Captain Christian Blough and Peter Wyckoff have been hunting together for more than 20 years and have chased waterfowl across the south, in the midwest and on the great plains. Here is some information on both of your guides!
Captain Christian Blough
I was born and raised in Southwest Michigan near Lake Michigan. Being a Blough, I have had some amazing outdoorsmen as mentors. My dad took me hunting and fishing whenever possible growing up, and I was fortunate to do a good deal of traveling with him. My dad used to bundle me up and take me along no matter what he did. I can remember going pike spearing at 5 years old and sleeping in the corner of the shanty. I got frost-bitten for the first time at age 6 on a December duck hunt in Nebraska. My mom still rags on my dad for that one.
Growing up near Lake Michigan I spent a lot of time fishing Lake Michigan for salmon. In high school I started deckhanding on charter boats and got my captains license at 19. I’ve spent the last 7 summers running a charter boat in Seward, Alaska for salmon and halibut. What an amazing place Alaska is. When I’m back in Michigan I spend as much time as I can waterfowl hunting, bow hunting, and chasing anything else in season.
Pete and I grew up together and have been best friends ever since I can remember. We hunt and fish hard whenever possible, but our true passion is chasing waterfowl. In 2008, we decided we wanted to get into diver hunting. Not being able to afford a new layout boat, we opted to build one. Two years later the “Quacker Wacker” was born from a set of plans and a lot of hard work on the weekends. We have diver fever and love the challenge open water presents. I can’t wait till Pete and I are out there this fall, laying side-by-side waiting for the next flight of birds!
Peter Wyckoff
Like Christian, I was grew up in Southwest Michigan, although I was a short distance inland. Growing up we always packed a rod or a shotgun, no matter where we were going and made sure to use whichever we brought along. I grew up hunting with my parents, uncles and grand fathers as well as my siblings and cousin. The majority of us hunted and it was the bond that kept us together.
I started my hunting career chasing wood ducks on small streams and wooded ponds. I did a lot of scouting to make sure I could back a couple birds. Although puddle jumping a few potholes was fun and rewarding for my dog, it doesn’t always produce a lot of birds. As I worked through college and finished my Fisheries and Wildlife Management degree, I realized there were more efficient and more effective ways to fill out a limit. I began scouting larger scale looking for primary migration corridors, high quality migration habitat within the corridors and what habitat can I gain access to hunt. I still partake in a puddle jump every now and then, but I look for thousands of birds for a hunt instead of 10 or 20 birds.
Christian and I had experienced layout hunting on trips separate from each other and both fell in love with the style of hunting. The birds get so close you can almost hit them with your barrel. When he proposed that we build a boat, I was all in. The two years of construction and my wife’s car out in the driveway instead of the garage were worth it. Our first successful hunt was on Lake St. Clair and we piled up a few lesser scaup in the first hour. We were both hooked. Every trip is highly anticipated and we can’t wait to share the experience with you!
