Originally Posted by Hoyt HavocTec

First off, buy a 12 Ga. There's really no reason to go with anything else. Sub-gauges aren't nearly as effective, and 10 Ga ammo is just too damn hard to find.

I personally use an 870 Super Mag for everything I hunt (deer, ducks, geese, rabbit, quail, pheasant and turkey). I am, however, saving up for a Versamax solely for waterfowl hunting. I plan to keep the 870 for everything else, but the extra money spent on a semi-auto can't be undersold when it comes to ducks and geese. That split-second difference can mean the difference between limiting out and sitting 2 extra hours and not seeing another bird. If you don't want to spring for a Versamax, my second suggestion would be a Benelli Super Black Eagle, followed by a Remington 11-87.

Get the 3 1/2" model of any of them, but make sure you pattern your gun with both 3" and 3 1/2". A gun with a better pattern is always better than a shell with more pellets. My 870 patterns better with 3" shells, but I usually put in 2 3" shells and then my last shot is a 3 1/2" Hevi Shot for that last crack at an escaping bird.

As far as duck calls are concerned, there's a ton of them to choose from. Make sure you have AT LEAST 1 single reed duck call, the double reeds have a tendency to freeze up on cold mornings after blowing them once, and they're pretty much useless after that unless you constantly blow warm air into them. You'll want to mix and match them as well for certain areas you hunt. You'll want a good combination of loud/soft calls to adapt to different situations.

Goose calls are a bit different. They're very difficult to master, and I'd suggest buying at least 1 instructional DVD/CD as well as a DVD showing actual goose hunts. Pay attention to what the geese/pros do in certain situations to get a feel for when to use which types of calls and get ideas of what may work when the standard option doesn't. In other words, don't just watch them shoot geese, watch what the birds are doing and listen to the calling patterns in those situations.

Good luck, and I can promise you you'll find a great deal of enjoyment out of waterfowling.