Claudio Ongaro’s Hired to Hunt features some of the best waterfowl hunting in one of North America’s best regions.
Claudio Ongaro’s Hired to Hunt features some of the best waterfowl hunting in one of North America’s best regions. Claudio and his group of dedicated guides will take you on an adventure each and every episode in an effort to not only entertain and inform but educate. Claudio and his team will demonstrate proven techniques and provide insight on how to hunt Canada Geese, Specs, Snows, Pintails, and Mallards more effectively in diverse environments, with varying and challenging conditions. The extreme pressure and intensity of putting together 20 hunts per week for 9 weeks for clients from all over North America lends itself to its own kind of drama. Claudio Ongaro and his Guides have over 21 years of experience. They are “Hired to Hunt”, it’s what they do.
Taking people out hunting is Claudio Ongaro's and his crew job, every day.
On the same day as a Katy Perry concert, the boys have to set up this years Duck hunting weekend without Claudio while he takes his girls to the concert.
Claudio talks about the importance of spotting techniques.
What's said at the breakfast table... Stays at the breakfast table.
Waterfowl season has begun and the team has been out in full force scouting. Jason has a combo lined up for opening day. Brad keeps an eye on one of Jeff's hunts which has doubled in size overnight, which means he will guide twice in one day.
The team is eager to show these first-timers what hunting waterfowl at Ongaro's is all about. Dave's hunt goes sideways and stress levels rise. Hopefully all the scouting and preparation will be enough to bring these guys back again next year.
Early in the season it is late to bed and early to rise. Claudio is faced with a foggy morning pothole hunt. It is turnaround day and everyone has a job to do. Brad steps in to quarterback and guides his most memorable monster combo hunt ever.
Jeff double hunts, while Claudio focuses on the big picture for the week. He anticipates a smoker snow goose hunt which doesn't turn out exactly as he had hoped. Hunters don't always have to pull the trigger to have an experience of a lifetime.
Full moons and hot weather have the geese acting funny. Mel's geese won't cooperate and have him scrambling. Claudio is frustrated when his geese abandon the next day's hunt site and he can't lay his eyes on the ducks feeding in a hidden basin.
A group of Louisiana hunters are in for a big treat when an influx of birds come in from the North. Claudio is faced with a complicated but promising combo hunt and Jason has some decisions to make when the wind wreaks havoc with his scheduled hunt.
Mid season has its unique challenges and obstacles. Jason guides 40 ducks on a morning hunt and manages to secure a snow goose hunt for that afternoon. Later on that week Claudio pulls off his first 40/40 of the season.
Mel rolls in with 200 birds putting Barb in processing overdrive. Claudio feels the pressure to kill a limit of ducks and get his group of hunters wrapped up for an early flight. Brad panics when his geese don't show up when he expects them to.
It has been a grueling season and it is starting to take its toll on the team. Mel spots a hunt for Brad which should be slam dunk, while Claudio puts a tricky Saturday morning hunt together for Jason - sure hope he can pull this one off.
It is the final week at the lodge for this season and the Hired to Hunt team and gear are tired, tattered and torn. Despite that the hunts must go on. We wrap things up with four action packed hunts.
After 25 years Claudio thought he had seen it all. The birds, weather and the cook added more stress to an already chaotic situation. Other than early snow, cold front after cold front and wise adult birds, it's pretty much business as usual. Brace yourselves, there are 63 days of craziness coming.
Barb rose to the occasion and saved the day after the cook decided to quit and flee in the middle of the night. Claudio is still not sure how Barb managed to cook, clean and process birds. Mel pulls off a mixed bag and Claudio heads out to finish off the specs and ducks needed to cap off a perfect day.
An Arctic blast brings in flocks of birds from the north.
Inconsistency is the only constant on this three day tour. Bad weather rolls in causing us to make some interesting decisions on what to hunt and when. Tension rises as the ducks are one step ahead of us, making us look like fools. The weather finally breaks a sense of normalcy returns to the Lodge. We finish off this group in fine form.
Daryl scoops a big hunt while Claudio was on a duck hunt. They tag team the permission in the final minutes of light to set him up for a 24/24 hunt the following morning. Jeff hits the wall on his hunt and Mel checks a pothole to salvage Jeff's morning. Claudio hunts in the snow yet again and pulls off 32 ducks and 30 geese for his four guys.
Claudio is on the biggest hunt of his career. All eight hunters want in on it. Claudio puts all his eggs in one basket and it was worth it! Despite the heavy snowfall the birds were hungry and the set up was perfect. The birds did it and we crushed 'em.
Mel starts a group off on what was supposed to be a monster combo. The hunt goes a little sideways and his group ends up with 17 ducks and 23 geese. Daryl's group brings back a mixed pile and Brad cleans up Mel's hunter's limits on a sunny afternoon, while Claudio pulls off the only 100 plus snow goose hunt of the season - 112 adults, 2 juvies and a band!
We had high hopes the day following the biggest hunt of the season, but the reprieve from the nasty weather didn't last long and Jeff was hard at it in the deep snow once again. The cold and snow had the birds feeding throughout the day so we pulled a classic three county shuffle to get it done. Brad spotted it, Medl guided it, and Claudio brought the needed ear from the lodge.
With turn over day approaching and early flights out for our clients, Claudio is forced to give up a great duck hunt and hands it off to Jason so he can stay back take care of business. The cold morning sees most of the ducks fly after the hunters had pulled out. The guides are on crop patrol while Claudio makes a dash for the airport. Brad quarterbacks on two massive combo hunts.
Finally the weather gods are smiling. Mel is first on the board with a bunch of ducks and snows Jeff goes out and gets his guys some great honkers after Jason's perfect morning duck hunt. Claudio takes a group out on hunt Brad spotted and manages to pull off 85 snows and a few specs using his magical new decoy spread.
The weather holds and although most of the specs are gone there's still some great hunting to be had. Mel puts ducks in hunter's laps on a field hunt and Claudio is up setting up on a bunch of adult sows. Jason has a pod of ducks pull a switch on him while spotting but he anticipates the change and gets it done on a pothole again.
With standing crop that ducks have flattened and a roost that acts as a puddle - Brad's ducks give him some trouble but he reacts quickly and the hunter's experience some of the closest shooting of their lives. Mel rocked a snow goose hunt on a clear day and Claudio was up next on a huge piece of water in the morning and a puddle in the afternoon to wrap up with a limit of ducks.
Hot flat weather always makes for indecisive spotting. Brad waits and watches before making a critical decision while Jeff buttons up his hunt for the morning. The afternoon sees Mel and Daryl round out a smooth day despite the heat! Daryl shows us how to properly dress a Cabalas Shadow Free blind and how he puts the geese in hunters laps. All in all thats 4 more great hunts closer to the finish line.
Lots of big decisions to make on this tour. Complicated weather leading up to these three days, leaves us a bit dazed and confused. Jeff takes a group out and manages to scratch out a bunch of birds. Daryl cleans up with a mixed bag after the morning hunt while Claudio struggles with a big flock that decided not to come to the party. It doesnt make him happy, but it happens!
In this episode Brad rocks a combo in the rain after bumping into another group in the field. Claudio takes a group on a smoker pothole duck hunt that absolutely defines classic. He's guided a bunch of these and this one was fast furious and in tight with ducks a close as 5 yards! Later he takes a group on an afternoon field hunt for big honkers and after a few adjustments had the big geese doin 'it!
Some days things just dont go our way. Brad struggles with one group in the morning, then Claudio takes them out in the afternoon to finish their ducks, and also hopes for a bunch of geese. Well t didnt end that way. Jason goes out in his usual fine form, cleans up what he needed to wrap up a perfect day for his group. And finally Jeff goes out and endures a comedy of errors but manages to put smiles on his hunters faces.
This one is a doozy and despite Claudio's worries it all ended well. Claudio is on a field hunt that goes to the wire, although he was sweating it the entire evening, they got it done. On a double hunt day Claudio takes a group out back to back for morning ducks with failed geese, and spec redemption in the afternoon while crushing a bunch of snows in the process.
Claudio explains why Clone Decoys are an absolute beast of a secret weapon in your goose rig. Brad and Mel kick things off in the cold with two great spec and duck hunts. Mel falls short on his ducks so later that afternoon Claudio takes his group out to clean up a duck limit. It wasnt business as usual though, while he tried to lure in some bonus snows the specs were covering them up. Go figure!
Mel and Brad set their sights on two great hunts and knowing the competition among the guides you can bet theyre both eager to deliver the best goods of the morning. Mel wraps up the specs and ducks fast, but has trouble with the snows. Brad matches Mels hunt, for an all-round great morning for the guests! Jason chases snows in the afternoon and put the specs they couldnt shoot on their toes. It aint always about the kill!
The snows have arrived! Mel and Brad size things up on big snow, spec, and duck combos while Claudio watches a smaller hunt he pulls the pin on. Rain sets up Mel for a double hunt, while the rest of the team scrambles to get Brads hunters fed and over to Mel and bring Mels guys some hot food to the field. What a day!
Theres never is a dull moment at the Ongaro lodge! Even with 1000s of birds across the countryside, the morning spotting team must pick just the right hunt to finish a great day for the guests. With mornings not always going as planned, the afternoon teams can feel the pressure mounting, as the mornings hunt progress comes in via text! In this episode its Claudio, Mel and Brad getting it done with some amazing afternoon action for the guests.
With 2 lodges hundreds of kilometers apart, Claudio leaves Alberta and flies to the Saskatchewan Lodge to say hi to Daryls crew and give them a hand. With great hunting and action at both lodges, this episode captures the essence of water fowling across the prairies simultaneously. Its all amazing but just a bit different. Specs, snows and ducks were the predominant flavor this tour.
We bounce between both lodges in Alberta and Saskatchewan again and although Claudio never managed to sit in with guest during this tour, it was as hectic as ever for him while his amazing Hired to Hunt Team got it done in the field!
Getting to the finish line each Weds and Sat is always full of trials, tribulations and challenges. During this tour Claudio, Mel and Brad capture the stage. Mel experiences drama while spotting and gets blobbed by his birds but still manages a great morning. Brad field hunts for ducks from the Cabelas shadow free blinds and Claudio wraps up the tour with a classic pothole hunt for mallards. You just cant script this stuff.
Brad takes a group on a duck, snow and spec combo and has the hunters absolutely smothered in mallards. Although there are big flocks of snows to be chased during this tour they sure were jumpy. Claudio gets under a flock of snow geese and with a few wind related adjustments to the rig they had the geese dancing on their toes. What an epic way to end the season!
To kick off Season 8, Claudio brings you a barrel scorcher of a spring snow goose hunt. Claudio guides a group of 6 hunters to 300 snows the day after Brad piled up 266 on their first hunt!
On an early season duck and goose combo, Claudio gets to shoot with a group of three of the fastest guns he's hunted or guided with. He reminisces about the year the lodge was built in 1995. In eight and a half wild weeks he went from digging the hole, to a limit on honkers on opening day!
Claudio revisits and reminisces about his original goose chair from 1995, then he joins Daryl on a drawn-out combo and ended with another limit of ducks and geese.
Cabelas staffer Jason Ofner takes a group out during his 3 week guiding stint at the Ongaro lodge and crushes a limit of specs from the Cabelas Renegade Series Layouts for his group of 5. Jason Modin takes his group of 3 out with one of our local friends and shoots a limit of ducks out of the big bush!
Claudio reveals the best decoy rigs and set ups they use the most. From a simple layout blind field duck rig to a complex multi species arctic goose rig and a few in between. Then he and Mel take a group of hunters on a spring snow goose hunt.
Sometimes youre a day late to the party. Claudio takes out a group of five on a pothole shoot that should have been a slam dunk, but ended in a struggle that dragged on all morning.
Some weeks present more drama than others. Behind the scenes this week saw jumpier than normal birds, Claudio firing two different camera crews, a dead oven on turn around day, all while trying to sort out live video feeds with the WIld TV tech team. What a week!
In one of the craziest days afield yet, Claudio takes a group out on an goose hunt on a warm late October afternoon. Add having to do a Live TV segment between 5:30 and 6:00 with a 20 minute window for the geese to show up added more stress to an already hectic work day.
Claudio rewinds back to the first week in Sept when he first tested the Dive Bomb silhouette decoys on a hot windy afternoon. Even with the afternoon heat and sun the birds decoyed nicely despite Claudio having to make big adjustments for wind to get it done!
A look back at some great moments from Hired to Hunt’s past. Some of the best experiences we have had remastered!
Claudio looks back at six great hunts that have defined him, and the Ongaro’s Hired to Hunt team.
More Best of Hired to Hunt, what a ride it has been, more crazy action from the past!
Claudio takes you on a late season honker and duck hunt with non-other than Jacob Landry from the Swamp People. We wrap up Season 8 with Jason guiding Claudio and 3 guests from Louisiana on a spring snow goose hunt, putting most of the geese at our feet.
Get ready for Season 7 of Hired to Hunt. With no clients to hunt with during the coronavirus pandemic Claudio and the guide gang spotted hard and hunted harder. This season was all about shooting our lanes, testing new equipment and chasing new techniques we dare not try with clients. Some worked! Some didnt. All in all another great season is coming at you!! Live Hard! Hunt Harder!
Its definitely not business as usual for Claudio and the crew this year. Mornings are late and evenings are early! In this episode they hunt a pothole loaded with ducks. It's a classic no brainer pothole hunt, but with a front rolling through, it modified their mood just enough to make them work for it. Next on the list is a small duck and goose combo with big results. Bam!
In this episode Claudio is reunited with Brad Johnston who was one of his first guides dating back to 1994. His experience, humor, wisdom and candor is always welcome at camp. Claudio's cousin Justin Ongaro also joins this fast-paced epic field duck hunt . Ongaros Random Tips to the Hired to Hunt series is introduced.
Brad and Justin are still with Claudio, while Jason Modin rolls back into the lodge like a rock star for the afternoon hunt. Jason came back to help spot and hunt a few more times. Someones gotta do it right JayMO? We hunt an afternoon combo that Bones and Justin spotted that morning the ducks covered us up again, the specs were spooky and we managed to crumple a half limit of big honkers. Another tough day at the office!
JayMo spots a clean combo with ducks, specs, and big honkers at the ready. We slide in for the afternoon hunt with two local lads and decided to set up the big bush given the conditions and flock composition. We laid out the Band Collector full bodies in our three-pod horse-shoe pattern, stabbed three Clones and two spinning wing duck decoys in the hole and watched flight after flight try to touch down ten yards out. It never gets old!
Jason and Claudio spot another clean Canada goose, spec, and duck combo for a sunny hot afternoon hunt. This time the specs were far less than cooperative; in fact they didnt even come to the party. The Canadas that came stayed! We managed another 5 man limit of ducks while having several ducks hovering just over our heads. Happy times with great company on a sunny afternoon. Life is good!
Claudio takes his girlfriend Lisa on her first ever fall waterfowl hunt. Decoy Wear Snow and Spec hoodies are put to the test alongside the Cabelas Layout Blind and it all comes together for one stellar hunt with the specs absolutely dancing on their toes. The Clones and Sillo-Socks coax the wary geese in close and when the Benelli Super Black Eagle 3s barks the Hevi-Hammer delivers its lethal sting!
On a hot day with a bad moon rising and the wind laying down I had the pleasure of hunting with ace shooter and President of the Alberta Hunter Education Instructors Association Bob Gruzecki, and Daryl on our buddy Jonathon's 1/2 section. It was great to have Bobs hunting wisdom with us blended with the pleasure to have hunted with Jon several times since he was a young lad. It all seemed so fitting to have this group of hunters together. For the hunt, we decided to further test the Decoy Wear Hoodies but this time added two Spec Hoodies to my signature equipment cocktail.
This hunt ended up far more complicated than it needed to be. On a normal day in the parkland the geese should have gone back to roost but on our spotting day they didnt. A big field with too many hills, potholes and bluffs kept the birds in it all day feeding heavily and moving off of the prime spots into little pockets too far from the main feed. We set up on the only spot we could have and rolled the dice. Ahhhh 50 snows, 32 ducks, 20specs and a couple Canadas wasnt so bad.
Wow, the mallards gave it up on this smoker of an afternoon pothole hunt! It was a gnarly, nasty, flooded tangle, that was full of mallards using it to puddle, before feeding in the barley field the pond had been a part of since the ice age. 6 of us clamored our way through the tangled willows with decoys, blinds and buckets in tow to set up the perfect ambush. The Cabelas and Herters decoys centered the ducks despite the quartering wind It didnt take long for us to stack up 48 green heads with the Benellis dropping the Hevi-Hammer.
Bitter cold rolled in fast and had most of the birds heading south despite the pandemics border closures. With Albertas Minister of Environment Jason Nixon scheduled to hunt with us along with Outdoor Quest TVs TJ Shwanky and Vanessa Harrop to film a show about a show, the pressure was on for Jason and I to put two great days together under some harsh conditions. It was bitter sweet! The mallards ate us up but it was COLD!
Jason and I head out on a late season mallard hunt with three friends from British Columbia. I had spotted it a few days before when the snows, specs and ducks were all together. The bitter cold changed all that and moved the specs to warmer climates, the snows to one end of the massive field and the ducks on the other. It was drakes only on the hitlist this time and despite them dancing on the end of our barrels we still managed a few mistakes. It wasnt me Okay well maybe it was.
After four days of plummeting temperatures well below freezing even during the day and the roost water closing in on the birds with each passing hour, all we could do that night back at the lodge is hope the birds didnt decide to head south during the eve for our last hunt of the season. While experiencing the biggest snow goose blunder of my career, this hunt definitely ranked high as an all-time favourite. Nothing does it in the decoys like a late season mallard!!
Claudio Ongaro and Ducks Unlimited Canada team up to deliver a LIVE hunt in the field with some informative segments where the experts deliver some important information
In this episode Claudio gets to hunt Ducks and big Canada Geese. It ended well but could have been a lot worse!
Brad guides Claudio and 3 clients to 200 snow geese on one of the best hunts he has ever been on. Jason then guides Claudio and 5 clients to 27 big Canada geese and 3 specs on a hot afternoon in early September. If you have not hunted Alberta with Ongaro's ... it's definitely time to experience it!
On this hunt Daryl guides 5 clients and Claudio to 48 ducks and 48 geese to wrap up the perfect trip!
On this hunt Claudio guides 5 clients to 30 geese on a challenging hunt where he had to wait for the wind to make the adjustment. It ended well but could have been a lot worse!
A perfect morning for a 6-man duck hunt limit. Claudio gets to hunt with 5 clients while Mel guides the hunt. If you have not hunted Alberta with Ongaro's ... it's definitely time to book your trip.
On this hunt, Brad guides Claudio and 3 clients to 200 snow geese on "one of the best hunts I have ever been on." Come along on the wild ride known as Snow Goose Hunting with Claudio Ongaro and the guides as they makes sure your hunting adventures end with geese tight in the decoys. If you have not hunted Alberta with Ongaro's ... it's definitely times to book your trip.
On this hunt, Mel guides Claudio and 5 clients to 48 ducks and 5 big Canada geese. If you have not hunted Alberta with Ongaro's ... it's definitely times to book your trip.
On this hunt Jason guides Claudio and 5 clients to 27 big Canada geese and 3 specs on a hot afternoon in early September. If you have not hunted Alberta with Ongaro's ... it's definitely times to experience this!!
On this hunt Tyler guides Claudio and 5 clients to 48 ducks over a pothole in a rush to the airport. If you have not hunted Alberta with Ongaro's ... it's definitely times to experience this!!
On this hunt Claudio guides 5 clients to 30 geese on a challenging hunt where he had to wait for the wind to make the adjustment. It ended well but could have been a lot worse!!
On this hunt Daryl guides 5 clients and Claudio to 48 ducks and 48 geese to wrap up the perfect trip!
PART 2 this hunt Daryl guides 5 clients and Claudio to 48 ducks and 48 geese to wrap up the perfect trip!
Claudio and 5 hunters stack up 200 snow geese on this amazing hunt. Wow did they do it right!! This is snow goose hunting in Alberta at it's finest.
Claudio and 5 hunters stack up 200 snow geese on this amazing hunt. Wow did they do it right!! This is snow goose hunting in Alberta at it's finest.
Claudio takes out a group of hunters for a solid, clean and epic Alberta duck hunt! If you have not hunted Alberta with Ongaro's ... it's definitely times to book your trip.
Claudio leads a group of hunters on another amazing Alberta waterfowl hunt!
Claudio shares how his team spots right from the ground level to the final execution. Spotting leads to the ultimate success!
Claudio and 5 hunters stack up 200 snow geese on this amazing hunt. Wow did they do it right!! This is snow goose hunting in Alberta at it's finest.
On this hunt Claudio takes out a group of hunters for a solid, clean and epic Alberta duck hunt! Plus Claudio talks about location spotting and why it leads his hunts the ultimate success.
On this hunt Claudio takes a group of hunters on a spec and duck combo on the afternoon after Mel had trouble with his morning hunt. It was messy but we got it done and wrapped up a 160 bird days for 10 guns.
Claudio and 5 hunters stack up 200 snow geese on this amazing hunt. Wow did they do it right!! This is snow goose hunting in Alberta at it's finest.
I take a group of hunters on a spec and honker combo on an afternoon that was very hot and had no wind. With proper set up and great shooting, I managed to guide my group to the 29 geese they needed to cap off another perfect day at the Ongaro Lodge
Claudio takes a group of 5 hunters on a spec and duck combo and managed to wrap it up with 40 ducks, 40 specs and 4 snows in on a beautiful morning
Claudio takes a group of 5 hunters on a spec and duck combo and managed to wrap it up with 40 ducks, 40 specs and 4 snows in on a beautiful morning.
Claudio takes a group of 5 hunters on a spec and duck combo and managed to wrap it up with 40 ducks, 40 specs and 4 snows in on a beautiful morning.
Brian guides Claudio and 4 hunters on the duck hunt of a lifetime!
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