Being a successful waterfowl hunter is no accident, or a matter of luck. It is based upon desire, knowledge, skill, dedication, and the ability to adapt to any given situation.
For duck hunters that are looking for a limit of ducks every day of the season using techniques that best match a given hunting situation must be used and mastered. While some hunters may believe the only way to bag a limit is use set out a huge duck decoy spread, other hunters are able to bag a limit of ducks by using a hunting technique called jump shooting. A third technique refereed to as pass shooting can also be an effective technique. By knowing to how and when to use these techniques I guarantee you consistent hunting success through out the hunting season.
Hunting ducks over decoys is probably the most exciting and challenging technique. When hunting over decoys location is absolutely critical. Because a decoy and blind setup is stationary the hunter must wait for the ducks to come, versus the hunter finding the ducks. Hunting over decoys is a technique that requires many hours of scouting in order to find locations the ducks are using, or at least flying over. Preferably a hunter wants to setup a decoy spread where the ducks want to be. Of the three hunting techniques discussed in this article hunting over decoys is probably the best option for hunting ducks in large open areas such as marshes, reservoirs, or large rivers.
Jump shooting ducks can be a very effective technique when ducks are scattered, not flying due to weather conditions, or just have not been able to pattern them. The best locations for jump shooting are medium to small rivers, sloughs, or smaller potholes. Because these habitats are most often bordered with taller vegetation and/or trees a hunter can most often sneak up very close to a group of ducks. Staying hidden and moving silently are the keys to stalking ducks within shotgun range. While the sound of crunching leaves underfoot may not cause a group of ducks to take flight, it will alter them to your presence so try to minimize any noise. Jump shooting can mean a lot of walking, but it remains a very effective hunting technique when the ducks simply are not very active.
Pass shooting is a technique when a hunter simply shoots at passing ducks. With this hunting technique choosing the right location and staying hidden is very important. Choosing the right location often takes hours of observing the flight patterns of ducks in a given area. One of the best times to pass shoot ducks is opening day of the early hunting season when you're hunting ducks that were hatched in the area. With ducks that have hatched in a particular area it's usually fairly easy to identify predictable flight patterns. I will often choose to pass shoot on opening weekends when hunting public lands as all the shooting makes it almost impossible to decoy ducks.
While some duck hunters may frown upon jump shooting or pass shooting ducks I believe both are legitimate hunting techniques that will help any duck hunter take more ducks home. Please do not take shots at ducks that are outside your comfortable shotgun range, doing so only results in crippled birds and the waste of a valuable resource.
Keep in mind great duck callers are not born, or created overnight. But if your dedicated and willing to practice you will get there.
We have many articles and tips written for calling ducks on this site. There are three steps necessary to become a compentent duck caller. The first article you should read is How To Become A Great Duck Caller. When your ready to purchase a duck call be sure to reference our duck call guide page, Duck Calls
If you will be hunting in an area that is sheltered (i.e. flooded timber, small potholes, small timber ponds, etc.) you want a decoy that will give you realistic movement with a slight amount of wind. Your best choice under these conditions would be water keel decoys. They move well with only a limited amount of wind and they are very economical when compared to your other decoy choices.
On the other hand, if the area you'll be hunting is a larger body of water open to the wind, you want a decoy that will ride the waves and not flip or list if the waves get too big. Your best choice when hunting these conditions would be weighted keel decoys. They ride rougher water much better than water keel decoys do and if they do list or tip they will always sit back upright on there own.
Making your spread look as natural and real as possible is one of the keys to successful waterfowl hunting.
Next consider how you will be transporting your decoys. Your answer to this question will have a major impact on what type of decoys you should buy.
If the area that you'll be doing most of your hunting from requires you to "pack in" your equipment from long distances or through extremely tough conditions, you want your equipment to be as light as possible. In situations such as these, water keel decoys, silhouettes, or shell decoys will allow you to bring the most decoys with the least amount of weight.
When weight is not an issue because you can transport all of your equipment to your site by either a boat or truck, then your decision can be based on the conditions you'll be hunting rather than the weight you'll be carrying.
Lastly, we recommend that you buy quality first and than quantity. A quality decoy will have these traits. First, it will look life-like. Second, it will retain that life-like look for many years. Third, it won't leak, or break, the paint won't chip or peel, or the photo won't fade after just a few years of hunting.
For more information be sure to reference our duck decoy guide page, Duck Decoys.
First, you need to buy a shotgun that is comfortable and one that fits you. Many quality sporting goods stores have salesmen in their gun departments that can help you with this.
You can also contact a local trap, skeet, or sporting clay range and ask if they have someone that could help you with this. Many of the individuals who run these businesses do a great deal of shooting and have a great understanding of how a gun should fit.
Second, if you want a shotgun that allows you multiple shots, purchase a pump shotgun. A pump shotgun gives you these benefits.
Finally, we recommend that you purchase a shotgun that has a flat or camo finish. Your main goal here is to reduce the glare or shine from your barrel. While a camo finish isn't necessary, a camo finish will not rust.
Rule number one when buying shotgun shells: "Bigger does not always mean better". In fact, if you adhere to the "bigger is better theory"; you'll probably spend a lot more money on shotgun shells than you need too.
Over the years, we have killed more ducks and geese with standard 1 ¼ ounce loads than all other loads combined with shot size ranging from BB to #3 steel and we've saved thousands of dollars in the process.
Select your shotgun shells based on the birds you'll be hunting and the time of the year you'll be hunting them. Small ducks, early season ducks and geese, as well as decoyed ducks and geese don't require you to have "super magnum" loads.
Three-inch magnum shotgun shells, three and one-half inch super magnum shotgun shells, bismuth, tungsten and other high-end shotgun shells will all give you "extra range" and "more killing power" then standard loads, but are they necessary for you to succeed?
Here are three keys we recommend you consider when you purchase any of your camouflaged clothing.
Also, to insure that you're getting the quality you want and need, you may consider purchasing your camo outwear from companies that specialize in waterfowl hunting clothing. Columbia, Browning, Winchester, Remington, Mc Alister and 10X all make camo geared specifically for the waterfowl hunter. In addition, some of the larger catalogs have private labeled camouflage outwear designed for duck and goose hunters.
When choosing your footwear, you'll need to consider:
If you'll be field hunting ducks or geese, or if you are going to be hunting from a blind that does not require you to be in the water, a pair of waterproof insulated boots are all that are necessary. In fact, you probably already own a pair of boots that would work in these situations. There is no need to go out and buy new boots just for waterfowl hunting under these conditions.
If your waterfowl hunting will require you to be in the water, then you will need to buy boots just for hunting ducks or geese. The two standard choices are:
Hip boots are a great choice if you'll be hunting in water that is knee deep or below. Waders should be your footwear of choice if you'll be hunting in water that is above your knees.
Whether your choose waders or hip boots look for these qualities:
Once again, you need to consider the terrain you'll be hunting. If you'll be hunting in areas with lots of brush or fallen trees, or if you'll need to cross barbed wire fences to get to your spot you may want to consider choosing a boot that is highly abrasion and tear resistant. Hip boot or waders made of Cordura or a Lycra and denier nylon combination with neoprene waders would be your best choice.
Camouflaged waders or hip boots are nice but having them camouflaged is not required. Flat green, brown, or tan will work just fine and in many cases will save you money compared to the camouflaged waders and hip boots.
LaCrosse, Rocky, and Red Ball all make excellent hip boots and waders. Cabela's also has a fine line of private label hip boots and waders.
Duck Hunting Terms And Slang - Like any other sport duck hunters use a lot of different terms and slang. This article will help you better understand a duck hunting conversation.
Duck Indentification - Being able to identify the different species of ducks is critical not only to avoid a ticket, but also for selecting the right duck call. Here's a book that will help you learn and identify the different species of ducks.
Ten Commandments Of Shotgun Safety - Nothing is more important than gun safety. If your unsafe with a shotgun I doubt you will ever have to many hunting buddies...