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The New Flyway Insulated Jacket and Bib for Waterfowl Hunting

Friday, September 18, 2026
Written by Shotgun Life Staff
Categories: News
Tags: flyway, nexusoutdoors, waterfowlgear, waterfowlhunting
Flyway

Sept. 18, 2026 — Muskegon, MI – Blocker Outdoors has been outfitting hunters since 1998, building a name on hardworking big-game apparel trusted in the field for 26 years. That same standard now shows up in the Flyway Insulated Jacket and Bib, designed for those cherished cold, wet mornings when birds are on the move.

Blocker Outdoors didn’t get here by accident, either. The Finisher Turkey Series launched a few years back as a focused answer for spring turkey hunters, and it didn’t stay small for long. Loyal customers built entire turkey-season kits around it, and Blocker has kept expanding the line year after year, from packs to pants to a heritage camo revival hunters still talk about.

That same standard shows up in the new Flyway line, too. Blocker didn’t chase a trend into the duck blind. It brought the same construction and attention to detail that’s built its reputation everywhere else.

“Honestly, this one’s overdue,” said Steve Allie, Marketing Director for NEXUS Outdoors. “We build gear that holds up, and it was only a matter of time before that showed up in the duck blind. Flyway gets it there, and it’s a good one.”

Cold, wet mornings are just part of the deal in a duck blind, and most hunters wouldn’t trade them for anything. What shouldn’t be part of the deal is fighting your gear on top of it. The Flyway Jacket and Bib are built to take the discomfort out of those conditions, so the only thing on your mind is the birds working the decoys, starting with what’s keeping the water out in the first place.

RainBlocker: Built to Keep Water Where It Belongs

At the core of both pieces is a RainBlocker® waterproof 10K/10K membrane, fully taped at every seam. The 10K rating means the fabric can withstand serious water pressure without leaking through, while staying breathable enough that a hunter isn’t trading rain protection for a sweat-soaked base layer.

Taped seams close off the one place untreated stitching always leaks first, so the whole garment works as one sealed system instead of a fabric that’s only as waterproof as its weakest seam.

Warmth That Works, Details That Disappear

The Jacket runs 120 grams of insulation through the body and 80 grams in the hood and sleeves, holding heat where a hunter needs it most without adding bulk. The honeycomb polyester shell isn’t just a name on a spec sheet, either. Look close and the texture is genuinely woven into the fabric, and it’s what keeps movement quiet in the blind.

That same attention to detail shows up in the small things: an adjustable tab at each cuff seals out cold air over a glove, a snap at the hem locks the fit down tight, and the zippered chest pocket is cut deep enough to carry a phone in a case without a bulge or a fight with the zipper.

“We didn’t want to just put our name on a waterfowl jacket and call it done,” Allie said. “Waterfowl hunters sit still in the worst conditions of the season, so the bar for staying dry and warm is higher than almost anywhere else in hunting. We built the Flyway line to meet that bar, down to the stitching.”

Built to Match, Built to Move

The Bib carries the same RainBlocker protection and 120 grams of insulation, with a smooth lining that slides easily over base layers, even before sunrise. Full-length side zippers make it simple to pull the Bib on and off over boots, angled thigh pockets keep gear within reach, and adjustable elastic suspenders round out the fit. Both pieces carry the same tailored, athletic cut that’s defined Blocker’s apparel for years, not the boxy, sack-like fit that’s common in budget waterfowl gear.

“Nobody quits a hunt because of their jacket,” Allie added. “They quit because they’re cold and wet from the waist down. That’s the half of the equation the Bib is built to solve.”

Fit That Doesn’t Get in the Way

Fit isn’t an afterthought at Blocker, either. It’s something the brand tests and refines on every piece it designs, and the Flyway Jacket and Bib both got that same treatment. The range of motion on each is excellent, whether you’re hiking into the marsh or crouched low in the blind waiting on a flock to commit. Nothing binds, nothing rides up, nothing fights you when you finally do have to move fast, and that includes raising and swinging the barrel.

Both pieces are available now in Mossy Oak Bottomland, a pattern developed for the flooded timber and marsh environments where waterfowl hunters spend their season. At $149 each, the Flyway Jacket and Bib deliver on that same Blocker standard once again — the kind of value that makes the price look like a typo.

Flyway Insulated Jacket FEATURES:

  • Quiet honeycomb polyester shell, lined with poly tricot and smooth poly sleeves so layers don’t bind
  • RainBlocker® waterproof 10K/10K membrane and taped seams to keep you dry
  • Warmth where you need it: 120g body insulation, 80g in the hood and sleeves
  • Fleece-lined handwarmer pockets that snap shut
  • 5 pockets: 1 zip chest sized for a phone, 2 top-load snap waist, 2 open side-entry
  • Adjustable hood, cuff tabs, and snap-closure hem to shut out wind and rain

PATTERN: Mossy Oak bottomland

SIZES: S – 3XL

MSRP $149.99

Flyway Insulated Bib FEATURES:

  • Quiet honeycomb polyester shell with a smooth lining that slides over base layers, even in the dark
  • RainBlocker® waterproof 10K/10K membrane and taped seams to keep you dry
  • 120g insulation for warmth on long, cold sits
  • Fleece-lined handwarmer pockets
  • 3 pockets: 1 chest zip, 2 angled thigh snap-closure
  • Full-length side seam zippers so they go on and come off over boots
  • Adjustable elastic suspenders

PATTERN: Mossy Oak bottomland

SIZES: S – 3XL

MSRP $149.99

ABOUT NEXUS OUTDOORS: Nexus Outdoors, headquartered in Muskegon, MI, USA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of performance, hunting and casual odor-controlling apparel, footwear and equipment under the ScentLok Technologies®, OZ®, Blocker Outdoors®, Whitewater Fishing®, Hardcore® Waterfowl, TUO, and Tree Spider® brands. It also owns American Range Systems, manufacturer and distributor of the world’s strongest and safest bullet traps. Nexus Outdoors is the only company with access to all scent-controlling technologies, including their patented Carbon Alloy™ and Cold Fusion Carbon™ technologies, which provide superior success in the field. ScentLok and Blocker Outdoors are pioneers in the hunting industry, which many credit with creating a market focused on superior scent control to get closer to big game

Light Goose Conservation Order

Thursday, March 19, 2026
Written by Shotgun Life
Categories: Briefs
Tags: #goosehunting, goosedecoys, nexusoutdoors
Nexus
Written by Jay Anglin

MUSKEGON, Mich. (March 18, 2026) – The Light Goose Conservation Order (LGCO) is considered an annual tradition for many waterfowl hunters since it began in 1999. There is no other waterfowl opportunity in North America offering such latitude when it comes to regulations: No magazine restrictions, no daily bag or possession limit, use of electronic callers is permitted, and you can shoot 30 minutes past sunset – all sacred no-no’s across the US during regular waterfowl seasons regulated by state and federal law enforcement. Besides the potential for high volume shoots, anybody who participates in this unique opportunity will tell you it’s the spectacle of the spring migration that keeps them coming back.

On the best migration days hunters should expect to witness waves of various waterfowl and other bird species rolling past, but no other species of waterfowl surpasses the lesser snow goose in number and density during migration. It’s common to see hordes of snows and their smaller cousins Ross’s geese mob an area on the ground and in the air, in what can only be described as an incredible sight to behold. 

The Mid-Continent population of light geese primarily migrate through the watersheds of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers consistently congregating in key areas within Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, eventually packing into the neck of their hourglass shaped migration corridor in North and South Dakota. For all practical purposes, the Dakotas is where ‘CO hunters make their final stands. This typically begins sometime in mid-March but may extend into May when the bulk of these Arctic geese push into Canada and eventually hundreds of miles to the north of the border to tundra nesting grounds. 

Outfitters and guides follow snow geese as they move northward, often starting in Arkansas and chasing the best concentrations into the Dakotas and stopping along the way in key regions such as Southern Illinois, Northwest Missouri, and the Rainwater Basin of Nebraska, among others. Hardcore Waterfowl guide partner JR Borchelt of Waterfowl Assassins has been pursuing snows for decades and finishes his annual odyssey in the Dakotas. And if you want to get in on the fun, timing is critical.

“Generally, I book my hunts for South Dakota in the northern half of the state during late March thru mid-April,” said Borchelt. “I don’t run any guided hunts in North Dakota, but I do fun hunt up there mid to late April. How long we can run in South Dakota really depends on the weather and how eager light geese are to push north. Most years you can shoot snows in northern South Dakota into the last week of April, which I’ve done. But I’ve also chased them to the Canadian border as late as the first week of May.” 

According Borchelt, hunting the Dakotas has advantages and disadvantages when it comes to spring snows. “One advantage is typically hunting pressure is a little more spaced out, and this is likely due to the fact there is a lot more water to roost on with the pothole region being right there. However, South Dakota’s ever-changing weather presents challenges. Also, since it’s further north these birds have been chased all the way from the southern end of the flyway to the top and they’ve seen every spread and heard every e-caller. You must be extremely well hidden, and, ideally, try to find tactics that are unique in some ways to look and sound different.”

The debate on windsock vs full body has raged on for decades and there are some hunters who will swear by one or the other. The truth is both have their days. That said, full bodies are far more realistic and often require fewer decoys to do the job, plus they are far more durable and capable of handling permanent spread status with zero regard for the near guaranteed inclement weather associated with hunting snow geese during the LGCO. 

The biggest issues associated with full body decoys is transporting them due to their size, but there is a great option for hunters concerned about the prospect of investing in a larger decoy trailer to store a full body spread.

Borchelt is sold on one brand full body for several reasons: Hardcore.

“Hardcore full body snow goose decoys are very close to actual life size, while other decoys companies are trying to make them bigger for visibility,” he explained. “Frankly, larger decoys hurt you on the versatility side, whereas you can pack a lot more Hardcores due to their realistic size, and their weight is significantly less than compared to other brands. We regularly fit 1,000 or more Hardcore full bodies in a smaller trailer, and you simply cannot do that with any other brand of decoy. Socks may be the most condensable decoy, but if you want durability and realism, not to mention much better motion and a fair price, then Hardcore is what I’d choose.”

Snow geese are notorious for their propensity to travel and feed in huge concentrations. Subsequently, decoy spreads are notoriously big, and in some cases bordering on ridiculously enormous. “The number of decoys is extremely situational,” said Borchelt. “Hunting feeds vs. traffic or migrators – juvies vs adults? Personally, I want all the tools in my arsenal to be able to handle varying situations. Generally, I’ll go with 1,200+ for migrator rigs and about 400 or 500 for feed chasing. Typically, I’m not chasing feeds unless it’s a larger concentration of juvies, so I’m usually dealing with a big spread of full bodies.”

One of the most unique aspects of the LGCO is the legal use of electronic calls. Adult snow geese are notoriously difficult to finish and the ability to employ professionally recorded snow goose vocalizations via e-callers is often a huge advantage for hunters. E-callers are especially useful for hailing sky high migrant flocks down. However, snow geese have grown increasingly wise to the e-caller with many hunters using the same call tracks day after day, season after season. And snow geese seem to retain knowledge better than other species of waterfowl as well. 

“These birds have heard it all by the time they get as far north as the Dakotas and it’s important to keep this in mind,” added Borchelt. “I’ll use less sound when hunting feeds because they are already coming there, but when hunting migrators, I’ll run 6 or 8 e-callers and multiple tracks and run them super loud, so it reaches them way up there. Lots of sound!”

Many waterfowl hunters may be over it by the time snow geese hit the Dakotas during their spring migration, but this may be the best opportunity of the Conservation Order to hunt big concentrations of snow geese with less competition from hunters. There are turkeys to be hunted soon, and fishing may be picking up fast, but a grand finale spring snow goose hunt in the Dakotas is well worth the effort. 

Jay Anglin is a writer with Traditions Media, LLC.

ABOUT NEXUS OUTDOORS
Nexus Outdoors, headquartered in Muskegon, MI, USA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of performance, hunting and casual odor-controlling apparel, footwear and equipment under the ScentLok Technologies®, OZ®, Blocker Outdoors®, Whitewater, HARDCORE, and Tree Spider® brands. It also owns American Range Systems, manufacturer and distributor of the world’s strongest and safest bullet traps. Nexus Outdoors is the only company with access to all scent-controlling technologies, including their patented Carbon Alloy™ and Cold Fusion Catalyst™ technologies, which provide superior success in the field. ScentLok and Blocker Outdoors are pioneers in the hunting industry, which many credit with creating a market focused on superior scent control to get closer to big game. https://nexus-outdoors.com

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