Alberta - Day 3 Central Alberta, September 24, 2003 By Bill Cooksey, Associate Avery® Pro-Staffer DATE: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 SUNRISE/SUNSET: 7:23 a.m. and 7:28 p.m. WEATHER: Mostly cloudy TEMPERATURE: 25 degrees at shooting time, warming up to 40 degrees WIND: 0-10 mph NW wind EQUIPMENT USED: Greenhead Gear® Full Bodies, Migrator™ Blinds, Power Hunter™ Blinds, Greenhead Gear® Life-Size Series™ Mallards, Kent Faststeel #2's and BB, Avery® Floating Duck Strap, Avery® Padded Mud Case Greenhead Gear® Full Body Canadas waiting to do their job! JOURNAL NOTES: A.M. HUNT Today was the last hunting day for Bill Bynum and Monte Burch as both had 1:30 flights to catch. Due to their early departure, we hunted closer to the lodge. In this case nothing was lost by a lack of a drive. The crew awoke to heavy clouds, temperatures in the mid 20's and very little wind. Uh-oh, we have seen this song and dance before. On Day 1 of our trip we had similar conditions with little to no wind. Even before shooting time we saw large groups of mallards that were working the field, and as shooting time passed our barrels heated quickly. A heavy frost on our Greenhead Gear decoys made it difficult to finish geese, but the mallards didn't seem to mind. As the sun hit the decoys geese finally began to work in tight. We were able to set up on a small knoll in a barley field and the birds worked our decoys beautifully. Our hunters remained well hidden using two Migrator™ Blinds and two Power Hunter™ Blinds. I have no doubt that if given another hour, we would have finished a limit of geese, but time wasn't on our side. Regardless, the fast shooting made for a memorable day. We ended the morning with a total of 15 giant Canada geese and 32 mallards. We will be picking up outdoor writers Gary Garth and Nick Sisley for this afternoon's hunt. (L to R) Bill Bynum of Cabela's Outfitter's Journal, Avery's Tommy Akin, outdoor writer Monte Burch, and Avery's Bill Cooksey, after their great mallard hunt in Central Alberta - Day 3. Avery's Tommy Akin and freelance outdoor writer Nick Sisley preparing for their afternoon hunt. DAY 3 - P.M. HUNT: After picking up Avery Pro-Staffer Kelly Ross and outdoor writers Nick Sisley and Gary Garth from the airport, they were not even allowed time to unpack. Our outfitter, Steve Chorney of Pinfeathers and Hackle Outfitters, had located a heavy concentration of mallards, and there was not a minuter to waste. Since I had already limited on mallards in the morning, I went along to take advantage of any opportunities to tell them what easy shots they were missing. As soon as we settled into our Migrator Blinds and Power Hunters, a large flock of mallards came in. Nick easily dropped two. Sadly, the flight we expected never materialized, but a beautiful sunset more than made up for it. Ducks in Alberta, But Where are All the Geese? - Day 4 Central Alberta, September 25, 2003 By Bill Cooksey, Associate Avery® Pro-Staffer DATE: Thursday, September 25, 2003 SUNRISE/SUNSET: 7:24 a.m. and 7:29 p.m. WEATHER: Mostly sunny in the morning turning party cloudy in the afternoon. TEMPERATURE: low 40's in the a.m. warming to low 50's in the afternoon. WIND:Light North wind in the a.m.. Steady 20-30mph NW wind throughout the afternoon hunt. EQUIPMENT USED: Greenhead Gear® Full Bodies, Greenhead Gear® Over-Size Series™ Canada Shells, Finisher® Blinds, Greenhead Gear® Life-Size Series™ Mallards, Kent Fasteel #2's and BB, Greenhead Gear® Universal Motion Stakes™ Outdoor writer Gary Garth waiting on the next flock of mallards to arrive. JOURNAL NOTES: DAY 4 - A.M. HUNT Thursday, September 25th we were hoping for better wind and cooler temps. The morning began in the low 40's and slowly crept to around 50 degrees. We hunted another cut barley field that had been holding some geese the day before. Flock after flock of mallards visited our spread and by the end of the morning hunt we had harvested 22 mallards (almost all drakes). Suprisingly enough the geese never flew over this particluar field. We heard geese in the distance but they had other plans. DAY 4 - P.M. HUNT The afternoon hunt began with howling winds of 30mph. The winds also brought in the divers, our group selectively shot 12 drakes that were beautiful specimens. A mixture of cans, bluebills, and goldeneyes made up the afternoon bag. The ride home was a long one, the river that we were hunting was blocked by a huge tree that was somehow wedged between the two banks. It took close to an hour before we were able to get past the blockade. Tomorrow we are going after geese again, but the diver shoot was an absolute blast! (L to R) Outdoor writer Nick Sisley, Gary Garth, Avery's Tommy Akin and Avery® Pro-Staffer Kelly Ross with a limit of mallards. Awesome Alberta! - Day 5 Central Alberta, September 26, 2003 By Bill Cooksey, Associate Avery® Pro-Staffer DATE: Friday, September 26, 2003 SUNRISE/SUNSET: 7:25 a.m. and 7:28 p.m. WEATHER: Mostly sunny in the morning turning party cloudy in the afternoon. TEMPERATURE: 45 degrees at shooting time. Increasing to 60 degrees in the afternoon. WIND:5-10 from Southwest EQUIPMENT USED: Greenhead Gear® Full Bodies, Greenhead Gear® Over-Size Series™ Canada Shells, Finisher® Blinds, Greenhead Gear® Life-Size Series™ Mallards, Kent Fasteel #2's and BB, Greenhead Gear® Universal Motion Stakes™ Outdoor writer Nick Sisley and Avery® Pro-Staffer Kelly Ross hunting from Finisher® Blinds. JOURNAL NOTES: DAY 5 - A.M. HUNT What an incredible morning! One of Steve's scouts, Dallas, reported a huge concentration of geese about 45 minutes from camp. We knew he was on the money as soon as we stepped out of our vehicle. Even in the dark, there was goose sign everywhere. It only took 1-1/2 hours to finish out on geese, and while the ducks weren't thick we hadn't expected to see any this morning. Each of them was a bonus. Most of our geese finished within twenty yards, and wonder of wonders, our shooting held up. We ended the morning hunt with 40 Canada geese, 7 drake mallards and 3 green-winged teal. This afternoon some of our group is again going after diver ducks, and others are going for ruffed grouse. Tomorrow is our last day, and while all of us are looking forward to seeing our families, it's sad to see such a wonderful trip come to a close! DAY 5 - P.M. HUNT: EQUIPMENT USED Upland hunt: 900D Strap Vest, Waxed Cotton/Blaze Pro-Staff Hat, Avery® PowerBelt™ Diver Hunt: Life-Size Series™ Blue-Bills, Life-Size Series™ Ring-Necked Duck decoys, Life-Size Series™ Mallards, Life-Size Series™ Greenwing Teal, Over-Size Series™ Mallards, "Hot-Buy"™ Mallards, Quick-Fix® Decoy Cord, Greenhead Gear® QuickSnap™ Gang Rig Clips, Fleece Neck Gaiters, Expandable Guide's Bag™, Polyester Heat Pouch, Kent Tungsten Matrix #3's, Cabela's Waders, Mossy Oak® Shadow Grass® QT Parkas. Bill Cooksey, Avery's Manager of Media Relations holding a nice grouse from the afternoon hunt. JOURNAL NOTES: Gary Garth and I decided to try some of the variety of game the region offered by chasing ruffed grouse through the rolling hills. The changing leaves alone made our decision worthwhile. This region of Alberta is possibly the most beautiful part of Canada that I have ever hunted. Unlike the grouse that I have pursued in East Tennessee, these birds were happy to sit tight. By listening for them to rustle in the underbrush, we were able to flush five birds. While the grouse provided relatively easy shots in the open Aspens, I was only able to connect on two. I openly blamed my tight waterfowl choke, but most twelve-year-olds with a full choked .410 would have been more productive. Gary's trail did not hold as many birds, but he managed three flushes. He connected with one bird. Upon meeting at the main trail, we agreed that with a pointing dog this area would be unbelievable. Nick, Kelly and Tommy were interested in collecting canvasback, redhead and bluebill drakes. Due to the light wind, Brent took them on a long boat ride to a more open section of the lake. While there were plenty of birds in the area, their discretion allowed them to take prime specimens of bluebills and redheads. They could see cans out in the open water, but they simply refused to fly. Kelly had the highlight of his trip on our drive out. He had never seen a moose, and let us know that was something he really wanted corrected. Just before we reached the main road, a cow moose stepped out on an old logging road just thirty yards from our truck. Note to self: Next time bring an improved cylinder choke. Awesome Alberta! - Day 6 Central Alberta, September 27, 2003 By Bill Cooksey, Associate Avery® Pro-Staffer DATE: Saturday, September 27, 2003 SUNRISE/SUNSET: 7:26 a.m. and 7:27 p.m. WEATHER: Clear skies TEMPERATURE: 50 degrees at shooting time. Increasing to mid 60's. WIND:5-10 from West EQUIPMENT USED: Greenhead Gear® Full Bodies, Greenhead Gear® Over-Size Series™ Canada Shells, Migrator™ Blinds, Finisher® Blinds, Greenhead Gear® Life-Size Series™ Mallards, Kent Fasteel #2's and BB, Greenhead Gear® Universal Motion Stakes™, Padded Mud Cases, Expandable Guides Bag™ and PowerBelts™ (L to R) Avery's Bill Cooksey, outdoor writer Nick Sisley, Gary Garth and Avery Pro-Staffer Kelly Ross celebrating the day's harvest. JOURNAL NOTES: The warm temperatures made for a very comfortable morning for the hunters, but it slowed goose movement to a crawl. Master scout Dallas had located a field with 300 Canadas and several hundred mallards. In our experience, if Dallas said they were there, you could take it to the bank. We worried after the first fifteen minutes when no birds showed, but just as we began to fidget, the mallards arrived. I know the first flight had over fifty ducks, but after that things began to run together. This field contained virtually no cover, but our mudded ground blinds were up to the challenge, and all the ducks tried to land at our feet. Occasionally we heard geese leaving the roost, but they flew wide of our field despite the evidence that they had been there the day before. Just before calling it a day and head for the airport, we spotted three low geese in front. As soon as they saw our spread of Greenhead Gear® Full Bodies and heard Kelly's calling they dove for our set, and never had the chance to leave. Despite the lack of geese, our 27 mallards and three Canadas made for a great Canada hunt. Now it's back home. Canada is an incredible experience, but there's no place like home. Accomodations at Sylvia Martinez' Lone Pine Ranch were superb! Week Synopsis: This hunt took place in order to highlight the new Greenhead Gear® decoys, as well as several new products that are listed in the equipment used section of the daily journal entries listed above. All of the decoys performed even better than I had expected. They were put through the same torture that any hardcore hunter would subject them to, and they came through with flying colors. The Full Bodies were piled in the front of a trailer, the Over-Size Shells were stacked and bagged and the duck decoys were bagged and thrown around in a boat a pickup truck each day. None of them experienced any paint loss, and the reaction of the birds was exactly what one would expect from these anatomically perfect decoys. The area we hunted was perhaps the most beautiful place in Canada that I have ever seen. We were in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and the mix of deep bush and open farmland was breathtaking. The nature of the rolling terrain made scouting difficult, but the network of scouts that Steve and Dan have assembled kept us in consistent shooting. The hunting was phenominal all week long. Pinfeathers and Hackle did an outstanding job locating hot fields each afternoon. I can't say enough about the diversity of the game in this area, and the opportunity for collectors is endless. During our stay the ducks went from brown to good color just as the leaves changed from green to autumn's brown and gold. For those wishing to collect birds for the wall, Steve recommends mid-October to the end of their season. I believe we saw every species of waterfowl in the central flyway, and had we pushed it I think they could have been taken. All of the guests of Pinfeathers and Hackle stay at Sylvia Martinez' Lone Pine Ranch. In season this becomes a hunting lodge, and then transforms to a bed and breakfast in spring and summer. Sylvia is a German immigrant who was trained as a chef. Unlike what I have experienced in many camps, our meals were nothing short of amazing, as the five pounds I gained during our stay can attest. This is definitely a trip I would like to make with friends or family. The accommodations and food would please the most discretionary spouse, and the variety of game would give youngsters a crash course in every type of gunning imaginable.