Duck Hunting >> Duck Hunting Tips

If you want to improve your duck calling abilities, follow these 10 tips:

•  If you see that the ducks are approaching you, it is imperative that you stop calling immediately;

•  When you observe the ducks are starting a rather erratic wing beat, you must hit them by using a comeback call as soon as you can so that you can bring them back in line;

•  Single quacks should be used if you think that they may drift off-line; in these situations, feed calls are also recommended;

•  You should try calling the ducks when they circle while they quarter in the wind because it will be easier for them to set up a landing zone into the wind; with other words, you must anticipate their swing;

•  Keep in mind that you must combine the regular whistle with the mallard calls. Young hunters should blow these with ease and they will afterwards feel responsible for bringing the ducks, thing that will build up their confidence. Don’t forget about the mallard drake sound which shouldn’t be discontinued especially in the days when there is no wind;

•  When calling, you must always start high and as time goes by, start downing the scale ( with no startup scale );

•  Use the most appropriate type of call for the type of duck you are about to hunt. For example, if you plan on hunting blue-wing teal you should use a blue-wing call;

•  If you are about to do some team hunting, the calling should be also done in a team, as follows: the team should have a leader while the other hunters just fill in so it is imperative that you don’t try competing against one another;

•  You must be aware of the fact that not all ducks respond to calls and as a matter of fact, even the real ducks don’t call in all the ducks, all the time;

•  Don’t do the same thing over and over again; with other words, if you see that what you are doing isn’t efficient, change it, try something else and maybe you will be more efficient.

Useful Info :

Here are other pointers that can be useful the next time you are out in the wilderness, hunting ducks:

•  When the ducks come into sight, they have three zones, as follows: the entry zone, the working zone and the exit zone. It is imperative to get their attention when they are coming into the entry zone; if you don’t, then it is advisable not to call them. That is why, it is recommended that you should keep a sharp eye out, be observant as possible and once you spot the ducks, start calling and try keeping them interested until they focus on your decoys;

•  A duck hunter must never give up, with other words don’t give up calling too soon as you need to be as persistent as possible;

•  When calling, all notes should be short, as natural as possible because otherwise you won’t have too much success. Each note of descending call should be separated from the preceding note slightly rather than keep going with no interruptions;

•  When you spot a duck at a big distance, it is probably worth pouring it on; once the duck gets closer you must keep the call patterns short, 4-5 quacks. If you see that the ducks start to leave you must become urgent and passionate while keeping a realistic feeling;

•  Try learning to call using one hand keeping in mind that the call should be held firmly and the opening insert shouldn’t be obstructed. Keep practicing until you get the hang of it, duck calling is like learning how to ride a bike, once you have managed to learn how to do it, you will never forget;

•  You must keep your call in perfect shape otherwise it will greatly reduce its efficiency. The reed should be kept tight while the call should be kept as clean as possible. In order to do so, you should flush it in cool/cold water frequently from the exhaust/inset end near the mouthpiece. Occasionally, you should pull it apart and remove the cork and the reed, clean it thoroughly and carefully reassemble it again.

All things considered, duck calling isn’t very hard to learn if you keep practicing on a regular basis. One last piece of advice would be that you should go hunting with other experienced hunters and observe how they call and try “stealing” from them.

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