New Hunter Tips

[tpksunshine]

Hey there. I'm pretty novice in the waterfowl realm and am looking for some tips to help get me started. I used to hunt a lot in my youth, so I'm not a complete 'newb'. I now have children of my own nearing the hunting age and would love to take them with me in the future. Any tips to help get me started in the waterfowl world (duck) would be greatly appreciated. Located in the Tri-Cities area, if that is needed at all.
Thanks!

[metlhead]

A good tip would be living in an area with good hunting. Seems you got that covered.

[Kola16]

What kind of tips are you looking for? Boat selection? Call selection? Gun selection? Decoy selection? There are entire books written on duck hunting tips.

[tpksunshine]

What kind of tips are you looking for? Boat selection? Call selection? Gun selection? Decoy selection? There are entire books written on duck hunting tips.

So I've already got roughly 5 dozen decoys (varying brands), which I've read is decent amount. My plan is to do ground blind, so no boat needed.

I'm not sure how to exactly go about scouting spots to go. I know there are some wildlife refuges I can try to get into, but those are hunting pretty heavily. Not looking for any 'holes' or anything. Just tips on how to find my own 'hole' down the road...

[metlhead]

I've mentioned in the past, if you do not have plenty of private lands to jump around, a boat is your most valuable piece of equipment when comes to getting good hunts with lots of birds.

[phildobaggins]

Just gotta get out there and hunt, you'll have bad days, but then all of a sudden you'll reflect on all of your hunting and everything will make sense after a while and you'll realize you have been hunting your own hole

[pianoman9701]

What kind of tips are you looking for? Boat selection? Call selection? Gun selection? Decoy selection? There are entire books written on duck hunting tips.

So I've already got roughly 5 dozen decoys (varying brands), which I've read is decent amount. My plan is to do ground blind, so no boat needed.

I'm not sure how to exactly go about scouting spots to go. I know there are some wildlife refuges I can try to get into, but those are hunting pretty heavily. Not looking for any 'holes' or anything. Just tips on how to find my own 'hole' down the road...

You'll want a good set of insulated waders. Have fun!

[tpksunshine]

I've mentioned in the past, if you do not have plenty of private lands to jump around, a boat is your most valuable piece of equipment when comes to getting good hunts with lots of birds.

What would that look like? Enter the water (Columbia, Snake, Walla Walla, ETC), boat around till I see a decent place to set up (discovered from previous scouts?) and hunt that spot? Never done much boat hunting.

Just gotta get out there and hunt, you'll have bad days, but then all of a sudden you'll reflect on all of your hunting and everything will make sense after a while and you'll realize you have been hunting your own hole

That's kinda my plan this year. I'm hoping to get out at least once a week to try and learn as much as I can. The more I learn this year, the easier next year 'should be'.

What kind of tips are you looking for? Boat selection? Call selection? Gun selection? Decoy selection? There are entire books written on duck hunting tips.

So I've already got roughly 5 dozen decoys (varying brands), which I've read is decent amount. My plan is to do ground blind, so no boat needed.

I'm not sure how to exactly go about scouting spots to go. I know there are some wildlife refuges I can try to get into, but those are hunting pretty heavily. Not looking for any 'holes' or anything. Just tips on how to find my own 'hole' down the road...

You'll want a good set of insulated waders. Have fun!

I've got a pair of Neoprene's i'm using for now. I thought about looking at some better ones down the road, but I don't seem to get cold in these ones anyhow...

[CedarPants]

My plan is to do ground blind, so no boat needed.

Once you have your blind built, walk a couple hundred yards away in multiple directions and see what it looks like from a distance.  Ideally, you shouldn't be able to tell it's there.  If you can see it, you can be sure the birds will.

[tpksunshine]

My plan is to do ground blind, so no boat needed.

Once you have your blind built, walk a couple hundred yards away in multiple directions and see what it looks like from a distance.  Ideally, you shouldn't be able to tell it's there.  If you can see it, you can be sure the birds will.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to employ that method this year. Been skunked a few times in the past. Any tips on how to 'dress' blinds on refuges'? Not allowed to use 'live' grass. Do I pack something in, or hope to grab dead stuff around the current blind?

[Badhabit]

Public spots are all over the place. Get a copy of the Waterfowl regs and research the "quality hunt" locations near the tri cities. There are also the feel free to hunt areas and hunt by reservation areas. Check the hunting hours in each area, in some you have to quit at noon. North end of the Potholes has lots of walk in areas to hunt. Just don't hunt the refuge. There are Face Book groups in your area that post up about the hunting. The best internet scouting available.

[metlhead]

Summer fishing and ski trips are fantastic times to get locations lined up while boating. The Columbia is huge. Locate numerous places you could anchor and walk to a blind within 100yds. Use your maps to find if those spots are legal. If so, go set up on them. While that spot may be no good, you will begin to develop an idea of what birds and other people already know about that area. A boat eliminates a large percentage of the other hunters who are also looking for a spot.

[CedarPants]

My plan is to do ground blind, so no boat needed.

Once you have your blind built, walk a couple hundred yards away in multiple directions and see what it looks like from a distance.  Ideally, you shouldn't be able to tell it's there.  If you can see it, you can be sure the birds will.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to employ that method this year. Been skunked a few times in the past. Any tips on how to 'dress' blinds on refuges'? Not allowed to use 'live' grass. Do I pack something in, or hope to grab dead stuff around the current blind?

Whatever is near your blind will look most natural

[vandeman17]

My plan is to do ground blind, so no boat needed.

Once you have your blind built, walk a couple hundred yards away in multiple directions and see what it looks like from a distance.  Ideally, you shouldn't be able to tell it's there.  If you can see it, you can be sure the birds will.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to employ that method this year. Been skunked a few times in the past. Any tips on how to 'dress' blinds on refuges'? Not allowed to use 'live' grass. Do I pack something in, or hope to grab dead stuff around the current blind?

Whatever is near your blind will look most natural

One thing that is often overlooked when concealing yourself is your face, especially on sunny days. I like to use a little face paint to help break things up but I still try not to look directly up at birds that are coming towards you. If you ever get a chance, have someone in your blind and stand a little ways from it. When they look directly at you their face is one of the easiest things to pick out. Now imagine looking down from the air into a sea of water and land and having a random glare of a face looking up at you? My ugly mug has flared more than a few birds over the years

[Basinguy]

Just starting hunting ducks in tri cities last year hard, always hunted them but not like all the time and all over. If I was you I would get a boat or a dog. If you had at least one of those you could get it done if you scouted the day before. If you have both, you are really set up.

[tpksunshine]

My plan is to do ground blind, so no boat needed.

Once you have your blind built, walk a couple hundred yards away in multiple directions and see what it looks like from a distance.  Ideally, you shouldn't be able to tell it's there.  If you can see it, you can be sure the birds will.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to employ that method this year. Been skunked a few times in the past. Any tips on how to 'dress' blinds on refuges'? Not allowed to use 'live' grass. Do I pack something in, or hope to grab dead stuff around the current blind?

Whatever is near your blind will look most natural

One thing that is often overlooked when concealing yourself is your face, especially on sunny days. I like to use a little face paint to help break things up but I still try not to look directly up at birds that are coming towards you. If you ever get a chance, have someone in your blind and stand a little ways from it. When they look directly at you their face is one of the easiest things to pick out. Now imagine looking down from the air into a sea of water and land and having a random glare of a face looking up at you? My ugly mug has flared more than a few birds over the years

I was contemplating employing face paint or a face mask to help conceal my face. Read a bunch of places that hiding yourself, and holding VERY still is some of the most important aspects for blind hunting. Thanks for the tip!

Just starting hunting ducks in tri cities last year hard, always hunted them but not like all the time and all over. If I was you I would get a boat or a dog. If you had at least one of those you could get it done if you scouted the day before. If you have both, you are really set up.

I've got the dog. Been working him hard all year. Haven't had a chance to put a bird in his mouth yet though. Hopefully its not too offputting. Haven't been able to get him in the water recently either due to a toxic algae bloom in my area. I hope the frigid waters aren't too offputting. He loves the water in summer times. I'm working up to the boat...just not there yet.

[CedarPants]

My plan is to do ground blind, so no boat needed.

Once you have your blind built, walk a couple hundred yards away in multiple directions and see what it looks like from a distance.  Ideally, you shouldn't be able to tell it's there.  If you can see it, you can be sure the birds will.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to employ that method this year. Been skunked a few times in the past. Any tips on how to 'dress' blinds on refuges'? Not allowed to use 'live' grass. Do I pack something in, or hope to grab dead stuff around the current blind?

Whatever is near your blind will look most natural

One thing that is often overlooked when concealing yourself is your face, especially on sunny days. I like to use a little face paint to help break things up but I still try not to look directly up at birds that are coming towards you. If you ever get a chance, have someone in your blind and stand a little ways from it. When they look directly at you their face is one of the easiest things to pick out. Now imagine looking down from the air into a sea of water and land and having a random glare of a face looking up at you? My ugly mug has flared more than a few birds over the years

Solid advice.  I used to be able to get away with a thick beard, some eye black on the cheek bones and bridge of the nose, and my hat pulled low.

Since having kids though, my beard got scared and turned gray.  So if I tried that same routine now, the ducks would wonder who kicked the crap out of Santa and tossed him in a duck blind.

[tpksunshine]

My plan is to do ground blind, so no boat needed.

Once you have your blind built, walk a couple hundred yards away in multiple directions and see what it looks like from a distance.  Ideally, you shouldn't be able to tell it's there.  If you can see it, you can be sure the birds will.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to employ that method this year. Been skunked a few times in the past. Any tips on how to 'dress' blinds on refuges'? Not allowed to use 'live' grass. Do I pack something in, or hope to grab dead stuff around the current blind?

Whatever is near your blind will look most natural

One thing that is often overlooked when concealing yourself is your face, especially on sunny days. I like to use a little face paint to help break things up but I still try not to look directly up at birds that are coming towards you. If you ever get a chance, have someone in your blind and stand a little ways from it. When they look directly at you their face is one of the easiest things to pick out. Now imagine looking down from the air into a sea of water and land and having a random glare of a face looking up at you? My ugly mug has flared more than a few birds over the years

Solid advice.  I used to be able to get away with a thick beard, some eye black on the cheek bones and bridge of the nose, and my hat pulled low.

Since having kids though, my beard got scared and turned gray.  So if I tried that same routine now, the ducks would wonder who kicked the crap out of Santa and tossed him in a duck blind.

I've decided to grow a full Paul Bunyon beard this year. The kiddos haven't turned it gray...yet. Maybe the facepaint will keep the mask off my face and prevent the inevitable itch!

[vandeman17]

My plan is to do ground blind, so no boat needed.

Once you have your blind built, walk a couple hundred yards away in multiple directions and see what it looks like from a distance.  Ideally, you shouldn't be able to tell it's there.  If you can see it, you can be sure the birds will.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to employ that method this year. Been skunked a few times in the past. Any tips on how to 'dress' blinds on refuges'? Not allowed to use 'live' grass. Do I pack something in, or hope to grab dead stuff around the current blind?

Whatever is near your blind will look most natural

One thing that is often overlooked when concealing yourself is your face, especially on sunny days. I like to use a little face paint to help break things up but I still try not to look directly up at birds that are coming towards you. If you ever get a chance, have someone in your blind and stand a little ways from it. When they look directly at you their face is one of the easiest things to pick out. Now imagine looking down from the air into a sea of water and land and having a random glare of a face looking up at you? My ugly mug has flared more than a few birds over the years

Solid advice.  I used to be able to get away with a thick beard, some eye black on the cheek bones and bridge of the nose, and my hat pulled low.

Since having kids though, my beard got scared and turned gray.  So if I tried that same routine now, the ducks would wonder who kicked the crap out of Santa and tossed him in a duck blind.

I've decided to grow a full Paul Bunyon beard this year. The kiddos haven't turned it gray...yet. Maybe the facepaint will keep the mask off my face and prevent the inevitable itch!

face masks are a pain, especially when calling. I don't go nuts with the face paint like some people trying to look cool on social media. A little bit on the cheeks and nose is all I use