Must Have Duck Hunting Gear

[SoILslocker]

Keep it simple. Get a good shotgun & use the factory chokes, Rogers has a rebate going on Federal shells right now you can get a case for $70 after rebate. Definitely need waders, the breathables are much more comfortable but neoprenes work just fine. Best investment is gas money & time spent in the truck finding the birds, you've got to be where they want to be if you really want to kill them. Once you find them try to duplicate exactly what you see as far as types of ducks. Small spreads are underrated - they are all you need if you are in the spot they want to be. Try to watch the birds & set up exactly where you are seeing most of them land, if you watch for a while each group will usually hit the same general spot. Jerk cords are much better than spinners IMO, spinners may work a bit early on but after the birds have been getting blasted all the way down from Canada they get shy of them. Lastly, your hide is key. Take the extra time to make sure they can't see you & you'll have much better results. For me, getting the birds to finish in the hole & knowing you tricked them is almost as good as killing them.. almost. Hope this helps & good luck!

 

[Rampaige]

I've spent too much money on aftermarket chokes and they don't pattern any better than the factory chokes. They come loose if I don't use a tool to tighten them, so the "tooless" theory is out. They CERTAINLY do not add range. You might make a long shot and knock a bird down here and there but it's not something to make a habit of. It's more cost effective to play around with different shells because at least you can still shoot the ammo that doesn't pattern as well. Until you start loading your own hand loads, there is no need for aftermarket chokes. They're a waterfowl scam. They aren't nearly as popular in any other type of wingshooting. Why? Because waterfowlers just want to spend money on frivolous stuff.

The items that I won't hunt without are:
-Gun/Ammo
-Waders
-Calls

The additional items that I use 95% of the time:
-Decoys (anywhere from 6 to 6 dozen)
-Dog (and associated items)
-Folding Chair
-Pruners for brushing yourself in
-2 Pairs of Gloves (you're going to get one pair wet)
-Boat

 

[Gator]

So are we settled on 1 dozen decoys here? A half dozen?

I have some spots that are permanent blinds with big spreads available, but I'm talking about those backwoods holes, woody spots, and run 'n gun farm ponds.

I use 4 decoys more than I use 2 dozen. I hunt smaller holes, 4 floaters, my splashing flasher, swimmer decoy and done. 6 total more often than not (for mallards that is). Divers on the big river, long lines with several dozen decoys.

 

[Nutterbuster]

Agree 1000% on scouting being the key to duck hunting. I kinda lucked out and learned it from day one since I started duck hunting only after seeing wood ducks all the time, and early on I had no decoys or calls. Only game in town was being where you knew they were gonna be.

I'm always scouting if I'm on the woods or water. I found a lot of good spots this year running trotlines. I find more little potholes every year scouting or hunting for deer. And, living on the river means I can pretty easily ride to a nearby boat ramp or just sip coffee on the porch and observe how many flocks I see flying and what direction they're heading. Almost all the birds at my house fly to the west in the morning and east in the evening. They have to be roosting on private, but I have "followed" them to where they wanna be 20 minutes after legal light.

 

[Ckwilli]

Flock of flickers may be the best spinning decoys I've used. Land or water, doesn't matter. The internal timer sets them off at different times.

Crushed doves over them the other day as well.

Skeet choke tube. Yea, they're open....but I put one in my 1187 20 gauge and all the sudden I'm crushing birds. I think too many people over choke.

I'd have a flock of flickers if it weren't for the price. I saw an overhead shot of a spread with them in it. From a distance it looked amazing.

 

[Ckwilli]

I've spent too much money on aftermarket chokes and they don't pattern any better than the factory chokes. They come loose if I don't use a tool to tighten them, so the "tooless" theory is out. They CERTAINLY do not add range. You might make a long shot and knock a bird down here and there but it's not something to make a habit of. It's more cost effective to play around with different shells because at least you can still shoot the ammo that doesn't pattern as well. Until you start loading your own hand loads, there is no need for aftermarket chokes. They're a waterfowl scam. They aren't nearly as popular in any other type of wingshooting. Why? Because waterfowlers just want to spend money on frivolous stuff.

The items that I won't hunt without are:
-Gun/Ammo
-Waders
-Calls

The additional items that I use 95% of the time:
-Decoys (anywhere from 6 to 6 dozen)
-Dog (and associated items)
-Folding Chair
-Pruners for brushing yourself in
-2 Pairs of Gloves (you're going to get one pair wet)
-Boat

I have had the opposite experience with aftermarket chokes. Of course I searched for weeks trying to find one with the constriction that I thought would work the best. I didn't buy just because an ad said it would do this or that but because I knew what diameter I was looking for. Then I spent another week trying to find a deal on it. Never had any issue with it working loose either. It patterns much better than my factory crio choke did. I agree totally with your statement that you need to pattern your gun with different shells and see what works the best. That's a must.

 

[Nutterbuster]

I'd have a flock of flickers if it weren't for the price. I saw an overhead shot of a spread with them in it. From a distance it looked amazing.

Lucky Duck makes a 3 pack of dove spinners. I've only hunted with them 3 or 4 times, but I really like them. $150 and they have a timer and a remote. You can set them to run steady, run in spurts, and turn them off instantly.

A buddy has one season on the flock a flickas and has had to solder on and reseal 2 of them already. They do look really good though

 

[Ckwilli]

Lucky Duck makes a 3 pack of dove spinners. I've only hunted with them 3 or 4 times, but I really like them. $150 and they have a timer and a remote. You can set them to run steady, run in spurts, and turn them off instantly.

A buddy has one season on the flock a flickas and has had to solder on and reseal 2 of them already. They do look really good though

I heard the flock a flickas have had issues.

 

[Matki15]

Flock of flickers may be the best spinning decoys I've used. Land or water, doesn't matter. The internal timer sets them off at different times.

Crushed doves over them the other day as well.

Skeet choke tube. Yea, they're open....but I put one in my 1187 20 gauge and all the sudden I'm crushing birds. I think too many people over choke.

I’ve had bad luck with the flock a flickers. Bought a few and after 4 hunts half of them had broken, letting water into the internal motor

 

[Ckwilli]

This was on my FB feed this morning. That's my girl, she died earlier this week. I'm still struggling with the fact that we won't be able to share anymore hunts together. Sorry for hijacking the thread buy I wanted to share it with some fellow duck hunters.

Sent from my SM-S727VL using Tapatalk

 

[Nutterbuster]

On the choke thing.

I feel that 90% of hunters have no business shooting freehand at a deer with a rifle at past 100 hards, or with a bow at 30, or a duck with a shotgun past 30. I think the popularity of sky busting and tight chokes originates with the Robertsons. Phil in the early 90s videos often mentions he gets better results with a fuller choke. I feel confident he is a much better shot than the average bear because his ability to hit ducks on camera impacts his income (or did). He hunts every day of season, or used to.

I bought a clay thrower and shot probably 20 cases of clays this past summer. I bought a shim kit and actually have a gun that points where I aim for the first time in my life. I'm shooting better than I've ever shot, and better than my dad and my one duck hunts friend.

I still can't hit birds for crap past 30 yards. At that kinda range, a very open choke will make you look like a better shot than you are. My buddy likes a full choke and whiffs on a lot of easy shots. On the plus side, if he hits one, he dead. I shoot cheap steel and I do have to finish off more cripples, but I bag more birds anyway. 2nd shot is easy to make.

As far as after market chokes, my dad and buddy both have extended chokes and they screw and unscrew them without issues. I don't know that they shoot any better, but I'm gonna end up with some just for that.

 

[Ckwilli]

On the choke thing.

I feel that 90% of hunters have no business shooting freehand at a deer with a rifle at past 100 hards, or with a bow at 30, or a duck with a shotgun past 30. I think the popularity of sky busting and tight chokes originates with the Robertsons. Phil in the early 90s videos often mentions he gets better results with a fuller choke. I feel confident he is a much better shot than the average bear because his ability to hit ducks on camera impacts his income (or did). He hunts every day of season, or used to.

I bought a clay thrower and shot probably 20 cases of clays this past summer. I bought a shim kit and actually have a gun that points where I aim for the first time in my life. I'm shooting better than I've ever shot, and better than my dad and my one duck hunts friend.

I still can't hit birds for crap past 30 yards. At that kinda range, a very open choke will make you look like a better shot than you are. My buddy likes a full choke and whiffs on a lot of easy shots. On the plus side, if he hits one, he dead. I shoot cheap steel and I do have to finish off more cripples, but I bag more birds anyway. 2nd shot is easy to make.

As far as after market chokes, my dad and buddy both have extended chokes and they screw and unscrew them without issues. I don't know that they shoot any better, but I'm gonna end up with some just for that.

I don't attempt longer shots because of the aftermarket choke and agree hunters shouldn't. TV ads have added to that 50-60 yard shot thing too. Like someone mentioned earlier, if I can land birds in my spread its almost as good as shooting them. Our rule is you don't shoot until you see their feet. I lost my mod choke and that was the biggest reason I bought one. I made sure it was a little more open than a mod.

 

[Nutterbuster]

I don't attempt longer shots because of the aftermarket choke and agree hunters shouldn't. TV ads have added to that 50-60 yard shot thing too. Like someone mentioned earlier, if I can land birds in my spread its almost as good as shooting them. Our rule is you don't shoot until you see their feet. I lost my mod choke and that was the biggest reason I bought one. I made sure it was a little more open than a mod.

Yeah, I want a cylinder and light mod choke. Or I think I do. Hard to know for sure until you shoot the dang things.

My general rule is shoot em landing, shoot em taking off, and only shoot em flying hard if you can positively id what kind and species it is. And always flush sitting ducks off the water...with a warning shot in their direction.

Opening weekend this year me and my buddy ended up chatting with 4 or 5 hunters on the ride out. We were the only ones with limits. Everybody else was doing a half dozen decoys or just pass shooting birds. We had a good spread with good motion atin a good location, and only took easy shots.

We didn't tell then that though.

 

[BackSpasm]

And always flush sitting ducks off the water...with a warning shot in their direction.

Classic nutter line

 

[Nutterbuster]

 

[TNbowhunter]

View attachment 40664

If I'm hunting some fancy lease with a buddy or I'm worried about shooting decoys, I'll try to get the ducks off the water before shooting. In literally all other circumstances, I'm water-slapping the fool out of the bird if it's in range! Duck hunting is hard enough as-is without a bunch of self-imposed limits on stuff like that.

 

[Nutterbuster]

If I'm hunting some fancy lease with a buddy or I'm worried about shooting decoys, I'll try to get the ducks off the water before shooting. In literally all other circumstances, I'm water-slapping the fool out of the bird if it's in range! Duck hunting is hard enough as-is without a bunch of self-imposed limits on stuff like that.

I have had some decoys lost to friendly fire. I always tell anybody I take that the purpose of decoys is to get ducks in them. If they go down in the line of duty, that's just their lot in life.

Shoot the ones with batteries though, and we gonna have us a come-apart.

 

[Ckwilli]

If I'm hunting some fancy lease with a buddy or I'm worried about shooting decoys, I'll try to get the ducks off the water before shooting. In literally all other circumstances, I'm water-slapping the fool out of the bird if it's in range! Duck hunting is hard enough as-is without a bunch of self-imposed limits on stuff like that.

I had to fill all of my diver decoys with expanding foam because of "a few holes." I can't help it if some birds are uncooperative. Water slapping, also known as water swatting, Arkansasing, and probably Alabamaing too, is a crucial part of any good duck hunt.

 

[Nutterbuster]

I had to fill all of my diver decoys with expanding foam because of "a few holes." I can't help it if some birds are uncooperative. Water slapping, also known as water swatting, Arkansasing, and probably Alabamaing too, is a crucial part of any good duck hunt.

Ah yes. The ole Alabammer Hammer Slammer. Classic

 

[Nutterbuster]

Y'all done got me hot and bothered for duck murderin'. Got a dozen dekes plus a wobbler and a spinner in the trunk of the Accord since the truck is down ATM. Gonna hike in with my leaky waders and go hunt The Pond since my usual place is closed to waterfowlers tomorrow due to a dog drive. Wish me luck!

Gonna feel silly if I give all this advice and then can't kill a single bird tomorrow...