Free: Contests & Raffles.
Ducks live in water.... just remember that you will get wet.A lot of these guys are posting good things you need.But here is the basics... in order of priority... in my opinion for a beginner.These are all asuming you can't get a chance to go with an experianced hunter.1. Shotgun. (You have that covered)2. Range time. (practice lots with you gun. if you can, practice with your hunting jacket on)3. Waterfowl ID. (it is very important to know what you are shooting at. some ducks, like mallards, you can fill your daily limit with. others.... you may only be able to harvest 1 a year, or a couple a day. Depends on the species or the sex. Plus, while you are duck and goose hunting there are lots of birds that look similar to ducks, but are not. You must know the difference. www.ducks.org is a good starting point. so is the state site http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/waterfowl/types_ducks.html )4. CAMO! (above all else, remember this: DUCKS ARE BIRDS. BIRDS SEE IN COLOR. You must be camoflauged out like a freaking ninja to be successfull. This sould be as simple as face paint and sitting in the bushes, or as complex as a $10,000 boat blind. You decide. but you must be hidden from the ducks to be successfull)4....along with camo, you should consider that duck hunting is very cold. so if you are going to buy gear, make sure it keeps you dry, and warm. Wear layers.5. Some method of Retrieving the dead ducks. (there are lots of ways, the best is a dog. But chest waders will allow you to retrieve quite a few birds on your own. Just make sure you kill them in shallow water. Or simply use a boat to go pick up the ducks. I personally... use a dog, waders, and a boat.)Beyond these 5 things, there a million things you can get to improve your odds. From duck calls to decoys to jerk cords to layout blinds... etc. But honestly if you are just starting out, you can have a wonderful hunt just camo'd up sitting next to a small irrigation ditch waiting for what is know as "Pass shooting" oportunities to come your way.With a good pair of waders you can even become successful simply jump shooting little ponds or streams, not unlike how you hunt pheasants, but around water.Start out simple... the next few years will get crazy enough, but just remember you only need the basics, of course which... many people will differ opinions on.
Your lab will work fine. If nothing else, when you're getting started, throw a rock at the dead bird. Your lab will go to get the rock and come back with the bird. After awhile, he'll associate a downed bird as something to bring back to you.Don't know if they still have any or not, but last month I was at Sortsmans & picked up a pair of Lacrosse 5 mil swamp tough neoprene waders w/ 1000 grams thiosulfate for $200, $100 off. They we on close out, so I'm not sure if they have anymore.
The first step is to take a hunters safety course.... It is a requirement before you buy your license. It's going to be very tough/impossible to complete one at this point in the season and still be able to hunt. After that I would strongly suggest hunting with someone who has experience with duck hunting, calling, map reading... etc. It can be dangerous, thankless, exhausting, freezing, and miserable work... on good days, which is why I love it. It's a year round thing for most of us, gathering gear, building blinds, boats, scouting, dogs. I'd suggest studying and really getting to know the distances involved. You need to know how far your shot travels, your killing range, how far away from other hunters to set up, how far to lead a bird... etc. Hope you get hooked!
Quote from: BiggLuke on November 08, 2013, 04:48:33 PMDucks live in water.... just remember that you will get wet.A lot of these guys are posting good things you need.But here is the basics... in order of priority... in my opinion for a beginner.These are all asuming you can't get a chance to go with an experianced hunter.1. Shotgun. (You have that covered)2. Range time. (practice lots with you gun. if you can, practice with your hunting jacket on)3. Waterfowl ID. (it is very important to know what you are shooting at. some ducks, like mallards, you can fill your daily limit with. others.... you may only be able to harvest 1 a year, or a couple a day. Depends on the species or the sex. Plus, while you are duck and goose hunting there are lots of birds that look similar to ducks, but are not. You must know the difference. www.ducks.org is a good starting point. so is the state site http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/waterfowl/types_ducks.html )4. CAMO! (above all else, remember this: DUCKS ARE BIRDS. BIRDS SEE IN COLOR. You must be camoflauged out like a freaking ninja to be successfull. This sould be as simple as face paint and sitting in the bushes, or as complex as a $10,000 boat blind. You decide. but you must be hidden from the ducks to be successfull)4....along with camo, you should consider that duck hunting is very cold. so if you are going to buy gear, make sure it keeps you dry, and warm. Wear layers.5. Some method of Retrieving the dead ducks. (there are lots of ways, the best is a dog. But chest waders will allow you to retrieve quite a few birds on your own. Just make sure you kill them in shallow water. Or simply use a boat to go pick up the ducks. I personally... use a dog, waders, and a boat.)Beyond these 5 things, there a million things you can get to improve your odds. From duck calls to decoys to jerk cords to layout blinds... etc. But honestly if you are just starting out, you can have a wonderful hunt just camo'd up sitting next to a small irrigation ditch waiting for what is know as "Pass shooting" oportunities to come your way.With a good pair of waders you can even become successful simply jump shooting little ponds or streams, not unlike how you hunt pheasants, but around water.Start out simple... the next few years will get crazy enough, but just remember you only need the basics, of course which... many people will differ opinions on.Big luke is spot on.
Don't get into waterfowling, it is too much money for what you get, a duck tastes bad, smells bad, and tough as rubber. Hunt upland birds and you'll save a bunch of money and get better exercise.
