Waterfowl Hunting Tips

Below are a variety of duck and goose hunting tips to make your trip to the blind more successful. 

If you are looking for the most recent hunting tips on the DU Website, be sure to visit the archive page here.  This includes all duck hunting features as seen on the First Flight: Opening Day website for the 2008 season.

• Build Better Blinds This Season
  
  Blinds become your home in the field. Make sure you build 'em right this season. Get tips from our experts to improve on your design.
  
  
  
• Build the Perfect Duck Boat
  
  We all have different ideas of the perfect mode of transportation to our hunting spots. Justin Tackett, host of Ducks Unlimited Waterdog, shares his story of building the perfect duck boat.
  
  
  
• Big-water Action on Small Ponds
  
  Learn how to make your small-water hunting experience a big success!
  
  
  
• Tips for Midday Duck Hunting
  
  If you routinely head in by midmorning, you might be missing out on some great hunting!  Video tip included!
  
  
  
• 30 Helpful Hints for Duck Hunters

  Would you like to improve your waterfowling success and make each trip a bit safer and more enjoyable? These 30 tips could help!
  
  
  

• Forecast Your Duck Hunting Success
  
  Weather conditions have an enormous influence on duck hunting success. To make the most of their days afield, waterfowlers must understand weather patterns and how they affect bird behavior.
  
  
  
• Duck Scouting
  
  Improve your waterfowling by locating new hunting spots and by keeping tabs on the birds’ autumn migration.
  
  
  
• Break Bad Shooting Habits, Bag More Ducks
  
  Do some self-analysis and figure out if you’re missing shots because of bad habits. If you are, it’s never too late to change them!

• DU Member Submitted Hunting Tips

The following is a selection of classic waterfowling tips submitted by DU members over the years, all of which are sure to help you become a more successful waterfowler.

Have your own tip to share?  Tell us!

• Tips for Hunting Teal
  
  If you haven’t tried teal hunting yet, you should.
  
  
  
• 10 Tips to Get Ready for Duck Season
  
  These 10 helpful hints might pave the way for your most successful season ever.
  
  
  
• Better Waterfowling Video Tips
  
  Join host Wade Bourne and other television guests as they share secrets and tips that will make your days in the field more successful. 
  
  
  
• Finding Hidden Duck Holes
  
  Throughout the country, most duck hunting is done in high-profile areas where big concentrations of birds draw large crowds of hunters. Pressure and competition in these areas - both public and private - is typically heavy, and ducks quickly learn to avoid decoy spreads and seductive calling.
  
  
  
• River Hunting Strategies
  
  Hunters with the right equipment and gumption can take advantage of flowing rivers and find some of the finest, least pressured shooting this sport offers.
  
  
  
• Public Land Hunting Strategies
  
  Some days, public hunting areas provide top quality shooting, with plenty of ducks, a lack of pressure and birds rivaling those of the best private clubs.
  
  
  
• 10 Shooting Tips for Waterfowl
  
  How do you become a good shot? How can you convert misses into hits? What can you do to improve your accuracy and hold your own with more seasoned shooters in the blind or pit?   Find out!
  
  
  
• Tips for Hunting Shy Ducks

The following are proven tips in pulling in ducks made wary by poor hunting conditions and heavy gunning pressure. 

• September Teal: Mayhem in the Marsh
  
  Early teal season is typically a time of sweat-mopping, mosquito-slapping and shell-popping fun. It also offers a preview/tune-up for later seasons when the big ducks arrive. Here’s how you can score on the early season fun.