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Cupped Wings: That Sinking Feeling

Hunting ducks from a North Carolina curtain blind transports the author back to waterfowling’s storied past

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Cold Colorado

Hunting late-season ducks in the heart of the Rockies is an extreme sport

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Cupped Wings: Halftime

The best hunting of the year might be in front of you; here’s your midseason pep talk

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Hot Spots for Late-Season Ducks

When birds vanish from traditional areas, you can often find great hunting in these out-of-the-way places

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Cupped Wings: Closing the Circle

Preparing your game for the table can be a satisfying and meaningful part of the whole hunting experience

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Cupped Wings: The Swamp Goose Lottery

Hit the jackpot once and you’ll be hooked for life

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Cupped Wings: Greenhead Magic

There is something about mallards that stirs a waterfowler's soul

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Five Foolproof Waterfowl Recipes

You can’t miss with these delicious preparations

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Cupped Wings: Buried Treasure

There is no limit to what a hunter will do to recover a lost duck call

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Cupped Wings: Riding Around

With the right company, you can learn a lot about ducks—and life—simply by taking a drive

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The Mallard Report

An update on the conservation challenges facing the ever-popular greenhead and the status of its populations across North America

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Duck Camp Cocktails

Five spirited recipes for after-the-hunt-celebrations

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Wood Ducks: Play-By-Play

Follow the author’s game plan to bag more woodies this season

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One Acre at a Time

How Ducks Unlimited delivered a record 1 million acres of conservation in the past year

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Cupped Wings: The Radius of Truth

When it comes to protecting a honey hole, you shouldn’t lie, but you don’t have to tell the whole truth either

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A Big Win for Green Bay

With help from the legendary Packers franchise and grassroots DU supporters, this historic hunting and fishing hot spot has made a remarkable comeback

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Cupped Wings: Friends

Whether you’ve just met or have known each other for decades, good hunting buddies are worth their weight in shotgun shells

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Rescuing the Great Salt Lake

Conserving vital habitat and raising public awareness about this iconic western ecosystem

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Delta Blues

The author travels to south Louisiana for a rendezvous with blue-winged teal in the rich coastal marshes at the mouth of the Mississippi River

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Cupped Wings: Gotta Go

You can’t shoot’em from the couch

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Cupped Wings: Lost

The ducks deserve our best efforts to reduce crippling losses

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Time Traveler

A master decoy carver and creator of painstakingly accurate scale models and dioramas, Tom Boozer is keeping history alive from his workshop in South Carolina's Lowcountry

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Cupped Wings: Afterglow

Between getting skunked and getting a limit, there's a lot to appreciate about a duck hunt

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A Waterfowler’s Retirement Plan

Sage advice to help you prepare for the opportunities and challenges of hunting in your golden years

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Opening Day Odysseys

It’s the most anticipated day of the year . . . and often the most memorable too

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The Golden Years

Hunting with an aging retriever can be simultaneously joyous and heartbreaking

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How Duck Hunters are Saving the Planet

By supporting efforts to conserve wetlands and broader landscapes across North America, waterfowlers are doing their part to make the world a better place

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Cupped Wings: Another Sunrise

There are many different ways to measure waterfowling success

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Can We Save the Great Salt Lake?

On a waterfowling trip to Utah’s famous inland sea, the author gets a firsthand look at the crisis facing one of the most important wetland ecosystems in the arid West

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Cupped Wings: Breathing Life into Wood

Making a duck call by hand is a unique combination of art and science

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Cupped Wings: The Quest

There’s a duck hole out there with your name on it

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DU Special Report: Pintails on the Brink

With a record-low breeding population surveyed last spring, pintails just missed the threshold that would have required a closed season. Following is an update on the status of these highly admired birds

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Cupped Wings: Silhouettes

Powerful images inspire memories of past hunts and influence the shape of things to come

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Modern-Day Waterman

On Maine's Merrymeeting Bay, boat-builder and decoy-carver Frank Middleton has immersed himself in the customs and traditions that define this unique region

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Cupped Wings: Gobsmacked

You know that getting skunked is part of the game, but that doesn't make it any easier

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Photo Essay: Fall is in the Air

A photographic tribute to the fall migration

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The Duck Chase

After a two-year pause, the dedicated men and women who survey North America’s most important waterfowl breeding grounds were back in the field this spring

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Ducks at a Distance

This classic ID guide, first published nearly six decades ago, is still a go-to resource for waterfowlers

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Cupped Wings: Blind Ambitions

Whether ramshackle or regal, duck blinds represent the hopes and dreams of their builders

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This Land is Your Land

Ducks Unlimited and its partners are working to improve waterfowl habitat and hunting access on public lands across the United States

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The Camp

With apologies to Thomas Wolfe, you can go home again

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Crosswinds: The Flush

This thrilling moment is a float hunter’s ultimate rush

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Crosswinds: The In-Between Times

The lull before the final act serves as a time to prepare

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Crosswinds: Picked Clean

The author reflects on the simple pleasure of plucking a fat duck for the table

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Crosswinds: Going Crazy

The chaos of duck season can force hunters into unusual tactics

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Crosswinds: Saskatchewan Feels

A sense of calm and belonging amidst the chaos of a Saskatchewan goose field

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Crosswinds: Wood Duck Complex

This beautiful, acrobatic species is the symbol of early fall for many hunters

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Crosswinds: Of Teal . . . and Excuses

These aerial acrobats can serve up humble pie for shotgunners

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Crosswinds: The First Taste of Duck Season

The author details his unique early-season reminder that ducks are on the way

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Ducks and A Lot More

A multitude of wildlife species benefit from DU's work in addition to waterfowl

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Lessons for the Late Season

The author self-evaluates and revamps his approach for the final weeks of duck season

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Crosswinds: Waiting

Patience is a virtue that waterfowlers have learned to accept

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Hunting the Freeze Line

Magic can happen when you are on the edge

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Crosswinds: Smells Like Duck Camp

Some smells are difficult to forget

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Crosswinds: Christmas Breather

Enjoy a Christmas break from the duck blind

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Science of Waterfowling

Four DU biologists, who are also hard-core waterfowlers, share their proven tactics for a successful day in the marsh

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Crosswinds: I See Spots

The author's retriever senses that change is in the air

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Crosswinds: Back in the Groove

The many “firsts” of the season are soon upon us

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Crosswinds: Christmas in September

The author revels in the beginning of hunting season

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Fall Break on the Prairies

On a freelance hunting adventure in North Dakota, a father and son find themselves at the intersection of waterfowling dreams and reality

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Crosswinds: Cool Breeze

Even the slightest shifts of wind are noticeable to those who are paying attention

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Crosswinds: Turn the Page

The author’s end of summer isn’t based on the calendar

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Crosswinds: Road Tripping

Fall road trips begin as a glimmer of hope in the author's mind

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Going Alone

When you're all by yourself in the duck woods, every moment is yours to treasure

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Crosswinds: Dog Days of Summer 2020

The author’s Labrador retriever is living her best life, but change is coming

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Crosswinds: Making Plans

Even in these uncertain times, we can all look forward to a glorious fall

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Crosswinds: Two Kinds of People

Those with an obsession with waterfowl are easy to identify

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Crosswinds: Nesting Time

Across the breeding grounds, ducks and geese are getting down to the business of procreation

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Crosswinds: Spring Cleanup

Sheltering in place gives waterfowlers time to sort through gear and relive memories from last season

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T. Edward Nickens

Contributing Editor of Ducks Unlimited magazine

All articles by T. Edward Nickens

Cupped Wings: That Sinking Feeling

Cold Colorado

Cupped Wings: Halftime

Hot Spots for Late-Season Ducks

Cupped Wings: Closing the Circle

Cupped Wings: The Swamp Goose Lottery

Cupped Wings: Greenhead Magic

Five Foolproof Waterfowl Recipes

Cupped Wings: Buried Treasure

Cupped Wings: Riding Around

The Mallard Report

Duck Camp Cocktails

Wood Ducks: Play-By-Play

One Acre at a Time

Cupped Wings: The Radius of Truth

A Big Win for Green Bay

Cupped Wings: Friends

Rescuing the Great Salt Lake

Delta Blues

Cupped Wings: Gotta Go

Cupped Wings: Lost

Time Traveler

Cupped Wings: Afterglow

A Waterfowler’s Retirement Plan

Opening Day Odysseys

The Golden Years

How Duck Hunters are Saving the Planet

Cupped Wings: Another Sunrise

Can We Save the Great Salt Lake?

Cupped Wings: Breathing Life into Wood

Cupped Wings: The Quest

DU Special Report: Pintails on the Brink

Cupped Wings: Silhouettes

Modern-Day Waterman

Cupped Wings: Gobsmacked

Photo Essay: Fall is in the Air

The Duck Chase

Ducks at a Distance

Cupped Wings: Blind Ambitions

This Land is Your Land

The Camp

Crosswinds: The Flush

Crosswinds: The In-Between Times

Crosswinds: Picked Clean

Crosswinds: Going Crazy

Crosswinds: Saskatchewan Feels

Crosswinds: Wood Duck Complex

Crosswinds: Of Teal . . . and Excuses

Crosswinds: The First Taste of Duck Season

Ducks and A Lot More

Lessons for the Late Season

Crosswinds: Waiting

Hunting the Freeze Line

Crosswinds: Smells Like Duck Camp

Crosswinds: Christmas Breather

Science of Waterfowling

Crosswinds: I See Spots

Crosswinds: Back in the Groove

Crosswinds: Christmas in September

Fall Break on the Prairies

Crosswinds: Cool Breeze

Crosswinds: Turn the Page

Crosswinds: Road Tripping

Going Alone

Crosswinds: Dog Days of Summer 2020

Crosswinds: Making Plans

Crosswinds: Two Kinds of People

Crosswinds: Nesting Time

Crosswinds: Spring Cleanup

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