Summary: Here are some fundamental duck hunting tips that are sure to help you shoot a few more duck this hunting season. Nothing earth shattering by any means, but I have always thought that if I can master the fundamentals success is sure to follow.
Don’t Get Greedy – Far to often a group of hunters won’t shoot until the whole flock of ducks are right in the decoys. But far to often a small group of ducks will break out of a large flock and go for the dekes. If you have 6-8 ducks in the decoys, why wait for the other 50? Odds are your group will only shoot 5-8 birds any way.
Be Seen First - When hunting public lands in competitive situations the hunter with the most visible decoy spread will usually pull the most birds as these are the decoys the birds seen first. Consider adding a handful of super magnum drake mallard decoys to your spread to get and hold the birds’ attention.
Recover More Downed Ducks - Even with a good dog some ducks can be occasionally lost if the ducks can still swim. If a duck hits the water and its head is up or it can swim even a bit don’t hesitate to shoot it again. Don’t assume the dog will catch it. Be sure the wounded duck is well away from the dog when you shoot.
Small Water Jump Shooting - If the ducks simply aren’t flying you might as well take the game to them. Stock ponds, creeks, drainage ditches, and sloughs hold ducks until the water freezes. Most often you will have to crawl on your belly to the water's edge, jump to your feet, and hope the ducks will flush in range. If the ducks flush before you are in range don’t take a long shot. Get hidden as fast as you can because in most cases they will start returning in small groups.
Staying On Early Season Ducks - Early in the season, hunting pressure most often scatters local ducks off public marshes. To find and hunt these ducks a canoe works great to drift local rivers. Just drape some camo burlap over the bow, stay low, and use a short paddle. Stay tight to the shoreline when drifting and you surprise resting ducks and maybe even find a real honey hole for future hunts.
Every Year Is Different – No matter how good a particular spot was last season, don’t count on it this season. The only way to identify hot spots is to scout, scout, and scout some more.
Don’t Miss Migrator Days – Through out the season several migratory or flight days will occur. Typically ducks migrate in advance of storms and cold fronts, usually indicated by a northwest winds. When new ducks birds arrive from the north they will be unfamiliar with the new surroundings and eager to plop down and with other ducks. These new ducks will make anyone look like a world champion.
Have A Backup Plan – When hunting public land there is no guarantee you will be able to hunt the spot you found last night. Instead of panicking when finding other hunters in your spot, know ahead of time your plan B and plan C.
Use The Same Specie Decoys – In most situations using the same species of the ducks you are hunting will work much better than just throwing out any decoy. If your hunting pintails use pintail decoys, if hunting wood ducks use wood duck decoys.
Three Strikes And Shoot - If ducks don't land after three swings over your decoys, odds are they probably won't. Most often the best shots will be on the first or second swing.