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