NHRA1877

Me and My best friend/hunting buddy, are looking to get into duck hunting. I pretty much want to know everything i need to know to get into it, and what i need to get into it for AS CHEEP AS POSSIBLE. But mainly i want to know all about it. Tahnks guys

RedneckDuckman17

Welp i been WaterFowl huntin ever since i was old enough to follow dad and now i'm old enough and i still hunt with him , but he's got old so i do it by myself now. But i will let ya know everything i know.

Need a Good Pair of Waders , i would get a pair of Cabelas 5mm Wader good and warm and tough.

Need a Shotgun and some steel shot , best load would be 3in #1 shot for all Duck and Geese Both.

And a Dozen of deks to get started , matter on fake i got a 12 that i'll send ya free of charge.

And some Duck and Goose Calls.
i would pick up a Molded Ploy Double reed Echo Duck call , cheap and good calls ducks like them and a Big River Goose Flute.

All this will cost you around 250 For the Waders and Calls , i'm sure you got a Shotgun and i will send you a Dozen of Deks to get you started.

My e-mail is [email protected] leave me a line and i get them deks out A.S.A.P

best way to learn is get out their and hunt.

losthwy

Be thinking of getting a lab sometime in the future.

Idaho hunter 58

Redneckduckman.... that is really cool, what a great sportsman!!!

PikeTipper

Don't forget about the camo clothes. You don't NEED a call if you're going to skimp out on something but definately something you'll want to consider in the future.

jcb9901

I'm also looking into getting into duck and goose hunting also.I found cabelas 5mm waders in mossay oak shadow grass off ebay new in box for $75,My mossberg 935 in shadow grass should be here today(gunbroker.com for $370).I have a couple of boxes of heavy shot nitro magnum 1 1/2 3 1/2" shells.Besides duck calls and some decoyes what else do I need?Do I need a boat/canoe ?Where a good place to get a lab and how do you train them or where do I him trained?

Thanks Jim

FroMan

For starting duck hunting, you don't NEED a lab.

I've been duck hunting for about 5 years now and don't have a dog, and none of my friends do. You or a buddy can be a dog yourself, it saves time (don't have to let it grow or train), and it is sure as heck, alot cheaper.

Go to Wal-Mart and get a few cheap duck calls. You can usually get some for about 10-25 bucks. Practice in your vehicle driving to and from places. I'd suggest getting a teaching tape on duck calling also. There ain't no need (great grammar there) in not being able to call and spending a zillion bucks on a high-dollar duck call. Once you learn how to call, you can spend a bit more money on them.

You don't really need a boat or canoe, but it would help. Boats can run a man into bankruptcy. You could get a cheap rowable flatbottom for 100-200 bucks, 10 footer or so, and it would get you a few places you couldn't get on foot. But many areas around here have walk-in hunting access. You can check around for those in your area also. A canoe, 150-400 bucks, depending on what type you get and how used it is, will also get you into a few more hunting holes. Don't really NEED either or them, but if you can get your hands on one, do it. It just makes like a bit easier and adds a bit more diversity to spots that are huntable.

Ask around and find some local areas to go. Private is probably better, if not, hunt some kinda Wildlife Management Area. Most are flooded and planted so ducks will come in every year.

Ducks have good eyes, and when it comes to duck hunting, being still and not making much movement, when the ducks are circling, is better than being decked out in camo, though camo gloves and a facemask just makes it all easier.

Don't skybust ducks when you go. Let them work into the dekes, you can wait til they have one more pass or cup up to blast em. The shots are easier, ducks get smarter, and that way, hopefully they won't start flying miles high. I hate the guys on TV shooting at them while they're 5 miles in the air.

Good luck! Glad to see somebody getting into the sport!

NHRA1877

RedneckDuckman17,
You are what makes me so proud to be part of the hunting community, we all know whats its like to be starting out, and we all have equiptment that we have upgraded and no longer use, and to help someone out to get started with stuff you have is just awsome. I`ll send you an E-Mail ASAP and I`ll do kind of like that movie, pay it forward, weather it be the same decoys or any hunting things i have, i will do the same weather its a newbie that wants to get started or a hunter that wants to venture into a new kind of hunting. Thank you so very much and it means alot to know there are people like you out there.

Thank you for all of the other replys. I was at Cabela`s last week to pick up my new bow and they had chest high waders marked down from 96$ to 55$ I may just have to stop up there pretty soon and hope they still have ones that will fit me. I am planning on getting a dog within the next year or 2, we have a beagle now but he is just a pet, nothing more. Im looking to get a Yellow Lab and train him for pheasent and ducks. But i would like to learn how to get by without a dog.

What are the best times to hunt ducks? morning, after noon, dusk, and in Jersey what are the best times of year? Also how should you determine the placement of the blind? Do you think if we made a portable blind we could bring it with us and set up before the hunt or would it have to be something that is there all the time so they are not spooked? How do ducks act? do they circle then fly in, are they cautious, are they easily spooked?

The gun im useing is a rem 1100 12 gauge 2 3/4, I was reciently going to purchace a new rem 870 12 gauge full camo 3 1/2 inch gun but the oppotrunity to buy a bow came along and i already have a gun but didnt have a good bow so i decided to go with the bow

We are really exited to get into Duck hunting, and again any advice, comments, anything is 100% welcomed, im trying to learn as much as i can before i actually go so im not lost in the dark when it comes time to go. Thanks alot guys and i really appreciate it.

plainsman

check your PM's. Sign up and start learning. Get ahold of me if you want more

FroMan

Yes to all the above...lol.

People usually hunt ducks early in the morning or right before sunset, the same times you would hunt other game animals. Check local regs though, some areas don't allow afternoon duck hunting. And in Arkansas you have to quit shooting AT sunset rather than 30 minutes after it, like you do for deer and other game.

For the blind, I would just use natural cover already at the place you are hunting. If it's gonna be a regular spot, a few stakes, and some chicker wire will make enough cover with natural vegatation added to make a working blind. If you do in fact, have a boat, you can make a blind for it that is portable and moves with you. You can also buy one for a boat, but they run kinda high.

Ducks are about like any other animal. They can be fooled into their death trap, but sometimes it's tough. Their eyes is their strongest asset. Like most birds, they can see very well. That's why being still, being camo'd, not having shiny metal, and things of that nature are a must when you hunt ducks.

Ducks will circle the deke spread before they come in, and they will fly into the wind. We've had high ducks, make 5 or 6 circles until they finally committed and came in. You just have to be patient and wait. Many people shoot too early when ducks circle, and end up going home with less than they should've, or worse, crippling a duck and not getting it. We usually try to wait til they are cupped and floating in. It presents a good, clean shot most of the time, and isn't a hard one to make.

The longer the season goes on, the more cautious ducks are. Young ducks usually are fairly easy to kill. Older birds, began to recognize decoys, how to find where hunters are, and things later on in the season. If they live through it, they'll be tougher to kill the next year.

I'm always saying, it'd only take a few times of somebody shooting at me, to make me queasy and cautious.

Hope I helped. Merry Christmas!