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Discover hunting resources, conservation efforts, and information on waterfowl species, gear, and destinations. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced hunter, we have everything you need to know to improve your skills and knowledge.
- Waterfowl ID
American Black Duck. American black ducks are similar to...
- Hunting Destinations
Overall, while fluctuations occur, North Dakota's duck...
- Decoy Strategies
Ducks Unlimited is your go-to source for all things decoys....
- Waterfowl Recipes
Ingredients 12 2-inch strips duck breast 2 tablespoons olive...
- Hunting Tips
Discover the best waterfowl hunting tips and tactics for...
- Migration Alerts
Looking for the latest information on waterfowl migration...
- Hunting Gear
It was a hunting gun as well as a banquet prize. There was...
- Ring-Necked Duck
Ring-necked Duck Breeding Ring-necked ducks breed from...
- Waterfowl ID
Stay Natural. Eat Wild Game. Hunting is one of the most inexpensive and ethical ways to fill your freezer with natural, free-range meat. But taking up hunting can be challenging and intimidating. Don’t let this discourage you.
Dec 1, 2021 · As a waterfowl hunter or land manager, it is your responsibility to know and obey all Federal and State laws that govern the sport. State regulations can be more restrictive than Federal regulations. Waterfowl baiting regulations apply to ducks, geese, swans, coots, and cranes.
- Hunter Education
- Navigating Duck Hunting Laws and Seasons
- The Different Species of Ducks
- Duck Hunting Gear
- Hunting with A Duck Dog
- Guns, Ammo, and Shooting Practice
- Finding A Place to Duck Hunt
- Basic Tactics For Any Duck Hunt
- Transporting, Butchering, and Cooking Ducks
- Final Thoughts
The first thing most new hunters will need to do is take a hunter’s safety course. Some states don’t require hunter education to buy a hunting license if you’re of a certain age, but it’s smart to take the class and get certified. Because 1) you may eventually travel to another state to hunt where hunters of every age are required to possess a hunt...
Duck Season Dates
Duck season begins on Sept. 1, in Canada and runs through early March in Mexico. In the U.S., the season opens in early September and ends on the last day of January. Many states have an early teal seasonthat opens a few days, weeks, or months before the regular duck season depending on how far south you are hunting.
Early Teal Season
Currently, the bag limit for early teal season is six per day, though the limit can go down to four depending on population status. Typically, blue-wing teal are the species you will be targeting, though green-wings or cinnamon teal (if you’re lucky) are fair game. Some states, like North Dakota, open their regular duck season so early there is no early teal hunt. And in NoDak, you can actually take two blue-wing teal in addition to your six-duck daily limit (eight ducks total) from Sept. 25...
The Regular Season
Big duck seasons span September to Jan. 31, in the U.S. Many states use what are called “splits,” which shut down hunting for several days to rest birds and allow seasons to reopen later in the fall and winter for late migrations. States set their season frameworks around decades of historic migration patterns. As weather patterns shift, sometimes season dates do, too. This coordinates with the migrations better. Keep in mind that the bag limit on certain species of ducks changes during the s...
There are 32 huntable speciesof ducks in North America that fall under three different categories: puddle ducks, diving ducks, and sea ducks. Puddle ducks can be found in almost any suitable waterfowl habitat, though you aren’t likely to see many on the open ocean. Divers are typically hunted on big water, like lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and ocean ...
Duck hunters are gear fanatics to the point that we sometimes become more obsessive about the tools we use to kill ducks than the ducks themselves. Most of us end up with garages full of decoys and blinds and pull high-dollar duck boats behind our beat-up Chevys. You don’t need piles of gear to get started, but there are some necessities for a morn...
You don’t need a retriever to duck hunt, but they sure make hunting more fun. And because of their heightened abilities to mark dead birds and scent track them, a good dog will recover more ducks than a hunter can. In duck hunting, you are going to lose birds, but the number you lose will be far less with a good retriever by your side. Gun dogs all...
Even if you’re a longtime duck hunter, buying a duck gun can be a daunting task. There are so many models to choose from—let alone deciding which gauge to buy—and each individual gun can have its own quirks. Also, you don’t often get to shoot the gun before you buy it unless one of your buddies has the same model or the local range has a field day ...
Private-land duck hunting can be an expensive endeavor. Guided hunts, leasing, joining a club, or buying property and developing it into waterfowl habitat is a lot of work and takes money. But you can circumvent that by asking landowners for permission. Some property owners will be more receptive than others. Just know it’s becoming more difficult ...
How to Scout for Ducks
Scouting is the key component to being a successful duck hunter. Seasoned hunters spend more time looking for ducks than they will hunting them. That’s because patterning birds—and knowing what they will do in the morning—lends to better results. Regardless of species, most ducks will concentrate on larger watersheds overnight called a roost (divers and sea ducks will congregate in large rafts on the open water). You can find handfuls of ducks roosting on smaller waters as well. In the mornin...
The Most Basic Setup for Ducks
Once you find ducks, it’s time to set up on them. When you set a decoy spread it should look natural. Ducks don’t sit on the water in an “X” or “J” shape so you shouldn’t think about shapes when throwing decoys. If you look at ducks on the water from above, they are scattered in all directions with some small groups gathered in random pockets. Before I throw decoys, I pick the spot I am going to shoot from. If that’s a permanent blind, it’s easy. If I’m freelancing and hiding on a levee, timb...
Diver and Sea Duck Hunts
Most diver and sea duck hunts require long lines of decoys strung out from your shooting position, which can be from an island, boat blind, or layout boat. The birds see these rafts and will sometimes land with them, but also just buzz the spread low, just above the surface of the water. You can also use a Decoy Raft,which is a large piece of floating material you can clip decoys onto.
I touched on this earlier, but you must be extremely diligent when transporting ducks from the field to your home to remain legal. Tag birdsas soon as the hunt is over, and always keep them with you until you arrive at your residence. Leaving untagged ducks in the field while you go back to grab the truck is against the law. You need to tag the bir...
The key to becoming an accomplished duck hunter is patience in just about everything you do. Don’t rush into anything, don’t get discouraged when you fail, and always hunt a little bit longer than everyone else. Putting in the time on the front end will produce better results in the years to come.
Feb 5, 2024 · This beginner's guide will answer some (but not all) of your duck hunting questions. Keep reading to learn about gear, where to hunt, decoys and firearms to use, and how to stay safe when hunting ducks.
Discover the best waterfowl hunting tips and tactics for success with Ducks Unlimited. From decoy placement and calling techniques to camouflage and gear recommendations, our expert hunters and conservationists share their knowledge to help you become a better waterfowl hunter.
Aug 5, 2008 · Here are some of the editors' favorite waterfowling tips that have been submitted by DU members from across the nation. 1. Camo Cord. Nothing beats natural vegetation for concealment in duck hunting. To hold natural camouflage materials on my duck boat, I use stretch cord that I purchased at a kayak supply store.
