Slayer Chatter

Get hunting tips from pros, beef up your hunter education and share the obsession with other hunting fanatics.

Duck hunter in camo boat on the water duck hunting
Duck Hunting

Float Your Way to More Ducks

Discover how small skiffs can revolutionize your duck hunting game. From selecting the right boat to strategic setups and essential safety tips, this guide covers everything you need to float your ...
Duck hunter with duck dog, black lab holding duck in his mouth
Duck Hunting

Top 10 Strategies for Mastering Late Season Mallards

Master the art of late season duck hunting with these expert strategies for outsmarting seasoned mallards. From decoy setups and calling techniques to hunting flooded waters and embracing bluebird ...
an orange and black cell phone portable power pack sitting in a stream of water
Duck Hunting

Power at Your Fingertips

Power at Your Fingertips A Q&A with Brayden Staples of Dark Energy Written by M.D. Johnson When I first heard the name "Dark Energy," I imagined a Marvel superhero who could harness all the ene...
Duck hunter concealed in full camo next to tree in the water
Duck Hunting

Top 5 Mistakes Duck Hunters Make

Author and long-time duck hunter, M.D. Johnson explores common errors—from inadequate concealment and poor range estimation to over-calling and getting complacent—that cost hunters birds, with tips...
Goose hunter with decoys in arms
Duck Hunting

Old School Techniques People Think Are New

Let’s be honest: there are only so many ways to catch a bluegill or outsmart a mallard duck. Sure, the gear we use might range from slightly to radically new, but the fundamental techniques have li...
Slayer PRO Mike Wec running Slayer's DUBAR duck call
Duck Hunting

Best Duck Hunting States 2024

Based on water levels and weather patterns, these 7 states are hotspots for duck hunting: California, Oregon, South Dakota and more.
Hunter wearing headlamp in the field while waterfowl hunting
Duck Hunting

Top 10 Must Have Items for Waterfowl Hunters

While there are ‘nice’ things to have in-the-field, waterfowl hunters should consider these top 10 must have items when hunting; items that could spell the difference between going home and not goi...
A waterfowl hunter in camouflage holding a duck in the air.
Duck Hunting

Slayer Pro bags one-of-a-kind ‘fowl

Slayer Pro bags one-of-a-kind ‘fowl Written By: M.D. Johnson Photos By: Mike Wec You ask any duck hunter worth his or her salt, myself very much included, and I would be willing to bet they’ll tell...
Matt Carey in Call the Wild, teaching viewers how to run a duck call
Duck Hunting

How to call ducks: Call the Wild’s Matt Carey shares his duck calling tips for beginners

Duck calling is hardly a natural-born skill. If you want to learn how to call ducks, check out these Call the Wild tips from Slayer’s Matt Carey and M.D. Johnson.
a group of mallard ducks hanging on a branch in the woods
Duck Hunting

Target acquired: Everything you need to know to hunt mallards

With their distinctive look and large numbers across all four flyways, mallards make for great hunting. Read on as experienced waterfowler M.D. Johnson shares his tips and tricks to hunt mallards s...
a black lab in a duck blind with frost visible on her coat
Duck Hunting

Cold Weather Duck Dogs: How to keep them safe

Ice — thick or thin — poses a threat to retrievers, as does deep, cold water. This winter, keep your duck dog safe with the right gear and precautions.
duck hunter reaching into a blind bag filled with duck decoys
Duck Hunting

Go inside my blind bag

Seasoned waterfowler M.D. Johnson reveals his blind bag must-haves during goose and duck seasons.
A waterfowl hunter in a camouflage suit standing along a river holding a rifle
Duck Hunting

Ghillie Suits: Hide in plain sight

If you’ve not yet tried hunting in a ghillie suit, this is your sign to give it a try. Seasoned waterfowler M.D. Johnson shares his tips for hiding (successfully!) in plain sight.
a person in a kayak paddling through the water at sunset
Duck Hunting

Float’n for feathers: Hunting on interior rivers

Wondering where all the ducks have gone? Why not try hunting on an interior river? Experienced waterfowler M.D. Johnson shares his tips for a successful float hunt.
a waterfowl hunter dressed in camo standing in a river putting our duck decoys.
Duck Hunting

Plan B Ducks: How to make the most of second-best duck hunting

Unforeseen circumstances can easily turn what should be a great opening day of duck hunting into a massive bummer. But there are ways to recover. In this article, experienced waterfowler M.D. Johns...
A duck hunter is setting up duck decoys in the water.
Duck Hunting

Target acquired: Everything you need to know to hunt canvasbacks

No waterfowler ever forgets his first canvasback. The hunt is often a numbers game, with plenty of planning required. Here’s what you need to be successful.
Camouflaged hunter running Slayer's duck whistle
Duck Call Demos

How to Use Slayer's 4-in-1 Whistle, The Whistler's Mother

Teal. Wigeon. Pintail. Mallard. In this video, you’ll learn the ins and outs of using Slayer's 4-in-1 whistle — a must have call for your  lanyard. 
Waterfowl hunter in the blind running the DUBAR duck call
Duck Call Demos

Slayer's DUBAR — the Most Innovative Meat Call on the Market

Crafted to mimic the tooth-like notches of a duck’s mouth, this call is simple to use, super ducky and will not stick on you — it's “ducked” up beyond all recognition.
3 Steps to Become a Better Shotgunner
Duck Hunting

3 Steps to Become a Better Shotgunner

In this quick how-to piece for beginners, experienced waterfowler M.D. Johnson shares his top three steps to becoming a better shotgunner.
Waterfowler wading through water setting up decoys
Duck Hunting

Shooting Puddle Ducks: 5 tips for hunting the afternoon shift

Experienced waterfowler M.D. Johnson shares his tips for hunting puddle ducks mid-morning, rather than at first light.
Ducks and decoys in the open water
Duck Hunting

Ducks on Day Two: Get the Most Out of Opening Weekend

Waterfowler Luke Clark shares his experience hunting ducks on opening weekend, plus tips for clinching a successful day two.
Seal the Deal: 10 Ways to Bring Ducks and Geese Closer
Duck Hunting

Seal the Deal: 10 Ways to Bring Ducks and Geese Closer

When it comes to shooting, 25 yards is always better than 55. Experienced waterfowler M.D. Johnson shares 10 expert tips for luring ducks and geese closer.
Layout Blind Tips and Tricks (And What Not to Do!)
Duck Hunting

Layout Blind Tips and Tricks (And What Not to Do!)

Experienced waterfowler M.D. Johnson shares his best layout blind tips and tricks to get the most out of the 2023–24 season.
Q&A With Adam Ray: Layout Blinds: Get ’em Ready!
Duck Hunting

Q&A With Adam Ray: Layout Blinds: Get ’em Ready!

Experienced waterfowler and Slayer Pro Staff member Adam Ray shares his layout blind tips, just in time for pre-season.
Q&A With Travis Tweet: Pre-Season Shotgun Maintenance
Duck Hunting

Q&A With Travis Tweet: Pre-Season Shotgun Maintenance

Travis Tweet and M.D. Johnson share their tips and insights on shotgun maintenance. This is one pre-season step you can’t afford to skip.
Q&A with Slayer Pro-Staff Mike Wec: Choke tubes
Duck Hunting

Q&A with Slayer Pro-Staff Mike Wec: Choke tubes

Waterfowler and Slayer pro-staffer Mike Wec shares his tips for choosing a quality choke tube and maintaining it properly.
Canned wild game—delicious and easy
Duck Hunting

Canned wild game—delicious and easy

Mr. and Mrs. M.D. Johnson share their secrets to successfully making canned wild game. Follow their step-by-step guide for canning broths and meat for later enjoyment.
Call the Wild: learn how to use your call
Duck Call Demos

Slayer's Call the Wild: How to Use Your Call Video Series

Once passed down from one generation to the next, learning the ways of the outdoors has seemingly become lost in the ever-changing world we live in. It can be difficult for those who are intereste...
How to use a duck call, duck hunter running duck call
Duck Call Demos

How to Use a Duck Call, NEW Intermediate Course Now Live!

Welcome back to Call the Wild! This is the second course in a 3-part, instructional series on how to use a duck call — 15 lessons with 7 exercises.
About Slayer Calls
Duck Hunting

How Bill Ayer Turned His Passion into His Purpose

Slayer's Drake Slayer Double Reed duck call — How to pull it apart, clean it up and put it back together while making sure it sounds good.
Post-Season Maintenance: How to care for your waterfowl gear
Duck Hunting

Post-Season Maintenance: How to care for your waterfowl gear

There’s no substitute for post-season maintenance of waterfowl gear. Caring for each component — ammunition to layout blinds — extends their life and usability year after year. Don’t wait for openi...
Tanner Hardy running Slayer's DUBAR duck call
Duck Call Demos

How to Clean & Tune a Duck Call

Slayer's Drake Slayer Double Reed duck call — How to pull it apart, clean it up and put it back together while making sure it sounds good.
Slayer Calls team shown smiling while podcasting
Duck Hunting

Reading the flock in front of you

Moving into late season duck hunting, the Slayer team gathers to talk tactics, waterfowl calls and how to read flocks. Plus, how each Slayer call can help hunters shoot limits in every situation.
7 Killer late-season duck tactics
Duck Hunting

7 Killer late-season duck tactics

Check out these seven late-season duck tactics, sure to bring the ducks in
3 Killer Combo Spreads for Hunting Waterfowl
Duck Hunting

3 Killer Combo Spreads for Hunting Waterfowl

Three tried and true combo spreads you’ll want to test out this season, brought to you by experienced waterfowler M.D. Johnson.
Top whistle engineer helps Slayer Calls defeat top duck whistle issues
Duck Hunting

Top whistle engineer helps Slayer Calls defeat top duck whistle issues

The Whistler's Mother 4-in-1 produces realistic sounds for drake mallards, pintails, wigeons and teals — and it's loud enough to reach the high-fliers.
Duck hunter Matt Carey in camo running Slayer's duck whistle
Duck Call Demos

Matt Carey Demos Whistler's Mother, Slayer's 4-in-1 Duck Whistle

Matt Carey demos Slayer's new Whistler's Mother — the 4-in-1 duck whistle that gets LOUD.
Target acquired: Everything you need to know about hunting bluebills
Duck Hunting

Target acquired: Everything you need to know about hunting bluebills

Bluebills in the United States fall into two subspecies: the greater scaup and the lesser scaup. Settle in and read some tips for identifying them and hunting them effectively.
Duck hunting with a 12-gauge muzzleloader: Is it worth the shot?
Duck Hunting

Duck hunting with a 12-gauge muzzleloader: Is it worth the shot?

Black powder firearms have always added a new dimension to the hunt. If you haven’t yet tried waterfowling with a muzzleloader, you may be missing out.
Duck hunting guns explained: Why I prefer the 20-gauge shotgun
Duck Hunting

Duck hunting guns explained: Why I prefer the 20-gauge shotgun

Modern advancements in ammunition have restored the 20-gauge shotgun to its place at the duck hunter’s side.
It was wild': TV star nabs 6x8 bull on 1st elk hunt
Duck Hunting

It was wild': TV star nabs 6x8 bull on 1st elk hunt

The Wild Race star Jessica Ann has been giving back to the hunting community through her new nonprofit — and Mother Nature gave back to her. Jessica shares the story of her 6x8 bull on the newest e...
Target acquired: Everything you need to know about hunting wood ducks
Duck Hunting

Target acquired: Everything you need to know about hunting wood ducks

Abundant throughout the Mississippi Flyway, wood ducks are a joy to pursue. Settle in as experienced waterfowler M.D. Johnson shares his tips for identifying them and hunting them effectively.
Call more ducks, kill more ducks
Duck Call Demos

Call more ducks, kill more ducks

On this episode of The Slayer Hunting Podcast, one of the brothers behind the Mtn2Coast Outdoors hunting videos shares his e-scouting routine and stories from archery elk season.
The best duck call for beginners: Tips for picking your first duck call
Duck Hunting

The best duck call for beginners: Tips for picking your first duck call

Single reed. Double reed. Wood vs. poly vs. acrylic. How do you know which one makes the best duck call for beginners?
Pre-season decoy prep: 6 dos and don’ts to keep your rigs fresh
Duck Hunting

Pre-season decoy prep: 6 dos and don’ts to keep your rigs fresh

Experienced duck hunter shares his pre-season decoy prep dos and don’ts. It just takes a couple of minutes to clean and check your rigs and will pay dividends in terms of a successful season.
Pre-Season waterfowl checklist: 6 things to do before the duck opener
Duck Hunting

Pre-Season waterfowl checklist: 6 things to do before the duck opener

Experienced hunter M.D. Johnson shares six pre-season tips to help make your duck opener a success. Find out what gear he packs and how he prepares.
Slayer's Drake Slayer in Green, Voted best by Field and Stream
Duck Call Demos

Slayer's Tanner Hardy Demos the BEST Double Reed Duck Call

Rated BEST double reed duck call by Field & Stream, the Drake Slayer is versatile and easy-to-use. Great for beginners and experts.
Slayer pro team member show with the Ranger double reed duck call in orange
Duck Call Demos

Slayer's New Ranger Duck Call Features a Wider Exhaust & Longer Tone Board

The Ranger duck call features a wider exhaust and longer tone board, allowing it to take in more air. More air means more volume!