Duck Hunting Tips of the Day

[Thatdudewhoduckhunts]

For all you duck hunters who keep your dog in the back of the pickup. Some Labs don't enjoy sliding around in the bed at all. If yours doesn't like it either, just take a standard sheet of plywood (cut it to fit your bed if needed) and cover it with some outdoor carpet. It staples down easy.

Better yet just buy rubber backed bathroom carpet. It comes 6' wide in rolls and you can cut it to length of your pickup bed. The rubber grips the bed pretty good. Works excellent if you have topper so it does not get wet.

better yet put your dog in its kennel in the bed and use tie downs for the kennel

[bandchaser]

You can take the cheap magnum goose shells and make them float by adding gray conduit insulation around the base with zipp-ties. Attach a small diameter piece of conduit and then a larger diameter piece over that one to get it just right. It's easy and if you screw up your only out ~23 cents, get another piece and do it again it doesn't hurt the shell either.

The only bad thing is they are pain to pack very far from the truck.

Everytime someone new see's mine they rave about how great they look and wish they would have thought of that.

There you go that's my one contribution for the efforts of many, hope it helps.

[Jev Long]

Not sure if these where already posted, I've only read 7-8 pages of this thread

Bring a tree stand step or two when hunting in flooded timber or in the edge of a woods. These make great holders for packs, bags, guns, ext.

Go to a pond where there are live ducks (they dont have to be wild) and listen/practice. There is a creek right behind my house that is off limits to hunting and loaded with ducks this time of year. I learned more about calling there in a hour than I ever learned watching youtube videos.

The last few days before early duck season, go out a couple mornings with your all your gear except your gun. Bring a camera and some binoculars. First morning keep your eyes peeled and watch where the ducks are wanting to land. The next morning go to one of those spots and see how you do bringing the ducks in. Keep weather and wind conditions in mind, and notice any changes from morning to morning. This will give you an edge on the competition opening morning. This also allows you to realize what needs to be changed or not forgotten before you really need it. If you really take this whole duck hunting thing serious you might want to spend a couple mornings at several of your spots so you can see which one would be the best choice. Alot can change in a year and ducks may be patterning different than last season. Make every day of the actual season count. Dont wait till opening morning to find this out.

[cruiser]

Never take a crap too far away from your firearm.

[scheister]

You're all set in your blind when in comes a pair of drakes. You start your robo-duck motion decoy and let out a couple of calls. They're locking up and coming in until you hear thump-thump-thump. Your robo-duck's battery starts vibrating inside the decoy.

Dont learn the hard way, but by putting the battery inside a wool sock it will prevent that from happening. If the robo-duck gets off-balance for a moment, the sock cushions the sound and keeps the ducks locked up and coming in!

also, try using a drink hugger. these have more cushion and are water proof.

[zippyduck]

When hunting divers use mostly coot deeks. I use 3 dozen coots and put out divers along the sides of the coots. It gives it a more natural appearance.

[wlgorman]

When you get to that well-known public spot at 3AM and need to drop a deuce, do it FAR (over 100 yds) from the truck, and if possible, bury it. When you get back to the truck after the hunt and are standing around b/s'ing and loading gear, dogs get bored and tend to roam around, and they can smell REALLY good.

Dont ask me how I know

[gregwile]

If you use a permanent blind fasten some asphalt shingles to the floor, both where you enter the blind and where you step up for shooting. This will keep you from slipping when the boards are wet or frosty.

[rcdinaz]

For the anchor on a long line I have found that the Wal-Mart 2.5lb weights for wight lifting in the sports section work really well. I think they were $3 w/tax. Some of our lakes are all rocks at the bottom and a small anchor or lead gets stuck, sometimes permanently. The weights being round come up easily and I can get back out there in the boat and drag 'em to another spot if I need to adjust my set up. Oh and you can take 4-6 of them and stick a bungee through them so you have a handle to carry them and they don't bounce around.

[njonesy_07]

Whenever possible use a jerk string. IMO much better than a spinner deke anyday.

[colin s]

Powerbars taste just as horrible when wet as they do when dry

[Honker Guide]

Flock the heads and tails of your drake mallard decoys.

For your blind use just enough vegetation to obscure your silouette. In other words don't use a solid blind. Everyone else does and the ducks know it!!!

Call to the tails and on the corners. Don't call unless you need to. You will need to be able to read the ducks to know when this is.

Obviously, you need to keep motion and noise to a minimum in the blind. Our hunters scare a lot of ducks when they are laughing and talking really loud. Keep the conversations toned down.

[huntfishnv]

Here's a good tip:

If you havent seen any ducks for a while, walk out into the decoys without a gun and you'll be covered up in ducks immediately. Never fails.

I know the same thing happens to me!!! I heard somewhere it had the same effect as flagging for geese...

[Sir Big Spur]

Wiping before taking a dump is irrelevant.

[Remington1187]

Here's a good tip:

If you havent seen any ducks for a while, walk out into the decoys without a gun and you'll be covered up in ducks immediately. Never fails.

I know the same thing happens to me!!! I heard somewhere it had the same effect as flagging for geese...

Or if you're field hunting, unload your gun and lay it by your blind, run a full lap around your decoys, go in the middle and do a jumping jack, go back to your blind and load your gun - by time this is done there will be some in view headed for ya. This and the methods above are always tricks in our bag and seem to work quite well

[hensonly]

Here's a tip I always use---always offer to replace/repair any and all decoys that you shoot thta don't belong to you

[njonesy_07]

Here's a tip I always use---always offer to replace/repair any and all decoys that you shoot thta don't belong to you

Unless youre just evening the score!

[andrew_kirby]

being a rabbit hunter i own several pair of dans 1000 denier nylon chaps. I have a old pair of the summer version that are freyed i put these on over my hip boots and waders to keep them from getting cut up or stuck from briars, sticks and other sharp objects. Its makes a cheap pair of hip boots or waders last a lot longer and there is no added weight seeing that they are so light weight. Ive had my chaps for 15 years you cant destroy the things that why us coonhunters and beaglers swear by them.

Its a cheap investment and I can get you a good deal from a trial friend if youd like

[Bigwater]

Tip of the day---- Get out and do some clay shooting before the season starts, we all need a tune up!!!

[sherlockbonez]

Be sure of the location of your wader strap when taking a dump or bring lots of purel.

[anatidaephobic]

always use a cover scent. i find that either hen n heat or dominant duck scents work the best but, have used coot-p in a pinch! Oh, and always hunt with the wind at your back for best results!

[duckbio]

Make a Widgeon/Wood duck whistle by taking 2 bottle caps, epoxy them together around the edges where they touch each other, then drill a 7/16ths or 13/32nds hole through the middle.

[sherlockbonez]

Make a Widgeon/Wood duck whistle by taking 2 bottle caps, epoxy them together around the edges where they touch each other, then drill a 7/16ths or 13/32nds hole through the middle.

Then tie a piece of fishing line and swing it around over your head for a poor man mojo look.

[Rider]

Laughter doesn't scare a duck trying to mate with your wing spinner.

[NJslayer]

Well it's a new day (for us on the east coast)so...Always take turns eating in the blind because when you start eating birds always come in.