How to Hunt Duck

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

Camouflage clothing or duck blind
Hunting dogs
Duck decoys
Duck call

Step 1:
Practice shooting before hunting season begins. Don't wait until you're aiming at a bird to realize your shotgun skills are rusty.
Step 2:
Do your research. Finding the spots where ducks regularly feed means talking to game wardens, commercial fishermen, mail carriers and school bus drivers. Other duck hunters may not be willing to share this information with you.
Step 3:
Find secluded duck holes. Ducks become accustomed to hunters in areas in which large numbers of birds congregate. They quickly learn to ignore decoys and tempting duck calls.
Step 4:
Hunt in public areas when there is the least amount of traffic. Going out very early in the morning or after the morning rush means that you will encounter less competition.
Step 5:
Conceal yourself by wearing camouflage clothing or using a duck blind, a hiding place for a hunter. Take advantage of natural vegetation or construct a semi-permanent or pop-up blind.
Step 6:
Lure ducks by using a duck call. Duck calls imitate the sounds ducks make when feeding or communicating with other ducks.
Step 7:
Use trained hunting dogs to retrieve your ducks after they fall. Labradors and golden retrievers are excellent choices.
Step 8:
Place duck decoys in the water in front of your duck blind to help entice the ducks. Using a "V" pattern will give the ducks a place to land in a location that will give you an open shot.
Step 9:
Get up to speed on the sport of duck hunting. Read "Hunting Ducks and Geese: Hard Facts, Good Bets, and Serious Advice from a Duck Hunter You Can Trust," by Steve Smith at Amazon (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

Anyone who hunts migratory waterfowl must purchase a federal migratory bird-hunting stamp and carry it while hunting.
When you find what you think will be a great place to hunt, make sure you determine whether or not it's on private property. If it is, get the owner's permission to use it before you load your shotgun.
Know the local duck hunting regulations. Federal law requires that harvested ducks be tagged before transporting, but some locations may have other laws as well.

Resources

"Hunting Ducks and Geese"

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