PARKER'S OUTFITTING
Waterfowl Hunting Packages
“THE BEST AND MOST COMFORTABLE WAY TO EXPERIENCE A REELFOOT LAKE DUCK HUNT IS FROM A REALLY NICE DUCK BLIND. WE LIKE TO BE HIDDEN WELL, EAT GOOD, STAY WARM, AND KILL DUCKS. YOU WILL NOT BE SITTING IN A BOAT BLIND OR STANDING IN THE WATER NEXT TO A GOOD DUCK BLIND – YOU WILL BE IN ONE”
Parker’s Outfitting specializes in waterfowl hunts on Reelfoot Lake and private ground near the lake in Tennessee. Ben and his family have enjoyed hunting the Reelfoot Lake area for 4 generations.
We enjoy having folks that love to hunt and have a great time. The most important parts of duck hunting for us is having a premium set up,
a comfortable blind to hunt from, good food, and good friends to share in the experience. If the birds fly, we are gonna kill ’em!”
Premium Group Waterfowl Hunt Package
$3,500 Per Day
This package is available for groups of “up to 10 people.” It includes premium lodging, guides, a hunt, and food during the hunt.
What To Expect
THE GEOGRAPHY OF REELFOOT LAKE
Reelfoot Lake was formed by a series of earthquakes back in the winter months of 1811 and 1812. The Mississippi River flooded and formed the lake in the middle of an ancient cypress forest outlined by river channels and oxbows of long ago. Currently the lake is approximately 16,000 acres and that includes the open lake, swampy areas, and woods surrounding the lake. On the most northern end of the lake sits Long Point Federal Refuge and along the east side of the lake you will find the Grassy Federal Refuge. A few miles south of the lake you will find Whites Lake Refuge and Lake Isom Refuge. To the west of the lake you will find the Mississippi River. Across the river you will find the Bootheel of Missouri. As you can see, Reelfoot Lake is in the middle of a major waterfowl migration crossing.
WHY WE SEE SO MANY DUCKS AT REELFOOT LAKE
The main reason we see ducks daily during the winter months at Reelfoot Lake is because we are about half way between the northern and southern ends of the Mississippi River Flyway. In my opinion that is the sweet spot because during the season the north winds push the ducks south and the south winds push the birds back north again. This process occurs every time Mother Nature feels like it. Because Reelfoot Lake is in the middle of that North/South Mississippi River Flyway we see an influx of waterfowl every time the weather changes. The hunting conditions are the greatest when we see a full weather cycle occuring about once a week during the season. The toughest hunting conditions are when we go longer than a week without a weather change. If it stays too cold for too long the migration slips past us to the south. If the weather stays warm for too long the birds hang out up north and do not fully migrate south.
AN ALL DAY HUNT
I have had the opportunity to waterfowl hunt in many different places in North America over the years. The one thing that is considerably different about Reelfoot Lake is that we are not necessarily hunting where the ducks feed early in the mornings. The lake is surrounded on all sides by wildlife refuges and flooded agricultural land. Because there are more places for waterfowl to feed and rest than ever before we do not see the amount of ducks “roosting” on Reelfoot Lake like we did when my grandfather hunted here. Today we are mainly focused on hunting migrating or traveling ducks. Some days we see 1000s of high migrating ducks cross the lake and on other days we see 1000s of “local” ducks that are trading back and forth between local refuges and fields within 100 miles or so. The best days are when we see both of those things happening at once. I always tell folks that we are not on an “early morning hunt.” Yes we have some early mornings that can be great but mostly we are hunting ducks that cross the lake throughout the day. For that reason all of our blinds are set up to be super comfortable for an all day hunt. On Reelfoot Lake we can legally hunt until shooting hours end at 3pm daily. We pack food and have heat so the hunt is like no other.
More Hunt Information
RULES AND INCLUSIONS:
We are not set up to accommodate customer dogs on our waterfowl hunts. Most of our blinds are not set up with dog boxes and ramps. We normally pick up ducks with our boats.
Legal shooting hours end at 3pm daily on Reelfoot Lake except for the last day of the season and on that day you can hunt until sunset. Most of my customers leave immediately after the hunt on the last day. If you have a long drive headed home most folks find a hotel and stay one step closer to home. If you prefer to stay one extra night I can give you some contact numbers so you can arrange your own lodging locally.
We have coffee and bottled water in all of blinds so please bring your own preferred soft drinks and choice snacks. Alcohol is illegal on Reefloot Lake during hunting season and not safe so don’t even ask.
LIST OF ITEMS TO BRING ON YOUR HUNT:
• Hunting license • Reelfoot Lake Peservation Permit • Federal Duck Stamp • Warm clothes/rain gear • Camo Outerwear • Wadders are not required • Face paint or Face Mask • Gun and Ammo • Bringing a backup gun is optional but suggested • No alcohol while hunting
For more information on our hunts and directions, please visit our Guest Info page.