Outdoor tips with Jack Morris
BY JACK MORRIS
Sunday, January 27, 2013
More on cleaning up: Listen to a conversation with Jack Morris about cleaning up after duck season.
Now that duck season is wrapping up, if
you’re not going to chase geese, this is the time
to clean, sort and maintain all your gear.
Taking care of decoys is important if you want
them to last. You would be surprised how much
dirt collects on decoys and how that dirt dulls
the color and finish, especially if the dekes are
stored while dirty. Murphy’s Oil Soap is great on
decoys. Something about it seems to be good for
the finish and colors on dekes. A soft car wash
mitt is a great cleaning tool.
Decoys need more than just a rinse with the
garden hose if you want to keep them several
seasons. Sort your decoys and pull out any that
have minor leaks, missing weights, or other parts
or pieces in disrepair. I like to mark an X on mine
with a black magic marker for parts repair.
Gorilla glue and many of the epoxies are good
for making repairs. In floating decoys, look for
cracks where the weighted keel meets the body.
One note for those with Texas Rigs: hang
those decoys by the strings. Leave that monofilament
tied in a knot for a hot summer or balled
up inside a bag and the memory in the cord will
be a problem come next season.
After going through everything, make an
inventory list of things you need. The same goes
for gunners bags, decoy bags, waders and layout
blinds. Gunners bags are notorious for having
a field snack, crackers or even a sandwich left
inside.
Most critical of all, your gun needs a thorough
cleaning after a muddy, dusty duck season so
it will be ready for turkey season this spring or
skeet shooting this summer.
Jack Morris is a professional guide and host of Outdoor
Trails at 6 p.m. Thursdays on KTBZ am1430. Contact him at 918-691-3840, jackswildlife@cox.net or see tulsaworld.com/jackmorris.
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