How did you get started??

[Choclab]

So....how did you get started into killing waterfowl? Where you self taught or did you have mentors?

I went deer hunting with my Dad when I was 10 or 11. I took the hunters saftey course the next year and tagged along with him a few more times. My pops lost interest. My best friends brother was into duck hunting and I always wanted to try it. I tagged along with him and shot my first duck....a mallard hen at age 12 or so. My dad was never into bird hunting, so I was pretty much always on my own. I started hunting ducks religously when I was 14 or 15 and started hunting upland birds later on as well. I bought my first dekes off a friend of a friend for 60 bucks, 2 dozen floaters and 1/2 dozen goose shells. I was always bumming rides from my dad and grandpa until I bought my first truck. Good times man....good times

[Dman]

 I started hunting deer right after high school but had hunted pheasant a couple times prior. When I moved to Eburg in my mid 20's I started meeting up with my family member's that had been hunting the Crab Creek area for many years, downed more quacker's than I can count in a few years over there, mostly Ringneck's, Mallards and some Teal. When I moved back over I discovered some great fowl hunting on the base which has since been pretty locked down.

[boneaddict]

I had a good friend and his Dad take me.  We were sitting over about 15 decoys and a couple ducks flew in.  He said just wait.  In about ten minutes right before dark you could here the wings beating.  About 300 Northerners came in.  I about crapped my pants.  I started shooting and got my limit with 3 shots.  There were so many ducks.  I was hooked.....

[jackelope]

I've been shooting trap and sporting clays since i was 12 in  junior league  at my gun club back in new york and when i moved out  here i got invited to go duck hunting. the firsttrip was on the winchester wasteway and it was a blast. i went out on the snohomish river one time to a bunch of little ponds this friend of a friend knew about and we knocked em dead. that got me hooked. i really enjoy it but don't really have the patience to deal with the crowds over here on the wetside or the means to get out into the sound, where it's still crowded anyway, so it's kind of faded away as far as interest goes, but it's still a blast.

[Trashmonkey]

I use to hunt all the time when I lived in Montana.  Elk, Black Bear, I'd get a Grizzly draw every once in a while, Muleys, Antelope, etc.  I was a hunting fool in my youth.  I quit hunting because I got frostbite on my hands and feet from being exposed to a blizzard during elk season (I spent the entire two days in a homemade tree stand) -40F in 1985.  It was the coldest Ive ever been in my life.  fast forward and here I am talking with my neighbor about Duck hunting and he really gets me into it.  Last year was my first year and boy am I hooked!!  I basically have watched others and have learned from what I've seen.  I'm sure I look like a fool and I'm not the best shot, but, boy do I look good! hehehe.  Anyhow, I'm always looking for more ways to learn and new little tricks.  Well, that's my story.

TM

[nyhunter]

My earliest memory is about nine years old holding onto my old man while he piggy backed me into the south cove. Jackelope would know the location. Shortly after that memory comes one of the old man, Rog Winchell Sr. and Roger Jr. and myself in the same location couple years later they were picking some downed birds and two drake mallards came in and circled. they gave me the ok so I picked up the old browning A-5 and let them have it. Downed one and was addicted ever since. I still get my father out once in a while. He's getting up there and humping threw the mud is a little tough.

[Hermit]

My Grampa.........

[Caseyd]

My grandpa and uncle own a 6000 acre wheat ranch in Waitsburg( near Walla Walla) So i grew up Deer and Upland hunting.

When i was around 20 i use to head to Bellingham and party with a bunch of friends at WWU.  My buddy Mike Faggen(Choclab..not sure if you went to BHS but if you did you probably know Mike) was really into duck hunting and i went out with him one day! We went to Lake Terrell, which was a great experince.  The concept of heading out in a boat to sit in a pit blind and hide out waiting for ducks to approach was exciting.  All the other hunting i had done prior in my life was the opposite, you head out and find game/birds.  Shot my first couple ducks that day and i was instantly hooked.  I pretty much lived in Bellingham Friday-Sunday during the season, cant believe my friends didnt charge me rent i was there so much.  We would hunt Terrell, a small piece on the other side of Lumi land(not sure of the offical name), Bow and headquarters in Mount Vernon.  It was deffintaly some good times!!!!!

[HuntinCrazy]

My parents ......I sure miss them 
Our family would go fishing together all the time. From Cal to Idaho. Me and my 2 sisters back in the camper while Mom and Dad drove our 1959 Ford pu towing our boat. Dad and I would hunt  dove, quail,  pheasants , ducks and rabbits. It wasn't until I joined the Air Force back in 1972 that I got into big game hunting. Coming to WA from SE Asia in 1975. I passed my passion of the great outdoors on to both of my sons. Now my granddaugther of 4 out fishes my son and I........LOL.......go figure

[hevi/shot]

I started duck hunting with my Dad when I was a kid. At first I'd go along to watch a pack  my lethal Red Ryder BB gun. When I was old enough to mount my first youth shotgun is really when the addiction started. LOL!

[SequimHunter01]

Grandpa taught me everything,.............nuff said.

[Coasthunterjay]

Man....... well duck hunting for me started a little later than deer hunting. I had just turned 16 and was overly excited about all the gifts that i had when my grandpa told me to come outside. So i went outside listening to one of my grandfathers many funny stories. well as he is telling me this story, winding me up for the kill he pulls out this small green flat rectangle box and says "here is your gift from me and grandma i have had it for a long time but had been waiting for this day''. Inside the Box was a cherry mint 20 gauge Remington magnum shotgun....... I was speechless. The next weekend i went out to looking for something to shot. took it to the the mountains on hikes, it was with me when i went fishing, everywhere. The only problem was i never really shot anything for real. just all practice, And i could shot the crap out of a clay pigeon. It was there with me through thick and thin. Finally i got deeks from a friends, friend (he promised me that when i got older and wanted to get rid of them that i had to give them away to some other newbie that was begining to hunt. just like i was). A promise is a promise., i still have them. Man i was pumped. So the very next season i started scouting for hunting areas and by 18 i was limiting out almost every weekend. Till this day i have had a dozen chances to get a 12 gauge whatever, but i still hunt ducks with my grandfathers Present. My sweet 16 shotgun..................AJ

[sisu]

This is not nice to say but I got started poaching with my cousin. Our duck population would clear out before opening day where we lived so we'd head out with the opening day of grouse season and open duck season. As we neared 14 or 15 we quit that activity and started doing so legally. I am the only one left in the family that hunts anything. One cousin fishes, and the rest watch TV.