Life seems more expensive than ever these days, but it’s never been particularly cheap for duck hunters. Waterfowling requires a good bit of gear, and that gear takes a daily beating from the elements, often resulting in the need to replace essential equipment. Add to that the cost of incidentals like fuel and licenses, and the duck season tab adds up fast.
After a couple decades of waterfowling across this country and in a few others, I’ve learned that for some gear items it’s worth splurging for the very best I can afford. For others, I’ve managed just fine by shopping the bargain bin. My personal hunting style dictates these decisions, so yours might be different, but the following choices have worked well for me.
Waterfowl Loads
I’ve spent many hours testing various shotgun shells both at the range and in the field and can say with confidence that premium nontoxic ammo provides a significant boost in performance. Yes, the upfront cost is higher, sometimes significantly so, but in my experience, you’ll make cleaner kills and fire fewer shots at cripples when you’re shooting premium ammo through a gun that’s been properly patterned. That balances the budget to a degree. Shots at waterfowl are precious, and I want every advantage that I can get when I pull the trigger.
Boat Motors
If you hunt from a boat, a reliable mud motor or outboard can literally be the difference between life and death. Aluminum duck boats will last a long time with minimal maintenance, but motors must be replaced after several years of hard use. A few years ago, I sprang for a new fuel-injected outboard to power my 20-year-old War Eagle johnboat. Writing that check was painful, but knowing that I can get myself, my son, and my buddies back to the boat ramp safely in challenging conditions is more than worth it.
Travel
Is there anything better than setting a decoy spread somewhere new? I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to travel quite a bit in pursuit of waterfowl, mostly on my own dime. I’ve never regretted spending money on a hunting trip, especially one taken with my family or close friends. Even weekend hunts to a neighboring state have left me with some excellent memories, and I don’t think you can put a price on that.
Duck Calls
Years ago, I had the pleasure of sharing a blind with the late Buck Gardner in Mississippi. Gardner was a world-champion duck caller, and when I hunted with him, he used an inexpensive polycarbonate call as much as anything. He couldn’t have sounded duckier with it—same as he would’ve sounded blowing any other duck call. High-dollar calls sound great, and I have a few of them on my lanyard that I cherish, but you don’t need one to successfully call in ducks. Knowing when to call and when to keep quiet is often more important.
Other Gear
I don’t have space to expand on all the gear used by waterfowlers, but here’s where I stand in a few more categories. Decoys: Save. Realistic decoys do help, but being on the X with some motion in the spread is more important. Clothing: Splurge. Particularly for quality base layers and outer layers. Retrievers: Splurge. I’m not a dog guy myself, but I’ve hunted with some great retrievers as well as a few bad ones. Good genetics and training make a big difference.
