Getting started on waterfowl gear

I have a 1976 or so Model 1100 that is a 3" magnum that I use for waterfowl and it works great. If you want a pump, I don't think you can get a smoother action than a Winchester Model 12 and they did make them in 3" mag versions. You just have to make sure that someone sent it out to have the barrel threaded for removable choke tubes, or send it out to someone like Briley.

I'd put that up against any 870 every day of the week. Do you need to shoot 3 1/2" shells? NO. I have had just as good results using Kent Fasteel 3" at 1560 fps as a buddy that was shooting 3 1/2" shells. Biggest thing I can say is to pattern your shotgun with the choke and shells you will be using at the distance you expect to be shooting the birds at. That may open your eyes to what works and doesn't work.

If I was going to buy another shotgun with waterfowl in mind, I would have to go get a Benelli SBE3.

I'll probably get a few mallard and wood duck decoys. Although I have seen some green winged teal in the area, it has been very few. Not enough to want me to get any decoys.

And I'm perfectly fine with getting a used, pump action shotgun for ducks.

I have access to a small job boat to keep down by the river. I was thinking of building a blind down after the owner gave me permission to. But, I really enjoyed standing in the trees so, I'll probably disregard the blind.

I definitely won't want to burn out my river spot and I'll probably hunt it sparingly. I do have two other permission pieces that get ducks on the ponds. My main permission piece where I deer and turkey hunt gets a lot of geese during the early season in the fields. That was my main reason for getting the big foots. That and being able to contribute something for when my buddies take me out again.

I appreciate all the advice! I welcome all the information I can get!

Ditch the ducks. Just use your goose decoys. Mallards and most other ducks will dive right in. If you just have to have ducks...paint half gallon milk jugs black and white....or get mallards. Lots of marketing ploys to sell more decoys. I get suckered into them too.

My very unpopular opinion is woodduck decoys are a waste, same with the call. They decoy in but I bet most were pass shot as they buzzed the spread.

Get a spinning wing decoy with a remote. Turn it off when geese are in the air. Mess around with location. Sometimes birds sink to it like a magnet, others flare from a mile away, some like it partially hidden or right in the open. Used to have a pond where we would put a spinner behind us in a puddle on the road around the pond. Pulled ducks from long ways away and they would end up working the decoys in the pond.