Minnesota is home to a new national waterfowling magazine, American Waterfowler. The Brainerd-based publication will publish six times a year and it bills itself as the "The Duck And Goose Hunter's Ultimate Resource."

"We saw a need for an all-hunting magazine that focused on today's waterfowler - mobile, dedicated and cutting edge - while paying homage to the deep traditions of the sport," American Waterfowler Editor Jay Strangis told me via email, "Few things in our American culture have the long and colorful history that waterfowling does. The federal duck stamp goes back more than 75 years, and for many decades prior to that, their was a rich gunning tradition that included sport as well as market hunting."

The ideas and content for American Waterfowler magazine comes from a group of dedicated hunters who also happen to be outdoor writers and editors. While this new waterfowl mag will cover conservation and support it in a broad way (it is the official publication for Waterfowl USA), the main focus is hunting. "We are dedicated to getting hunters to the birds, telling the stories of the hunt while covering the latest in gear and tactics that improve every waterfowler's overall experience in the field," Strangis said, "We also respect the best part of every hunt - dogs and dog work."

I received my initial copy of American Waterfowler last week and loved it. It didn't hurt that the cover art is "Winter Snows" by Terry Redlin, my all-time favorite print (my dad purchased it before Redlin hit the big time, and it hangs in my parents' entryway to this day). It also doesn't hurt that I'm genetically predisposed to love hunting. If you love anything, or everything, about duck and goose hunting, I think you'll love American Waterfowler, too.