Duck Hunting For Beginners

So you want to become part of the time-honored tradition of duck hunting? If you're seeking to join the ranks of camouflage-clad sportsMen who awake in the middle of the night to go hide in waterside reeds waiting for the perfect shot, you're going to need to learn a few things first. Remember, not everybody has what it takes to be a duck hunter.

First, do some research. Use all the tools at your fingertips. Look around on the Internet and read some magazines. Ultimately, you need to determine if duck hunting is something you really want to embrace. If the answer is yes, your next step is to get yourself educated. You don't want to go out into the field with your shiny new shotgun, disrupting others sport and basically being a nuisance. You're going to need to find a Mentor.

A Mentor can be the person that first got you interested in duck hunting, someone you meet through connections online, or a fellow hunter from a local hunters association. Your mentor needs to be someone who knows all the ins and outs of duck hunting. This person can show you around, point out some good hunting locations, give you tips, and hopefully take you on hunting trips. In the end, your mentor will be the one to point you in the right direction when it comes to getting started in the field.

After you acquire your basic knowledge of duck hunting, you're going to need the proper equipment. Everyone will have their own ideas about what works best for them, of course, but to get started it is best that you listen to those in the know. Don't rely on the clerk at your local sporting goods store; they will more than likely just try to sell you the highest priced equipment possible. Once again, your mentor or other duck hunters would be the best voices to listen to. Consider their recommendations and do some shopping around. After deciding what works best for you, the only way to truly learn is to try it. Your first hunting trip will no doubt involve you finding out what equipment you like and what you don't.

As you take those first baby steps into duck hunting, you're going to find out quickly what methods you prefer when it comes to bagging ducks. Some hunters rely heavily on duck calls, and swear by them. There are many different types of duck calls. Some are purchased at stores or through catalogs, some are carved by hand, and others are created by the hunters themselves-with only their vocal chords. Although it will ultimately be up to you to figure out what works best for you, the safest bet is to first start with a duck call purchased at a store or through a catalog. As always, consult with your mentor before making a purchase.

Another popular tool of the duck hunting trade is the duck decoy. Decoys are floating, plastic ducks painted to strongly resemble various species. Ducks, like all other birds, have very keen eyesight and are not easily fooled. It is for this reason that if you are going to use decoys, they need to be very accurate in their detail and need to be placed correctly. As a prey species, ducks will shy away from anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. Before making any decisions about decoys, talk to your mentor. You want to make sure you get the correct species and the most accurate-looking decoys you can. Your mentor can also advise you about placement and how to correctly use your decoys.

All in all, those looking to get into duck hunting are in for a wild ride. Most of us take hunting for granted. After all, how hard can it be to kill a stupid bird? It's not so easy, as you will find. With a little patience and education, though, you'll be a master duck hunter in no time. I wish you the best of luck on many duck hunting adventures to come!

---

Goose Hunting on a Budget

Lets face it the change in the economy really affects our hobbies as well. For the majority of the hunters out there, waterfowl hunting is both a passion and a hobby. However, as well all know it can be a very expensive hobby. By the time you purchase your gun, decoys, calls, Clothing, and license it can easily cost ,500 just to start in the sport. That is money that many of us simply do not have right now with the uncertainty in the economy. So how can a goose hunter be successful without breaking the bank?

This article highlights several ways a goose hunter can enjoy their sport without killing the pocketbook.
Use a guide service. You may be asking yourself, what is this guy talking about? Well if you think about it, if you only go hunting 1-2 times a year using a guide service may be an economical way to hunt. You will not have to purchase all of those decoys, calls and land rights. The guides will set up the field and have a better chance of putting you in front of birds. You will have more fun, more success and likely enjoy the sport even more. Use 1 dozen decoys only! The general rule of thumb goose hunting is to load up the field with 100's of decoys and lure large numbers of birds in to feed and get several opportunities at flock shooting. However, using 1 dozen decoys and setting up near a large spread another hunter set up can be a deadly way to bag more birds. Geese are territorial and if they see a few geese feeding next to a large flock they simply may see this as easier Food opportunities. One dozen decoys can range from - for shell decoys up to 0 for a nice set of full bodied decoys. Buying used will also save a lot of cash. Use a cheap goose call. I would prefer to hunt with a hunter that can make one good honk on a cheap call than one that cannot call worth a lick on a 0 call. Every goose call is capable of making a good honk sound. Most of the time that is all you need. Buck Gardner, WCG and others have a whole line of calls priced around for purchase. Scout better! Some of my best goose hunting has been lying down in the ditch of the refuge waiting for the geese to fly by in the morning to go feed. I only hunt the spot when the geese are in migration, which is only a short period each year. When they are in this mode there is one spot that is head and shoulders above the rest . I do not use any decoys, calls or anything else except a warm camo jacket when I hunt this spot. For about 2 weeks I have a ton of success without much effort. Show up in the morning or evening and get ready to shoot! However, had I not done my homework scouting none of this would ever have been possible. Share the costs. Find a good friend that shares your passion as well. Off load some of the costs by buying some items separately. Or if you are not going to purchase the items, offer your friend a few bucks to use them or go hunting with them and pay for the gas. It makes the hunt more enjoyable and lowers the cost.

Last thing I would suggest is start planning now how much it is going to take for your hunting season coming up. Do a couple of odd Jobs over the course of the year and set it aside for the hunting season. This will help make sure you can keep hunting and enjoy your hobby.

goose clothes

---

Cheap Goose Decoys - Build an Economical Decoy Spread

A goose hunter does not have to spend a fortune on their decoys. There are many alternatives to purchase cheap goose decoys that are still of high quality. Let's face it the sport of goose hunting can be get very expensive. By the time that you buy your gun, boots, and Clothes, it can seem like the expenses will never end. We haven't even talked about the most expensive item: goose decoys.

It is not uncommon for a goose hunter to have 20,30 or even 50 dozen decoys to properly set up a field for either Snow goose or Canada goose hunting. At a cost of over 0 to 0 a dozen, a hunter can tie up thousands of Dollars in their decoys before they ever step foot on the field to hunt. What are the alternatives to purchase cheap goose decoys that are still of high quality.

First, it is important to realize that not every decoy in your spread needs to be a fully flocked, full bodied goose decoy. This would be too expensive very expensive to build a spread. A hunter can substitute many cheaper decoys into their spread to build a highly effective spread at a reasonable cost. One technique is to purchase 2-3 dozen very high quality decoys and mix in lower cost decoys to fill in the spread. A hunter needs to realize that from 2000 plus feet a goose will not be able to see the layout with a high level of detail. The objective is to get the geese to notice the spread and lure them closer.

Brands like the carrylites and silosocks are reasonably priced and will allow a hunter to fill out a spread for a fAirly economical price. These decoys can be placed closer to cover so that they are not as easily identified when geese are landing. Using your full bodied geese out in the open will still attract the geese up close even when they are landing in a field full of low cost decoys. Heck, some hunters use Clorox bottles and white rags when hunting Snow geese.

One other approach to finding cheap goose decoys is to purchase used decoys from a hunter that is replacing their old decoys or retiring from the field. A great place to look for cheap goose decoys is online. Great bargains can be had buying used decoys in the off season. Keep your eyes peeled in the classifieds and other online sales channels for great deals on your dekes.

A hunter can go broke buying a enTire decoy spread made up of brand new full bodied, feeder decoys. However, a hunter needs to have enough decoys to build a decoy spread that will attract geese to the field. The key to saving some cash is finding great deals on cheap goose decoys.

goose clothes

---