Enhance your duck hunting success and make each trip more satisfying and somewhat safer using the secrets of the Pros.
- Duck caller reeds adhere in freezing weather or occasionally freeze. Prevent gum-ups through the use of anything that is made to discourage snow, rain and ice build-up on windshields. Several drops rubbed on the reed with a fabric make the reed more unlikely to adhere on a cold weather hunt.
- To make duck decoys that are filthy appear just like new, allow to dry and hang them on a fence, then use an aerosol with automobile tire cleaner. The next day, the colors will be easier and brighter for ducks to find.
- A five-gallon plastic pail with a lid can be painted camouflage or wrapped to make a suitable dry storage container for casings, matches, your first aid kit, spare clothing and bites. The pail also makes an excellent seat.
- Mesh totes sink and can be readily lost. Toss a 16-oz soft drink bottle inside the underside of the tote. Remove labels to get rid of vibrant colors and screw the cap down. A decoy bag won’t be lost by you again.
- Add activity to your own decoy spreads by tying the line, and running nylon twine from the blind, through the eye of a hefty anchor linked to your decoys in the middle of the spread. When ducks come in range, the decoy motion is created by a gentle tug on the line.
- A telescoping, fiberglass fishing pole provides a great means for working and lifting a goose flag, which helps attract the birds focus to your own decoy spread.
- Use your feet to muddy the water when hunting clear water. Murky water is created by real duck action, and a mushy darker zone in water that is clear is not difficult for ducks to see.
- Ask your grocer for a shopping basket to put dead ducks in. It makes an excellent storage box. Paint it to provide earth tones or a camo finish waterfowl will not find.
- Magnum decoys are seen at double the distance, and their broad, flat bottoms remove pitch and roll that is a dead giveaway to those educated ducks. Three dozen magnums, correctly rigged, present more flock draw than five dozen regular-sized decoys.
- The stake holes in plastic casing decoys are too large to correctly hold positions and frequently get worn too large. Use sandpaper to roughen the surface around the stake hole, glue a washer there and allow to dry.
- Do your pants ride up your legs up when you slip into your waders? By stitching two pieces of velcro to the underside of each pants leg and subsequently placing them around the underside of your feet before putting on your waders stops this aggravating issue.
- Want a straightforward means to transfer several dozen decoys to your own field out of your clubhouse? Try using a garbage can. A commercial can will carry two to three dozen duck decoys.
- Take a fishing rod with a weighted treble hook. It’s possible for you to cast and hook closer fallen ducks.
- Your hunting success can be increased by putting out several crow decoys. These ‘self-assurance decoys’ help reduce the wariness of geese by making the spread seem more lifelike.
- If you ever expect to bag a duck that is worth mounting by a taxidermist, snip one leg from a panty hose and carry it in your pocket. Before bagging your trophy, rinse blood then put the duck head first in the panty hose. This will get you a finer mount, this keeps all feathers smoother.
- Use a wine bottle cork when duck hunting to camouflage your face. Singe the end of the cork then rub the black deposit on your face.
- It is best to not call when ducks are flying toward you. Oldtimers have a saying: “Only call to wings and tails.” Which means, do your calling only when you see the tail and one wingtip, or both wings and the tail. The duck will not be looking your way, so it is ok to blow the call.