Of all the waterflow that can be hunted, ducks are the by far most popular. They’re little creatures compared to geese and fly straight to the air when disturbed. The objective in duck hunting is not to shoot at ducks per se, but to aim at ducks when they’re in flight. Duck hunting is not about the thrill of the kill. It takes marksmanship and precision. But you still have to be a fair hunter!

This is why the term “sitting duck” was coined. Hunters shouldn’t shoot at a duck that’s on the water. They’re not considered as fair game. a duck hunt is supposed to be a sport. It’s not supposed to be a massacre.

Shotguns are the most popular weapon of choice for the duck hunter. Auto-loaders, pump-actions, and steel-shots are the most common variety of duck hunting guns on the market. Each of them has its own level of difficulty as well as its own quirks in handling and reloading. It’s really up to the buyer to determine which type they should familiarize themselves with.

Attracting ducks that are in flight before firing is accomplished is through the use of duck decoys. Decoys are manmade figures that look like ducks in different positions. The three most common are; sleepers, feeders, and plain old swimmers. Each style has its strengths and weaknesses, but most hunters gather a collection of them all. Decoys are useless without blinds. Blinds are vital for the sport. Ducks are very wary of traps. It seems like they have developed a sixth sense for them, as they can smell traps a mile away. Blinds would help cover you as you sit or lie in wait as they approach. Blinds are made of branches, stems and leaves over a tent-like structure where you could comfortably stay while waiting for a flock to come within your sight.

It is recommended that you add a feature to your decoys to make them move from time to time. A cord attached to a decorated bottle for example, can easily be pulled to create such a movement. The reason for this is simple. Ducks have sharp eyes. And their greed is quite great. Decoys can be mistaken as food, and even when the ducks are in flight, once they spot the seemingly harmless movement, they’ll swoop down to give it a closer look.

Another way of attracting the attention of ducks is by calling. This is done by mastering the blowing of a duck call. It is advised, however, that if you have not mastered this art, you should not dare try it. You might end up scaring the ducks away instead of inviting them towards where you sit or lie in wait.

When shooting at a fleeing flock, aim for the tail end of the formation. Why? Because if you aim at the front end, or the middle of the lock, you’ll break down the group and they’ll scatter. You’ll have a harder time gunning them down. Whereas if you aim for the tail end, you won’t break up the flock as the duck you will initially hit would fall and lag behind.