any hint for a beginner?
 

Next year will be my first year duck hunting, I was able to buy some GHG decoys on clearance at Dicks the other day. I have a call and can use it. I also have a gun and a 10 ft john boat that I plan on using. I know the laws and have a few state game land spots to hunt. What I need help with is how to set up my decoy spread, how far apart should they be placed? how early do i need to start setting up before sunrise? Also when your waiting for the ducks should i be calling the whole time till i hear or see them or just throw out a few quacks ever now and then? thank you for any help.

The most important point is you need to be set-up where THEY WANT TO BE !


The rest of the stuff doesn't matter "as much".....................


Scout them, like any other animal you would hunt.

Right on there. And remember, if you know how to use your call but don't know when to use your call, then don't use your call. If ducks are coming at you, just shut up and let them come. To much calling is worse no calling at all. As far as decoy placement goes there are so many ways to do it. What I tend to do is scout real good and watch what the local ducks are doing. If they are in groups of 2 or 3 and just kind of hanging around the shorelines out to 20 yards or so off shore, then do the same with the decoys. If the ducks are in large, tight , flocks then replicate that with the decoys. Also remember that the later it gets in the season the tougher it can be. By late season most of the ducks still around have been shot at more then once and can be a little more reluctant to just drop into your set. Early in the season I put out 1 - 6 woodducks and a couple mallards. That's all, and it works great. The best thing you can do is scout, scout, scout, and keep yourself camoflagued. Keep all your motions to a minimum because them buggers will spot the slightest motion from a long way off. Watch and listen to the local birds, they will tell you how and when to call, where to be, and how to set up decoys. If the birds are regularly using a specific pond, stream or field, then decoys might not even be necessary. Just put the wind at your back or to your side and let the birds do their thing.
Here is a little video of one of my setups. Not the greatest video but it might give you some idea of just how simple it can be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etPwPDcloc8
Good luck and happy hunting.

first thing i do is depending on the wind i set my decoys some on my right and some on my left leaving a big hole in front of me for them to land and i usually spred my birds about five feet apart from each other so their not hitting each other but close enough to look real realism is the key to waterfowl hunting spend you summer and spring watching the bird and see how they set on the water and how they talk to each other also the colder the temp the closer the birds will be to each other and the warmer the temp the farther apart they will be the most important thing you can do though is learn from each season and have fun happy hunting

You need to setup your decoys where you've seen ducks sitting, feeding, resting before. The wind needs to be from your back. Ducks and geese will almost always land directly into the wind.
Search on the web for different decoy layout shapes. A roughly "J" shape with the long end of the J diagonally our curving in toward you has worked well for me. Keep the closest decoys within 10-15 yards. Leave enough open spaces for birds to land within range.
Don't overcall, especially when ducks are in closer. Let them want to come in and land. A mistake / off sounding call can send the ducks (or geese) away as fast as any movement. Cover your face with face paint or cammo cover. I don't even like to look up a the birds directly, until I'm about to get up to shoot. Obviously, you need to know where they're at... Just know they can see and hear you better than you can them. If you're going to hunt out of your boat, it's got to be well hidden, too.
Have fun!

I get up about an hour before sunrise to put up decoys,and call all the time,unless birds are coming in.If their passing or leaveing call because you have nothing to lose.Put up a few birds in a v,and attach them to a jerk line and pull them back and forth

were are you hunting? cuz in florida most of the spots including sta/goodwin/brodmore a jon boat will do nothing for you because of how shallow most areas are. me and my friend bring a 15ft canoe and thats usually just incase but we have only used it once to get across a small canal

don't do it... very expensive and you'll be addicted after you first successful hunt... but if you must... then just try to learn something new every time you go out and have fun..

lol very true. i remember my first hunt, didnt shoot a thing :bash: but i still had alot of fun :barmy:

thank you everyone for all the information, i cant wait fall lol, i will be hunting NJ