Yes, duck hunting...ducks live in water- unless you want to get wet buy waders. That is unless you want to pass shoot and hardly retrieve any birds.

 

Yes, duck hunting...ducks live in water- unless you want to get wet buy waders. That is unless you want to pass shoot and hardly retrieve any birds.

Or learn how to field hunt...

 

I'll put it this way a guy hunted with me when he could [waderless].
We didn't try to make it diffucult for him but there were many days he could have gone OR places he could have went with waders.A friend ''piggybacked ''me across a riffle on the Scioto ONCE,, I made up my mind to get some waders. Good investment,save and before you know it ,they'll be delivered to your door.

 

Don't get me wrong, every duck hunter should have a pair of waders. No question. But I'm just saying you can successfully kill ducks without them.

 

If you hunt flooded timber yes.. If you hunt from a boat the Majority of the time then i reckon you dont HAVE to have them.. But in my opinion every duck hunter should have a good set of waders, they make life alot easier.. Really nice on cold mornings too.

CJ

 

If you hunt water yes you need a pair. If you just field hunt you don't need them.

 

You don't need waders IF you can get your partners to do all the decoy setting and picking up ducks and all.

That is, if you want them to ditch you and hunt with someone else. :yes: :hammer:

 

There are hundreds of thousands of duck hunters happily hunting water without waders. Their circumstance doesn't require them thanks to shallow, hip or knee boot depth water, the use of boats, trained retrievers or whatever. Whether your circumstance calls for waders is something none of us could know without more information, but there are a great many circumstances where waders are nothing more than a nuisance.

 

I went out the first time with rubber boots, the water was deeper than the boots. Starting off the morning with wet feet and then dumping out the water later was not fun. Waders are where it's at. There's no way I could drag the boat in the cover with just rubber boots, someone else would have to do all the work and that isn't fair.

 

OR...... You could be like me and wear a loin cloth and tough it out :yes: Just keep a towel in the truck to dry off your legs and torso when you get back to the truck :yes:

 

I almost exclusively wear waist high waders even in a boat.Their warm,not nearly as encumbering as chest highs,and unlike hip boots they keep my butt dry.

 

I'm so tough I walk barefoot in snow and on the ice flowing down the KAW...

 

Waders are a must. Not only do they keep you dry, they also keep you warm in the cold winter. I also use my Cabelas SuperMag waders w/ 5mm 1600gram Instulated boots. They are toasty warm :yes: I don't recommending using them in the early months of the season....phew!

 

Depends on where you're hunting.
Once of the places I frequent is terrible for wading. Better to stay on the levee and let the dog do the work.

 

There are hundreds of thousands of duck hunters happily hunting water without waders. Their circumstance doesn't require them thanks to shallow, hip or knee boot depth water, the use of boats, trained retrievers or whatever. Whether your circumstance calls for waders is something none of us could know without more information, but there are a great many circumstances where waders are nothing more than a nuisance.

Had a few hunts in a dry field this season. I felt super awkward without my waders. :tongue: We probably set up in a dry field only a handful of times throughout the season, most of which take place in the 3rd period goose season when duck season is over. The majority of the hunting we do is in shallow water and could probably get away wearing only hip boots but I think I would just feel too outta place hunting ducks w/o my waders. Besides, I like the warmth and not getting a wet/cold butt while sitting down :lol3:

 

Is it possible to duck hunt without waders? Absolutely.

Is it a lot more productive to hunt with waders? Absolutely.

Is it more fun to hunt with waders? Usually not because that means you are going through a lot more crap, lol.

 

Yes. Like anything else, something will come up and you will find yourself left out if you dont own a pair. I dont hunt fields but Id think they would come in hand hunting muddy fields.

 

Yes. Like anything else, something will come up and you will find yourself left out if you dont own a pair. I dont hunt fields but Id think they would come in hand hunting muddy fields.

My buddy and I army crawled through a field this winter to jump shoot geese. Wow was that muddy! I'm sure glad I was wearing my waders, anything else wouldve been ruined. :lol3:

 

Short answer...YES you must have chest waders.

Long answer..YOU MUST HAVE______________________________________ in order to hunt ducks.

The MUST HAVES.
1. Shotgun
2. Shells
3. Waders
4. Jacket, facemask, HAT, and gloves (camo clothes)

The rest is optional but I strongly suggest
5. Something to sit on
6. Decoys
7. Calls
8. Thermos, food and the rest of the stuff you put in that fancy blind bag.
9. You will find more and more stuff you "think" you need.

When I leave my house in the morning I check stuff off. Gun, dog, shells, decoys, waders, coat, hat, gloves, and calls in the blind bag...if I forget any of that stuff. Things might not go too well that day. The thermos and snacks are nice to have as well.

 

^Definetly dont wanna forget your Gun lol.. It dont only happen on Swamp People lol.. I went with a guy that got all the way to the Duck Hole and realized he forgot his shotgun, he was great for working the jerk rig that morning lol..

CJ

 

As you might have gathered by now, waders are not a must-have, but they are nice to have.
If you are duck hunting, only three things are required: gun, shells, license.
Everything else is optional.

BUT, and a BIG but it is; everything else...the jacket, the gloves, the cap, the waders, the boat, the decoys, the dog, the call, etc. etc. go a long way towards making the hunt more productive, more satisfying, more comforable, and/or safer. Every hunter must make his/her own decision about which of the optional pieces of equipment he can't live without.

If you have to ask if waders are a must-have, I'd say you've never been hunting in a spot where there was water more than knee-deep. The first time you hunt where you say to yourself "I wish I were wearing waders", THAT'S when they become a must-have.
Until then, they are not.

 

you can kill ducks without them but you are limiting yourself so much. With waders you have the ability to hunt so many more places. It is also nice to have waders if you are hunting somewhere you aren't familiar with just to be safe

 

Like someone else already posted I feel awkward hunting ducks without my waders. I often find myself wet, because I forget I'm not in them. Are the necessary? No, but don't be that guy! I've had buddies that refused to spend the money, and got left behind or held the group back because he didn't have waders. Even a cheapo rubber set will get the job done, but a nice heavily insulated set are worth their weight in gold 3 hours into an all day sit in 30 degree water!

 

If you can walk on water you won't need waders, if you can't like most people you will need waders :fingerhead:

 

It depends on where you shoot?

The place nearest me, is only inches deep in water so rubber boots are the order of the day as they are allot more comfortable than waders.

You just need to look at the places you shoot and you'll soon realise if you need them or not!!