Waterfowling Tips and Tricks

[Moonie]

Let's hear some of your tips and tricks that help make this sport we love more productive, easy, interesting, fun...

I write the shot size on the brass ends of my shells with a sharpie for easy ID when I'm pulling them out of my shell belt or ammo box. That way, you don't have to strain to see the faded writing on the side of the shell 30minutes before sunrise or when chasing cripples (can easily find that designated swatting load).

[BoxMN]

I like the sharpie idea moonie! Good tip!

Our best thing we tried the past couple years is the jerk cord. It really helps, and you can make your own for the cost of 10' of bungie cord and 100' of decoy string, and old window weights.

Works great for those windless days.

[BirdWhisperer]

Best waterfowling trick we've come up with...when the birds aren't flying, put in a wad of red man or light up ur favorite cigar. Draws the birds in EVERY time!

[duckster]

Better yet, act like you're pulling the decoys. It will bring a flock locked-up into the decoys out of what had been a birdless sky.

-duckster

[BigGrassBass]

I like to combine 2 things. I light up a smoke and then stand up to take a whiz. Works every time. On Sunday my buddy made me chain smoke all day long!

[dirtyd]

LOL! Some of these are great tips that even work for fishing!

I like to let Moonie call in the ducks, for me to shoot. Lets me keep both hands on my gun, and ready at all times!

But in all honesty, I think the best tip to give is to brush up on your duck calling before season opener. Some of these guys calling on opener sound like ducks that have some steel in their throats. High pitched quuuaaaa-quuaaa-qquuaaaa-quuuaaaa-quaaaa sounds horrible! And no...it was not a woodie call.

[Ufatz]

Learn to shoot well. Clean kills good shooting ethics. Clean kills, easier on your best pal-your dog. Clean kills, lower ammo budget. Clean kills, big grins and smug looks.

[Gordie]

best tip that I have is if your looking for a extened amount of time in one certain area andhavent seen any ducks look in the oppisite dirrection for a few mins and the birds will fly over your out of know where

happens all the time

[Scott M]

* jerk string dekes with leftover decoy cord and bungeestrap ends...you can do like 4-5 birds in a row and add a ton of motion. Haven't used it yet this year, but put it together this summer.

* A wise old man we hunt with that goes by "paulie walnut" and "the godfather" taught us young bucks about the sharpie on primer end shell trick. I passed that on to a few people; paid it forward for paulie ya know. One guy I told it to didn't do it, then I hunted with him two years later and he spilled his dry box all over the floor. I think the next time I hunt with him he'll have his shells marked.

* Cattail fluff is the best wind indicator

* Mountain Dew and Turkey and Cheese are sure to bring in the ducks, as is picking up your decoys or taking a whizz. Also, if you play the Minnesota Rouser on your duck call when things get slow it will draw in the birds.

* All joking aside, when you want to get better you learn to read the wind and birds better, select spots better, scout smarter, improve your calling, and improve your shooting. All the gear purchases in the world will not replace working harder and smarter for waterfowl hunts.

[benbosh]

* jerk string dekes with leftover decoy cord and bungeestrap ends...you can do like 4-5 birds in a row and add a ton of motion. Haven't used it yet this year, but put it together this summer.

jerk strings make a huge difference, last year i made one for the first time with only 1 decoy though and more times then not a few jerk-baits and the ducks would come right in with hardly any calling needed. this year i made a better one and put 2 feeders on it. buy the really big snap swivels from the fishing department so you can put them on and off easily.

[Fred_Bear]

Always check the forecast online for wind speed/direction. Nothing worse than setting up for a NW west in the dark and having it switch to SW or whatever by shooting time. I just check the hourly weather report on weather dot com in the morning as I'm getting ready and packing and it's usually right on.

Carry your loaded gun with you when you go to pic up wounded geese in the field. Not a good feeling when a "dead" goose gets up 5 yds away from you and flies across the road into standing corn or who knows what else.

With ducks I always go get dead ones imediately after shooting. I'd rather flare the next flock coming in rather than lose an already dead bird.

[leech~~]

My best tip, is stand up and take a pee! They always seem to be coming in then when you have the wrong Gun in your hand!! It worked for me twice last weekend!

[Seabass77]

Never, Never underestimate the birds. The second you think, this blind is good enough, we don't need to cover more, that is the second that the birds flare.

[dan z]

hunt with as many decoys as possible, then back down if the birds arent working your spread.

dont call to much, just make the right sounds ( no stage callin req)

robo's work robo's don't werk

like I said before sound like a duck!

[leech~~]

If you read the back page of todays Sports section, it looks like the biggest tip is. Just find a figgen Duck out there, then all this stuff may work!

[Fred_Bear]

OH yeah forgot the #1 rule of waterfowling... BE WHERE THE BIRDS WANNA BE! don't expect that just because you put out 200 decoys they are magically going to show up. Scouting determines your success more than anything else will.

And once you find the birds... Hide, hide, and then hide some more. The later the season gets and the more pressured birds get, the easier it gets to ruin a hunt by sub-par concealment.

[leech~~]

Fred, that's the funny thing about hunting. Sometimes you shoot a 10 point standing by the truck on the way out of the woods, and sometimes you see more birds picking up the Dek's then you did all morning. I took Monday off from work, and when I was setting up the Dek's in the moon light it was a bee's hive of ducks over head. Once shooting time came around and it got light, not one shot!! They just left the area. I was set up in a pretty big shallow bay with wild rice in it, and once it got light they were gone! As far as hinding goes, I think your right, but one time I was with my buddy up in a river by Squaw Lake, and he just could not find the spot he wanted. It was getting light and I was getting p i s s ed so we just pulled off to the side and throw out the Dek's. We were in a non-camo 12 feet boat, and just throw a big brown canvas tarp over the whole thing and we had birds bumbing in on us even sticking out in the middle of no where! so sometime's it's just the day and what they want!