# Getting started in duck hunting.



## SinglerM (Jul 19, 2007)

I'm going to start duck hunting this year. I figured I'd ask here and see if anyone has any pointers for someone looking to get started in duck hunting.
 

Thanks,
Mitch


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## bwalker (Jul 19, 2007)

First off what kind of ducks do you wish to hunt? Do you have a boat?
Given your location I would think your mostly going to go after sea and diver ducks.
IMO get some Doctari Longlines and buy decoys as money allows. You can get buy with a couple dozen magnum size decoys for divers, but I prefer to run 75 or more.
GHG is makign some very realistic decoys at a fair price, but if money where no object i would go with Herters foam cores.


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## weatherby guy (Jul 19, 2007)

SinglerM said:


> I'm going to start duck hunting this year. I figured I'd ask here and see if anyone has any pointers for someone looking to get started in duck hunting.
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> Mitch



You can 'pass shoot' seaducks if you have a good spot to do so. Many times you don't even need dekes if you have a good location and decent traffic. For the divers here is what has worked for me:

1. Put your boat against a solid background (rockwall, shoreline if it breaks up the boats outline). Run motherlines out from your boat (many patterns here to choose from..almost a religous discussion at times). 

2. Layout Boat Hunting.....the absolute most productive way to slam the divers <in my experience>. Get a book or research the topic on the web.


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## bwalker (Jul 19, 2007)

> 1. Put your boat against a solid background (rockwall, shoreline if it breaks up the boats outline). Run motherlines out from your boat (many patterns here to choose from..almost a religous discussion at times).
> 
> 2. Layout Boat Hunting.....the absolute most productive way to slam the divers <in my experience>. Get a book or research the topic on the web.


 You can make a two man redneck layout boat out of a 12' John boat and a large piece of dark gray tarp.
I do allot of diver hunting myself(mostly on large inland lakes) and do not use a layout. My rig consists of a 17' Excel with a 60 horse Yammi. The boat is rigged with a Mud Buddy fast grass blind, which basically looks like a cattail island.
I set my decoys when hunting divers using a four line set with 2 singled rigged bull Can Mag decoys. The basic set is the four strings set into two parallel lines with a large gap in the middle. The single rigged Can's are placed out in front of the hole at around 30 and 50 yards. With this set the boat is positioned at an angle off to the left or right of the Hole between the strings so when the ducks are coming in they dont see the boat
d C
d C
d
d ...... ......
d ...... ......
d xxx
The periods are dekes and the xxx is the boat. The decoys out front draw the birds into the landing zone or kill box thats just off to the left of the boat.
For puddle ducks I use a C or J type pattern with lots of gaps and with the blind offset to the side. I also use a spinner AKA Mojo Duck.

Attached is a pic showing my boat with the blind up.


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## bwalker (Jul 19, 2007)

Better diagram of my spread.


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## SinglerM (Jul 19, 2007)

*I have a canoe to access soe areas.*

Thanks for the replys bwalker and weatherbyguy,

I'll be using a canoe to access some of the hunting areas around here. I' still researching this and asking around. I'll use a canoe to get to these areas.
I'm headed to sportsans warehouse to pic up a couple of books also.
Thanks for the advice on the decoys.
I've never hunted ducks before, but it's something I really want to get into up here.
Thanks for any advice.

Mitch


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## SinglerM (Jul 19, 2007)

*I have a yellow lab also.*

I plan to take her also.
I go canoeing with her often, and she'll retrieve from the water. We'll see how that goes. A lot different from hunting duck, but it's a start.
Still learning about that also.

Mitch


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## weatherby guy (Jul 20, 2007)

SinglerM said:


> Thanks for the replys bwalker and weatherbyguy,
> 
> I'll be using a canoe to access some of the hunting areas around here. I' still researching this and asking around. I'll use a canoe to get to these areas.
> I'm headed to sportsans warehouse to pic up a couple of books also.
> ...



I have been to Alaska numerous times to hunt the eiders, old squaws, .........etc. Fantastic hunting and just a ton of ducks. I hunted Uyak Bay on Kodiak and have just had a ball. We were able to pass shoot most of the time with little or no dekes.

In michigan and canada we do very well hunting out of the layout. We typically place the layout in open water and have a another boat a ways away to help retrieve ducks and transport hunters to and from the layout rig.


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## ropensaddle (Jul 20, 2007)

What I know about duck is have deep deep pockets!


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## Wismer (Jul 20, 2007)

Practise up on your wing shooting. The only thing worse than not taking home a couple ducks at the end of the day is injuring some and having them fly a half mile or so before falling, they waste and you don't find them.


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## EDMman (Jul 20, 2007)

Amen Rope... not a cheap adventure at alll. But man is it addicting...
Nothing like the sound of whistling wings.....


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## SinglerM (Jul 20, 2007)

Wismer said:


> Practise up on your wing shooting. The only thing worse than not taking home a couple ducks at the end of the day is injuring some and having them fly a half mile or so before falling, they waste and you don't find them.



I'll be looking for a skeet range around here real soon. I've got to go back to Utah, pick up some household goods and drive back up. I'm going to look for a range when I get back.
I'm still kind of getting settled in.
 
Later,
Mitch


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## NYCHA FORESTER (Jul 20, 2007)

I like to feed them in the park................HAHAHAHAHAHA:biggrinbounce2:


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## bwalker (Jul 20, 2007)

Weatherby Guy, Is that a Mighty Layout Boys Layout boat? Always wanted one..but then I'd need a Lund Alaskan with a E-Tec on it to haul it out/tend it. Or better yet a Banks. 
I get buy with the rig I have, although it gets dicy when hunting Sag bay, Bay De Noc or Ogontz.
Here is a pic from the last week of duck season 2005. Miserable weather, but the huntign was awesome.


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## bwalker (Jul 20, 2007)

Singler, if you plan on hunting out of a Canoe you might not need any decoys. Floating rivers in a Canoe is a very effective way of jump shooting ducks. I had a canoe setup to do this with two Styrofoam flotation pontoons. Very stable to shoot out of.
Good call on using skeet in preparation for the season. Throw in a few rounds of trap and sporting clays as well.


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## weatherby guy (Jul 21, 2007)

bwalker said:


> Weatherby Guy, Is that a Mighty Layout Boys Layout boat? Always wanted one..but then I'd need a Lund Alaskan with a E-Tec on it to haul it out/tend it. Or better yet a Banks.
> I get buy with the rig I have, although it gets dicy when hunting Sag bay, Bay De Noc or Ogontz.
> Here is a pic from the last week of duck season 2005. Miserable weather, but the huntign was awesome.



The layboat was actually built for me by John Kalash. John is known by many as the 'man who started it all' with respect to both the layout boat and this style of duck hunting. Lots of history behind the boat design. The mighty layout boys build a super boat <fiberglass>. My boat is built out of wood and fiberglass. Its quite heavy but handles the rough waters of Erie like a champ and in my opinion sits lower on the water than any other design.

Great pic of your boat under snow. Brings back many many cold but good memories.


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## bwalker (Jul 23, 2007)

Kalash is very famous design and rightfully so.

I cant wait for fall, which is abit ironic given that it is 95 degreees up here in NW Ontario.


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