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Ducks are mostly aquatic birds, mostly smaller than their relatives the swans and geese, and may be found in both fresh water and sea water. Most ducks have a wide flat beak adapted for dredging. Wild ducks of various species are hunted for food or sport, by shooting, or formerly be decoys.

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Duck Hunting General Info: Duck hunting is one of the most popular types of fowl hunting in the world and today it is more popular than ever before, possibly because of the remarkable technological items that altogether make hunting much more pleasant and productive. Calling is essential in duck hunting, and this is what differentiates this sport from other similar practices. Also a crucial aspect is that of finding and choosing the place where to make the actual calling from. If we add the pre-hunt preparations and field planning we get a hunting variety that is as complex as it can possibly get.

Like is the case with most types of hunting, in duck hunting weather plays a very important role, especially in influencing the migration routes of traveling ducks, but also in the conditions you find on the field once you get there. For instance, excessive rain will make the soil muddy and every move you make will make more noise and you will lack the comfort needed to stay focused on the hunt at all times. There is, however, a bright side to rain making its appearance on the day you choose to hunting. Ducks usually can sense when rain is coming and will flee immediately, changing their entire route as they move. If you’re lucky enough to be there when they decide to do so then you will be able to enjoy a unique display of chaotically flying ducks filling up the sky in just seconds. You may even see a shooting opportunity in this spectacle especially if it is not the first event of similar type you see.

The calling itself is a delicate and elaborate process, but it’s indispensable in duck hunting. These birds are known for the variety of sounds they are able to make, according to the situation they find themselves in, such as mating, danger or feeding circumstances. Most often, picking up a call that mimics the sounds a hen makes when she is ready for mating will yield the best results, as many drakes will rush to the place where they expect to see the receptive hen. And what a disappointment they will have! Also an important aspect to look for is that of knowing how to calibrate the intensity of your calls, in a way that will seem natural to the target spread of birds. Therefore, if you hunt on windy conditions, try to establish whether you are on upwind or not; if the wind does in fact blow towards you, this means the sound will run faster toward the birds so you won’t need to make the call louder. If however you find yourself on downwind, then try to make the calls increasingly louder until you observe that one or more birds react to it. The key thing to remember here is that excessive calling will not only bring no palpable result but you could loose any chances for later because if a duck gets spooked it will alert the others as well.

On the whole, duck hunting is a special kind of waterfowl hunting, in which calling and weather conditions (the way you manage to adapt to them and make the best of any situation) play crucial parts. Given its remarkable complexity it comes to no surprise that so many hunters choose duck hunting every year, instead of other hunting varieties out there.

About Ducks: Duck is the common name for a number of species in the Anatidae family of birds. The ducks are divided between several subfamilies listed in full in the Anatidae article. Ducks are mostly aquatic birds, mostly smaller than their relatives the swans and geese, and may be found in both fresh water and sea water.

The majority of ducks have a large flat beak modified for dredging. The ducks make the most of a diversity of food sources, for example grasses, fish, insects, aquatic plants, small amphibians, small molluscs and worms. Diving ducks as well as sea ducks hunt deep underwater, while dabbling ducks prefer to feed on the surface of the water or else on land. Unusual plates named lamellae can be found in the beaks of dabbling ducks and they are similar to the baleen of a whale. These small line ups of plates down the interior of the beak allow them to filter the water out of the beaks’ side and keep food in. In order to be capable of submerging easily, diving ducks are weighing more than dabbling ducks but consequently have difficulties when trying to take off to fly. Some specific species like the Goosander, Smew as well as the mergansers are specialized at catching big fish.

Male ducks (called drakes) of the northern species frequently have an extravagant plumage; however that’s moulted in the summer to give them a more female-like look, also called the “eclipse” plumage. Species inhabiting the South normally illustrate less dimorphism between sexes. A lot of species of ducks are for the short term flightless while they are moulting; they search for sheltered habitat with fine food supplies in this period. The molting characteristically paves the way for migration.

Some duck species, mainly those breeding in the temperate and arctic Northern Hemisphere, are migratory, but others, particularly in the tropics, are not. Some ducks, particularly in Australia where rainfall is patchy and erratic, are nomadic, seeking out the temporary lakes and pools that form after localized heavy rain.

A worldwide group like the ducks has many predators. Ducklings are particularly vulnerable, since their inability to fly makes them easy prey not only for avian hunters but also large fish like pike, crocodilians, and other aquatic hunters, including fish-eating birds such as herons. Nests may also be raided by land-based predators, and brooding females may sometimes be caught unaware on the nest by mammals (e.g. foxes) and large birds, including hawks and eagles).

Adult ducks are fast fliers, but may be caught on the water by large aquatic predators. This can occasionally include fish such as the muskie in North America or the pike in Europe. In flight, ducks are safe from all but a few predators such as humans and the Peregrine Falcon, which regularly uses its speed and strength to catch ducks.

The quantity, quality and prototype of vegetative the cover needed by these birds vary from one season to another and amongst different species of ducks. With the exception of the wood duck, natural cover seems to have little importance in some states. However, it is of greatest importance as far as breeding is concerned.

Duck Calling: If you want to improve your duck calling abilities, follow these 10 tips:

• If you see that the ducks are approaching you, it is imperative that you stop calling immediately;

• When you observe the ducks are starting a rather erratic wing beat, you must hit them by using a comeback call as soon as you can so that you can bring them back in line;

• Single quacks should be used if you think that they may drift off-line; in these situations, feed calls are also recommended;

• You should try calling the ducks when they circle while they quarter in the wind because it will be easier for them to set up a landing zone into the wind; with other words, you must anticipate their swing;

• Keep in mind that you must combine the regular whistle with the mallard calls. Young hunters should blow these with ease and they will afterwards feel responsible for bringing the ducks, thing that will build up their confidence. Don’t forget about the mallard drake sound which shouldn’t be discontinued especially in the days when there is no wind;

• When calling, you must always start high and as time goes by, start downing the scale ( with no startup scale );

• Use the most appropriate type of call for the type of duck you are about to hunt. For example, if you plan on hunting blue-wing teal you should use a blue-wing call;

• If you are about to do some team hunting, the calling should be also done in a team, as follows: the team should have a leader while the other hunters just fill in so it is imperative that you don’t try competing against one another;

• You must be aware of the fact that not all ducks respond to calls and as a matter of fact, even the real ducks don’t call in all the ducks, all the time;

• Don’t do the same thing over and over again; with other words, if you see that what you are doing isn’t efficient, change it, try something else and maybe you will be more efficient.

Duck Decoys: The best decoys used for duck hunting are the motion decoys as these products add realism which is useful for attracting more ducks. Before purchasing duck decoys you need to consider a few things like control, power, paint, motion and water. Let’s take them in order to find out more about these characteristics :

Control – before purchasing a decoy you must consider how the product is controlled. Some products are controlled by a jerk-cord; the best decoys are those that don’t require the usage of the hunter’s hands. Decoys should simply be turned on and then be left alone to do their job; another wise choice would be purchasing duck decoys that are controlled using a wireless remote control.

Power – power is one of the most important aspects you have to take into consideration before purchasing a duck decoy. That’s why hunters should always check to see how long will the battery last; a decoy with a low-life battery won’t be efficient because you would have to change the batteries very often which will scare the ducks away.

Paint – always avoid purchasing decoys that have a shiny paint because this kind of paint will reflect in sunlight and I’m sure you wouldn’t like that it will scare the ducks away. Such decoys aren’t very realistic and surely you won’t have a tremendous success in your hunting adventure.

Motion – search for those decoys that have a realistic movement as these decoys will attract more ducks in comparison to decoys that have no motion or decoys that have an unrealistic motion. The best decoys are those that use bobbing heads and flapping wings.

Water – if you plan on using duck decoys near water you have to make sure that these decoys won’t become damaged that is why you should look for designs that have protected motors and wires. Even if you don’t plan on using these decoys in water conditions, you should purchase decoys that are water resistant in case of a sudden rain during your hunts.

Duck Hunting Tips: 1. Patterns of weather as well as water levels can deflect major flights off their typical migratory routes. A hotspot of the last year can be an empty hole if ducks are in the opposite part of the state. Moreover, ducks travel ahead of ruthless storms and cold air fronts. Be smart and hunt on a running away day and you will notice a sky that’s full of new ducks incoming from the north. They will certainly be unfamiliar with the new surroundings, eagerly wanting to land and relax with other ducks.

2. When you first spot pond ducks at a distance you should use a piercing, long hail or a high ball call (decrescendo) so as to get their attention along with letting them know where you are. You should furthermore make use of loud, long calls on those windy days, as in this situation ducks won’t be able to hear very well, mainly if they’re upwind; this also applies when you’re hunting on flooded river bottoms, places where the sound doesn’t carry that far. Whilst you are calling you should watch the birds at all times. If they do respond to your call then keep it up. If however they do not respond to it try something else instead: a piercing decrescendo, a malleable decrescendo, a long and drawn out decrescendo, a sequence of short quacks, whatever it will take.

3. When you call ducks, always think of what you’re trying to do there. At first you are trying to obtain their attention, but also to let them know that there are some other ducks in the respective area, and where exactly they are. If ducks are not coming towards you, you should attempt to make them change their route and come a little closer. While the ducks are getting closer you must try to persuade them there are extra ducks on water, that it would be safe to land there, and that the spot is good for resting and feeding in safety. Nevertheless, the calls you’re carrying out aren’t used by ducks for those rationales. They’re used to declare willingness to mate, exclusively used in courtship behavior. Therefore, what you must do is use the exact calls that ducks use, but be sure to use them in such way that will make the birds do what you want.

4. You may use a certain series of quacks or chuckles to prove to the birds that the decoys you’re using are real and raise no suspicions .Although the provocative call is a peril and certainly not a feeding call it’s used by the birds in feeding situations. You may use chuckles or diver growls to convince the incoming ducks there are some drakes distressing the hens. In order to add further realism to the calling you may use the group contact calls of drakes and sounds of other duck or goose species which might be found in the area.

5. In the prairie, ducks can be quite predictable. They leave the roost place in the morning hours and head for their feeding meadows. Approximately half of the time they’ll head directly for the fields in order to feed and the other half they will momentarily stop in a neighboring pothole to regroup. These are definitely the areas all hunters should target.