Gun ownership continues to grow at record levels in the United States, and concealed carry permits are increasing right alongside gun sales, reaching record levels last year with no end in sight.

The first rule I learned about waterfowl hunting is: be where the birds want to be. Good advice, but sometimes easier said than done. Scouting is a vital part of that and scouting locations early in the season and before is not only a smart move but also a good way to keep you on your game year-round..

Follow along for several basic duck calling tips that you will need in order to become a better caller and in turn increase your chances of bringing the ducks into shooting range.

On some days – all too rare days – wingshooting seems so easy. It’s as easy as pointing your finger and thinking, “bang!” When that happens, it’s because the clays seem as big as trashcan lids or the pheasants seem to fly in slow motion.

In trap, skeet, and sporting clays breaking 100 out of 100 targets in a round is a perfect score. It’s an accomplishment any shooter (especially a new shooter) can be proud of. Heck, don’t even worry about 100 straight – 25 and 50 straights are pretty sweet, too.

The choke tube wrench adapted to fit into the arbor of a cordless drill driver is apparently an urban legend – at least from the perspective of it being made commercially. Yet I’m sure a Frankenstein-ed version has shown up at the clays course on more than one occasion.

Like all respectable companies, Beretta has had its share of logos: the shield with the letters "PB" (for Pietro Beretta, the father of the industrialized Beretta,) the duck with open wings, and the more simple "Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta" are some of the representations that many of our readers will recognize. And then, there's the "Trident," which (truth be told) is not a trident at all.

A new shooter can often wonder where to begin in hunting. First off they need to attend a hunter education course to learn safety, responsibility and ethics. After completing a certification course, they are free to hunt, but where do they start?

My favorite way to kick off the hunting season is a dove hunt. My very first wingshooting experience was a dove hunt with a 16 gauge single barrel and a tobacco field. I think I managed to put three doves on the ground with two boxes of shotgun shells. At the end of the afternoon, I had a sore shoulder and a love for the fast flying birds that fly so hard they squeak.

We all know the gun range mantra of “eyes and ears” and, when we’re at the shooting range, many of us wear this protection without fail. However, it is not uncommon for a hunter to head to the woods without hearing protection in place.