My old spreads were too tight.

6. Calling Too Much
I used to get so caught up in my calling that I'd neglect to watch how incoming birds were reacting to my calls. In many cases, my calling was too much for them, or featured the wrong sounds, and actually ended up spooking incoming birds instead of bringing them closer.

Now, when calling I watch the birds to see how they react to my calls. If the birds become energized by my series of calls, I'll keep blowing in that fashion. However, if the birds start to hesitate or slide off when I call, I'll stop my calling or give them a different sequence or cadence. While I experiment with various calls or lack of sounds, I watch the birds to see how they react to the various changes. As soon as I observe something that is working, I'll stick to it.

Amazingly, I have found that in many cases, "less is best." Sometimes, a little calling is all it takes to catch birds' attention and keep them coming. In fact, I have had many a good hunt where I've never even blown a duck or goose call.

7. An Uncontrolled Dog
It's a pleasure to watch a retriever pick up downed birds! However, there's no enjoyment if the dog doesn't listen or can't remain motionless when birds are working the set. There are only so many opportunities on a hunt, so I don't want a dog spoiling any of them.

I've seen many a good hunt quickly go bad when a retriever runs erratically between the decoys or swims out of control amongst the blocks. When this happens, I now take action by restraining dogs in blinds, tethering them to the spot or in worse case scenarios walking them back to the truck and putting them in their kennel.

When taking such actions, I don't feel bad, because all dogs have good days and bad days. In addition, young dogs need to learn the routine and will only do so by discipline. My motto is to spend extra time training dogs at home as opposed to trying to do so in the field.

8. Dirty Gun
Waterfowling is hard on shotguns. Dirt, grime and stubble can accumulate in the action. When guns become too dirty, they can jam up and not cycle shells. While this is especially true for semiautomatic shotguns, I've also had it happen when using pump guns.

When my gun fails, I have nobody to blame but myself. To prevent my shotgun from letting me down, I give it a quick cleaning after every outing. I've found that air compressors work perfectly for blowing off dust and grit and allow me to quickly clean my gun without having to break it down. After every three or four hunts, I strip my gun down and give it a real thorough cleaning.

A long time ago, I dropped my shotgun into a mud puddle. This plugged my barrel and quickly ended my hunt. Having learned a hard lesson that day, I now carry a few cleaning supplies and portable cleaning rod with me whenever I head afield.

9. Unprepared For The Weather
Many years ago when I was a young pup, if unexpected nasty weather rolled in I used to head home and miss out on some of the best hunting of the year. Although I spent hours planning my hunt, scouting and setting up decoys, I was simply unprepared for the brutal weather and had to call it quits.