Must haves

Warm, waterproof jacket is a must! Waders that have insulation in them, chest waders that is.
warm waterproof gloves that are insulated, waterproof hat, warm socks,

No matter what you hunt and no matter where you hunt you should spend your $ buying good outdoor clothing for every weather condition mother nature can throw at you, remember as duck hunters we pray for adverse weather conditions.

Remember this .......you can take it off if you wore it but you can't put it on if you didn't bring it.

I have to agree with these guys...I've spent more money on clothes (jackets, coats, waders, bibs, socks, hats, gloves, thermals) than I've ever thought about spending on decoys and guns. I spent my first couple seasons cold and wet (thought I was a tough guy & didn't want to spend the money) but learned my lesson. Layers is the key! Always pack 2 pairs of gloves or get good neoprene for picking up and good warm ones for the rest of the time.

I have quite a few pointers which are going to make duck hunting sound like ZERO fun.

Indiana is a challenging state to hunt for waterfowl. We do not have as many birds that migrate over our state compared to others and as a result, I feel that our waterfowl are much more educated and wary especially as the season drags on. Therefore, you are unable to make as many mistakes as you would be able in other locations. You need to bring your A game each time you go out if you want to do well.

Bring a rule book if you cannot memorize the rules and have a very good grasp of waterfowl identification or someone with you who is seasoned who you trust that can identify birds fairly well before you shoot. In the excitement, it can be easy for newbies to misidentify waterfowl such as mistaking a grebe for a teal hen or incoming sand-hills for Canada geese. It sounds silly, but it can and does happen with newbies and people with less than ideal eyesight. Know the difference between a black duck, mottled duck and hen mallard. You only get one each of a black duck and mottled duck and this year the black ducks have been common enough in some areas with the mallards that we have had to pay a little bit more attention.

Do not attempt shots at birds you cannot properly identify. A good rule of thumb is to wait until you can see the eyes of the bird or other distinct features. For example, I know when I see the white ring on a drake mallard's neck he is usually within 30 yards.

Unless you are asked to bring decoys by your more experienced waterfowl buddies, leave them at home. The veterans will often have proven decoy set-ups that work for them and believe it or not, some decoy models are better than others and some decoys may flare (spook) birds. Let them set-up and do your part by paying attention to how they set up.

Do not try to call unless you are asked by the veterans. Do not interfere with the caller in any way as he is calling. If the caller says he needs help following the birds as they are working, help him out by telling him where the birds are incoming from, if they are circling, etc. Otherwise, sit down, keep quiet, keep very still and whatever you do, do not look at the birds as they fly above you. Even with face paint and face masks (I wear glasses so it is even worse!!!) your face will stick out like a sore thumb and birds are able to see that as they circle your area.

Wait for your veterans to call the shots. They should know what shots are doable. A reasonable shot is anything under 40 yards. Further than that and you are doing nobody any favors as your chances of crippling and losing birds increases dramatically. The name of the game is to break a wing or hit them in the head.

Even though you limit your shots to under 40 yards, some of those shots will be easier than others. Ideally, your birds will be coming into land facing you with the breast exposed and feet down like so. This shot is the most lethal and one of the best shots you can take. These birds have a high % of dying instantly. Aim right for the head:




This picture shows another decent shot you can make on waterfowl as they land. I would consider this the second best. Aim for the tip of the bill to break a wing or slightly before the bill to break a neck or hit in the head. Your lead on the bird as they are landing doesn't have to be very far at all:








This shot is very challenging to make (for me at least.) Going away shots can be very challenging on waterfowl and many guys will shoot over or under the bird. They are certainly doable at close distances if the bird is landing but at longer distances when the bird is taking off more than likely you will miss or cripple unless you are a heck of a shot.



Some guys will allow you to whack birds on the water (we have no qualms about it if the shot will not risk sinking decoys) and others will not. Many duck hunters feel that if you have the skill to call a bird into your decoys that you have earned that shot. Others don't want to risk having any decoys sunk or feel that hitting a bird on the water is unethical. There can also be a safety concern about shooting ducks on the water if you have a bird dog or other hunters are close (and if they are that close then you have other problems lol). Some say a bird on the water is a harder target to kill, and some say it is not. In my experience they die pretty easy when you hit them in the head. Although the target is smaller on the water, all parts of the bird that are exposed are lethal shots.

I hope this helps, this is all stuff I have learned from my experiences. Don't hesitate to ask questions even if you think they are stupid. Above all don't forget to bring snacks!