| If birds aren't responding to the call try going silent. As they fly over hit them with a few notes and work the corners. -Alex Langbell If you are hunting in windy conditions. Look for water that is nice and calm and stack your duck decoys in nice and tight. Not only does this imitate ducks tucked in tight in order to get out of the choppy waters, it brings the birds in for a lot closer shot. -Alex Langbell If you notice birds go into a field for the first time, if possible, let the birds use the field several days or even a week before immediately setting up in the field. The longer birds sit in a field and feed undisturbed, the better your hunt will be once you do hunt them. If you can get birds in a field and keep them in there by shooting your limit quickly and getting out with out educating a lot of the birds using the field, you should be able to get many hunts out of that field, as long as there is food in there. -Alex Langbell When setting up decoys, set up your spread the same way and in the same location the birds were sitting the day before. If the birds were in a tight group, then set your spread tight, if they were loose spread through out the field, set them up loose. -Alex Langbell When you get near the end of the season and the geese start to become educated, try throwing different stuff at them. Instead of throwing the same 8 dozen decoys that everyone else around you is using, try mixing it up. Try using only a few dozen of your best decoys. Try not calling as much or calling only on the corners. Make sure your “hide” is bullet-proof and let the geese kill themselves. -Alex Langbell When setting up decoys in a field, try and have them above your layout blinds or pit for depth perception. – Craig Riche Use the most realistic decoys you can get your hands on. Wash your decoys periodically throughout the season to keep the dirt and mud off them. – Steve Schultz When setting up goose decoys. Set up according to the field you were hunting. If you are going to set up on 50 honkers, set up 2 to 3 dozen family groups. If you are setting up on several hundred lesser, put out as many as you can get your hands on. – Alex Langbell When hunting waterfowl, movement is essential. Create movement by setting up jerk strings, flags, flappers, motion bases or any other means of making the spread “come alive” – Alex Langbell When the birds aren’t responding to the spread, don’t be afraid to get out and change things up. – Craig Riche The best way to learn how to duck or goose call is not by listening to other hunters or even champion callers. Learn how to call by actually listening to live birds. Go to a refuge, park, lake, river, or wherever you can find live birds. Sit and listen to the birds communicating to each other. Bring your call and practice making the exact sounds they make. This will make you a much more effective caller - Steve Schultz When setting up decoys in a frozen piece of water. Rather than breaking the ice into small chunks. Try walking around the hole breaking the ice, creating one large piece. You can then slide this large piece underneath the unbroken ice creating a nice big hole, with very little ice to have to clear out. -Alex Langbell When you have to setup your decoys with the wind blowing right into your face, start pushing out your spread. Give the birds room to drop in behind the decoys and right in front of you. When everyone comes up together, you will get off your first shot, before the birds ever even see you! Then let em’ have it again as they peel back over your head! This is called down-winding. – Craig Riche When building a natural blind or hiding a lay out blind. Use brush and cover that will blend into the natural surroundings. You don’t want to “over camouflage” your blind where it sticks out and doesn’t look like it belongs there. Stand back and look at your blind. Make sure it is as low as it can be and it should have a nice natural “flow” to it. It should blend in with the terrain you are hunting -Alex Langbell Carry an eyeglass lens cloth with you in the field. When your duck or goose call gets dirt or debris in it, use it to run in between the reed or reeds and tone board. You can always use a dollar bill, piece of paper or receipt as well--but the lens cloth helps to clean the reeds - Steve Schultz Pay attention to these key factors to increase your success in the field. Location, hide, decoys and calling, in that order.- Steve Schultz When you are hunting call-shy geese, less can often mean more. Just give them enough to keep them coming online. Apply some of your duck calling techniques. Call them on the corners; give them a few clucks to give them some encouragement. When they’re coming at you and they’re looking good, just stay down, don’t move, and be ready.- Craig Riche. To increase your odds of doubles and triples. When you get a flock of birds in, pick a bird that is further out for your first shot. After you knock that one down, then you work in on the closer birds. Any birds that were in close and managed to move out should be right in your range. -Alex Langbell |
Waterfowl hunting tips
| Columbia Basin Waterfowl Waterfowl Guide Service and Video Productions |
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