Waterfowl Hunting as a Tool to Improve Shooting Skill

Waterfowl hunting is a fascinating subject because of the fun with friends, the meat you get, and the experiences you’ll have for the rest of your life. One of the most important aspects of waterfowl hunting is decoys. There are so many different kinds of decoys that choosing the right ones can have a huge effect on how well you do when you go out. Starting with the style of decoy depends primarily on where you are hunting. If you are hunting on water, you are most likely to use floating decoys spread around the pond. Floating decoys are replicas of the bird and have a flat bottom with a weighted keel to keep it upright in the water that replicates birds that have landed in water to feed or to wash off. If you are hunting a field, you are going to want to use full body stand-ups or shells. Full body stand ups are just a complete model of the bird on stake to make it look as if it’s standing or feeding or looking out. Shells are usually cheaper decoys that you just lay on the ground and have a hollow belly and are easier for transportation as they are stackable. There is also the paint of the decoys that make a big difference. An all painted decoy usually will work just fine.

But for the hunters that like to step up their game, they use flocked decoys. Flocked decoys have a velvet-like material on the head or sometimes the full body of the decoy. The flocking better represents how the sun reflects off of the decoy similar to how it would off the feathers of a real duck or goose. These types of decoys are the most expensive but will most likely give you a better outcome. Another thing to consider when choosing your decoys is species. “In most puddle duck spreads, mallards are the predominant species... Mallard decoys will also draw pintails, teal, gadwalls, widgeons, and other puddle ducks. There's nothing wrong with setting out an all-mallard spread” (Wade Bourne 1). Now there are moving and motion decoys. Some of the most popular motion decoys are “mojos”. Mojos have rotating wings made of usually plastic or cardboard that make it look like ducks are about to land. These are very effective decoys that most hunters include in their spreads. These are very expensive though and can cost upwards of one hundred and fifty dollars. There are also wake or ripple decoys. These make a ripple effect around your spread making it more realistic to live ducks sitting in a pond. Also feeding duck decoys that rock back and forth also creating a ripple in the water and making a feeding illusion for overhead birds. All these decoys can add more life to your spread and improve your hunting trip.

Another very important part of waterfowl hunting is knowing when and where to hunt. Some of the most popular places to hunt include; marsh, ponds, cornfields, flooded cornfields, and rivers. These spots are hunted because birds land here looking for food and places to stop to rest. Weather will affect your hunt too. Storm fronts coming in can be very helpful for hunting. The overcast clouds help with reflections off your gun barrel and your face, also no shadows giving away your position to birds flying overhead. Winds will also pick up making the birds want to get to more sheltered areas to take cover. They will move to more backwater areas and small ponds surrounded by timber as a windbreak. If it begins to rain, birds will then begin to seek refuge quickly. If flying birds see your decoys sitting somewhere they will think that the spot you are in is coverage from the storm, they will then land in your spread giving you an opportunity to shoot.

On the other hand, clear skies call for tough hunting conditions. “Clear, warm, windless days can make duck hunting tough. Ducks can now fly and raft, dabble or dive anywhere they, please. Direct sunlight makes upturned faces glow with electric intensity” (Bill Konway 1). Snowstorms and fog are another good conditions to hunt. Usually, they try to stay grounded because of low visibility and stay safe. But if there are groups flying they will listen for calls and land where they know is safe. And with deep snow and icy conditions ponds can be good places to layout your decoys. Birds will look for little water left available. So ponds or lakes with patches open for birds to land are good spots. Or if it is completely frozen over you can break the ice up yourself, but sometimes this can look unnatural, so there are some important steps to take to make it look natural. First off, do not just break a spot open big enough to just fit your spread. Break a spot up that’s big enough to fit your spread plus some other birds that will be landing. Also, do not leave ice chunks floating in the water as this looks unnatural too. Using a net, scoop out all of the excess ice and it will be very beneficial to your hunt.

Calling can be one of the best ways to get some birds to land in your spread. Most things, with calls, practice makes perfect. There several different calls to use to get duck into your spread. One of the most simple ones yet very effective is just the simple quack. You can use this call almost anytime. Blowing hard into the making it louder makes it useful if the birds are far. Blowing lighter when they are close can be the thing to draw them in that final couple yards. There are also more complex calls like a feeding call, and whistles that can be just that extra thing a duck might need to land near you. The calls themselves you use affect the sound you are trying to make. Double reed calls are easier to use and better for beginners. Double reeds are also better for that simple quack call. Single reed calls are better for more experienced hunters. They are also better for trying more advanced calling and sometimes have a better tone to them depending on the call itself. Material of the call can affect the pitch too. Although Polycarbonate calls are the most popular because of the rich sound and durability. There are also wood and plastic calls that some hunters prefer. Call price ranges vary tremendously be anywhere from twenty dollars to upwards of two hundred dollars.

Camouflage will be another very important need for waterfowl hunting. If there's a flock of birds flying overhead and they see something, no matter how small, that they think isn’t natural, they won’t land there. Especially during bluebird skies with the sun shining. The sun can be your biggest enemy when trying to stay hidden when hunting. The sun causes reflections off your face like a mirror towards the sky. This can be prevented in several ways. One of the most popular ways is face paint. Another effective way is a facemask. You can get all types from, mesh to insulate to keep you warm in cold weather too. Then with that on you will want to cover the rest of your body in camo clothes or just dark clothes to break up your silhouette. The next step you’d need to take is making a blind. There are so many different options for blinds. The cheapest way would be to just take some of the vegetation around the area you are hunting and build it around you. One of the most used ways is to have a permanent blind that is basically a wood box you sit in covered in vegetation. Another popular way for hunters who move spots frequently is a single person layout blind. It’s like a camo sleeping bag with a little chair in it. These are very light and good options if you switch spots when you hunt. All these provide complete camouflage with your body being completely unseen.

Of course, you need something to kill these birds once they come flying in towards you. Some of the most common guns used in waterfowl hunting are a twenty gauge. Sixteen gauge, twelve gauge, and ten gauge. Ten gauge is the most powerful gun out of all these and is not the most used as most think it is almost too powerful for the size of birds you are hunting and is mostly used for bigger birds like geese or cranes. Twenty gauge is the weakest out of these and is mostly used by beginners in the activity or younger kids starting to hunt. Twelve gauge though is the most popular used for all species. It is the most universal gun used by hunters because of its universality. It can be used for other birds outside of waterfowl like pheasant, quail, and turkeys. The shells are also what makes it so universal. You can use sizes from 2-¾ to 3-½. The 3-½ are used on bigger waterfowl and bigger birds like turkeys. Another shell variable is the shot. You can get a higher BB count or lower. Also the weight of BB’s or material like lead, copper, steel or tungsten. Phil Bourjaily and Will Brantley say:

The 3-inch 12 gauge covers everything from teal to swans with the right ammunition. I shoot No. 2s and BBs in steel and HeviMetal in this gun and have no complaints about its killing power. Occasionally I’ll dip into my carefully hoarded store of premium tungsten ammo on days I think I’ll have to shoot far, but steel works fine 95 percent of the time. Throw in a 3 ½ chamber, as many hunters prefer, and you get an extra few yards of range, although at a steep cost in recoil...tens pattern better, but they aren’t nearly as versatile as 3 ½-inch 12s. The 20-gauge is gaining popularity as hunters come to realize it’s enough gun for birds over decoys, but unless you shoot all your geese at 15 yards.

With whatever gauge of gun, you decide to hunt with there are options that can improve your shooting results. You can choose between a pump or semi-auto shotguns. Pumps are used by hunter who likes the more manual action of shooting and seems to be like you are in more control. You pump the shell into the chamber then pull the trigger to fire the shot, then pump again. Semi-auto fires every time you pull the trigger. But with this semi-auto action, you run a higher risk for jams and more gun malfunctions. Waterfowl hunting is a wonderful pastime, it can get very expensive, but once you get sucked into the sport, it can be very hard to try and get out. Once you start hunting there will be very little other things you will want to do with your time during the short hunting season. The great memories you make with your hunting buddies will last you a lifetime.