| Duck hunting is the sport of hunting ducks. Duck | | | | hole in the ground or on the bank of a pond. Lay out |
| hunters normally use a 20, 12 or 10 gauge shotgun. | | | | blinds allow a hunter to have a low profile in a field |
| Decoys and duck calls are commonly used. The term | | | | without digging a hole. It is made of a metal frame |
| waterfowl is interchangeable with duck or goose. | | | | and canvas. The hunter crawls in and lies down in the |
| Most geese are taken over land or fields and most | | | | blind. When birds are coming in the hunter can sit up |
| ducks are taken over water. | | | | and shoot. |
| Shotgun | | | | With the growing popularity of motorcraft such as |
| The duck gun in the United States and Canada is | | | | boats in waterfowl hunting, many individuals have |
| usually a pump action or semi-automatic shotgun, | | | | elected to use boat blinds also known as pop-up |
| however a number of hunters choose to hunt with | | | | blinds. Boat blinds are used to conceal a hunter when |
| break action guns including side-by-side and | | | | hunting out of a boat. Boat blinds can be hand made |
| over-under guns. In the United States, UK, Canada, | | | | or are available from manufacturers. |
| and many western European countries (France in | | | | Oftentimes creating a temporary fixture or blind as a |
| 2006) all shot used for waterfowl must be non-toxic, | | | | method of concealment is popular using native |
| and therefore may not contain any lead. Steel is the | | | | grasses or marsh vegetation. Temporary blinds are |
| cheapest alternative to lead but steel has a much | | | | common in protected and public areas where a |
| less effective range than lead. 30 to 40 yards is | | | | permanent fixture is forbidden. Temporary blinds can |
| considered the maximum effective range for duck | | | | be very simple and usually require a three dimensional |
| hunting. In order to kill a duck or goose with a | | | | enclosure to conceal hunters from circling flocks. |
| shotgun the bird must be close. | | | | Clothing |
| To do this, the hunter chooses a position that | | | | Duck season takes place in the fall and the weather |
| appeals to the waterfowl as a safe place to rest or | | | | can be harsh. All the clothing needs to be waterproof. |
| feed. | | | | Most duck hunters hunt over water which means |
| Decoys | | | | they stand in water or in a boat. In order to stand in |
| Duck decoys are used to attract birds a hunting spot | | | | the water and stay dry the hunter must wear |
| or blind. The three most common materials used in | | | | waders. Waders are pants that have attached boots |
| decoys are wood, cork and plastic. Cork is almost the | | | | and are completely waterproof. Duck hunting is a |
| same density as a duck and therefore is considered | | | | very cold sport and the hunter must be well insulated |
| to be the most realistic in the way that it floats and | | | | from the cold. Ducks also have great vision which |
| moves on the water. Wood is a cheap alternative to | | | | requires the hunters clothing to be well camouflaged. |
| cork. Most hunters no longer use wood or cork | | | | Many clothing manufacturers such as Drake, Herters, |
| decoys because they are heavy and maintenance | | | | Whitewater and Mad Dog have incorporated use of |
| intensive. Plastic decoys are much more common due | | | | modern apparel technologies to provide added |
| to their commercial availability and cost. Decoys come | | | | comfort and protection from the diverse weather |
| in almost all species of duck and goose that are | | | | elements that waterfowl hunters can be subjected |
| hunted. Most hunting experts agree that mallard | | | | to. |
| decoys work best for general hunting situations | | | | Dogs |
| because mallards are the most common species in | | | | Duck hunters quite often employ a dog to retrieve |
| North America and most other species are willing to | | | | downed birds. Most often hunters use retrievers, |
| land in their flock. | | | | though Spaniels and some versatile breeds can also |
| [edit] | | | | fit the bill. The use of a dog provides a number of |
| Calls | | | | advantages. As duck hunting often takes place in cold |
| A duck call is a very simple woodwind instrument. It | | | | wet locations, the use of a dog frees the hunter |
| has a barrel, a sounding board and a reed. The caller | | | | from potentially dangerous forays into cold water to |
| grunts into the call while saying | | | | retrieve the bird. Such efforts can be dangerous for |
| “hutâ€. This produces a call that | | | | the hunter, but are managed by a dog quite easily. It |
| sounds like a mallard hen quacking. There are calls for | | | | also allows for the recovery of wounded birds that |
| almost all species of ducks. The pintail, teal, wood | | | | might otherwise escape. A dog's acute sense of smell |
| ducks and other ducks including the male, or drake, | | | | allows them to find the wounded birds. The use of a |
| mallard make whistling calls. | | | | dog prevents waste and ensures that a higher |
| The majority of duck sounds or chatter people have | | | | percentage of birds shot, end up on the table. |
| heard and are familiar with comes from female, or | | | | Conservation |
| hen, mallards. | | | | Waterfowl are indigenous to marsh and wetlands |
| Blinds | | | | areas that are shrinking. Wetland conservation critical |
| There are numerous types of structures that qualify | | | | for continuance of waterfowl hunting. Organizations |
| as duck blinds. Blinds can be temporary or permanent. | | | | such as Ducks Unlimited are making a concerted |
| There are two common types of blinds for landand | | | | effort to maintain and expand waterfowl and |
| field based waterfowl hunting: pit and layout blinds. | | | | marshland conservation to ensure safety and |
| The pit blind is a solid structure that is placed into a | | | | expansion of this sport. |