Thread: Any tips for a new duck hunter?

Good camouflage, a duck caller, some decoys, sit and wait. Anything else?

Gun and ammo could be useful.

Decoys, duck call (lots of practice as well), shotgun hopefully a few claybird shoots under your belt, pattern your gun to establish the spread of shot through your chosen choke, make sure you are well camouflaged and concealed. Avoid the temptation to move and watch the ducks, they have very good eyesight. Also when they are in close single quacks or a quick welcome call should be all that is required.

dont shoot anybody and for some it seems you combine drinking with duck shooting dont do that or shoot with people who do

Give them 1/2 as much again lead as you you think you need, especially if you have not been practicing

Keep still and shut the fuck up while bird are circling

Careful where you shine your moon face. Unless you're black, then you shouldn't smile

gloves on hands,cover or paint your face.keep still.

Get your gun fitted! Go to a clay shoot get some practice in, they should know some one that will help with the fitting. http://www.nzclaytarget.org.nz/gunsh...NovDec2009.pdf

It's not like rifle shooting! Total different. Shotguns stocks have a cast (bend) for right and left hand shooters.
With out that cast you will miss more. So what the fitter dose is usually gets you to mount your unloaded gun while he looks directly at you. He can then see where your eyes line up down the barrel. He can the cast your gun for you. This he dose by heating up the wooden stock of your gun and bends it to fit you. Usually it's done with hot lights.
If you have a plastic shotgun then some come with shims that alter the stock.

I shot for many years with out knowing any of this then one day some one said your problem is your guns not fitted to you.
Did some investigation found a fitter and went from shooting ok to hitting stuff today I'd never have gotten back then
Then go out and practice so that you can build up what they call a sight picture library.
This is what your brain dose every time you hit a target, so next time you come across that same picture your subconscious takes over and judges speed distance hight. You then know when to pull the trigger.
Remember also that every one sees the lead of a bird differently.
Sounds a lot but it's fun to learn.
Hope this helps

dont lift your head after the first shot to admire or see why your missing keep stock cheeked.
dont buy the latest high capacity blaster or ultra high speed load in big shot sizes start reasonable and reliable and go on from there.[read remington 870 and game bore 2 3/4 in 3,s or 4s on a pond]
start with less choke than half with steel even skeet and work up if needed and patterning warrants it.
dont get to many heads up alert duck decoys it makes ducks suspicious.
get movement in your spread if the wind dont oblige.
when shooting ducks very few people miss by having to much lead.

If your using steel shot shoot straight at them forget about lead,steel is faster than leed so reduce lead if birds a close no lead .
Watch the ducks to see there response to your calling so you can sort out what to & not do .
Hail call & greeting call followed up with feed chuckle .

Originally Posted by Chris

If your using steel shot shoot straight at them forget about lead,steel is faster than leed so reduce lead if birds a close no lead .
Watch the ducks to see there response to your calling so you can sort out what to & not do .
Hail call & greeting call followed up with feed chuckle .

Sorry mate but that is not very good advice.

Steel may be faster at the muzzle but by the time it has gone 15m it slows down drastically as does lead.

Target aquisition, locktime, speed of target, gun swing and velocity of shot, all dictate an element of lead is required no matter how slow the target is going and no matter what style of shooting you employ. It is just simple physics.

Percieved lead may be less for some shooters.
I have not changed anything whether I shoot steel or lead shot to hit a flying target.

I remember some top shooters at Thames valley (a zone shoot) missing "rat" targets that are literally just rolling, by shooting behind them.

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Biggest tip I can give you is find a good spot to shoot, which has been a challenge for me. You just need to do your leg work if you don't have a pond. The rest you learn on the job like with anything else.

Having mates that do duck shooting and building new friendships is the way to go, you learn much from them and much of the fun in duck-shooting is the company you are with, the meat the icing on the cake. At least that's the way I see it.

Ah yes, and don't smile when they are coming towards you, unless you have camo mask on it. In which case take it off when you smile for the camera.

Go door knocking for spots - most farmers will grant access for duck-shooting in my experience. Remember safety comes first and have fun. Ducks are a bonus.

My two cents on shooting with steel - let the ducks get in close, front on or cupped side on before you shoot. Don't shoot at fast flying passing by birds and don't shoot at departing ducks. You'll lose/wound very few this way. Using steel these days we shoot just as many ducks, and use the same amount of ammo as we did when we used lead shot.

Ducks are further away and fly faster than you think. Head on, side on all good, allow for led, ducks flying away don't bother shooting at them. Lastly if your in a boat, wear a life jacket. Have fun and be safe,