Welcome Gene Carter from California.
He is third generation from the Yuba City area where waterfowl hunting like rice farming is an important aspect of life. His interest in duck hunting began at the age of ten on a nearby rice farm and hunting club that he still hunts to this day.
Put your hands together for Gene.
First Experiences
The first duck I killed was a hen mallard. We were hunting a creek that we knew had about 20 mallards in it that had been using it all summer as their home. We jumped and shot five out of that group, and it was the start of what has got me hooked for life.
The first banded bird I got was a hen mallard too. I shot it off of Two Mile Road in Colusa, CA in the mid 1980s. The duck was banded at Lower Klamath NWR.
Hunting Preferences and Motivations
I think everyone is picked to do something, both for work and outside interests, and for me hunting happens to be my calling.
Duck hunting and duck calling are my passions, but I was lured into the great sport of archery hunting by my oldest son and have found my way to Iowa and Nebraska, chasing whitetail deer the last few Fall seasons.
I primarily hunt private land, but have been know to hit a refuge or two each year too. Lots of rice field style of hunting in my area, but I like to hunt from boats, layout blinds, or hunkered down in the tules too.
Over the years, I've had the privilege of hunting ducks and geese all over California. But for me, there is nothing more special than sitting in my own duck blind with a hot cup of coffee and good friends, on an early, cold, misty, winter morning with the Sutter Buttes as a backdrop. That is something I definitely don't take for granted.
When I hit my early 20's, I got really interested in duck calling. I eventually connected with a local gentleman who offered to teach me how to call ducks. After a few weeks of lessons, I was hooked on duck calling.
From my experiences over 40 years, I eventually founded Sutter Basin Duck Calls.
Every situation in the field is different and many strategies can be used. One day a north wind could be blowing, and another day the valley fog could be socked in, so you have to adapt, and use different techniques to be successful. Always watch what the birds are doing too, you can learn a lot from them.
Stubborn Specks
It was probably around 1972-73, and my friend Charlie and I were hunting in early November at his dad's freshly cut rice field. We set out a dozen Johnston silhouette honker decoys and buried ourselves in the rice stubble. The morning was crisp and cool, and the newly cut rice was a sweet smell to a couple of kids.
Right at first light, we had a pair of specks come by, chattering between themselves. We both had Olt 50 flute calls, and we honked at them, but they never even took a look. When reflecting on my waterfowl career, it is always that day that tends to pop into my head first of all the many cherished hunting moments I have experienced. Sometimes it feels like it happened just yesterday.
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