Once you have hunted with a good retriever, you will want one as your own hunting dog. A duck dog lets you hunt places you couldn’t otherwise hunt—and take shots you wouldn’t otherwise take, for fear ...

ALONG THE RICE RIVER — The thermometer in the truck read 19 degrees when we pulled on waders and walked down to the water in the dark, but it felt much colder. Ice already covered the back bays on the ...