10 Waterfowl Season Goals

By Doug Larsen

Illustration by Dan Burr

Summer is nearly over and fall is peeking around the corner. It’s time to get serious. There are so many details that go into planning a good duck or goose hunt. If just one or two of these details are not addressed, it can ruin a morning’s hunt or a bucket-list trip. Don’t believe me? Then don’t put fresh gas in your outboard, don’t untangle your decoy lines, don’t grease your trailer’s wheel bearings, and wait until the night before the opener to buy a duck stamp. I’m sure things will work out.

Beyond the obvious and somewhat mundane tasks, like brushing blinds, purchasing licenses and stamps, and ensuring that all of your equipment is in good working order, this is a great time to do some big-picture thinking about the season ahead. What is it that you enjoy most about waterfowling? Is there something you’ve always wanted to try but have been putting off? Are there other hunters that you’d really like to spend time with? Consider all the possibilities and then start setting some goals. We all approach the season with an overall goal of harvesting some ducks and geese. That’s important, but it’s not what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about the people, places, and experiences that could make this season really special—maybe even one of the best seasons of all time.

I came up with a list of 10 goals to get me thinking more broadly about what I want to accomplish this season. Read on, maybe grab a few of these ideas, and set some goals for yourself.

1. Expand Your Hunting Network

Now would be a perfect time to call that person that you met at a DU banquet or church picnic and make plans to get together for a hunt this season. I suggest looking at the calendar to find a couple of dates when the moon is dark. In my part of the world, we usually have pretty good hunting around Veterans Day, and I try to invite people to hunt during that period.

Schedule a date that works for both of you and then schedule a backup date. If this acquaintance is an avid hunter who has most of the right equipment, briefly outline what the hunt will be like and what he or she will need to bring—waders, nontoxic ammo, blind bag, snacks, etc. You can avoid early-morning confusion if you drop a pin to the meeting location. Then all that is left is to enjoy each other’s company and shoot a few ducks together. One of the best things about inviting someone on a hunt is that they often reciprocate, which can open up all kinds of new hunting opportunities. Even better, you might make a friend for life.

2. Bag Your Grail Bird

We all have one—that singular species we’d love to have mounted on the wall. A colorful “storm” wigeon, a cinnamon teal, maybe a tail-dragger pintail, or something more exotic, like a king eider. Whatever it may be, this could be the year to bag that once-in-a-lifetime bird that you have been dreaming about. This might mean setting up in different areas than where you usually hunt. For example, if a bull sprig is on your wish list, you may want to scout shallow-water habitats where pintails are more likely to feed and rest. For waterfowl species with more limited ranges, like black brant or harlequin ducks, you may have to plan an out-of-town trip. Either way, now is the time to get out the maps and begin researching locations, guides, or DIY options.

Illustration by Dan Burr

Whether it’s a cinnamon teal or a king eider, planning now could make this the year to bag your dream waterfowl species.

3. Shoot Like a Pro

We all understand that nothing makes a great duck hunt like bagging ducks, and nothing bags ducks like a guy or gal who has spent some time shooting before the season starts. The best analogy I can give you is golf. If you don’t play a lot, odds are that the drive off the first tee is going straight into the woods, which sets a terrible tone for the rest of the round. But striping one down the fairway builds confidence.

Duck hunting is the same. Dropping a double on teal seven minutes into opening morning is a great way to start the season. In the weeks before opening day, get to a sporting clays facility and work on those shots that give you the most trouble, or buy a crate of targets and get to a field where you can break some clays and get back in the groove. Pro tip: Make practice feel like the real deal by sitting in a chair and calling for the target from a seated position. This way, you can practice standing and then tracking and breaking the target in one smooth motion.

4. Go on a Road Trip

If your goal for this season is to hunt someplace special, now is the time to make travel arrangements. It doesn’t matter where you are headed—Kansas for mallards, Texas for geese, or maybe North Dakota for waterfowl and a side of pheasants. The point is to embrace the spirit of adventure that comes with traveling to a new hunting area and all the experiences that come with it. I live in a midlatitude state, so I especially enjoy trips that extend my hunting opportunities either before or after my regular season.

Of course, the best road trips are taken with family and friends. You’ll need to get a handle on what kind of time and travel commitment you may be biting off, and then pool your resources to ensure you have everything you need for a successful trip. Take care of the details now so that when the travel day finally arrives, you can just hop in the truck and go.

5. Try a Cast and Blast

There are very, very few downsides in the life of a waterfowl hunter. However, one of them might be that we can easily get so absorbed in chasing ducks that we miss out on fall fishing, which can be some of the best of the year. Rather than sacrifice fish for ducks, plan ahead for a combination outing. It doesn’t matter where you do it, as long as there are hunting and fishing opportunities in close proximity. It could be trout in the Pacific Northwest, walleyes across the Midwest and Great Lakes, bass or crappies in the South, or redfish in Gulf Coast marshes.

For most of us, the hunt is often over by about 9 a.m. How great would it be to transition directly from the duck blind to a day of fishing? You might have to change boats, change clothes, or at least get out of your waders, or arrange for someone to look after your retriever, but it’s just a matter of doing a little pre-planning. You could end the day with a full strap and a full stringer. You will never know until you try.

Illustration by Dan Burr

Don’t miss out on fall fishing while chasing ducks. With a little pre-planning, a cast and blast can land you a heavy strap and stringer on the same day.

6. Hunt with Granddad’s Gun

If this applies to you, then you are lucky indeed, and it would be a sad thing if you didn’t take the opportunity to shoot some ducks or geese with a gun that probably meant a lot to a member of your family or a good friend.

Before heading to the marsh or the range, take that old gun to a gunsmith to ensure that it is fully functional and safe to shoot. Whether it is an old Model 12, a Browning A5, or some other classic duck gun, make sure it will safely shoot modern loads. You’ll likely need to hunt with something other than steel shot. Several ammo companies manufacture bismuth loads that are suitable for older guns. Also, if the gun is a repeater, make sure that it is plugged to hold only three shells.

Then pick your day—ideally a cold, windy day when the ducks will be moving and decoying well, so you’ll have the best chance of making some shots that the gun’s original owner would be proud of.

7. Get Away from Everything

This is different from going on a road trip. This is taking serious vacation time and heading to duck country for a full-immersion experience. It might mean going for an extended stay at your duck camp. It might mean checking into a motel or resort and hunting nearby public land. Or it might mean parking a travel trailer at a friend’s farm where you have the run of the place. Just go, and hunt, and stay as long as you can.

When you have a large block of free time available and there is no hurry to move on to the next thing, it becomes much easier to decompress and soak everything in. Sit in the blind for hours and enjoy what Mother Nature shows you. You’ll be shocked at how many different things you will see, smell, and experience when you have the time to enjoy it.

8. Catch the Midday Flight

I’m hesitant to let the proverbial cat out of the bag by suggesting this but, in areas where it is legal to do so, try hunting later in the morning than everyone else. In recent seasons, I have been hunting more at midday, and frankly it is shocking how much better the ducks respond sometimes. They are not used to being hunted over decoys in the middle of the day, and they are generally far less wary. Instead of heading out in the dark and hunting from a half-hour before sunrise to
9 a.m. or so, you can eat a relaxed breakfast, get some things done around the house, and maybe even run a few errands before getting into your boat or blind to hunt from about 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This is especially effective on bright, windy days when ducks shuffle around from place to place. It’s also a good strategy later in the season, when harsh weather dictates duck movements. Start thinking about these options now so you’ll be ready when conditions are right.

Illustration by Dan Burr

Mentoring a new hunter is one of the most rewarding ways to pass on the waterfowling tradition and ensure its future.

9. Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

This may sound strange, but a great way to learn new things is to try a few hunts that are completely different from the way you normally hunt. For example, if you always hunt with the same rig, say two dozen decoys and a spinner on a pole, try hunting the same spot with only three decoys. Maybe those pressured birds that have seen it all will be interested in a spread that doesn’t look like every other spread in the county. Or go the other direction by throwing the kitchen sink out there. Put out a hundred decoys or a bunch of floating geese. Maybe then you will have enough decoys to attract and break down those high-flying ducks that never give you a look.

If you usually hunt from a boat or a permanent blind, try setting up right outside the decoys using a layout boat, a makeshift blind, or a marsh chair. You will never know for sure if things work or if they don’t unless you try them. The worst-case scenario is that you will have sacrificed a morning. On the other hand, you may crack a new hunting code that will work for you in the days and years to come.

10. Pass on the Tradition

This is something that will benefit the future of waterfowling and the future of our natural resources. If you’re not careful, it might make your heart swell too. Identify that deer hunter who says he has always wanted to hunt ducks, or that youngster who loves the outdoors, and get them into the field or marsh. It isn’t that hard. Just take care of all the preparations ahead of time so that they will have the best opportunity to enjoy some success. Make sure they have the correct licenses and stamps and that they are all kitted out with a shotgun, ammo, waders, and whatever else they will need. If they’re new to wingshooting, take them to the skeet field or sporting clays course a few times to get them used to shooting at flying targets.

Don’t expect new hunters to be successful on the first bunch of ducks that comes to the decoys. They are likely to have duck fever and miss completely. That is part of learning to be a waterfowler. Do whatever you can to make the first hunt a great experience, and you are likely to bring a new hunter into our ranks. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that he or she was introduced the right way, with fun, courtesy, and safety at the top of the list.