Thinking about trying

TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
Never been duck hunting despite being from duck Mecca (South Miss/ LA border) and I'm seriously thinking of giving it a go. Obviously I don't have a dog trained but what other advice and equip should I be looking at or considering just starting out. Also what if any stuff should I just plain avoid.
Like I said I have zero experience so anything is helpful.


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bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
Gonna keep it simple, if you want to kill ducks in NC, then you have to find them first. If your on some type of flyway then its good but not as necessary to scout. Other then that, don't hunt with wind in your face. There is NOTHING more important then scouting. Duck calls and decoy spreads are fun to talk about, but finding them is what matters most.
 
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valetroutfisherman

Ten Pointer
And when you kill your first few ducks you'll be hooked, never be the same. Hope you got a good job to support your new "habit". My son-in-law took me duck 2 years ago, and that was it. Another friend (also a duck hunter) told me: " It would have been better if he would have offered me a Crack rock, would have been cheaper" Lol.
Advise- shoot skeet in off season and dove hunt. Good warm up and practice.

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darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
Best advice is save your money and go with a good guide for puddle ducks somewhere other than N.C. then find you a good diver guide and go with them. You’ll learn more in those two trips than you will in several years of learning the ropes.
 

chevync20

Twelve Pointer
Typically, your best shot in NC to find and kill ducks is wood ducks in a swamp. If you do not have any private land access, I would follow DarkThirty's advice. Probably too late for this season, but when the dates are released, get a couple hunts on the books and go from there. Best of luck
 

TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
I generally see ducks and geese all the time in our ponds and swamps at the hunting club and no one really hunts em there


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nekkedducker

Ten Pointer
I generally see ducks and geese all the time in our ponds and swamps at the hunting club and no one really hunts em there


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Wood ducks in the swamps are easy if they are already coming in. Don't even need decoys or calls. Set up facing the direction they fly in and hide really well. 3 inch #4 steel shot will get it done. Mallards may be swayed to come in more with 6 or so decoys with 2 on a jerk string but don't worry with calls until you practice a lot, and even then you gotta know when and want call to use based on bird behaviour. For a pond a good spread would be a dozen mallards or ring neck decoys, and a couple geese would be all you need. Maybe some teal or wood duck decoys as well. Like I said stay hidden and keep the wind at your back if possible. Good luck and welcome to an obsession like you never experienced. The first time you set a spread and watch a group decoy perfect cupped up and feet down at 20 yards it's all over with.

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Mallard Cutter

Six Pointer
Also want to add do NOT shoot your spot more than about once or at the very most twice a week . last couple days of the season then its all fair game . DO NOT set up on top of somebody , do not ride in 10 minutes before shooting time and try to set up next to somebody. If someone waves a flashlight at you they are not trying to invite you in . Try and find some private land if you can. I have a couple of private ponds that I hunt MAYBE once a week but its a lot better than putting up with the public land circus. !!!!
Learn to hunt by yourself, most of my buddies will go with me a few times a year and when they go I don't even bother shooting , I just like to see them be successful. Get ready to spend a pile of money , but most of all enjoy yourself because its one of the best ways to spend some time !!! Good luck to ya !!!!
 

Greenhorn

Six Pointer
Pick up golf instead. Equally expensive and just as frustrating....but there is always a course there waiting for you. Can't say the same about ducks..haha.
 

CountryRN

Twelve Pointer
You will be changing your Christmas wish list from now on to gear for ducks and gas cards for scouting.
 

the sarge

Six Pointer
Easily the most exciting and frustrating hunting there is. I love it and hate it. I saw over 100 ducks this morning and didn't take a single shot as they were all 100 yards away.
 

ascain

Button Buck
Easily the most exciting and frustrating hunting there is. I love it and hate it. I saw over 100 ducks this morning and didn't take a single shot as they were all 100 yards away.

This. This sums up duck hunting. I love and get frustrated deer hunting but nothing compares to ducks, for me anyway.

The hardest thing, like has been discussed, is finding the ducks. I would try out the ponds or swamps at the hunting club since they are easy access for you and seem to have activity. Try to find someone you know that duck hunts, if possible, and bring them along. I've never ran into a duck hunter that didn't want to try out a new hole. Oh, also, if you go with someone to one of their holes on private land that they have permission to hunt, never, ever, go back to that hole without them. That seems logical to most people, but you'd be surprised how many holes have been shot out over the years by a person who went with somebody, and later they brought their friends, and they brought theirs; on and on.

Really all you'd probably need to hunt those ponds is a pair of waders, shotgun, and duck stamp. You might could get by without the waders since you'll be hunting off the bank, but getting to the ducks once they fall will be tricky without any. If you've never worn waders, be careful. Underwater stumps, cypress knees, and fallen branches can trip you up, not to mention holes and drop-offs. Just use your foot to feel where your next step will be and go slow until you get to know the pond. I never go duck hunting by myself. Just too risky and too easy to fall in and drown with all the clothing and gear on. Plenty of duck hunters go solo, but that ain't me.

For shells, I like the cheap stuff. Has to be steel shot to hunt migratory birds, 3" #2 and #4 are fine, I like to keep a few 3 ½" BBs in my shell holder for quick access in case a goose comes over. Not necessary, just what I do.

Might not be a bad idea to get a waterfowl ID guide too, my cousin bought me one when I got into it about 10 years ago and it's good to have. LeMaster Method. It's on Amazon for about $8 last time I checked. The reason that's good is because you're supposed to know what kind of duck you're shooting before you shoot it. The waterfowl limits can be somewhat complicated. Review those before you go out. Actually, review all the Rules & Regs for waterfowl. They're considered federal birds, so you do not want to screw up. Big penalties.

If you've never tried wing shooting or skeet before, it's gonna be a little tricky. You'll have to lead the ducks, based on their distance from you, what direction they're flying, and their speed. It's just a feel thing. Like an earlier poster said, practice with skeet in the off season, and dove hunt in September.

Saturday is the last day of the season so if you want to get in a hunt this year you better hurry. I wouldn't let that stop me though. Grab a shotgun, throw on some camo, and set up on the bank. Even if you don't get a chance to shoot, just watching them come in and land is a thrill for me. It'll be enough to get you hooked and want to do it more next year. If you've not seen anything by 8 or 8:30, it's probably over. You can try to go back out about 3 or 4 if you really want to, but it is nearly impossible to kill a duck legally in an NC swamp or pond in the evening. Shooting time is 30 mins before sunrise until sunset. Most ducks will come in after legal sunset. Have fun, it's addictive.
 

jd323

Button Buck
Hey guys, I'm new on this forum (I joined yesterday) and like Travis, I got into duck hunting late this season. I was able to get in one hunt with a buddy who picked up a mallard drake, but that was all we got. Either way, I had a blast and I'm really looking forward to next season (although I'm already not enjoying the long wait). With that being said, my buddy lives in the Charlotte area and I am in the Triangle area and I am looking to find some hunting partners in the area. Once I'm more experienced, I may give soloing a try, but for now I'd like to go out with others for safeties sake. I know it's a long shot as most already probably have their hunting buddies and we're a long way from next season, but I wanted to give it a try. I'm eager to learn as much as a can and really just want to soak in as much as I can. I'm extremely respectful and I'm not looking to steal anyone's favorite spot, so I won't go back to your spot unless we've discussed it beforehand and you're fine with it. I am more than willing to put in the work scouting locations and finding the birds. Travis, if you're in the area, I know we may not have the experience or the locations (we can scout them out), but if you're looking for a hunting partner, let me know. Anyway, I'm looking forward to participating on this forum, and Lord willing putting some duck on the dinner table in the future.
 
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