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Duck hunting has long been and will probably always be one of the most popular forms of hunting. People love the fact that it takes skill, patience and great cunning as it requires you to be still and actually lure your prey to come to you, using a selection of duck calls, decoys, duck blinds and other hunting gear.
It is certainly not an easy way to hunt and if you are unfamiliar with this type of hunting then you can greatly increase your chances of success by mastering a few handy tips and techniques. And it just so happens…these tips are below!
Like pretty much any successful duck hunting trip, you really need the right gear. In fact…having the right gear is essential! Hunting ducks is hard enough without trying to cut corners on gear.
Rhino Blinds R180 3 Person See Through Hunting Ground Blind, Realtree Edge
Boat or No Boat…
Want to get right out there on the water? Then you are gonna need a boat! If you are looking to purchase a boat then search for a smaller, lighter boat. This is important because a big boat is harder to set up in your waiting area and can also be harder and noisier to move if you have to. Also, you could very well be in that boat for many hours…sometimes even more so it is vital that your boat is comfortable enough for these duck hunting stake outs! Important still will be the ability of your boat to keep you concealed and out of view.
What Are Duck Blinds?
A crucial part of effective duck hunting is the use of duck blinds. A duck blind is basically an area where you can conceal yourself sort of like a duck stake out near ponds or lakes. They can be as simple or as extravagant as you like, the important factor is in keeping you out of sight while also being comfortable enough to wait for long periods of time. The boys from Duck Commander are wizards at creating duck blinds with excellent camouflage and more than enough room for a decent period of time while others can simply be a slight dug out in the ground, just enough to lie down in.
When decking out your duck blind, don’t forget to add in a few decoys to make the area seem safer and more natural. Also, when building your blind, make sure you check out your local rules and regulations as some states are quite particular about what you can and can not do.
Using Duck Calls
Just about every hunter will agree that learning how to call ducks is one of the most essential parts of duck hunting. And depending on the situation and also the species, there is a wide selection of duck calls you can use too. It is your choice of which duck call to use that can make or break a good hunting session. Many hunters agree that excessive calling when there are already plentiful amounts of ducks is a waste of time. It is about luring the ducks to your blind and for this you can use a variety of greeting calls, distress calls, whistles and feeding calls
Who’s gonna get your ducks?
Now one of the last but still very important aspects of duck hunting is the retrieval of your ducks! This is where a quality duck hunting dog is invaluable. You can purchase hunting dogs however I feel that it is always better to train your own dog and from a pup if possible. It takes a heap more effort but the benefits and results you can ultimately get as well as the special bond that only exists between a dog and his master are more than worth it.
Duck hunting is a fantastic and at times thrilling sport that also puts food on the table however it is not as simple as it sounds. The more you can learn about it and the better you equip yourself, the greater your chances of success!
