How to Waterfowl Hunt

Spending time outdoors is one of my favorite things to do. There are so many things to do. One of my favorites is waterfowl hunting. There is no thrill quite like a big flock of ducks flying just ten feet away and landing. Waterfowl hunting is something anyone can do and is very easy to get into. I will take you through the biggest things to be able to duck hunt.

The first things needed while waterfowl hunting are decoys. There are two types of decoys: field and water. We are going to use water decoys. Water decoys come in many different breeds of ducks. You can get specific decoys for the ducks you will be hunting, but it does not matter. Typically, you are going to want two to four dozen decoys for a good spread. Another type of decoy is the mojo. A mojo is an electrically powered duck decoy that has spinning wings to attract ducks even more. Mojos are not a must, but they do help out a ton.

The next step is figuring out where to hunt. This is typically called scouting, which is done the day or a few days before you plan on hunting. While scouting, you want to drive around and try to find a good water area with ducks. There are plenty of public areas everywhere that have large bodies of water. When coming across an area that is not public, it is always possible to go and talk with the landowner for permission. Once an area with ducks has been found, look at the shore and see where the best place would be to set up. You want to look for an area with cattails along the edge, so you’ll have a good place to hide.

Once the day finally comes to go hunting, there is a lot to do before. While hunting, water waders are a must, which are water-proof boots and pants that go all the way up to your chest. Next, you are going to want to check the weather for the temperature and wind. You’ll want to dress accordingly. Now that we are finally at the field, we are going to want to walk to the spot we had picked out while scouting to put up our decoys. While putting decoys out, try to put them about five feet apart in all directions from where you will be hiding. The decoys are apart so the birds will have somewhere to land. Once the decoys are out, make sure you are hidden very well in some sort of brush, grass, or cattails. Be very still when birds are flying close by and try not to put anything bright out for the birds to see. Ducks will fly away from anything they don’t like, so it is important to stay hidden.

Now that the hunting is over and no more birds are flying, it is time to pick up everything. Be respectful of the land and to the environment and try to pick up all the garbage left behind. Now all there is to do is go and clean all the birds shot. There is so much more that can go into waterfowl hunting, and the more you do it, the more you will learn.