What are some basic tips and knowledge nuggets for a rookie duck hunter?
- Stay hidden and out of sight as they come in
- 50 yd shot max range? 30 yds and in is best
- Do they like to come in with or against the wind?
- Do they like to take off with or against the wind?
- Don't blow your call unless you know what you are doing (so keep it at the camp rookie!)
- Never shoot a duck on the water (unsportsman like conduct!)
- Count your kills and be aware of your limits
- What is the best resource to take with me to show the different types of ducks?
- anything else (Yes, I am sure there is, so fire away)
Thanks,
Stone

Since there is only one limit of ducks any given day and there is so much competition you will likely not get more than generalizations. Probably a lot of take me with you and I will teach you. Hard to find a mentor unless you have a good spot and will take someone with you. I tried this approach several years back and as much as you think people are here to talk about hunting and methods this is duck hunting. The most top secret event ever. You can probably do some searches and reading and find the answer to most of your questions. Do a lot of internet searches in google. You will even have luck with pretty specific questions. I dont know if the information you find will be accurate or one of the sly duck hunters trying to throw you off their trail.



PM sent.

I'm brand new to duck hunting myself,but guy and aggieduck gave me good info. Best advise I've got is hunt where they want to be,takes a little scouting. I'm not a full blown duck hunter by any means but I've had my best luck with less decoys 3 to 5 is what I've used. Don't over call or maybe I'm just not good at it. Killed all my ducks from legal to about 10 am,and like any hunting hide good.

just get out there...getting skunked duck hunting is still better than sitting at home or work

I believe the most important thing a new guy can do is go scouting. I have people all the time that want to take me to a new spot because I have all the gear and when I ask how many ducks were there, what kind, what time, EXACTLY where were they sitting when you saw them? and they say they don't know they were there last year when they drove by. You might kill a few like this but not limits, might be fun but you can do alot better. I will almost neverr hunt a spot I havent personally scouted or a very close friend scouted.

I usually put more time scouting in than hunting. If you can find the birds then locate EXACTLY where they are sitting and try to set up there. Sometimes you cant because of the lack of cover, property lines, etc. If you can't get in range then maybe go watch from a distance one morning and see where you can setup to still get some good shots, you will have better luck than going blindly and blowing the ducks out of the hole. As you become more experienced the less time you will need to scout likely as you become familiar with certain areas and the tactics that work in that area.

Some final tips:
-You can never be hidden enough. Your buddies will sometimes try to tell you its not necessary but I always say my place my rules so put some more brush around you.
-Never let your decoys sit on motionless water. Use a jerk rig!
-I mainly use a duck call to keep ducks from landing where I dont want them to land and sometimes they just happen to fly a little closer. Never call at ducks headed your way!

Are morning hunts generally more successful than evening hunts?

I was skunked my first 5 trips because I needed to learn what to do and not to do.

Most successful duck hunting is done in the morning unless you are hunting a roost.

I think scouting is overrated.Stay hidden buy a whisle and learn how to whistle when they get close shootem.Stay still.they will almost always land into the wind so set up accordingly.Leave a spot for them to land in the decoys.if you have trouble hittn em let em land and shoot em on the water.They taste the same...

The only thing I can add is keep in mind its called duck hunting, not duck killing. If you keep that mentallity you will enjoy the sport a lot more.

Once you have gotten familiar with duck hunting, don't forget to pass it on to someone and share the sport with love. Introduce it to others who have never tried it. That really makes it even more rewarding!

I've been hunting for many years, but am far from an expert, but I'll share what I can.

1. Stay hidden. The more you look like you're not a hunter the better. Even a little brush can make a big difference, but the most important is to remain still until you are ready to shoot if there's any way the ducks could see that movement. Movement with jump out to a duck. It does to humans as well. You don't see that deer till his ear moves....stay still.

2. Depending upon how good of a shot you are, get them as close as you can. I'd say stay within 25 yards. Closer the better. learn what lead is and make sure you're not just pointing your gun at a duck's butt. If it's a group of ducks, pick one to shoot at. Worry about the second duck after you're sure you got the first. Don't just shoot at the flock, you'll miss them all. If you have two ducks coming in, and they're both in range, take the one further away first, then you'll have time to get to the second, but until you've been doing it for a while, just work on getting one duck at a time.

3. Generally you don't shoot a duck on the water because it's almost like they have armor on with the wings folded etc. Aim for the head. I have no problem shooting a duck on the water if I was still enough for him to land in my spread, but I do enjoy jumping them then shooting them. It is strangely harder than you think to shoot a duck taking off the water vs one landing.

3. Ducks tend to prefer to land into the wind and take off into the wind, but will come in from different directions because of visibility etc. They like to be able to see their landing spot from a bit aways, so brush/trees can affect the direction they come/take off from.


4. Some will say ducks land in open spaces/don't like to land over other ducks, but I've found ducks land where they want, whether it's in the middle of a spread, right next to a decoy, in an open space, outside edge of spread, etc. Be mindful of the range to the outside edge of your decoys, they might land there.

5. Calling. I find that just a little "lonesome hen" Quack, Quack. Works better than a whole bunch of highballin.

6. Knowing what kind of duck is flying by can be hard, particularly as the heart gets pumping and when it's first light. Look for the big things that help them stand out. head colors, white/brown/whatever breast....This will take time to learn. If you're close to a limit of something, don't shoot till you're 100% sure what it is, even if you have to pass on some birds or let them land first.

7. don't forget your plug

8. Work on staying warm and dry. Nothing makes a hunt suck faster than being wet and cold. Don't get in a hurry wading through water, as it's a sure way to fall over and flood waders and perhaps even drown.

If I think of more, I'll add it, or you can ask more questions.

David

I would say know where the ducks want to be. Try to mimic the amount of ducks you saw previously. If you see 10 ducks sitting in a spot, when u hunt it dont put 5 dozen decoys. Also later in the season I try and use less decoys and pair the drakes and hens up.

Be camo'd out to the max. Brush, grass, behind trees, facemasks or face paint, gloves, shell boxes put away, shiny thermos hidden, etc...

I will shoot a duck on the water. I dont kill limits of greenheads when I go out, I usually scrounge for 4-8 ducks. As much time and money as I spend trying to kill ducks, I am not gonna pass it up. I usually stand up and if the duck flies, shoot it, if it sits still shoot it. Tastes the same!

Take your duck call with you and give it a shot. Note this does not mean blow it at every duck you see. Realize you are probably not very efficient with one and use in moderation, but no harm in sending a few quacks to ducks headed the other way.

There are alot of holier than thou duck hunters on here that think that people that dont shoot full limits of green are not worthy to hunt. Mixed in are some good ol boys that will help others out just to see younger generations getting into this magnificent sport. Alot of people wont help you here...doesnt take long to weed out the snobs! The important thing is getting out there and enjoying a morning on the water. Good luck!

I am very new to duck hunting as well, but have completely submerged myself in it!!

This is a good website...

http://www.ducks.org/

This is a great DVD to watch, I think anyways...

http://www.amazon.com/Duck-Commander-Phi...8882&sr=8-1

THANK YOU GUYS for the great advice. It is good to see that some duck hunters want to teach others the basics so that it increases the popularity of the sport and thereby brings a better appreciation of organizations like Ducks Unlimited. I will keep you posted on my successes and failures!
-Stone
ps- Speaking of failures, I learned a few weeks ago that it is nearly impossible to sneak up on ducks. I crawled on my belly through grass, mud and thorns chasing a group of 10 ducks swimming on a small river that cuts our land. They were always too far away when I popped out. They are damn SMART.

One more tip that hasn't been mentioned yet is, if you are hunting public land get there very early to get to your spot. There are a lot of duck hunters that are most likely wanting to hunt where you are wanting to. So get there early, and if you see someone beat you to your first spot then have a few backups in your head and go to one of them. Do not hunt close to ppl. Most hunters prefer you be at least 400 yards and out of sight, this is the general rule and etiquette.

About morning vs evening, GENERALLY duck hunters hunt early in the morning because that is when the ducks wake up and head out to the water to feed. In the evening if they are moving around it is most likely to roost, so they won't be flying to the water, but from it to their roost in the evening.

I learned that lessen after half a mile of stalking... Some learn fast; others, well it takes time.

Trial and error

You'll only learn from your own mistakes.

Just get out there and keep a fresh clear mind.

Personally if I was you, I would erase everything you already think you might know and start over. It'll stick with you and you'll have a better understanding of things. The more you hunt the more you learn...practice doesn't always make perfect...but perfect practice always does.

Now your abilities and gears limits

1)Don't try to run across a lake in a 12' boat with 3-4' swells..run the shore line or walk out
2) learn your ducks! Especially hens, take I book with you. Don't be afraid to not shoot if it could put you over the species limit.
3) remember a duck isn't worth your life, swimming to retrieve one in Ja
n is dangerous and proves nothing
4) have fun but be safe
5)if using a dog know his her limits and don't push them

I'll add a bit more about being hidden. When you make a blind, you want to 1) break up your outline so you don't look like a human standing/sitting there, 2) the blind shouldn't stand out as something that doesn't belong. 3) be mindful that the blind is potentially being looked at from any of 360 degrees and from an elevated position, not just straight out in front like a human would look at it. Think about what your blind looks like looking down into it. You want to blend in. If that means making a roof for the blind, or whatever, you want to blend in. The not moving helps a whole lot. Even if you can't get 100% blended in, a non moving camo covered human can look like a big stump....but remember, stumps don't move as ducks fly by.

Cover your face. Be it mud, facemask, etc.

Bring something to sit on. It gets old fast trying to stand still.

If you're in a boat. Wear your life jacket till you get to where you're going. Don't overload the boat.

If you're walking. Think about how you're going to carry all that stuff. Try to use water keel decoys if walking in. All that gear that felt light will be heavier on the walk out, due to some of it being wet, you being tired, and now you're also carrying ducks!

Decoy spread:

Unless you're hunting a big lake, you're going to likely be in some shallow backwater somewhere. Be mindful of the water. If it's too clear, the birds will see the strings. Wade around to stir up the mud. It makes it look like the ducks have been feeding and it hides the cords.

A little extra line lets your decoys move around, but too much lets them drift into each other. Water keel decoys tend to move around a bit easier than weighted keels, but as the waves get bigger don't look as natural.

Check all the decoys after you throw them out, as I'm sure you'll have some with cords around their necks.

Look at how the ducks tend to sit on the water. Are they in bunches close together, bunches spread out, in lines, etc? Mimic that with your spread.

When rigging up your decoys at first, tie some of the cords to the back of the keels, so when you throw them out, they're not all facing in the same direction all the time.

Shooting:

a fraction of a second longer to get a good first shot is much easier than trying to get a fleeing bird with a second or third shot.

Watch the duck hit the water early on. Make sure it's not going to just pick up and fly away or swim away or get lost in brush. See where it goes down. If you have to shoot it again on the ground/water, do it. It's no fun chasing down a wounded duck or watching it fly away when you turn around.

Don't forget to reload the gun. It's easy to shoot a couple at some ducks, go get them, and be ready again for more ducks to only realize you have one shell in the gun. Shoot the ducks, and while looking at where they are laying, reload the gun.

You don't have to run out and grab a dead duck right away. If he's dead there, wait a couple of minutes, there might be more ducks that are ready to work the decoys that you're going to scare aware if you go get the duck. But, if it fell in brush, you might want to go get it now lest you forget where it fell. If you have someone with you, have one of you that saw the duck fall stay in the blind and direct someone left/right to find the duck.

No matter how much I'm looking around, since I hunt small areas I tend to hear the ducks before I see them. Listen for their wings. Resist the urge to immediately turn to that sound (remember the non moving stump). Use that sound to help you know where they are. If you have to turn and look, do it very slowly.

Always take your gun with you; to get ducks, rearrange decoys, take a leak....ducks have a odd way of showing up while you're out of the blind, and you can't shoot them if you don't have your gun.

There is a guide around here that does a duck hunting 101 class. You should give him a call, but I heard shooting ducks is a bonus...

drake taker has some really good info. Do you plan on hunting ponds, rivers, lakes, sloughs, fields? A more specific question will bring more specific answers

My first year as well. Shot a wood duck drake, 2 green heads and an american widgeon drake. Getting them all mounted. Love seein them fly in. Heart goes to racin.

Trying for a Cinnamon teal and a read head before season is over. Heading out tomorrow again. Hopefully the cold pushed some new ducks down this way. Good luck to you and most of all have fun.

Good luck on the cinny

My buddy seen a few yesterday in a pond we dont have permission to hunt while he was working. Maybe they will be in the area though. Been reading alot on duck hunting. It is addicting. Lol.

Not sure about all the work that goes into blinds and camo, and especially face paint dont get me wrong I have built lots of blinds in my nearly 40 years of chaseing these birds but this season I hyave had some of the best huts EVER on PUBLIC land just sitting on the shoreline in a folding chair with a ghost white dog sittin next to me...

It has really got me thinkin