Duck hunting is not as simple as it sounds, However, it is both challenging and fun. If duck hunting is your favorite sport, or you want to try it, you must be well-prepared and informed. It is good to know the common duck hunters’ mistakes so that you can avoid them and enhance your chances to celebrate after the hunting session. So, let’s get started with some common duck hunting mistakes and ways to avoid them.
- Having a gun that’s not a good fit: One must choose guns in different ranges for duck hunting. It is important to have a shotgun that you are comfortable handling and maneuvering. If it doesn’t go well with one’s physique, it would be hard to hit a perfect shot. So, it is important to pay attention to the fit of the gun. It should be like an extension of one’s body. The riflescope is also important, as it magnifies the view for long-range shooting. Before buying, one must check Scopes Reviews to choose the best one.
- Don’t be lazy or in a rush: Sometimes, duck hunters are too lazy to set up all the stuff they have, like splashers and spinners that mimic live ducks. Also, some other hunters are always in a rush and think they can fix the splashers and decoys later if needed. Unless the wind is good, you must spend 10-15 minutes on setting up everything and increase your success rate.
- Dress sensibly and minimally: Wearing too many clothes like heavy jackets, etc. might pose a hurdle, especially when walking in water. One will do a lot better by dressing less even when it is cold.
- Focus on one target: It is common for hunters to focus on the whole flock of ducks and shoot blindly, especially when they get closer. Focusing on a single target with complete concentration is always a better technique to avoid misses. Also, when one shoots a duck, one must continue shooting till the bird is down or totally out of range to avoid losing the bird.
- Shoot when distance is less: It is common for hunters to get over-excited and shoot even when the ducks are far away resulting in a miss and wounding the birds. So, one must be patient till the duck gets as close as 40 yards. One can also use a marker to get an idea of the distance. With experience, judgment gets better.
- Shortlist one person to call out: A smart move is to pick the most experienced hunter from your troop to call the shots. No one must shoot unless the caller says “Shoot!”
- Be proactive and move, if required: If you are hidden well and still not getting any success, pay attention to calls, decoys, moving the spinners, etc. The idea is to figure out the best next move rather than staying at one spot for hours if things are not working out. Observe the direction where the ducks are going and change your position suitably.
- Cover up your surroundings: Ducks and other birds can detect movement on the ground faster, and it is difficult to make oneself invisible. One must create a well-camouflaged area for duck hunting, but still, birds can see you from the air. One must also try different blind spots like layout blinds, pit blinds, or permanent blinds, but you need to blend the blind spots with the environment. Make them look natural and brush up the look often.
- Scouting: Spot the best place for hunting ducks and locate an area where they are coming for feeding. So, one needs to scout before one goes hunting. People mistake not marking the feeding point for the next day hunting and leaving the place. One can find some high ground areas where birds are coming. Use a binocular to observe their flying patterns.
With this useful information about Duck Hunting, you can surely succeed in your duck hunting mission.
