It is a fact that if you have never been duck hunting but would like to go you should never hold your breath waiting on an invitation from a seasoned hunter. Why? Well, it has been said that it may because some view it as an almost religious experience and it just doesn’t seem right to share that experience with a newbie.
Ok, so maybe that is not entirely true and actually unlike deer hunting where you can spend days upon days sitting up in a tree all by yourself, duck hunting lends itself more towards the chance of being a social event, with a few people hunting together. However, for those of you that really are new to the whole thing there are some basics that you should be aware of and items that you will need.
Waders are definitely a duck hunting must have item; hip waders may work fairly well but a pair of chest waders makes sure you can get where you need to go. If possible, forego the cheap pair and opt for a good set of well insulated chest waders or you may just decide that duck hunting is for the birds.
Speaking of birds, you will need several decoys, mallards will usually work well no matter where you are and you may decide to add more later when you have truly become an adept seasoned hunter. Now however there is a rage among some duck hunters using a “robo-duck” which is a battery operated decoy that has wings that move. Some of them even dive and dip in the water making ripples like the feeding ducks. There has been a little talk about banning these decoys because they have become so very effective. But, don’t worry; if you have done the homework and found a good area you will have no need for a robo-duck.
You do want to make sure that you are properly camouflaged, meaning that you blend in with your surroundings, anything brown when it comes to clothing is usually fine. And the one thing that veteran duck hunters do suggest is wearing a face mask. They claim that the ducks can spot faces from miles away and it is like a blinking neon sign telling them to say away.
Above all, when it comes to duck hunting, there is just no way around patiently sitting in the damp cold and waiting for the ducks to come; but they will come so be ready.
