Top Mistakes Made By Duck Hunters

We have all been there watching as duck after duck passes one group of hunters only to land in someone else’s spread.  To that set of hunters it can be maddening.  Of course to the other group it is likely to elicit smiles and knowing glances downward at the other group.  The things is, like most things in life, there are key reasons why a select few always bag birds and why the vast majority of hunters shoot far less than they could.  This article will delve into the top mistakes that duck hunters make while out in the field.

This can’t be said enough.  The bottom line is that 90% of your success will depend on whether you are in the right area or not.  Much like houses, it is all about location, location, location!  This isn’t to say that you need to be exactly on the X to ensure that you get quality shooting, just that if you are setting up constantly on a duck slough that is void of ducks you aren’t going to bag very many.  Scouting is a key activity that most people forgo because of their busy lifestyles.  The thing is, hunters would be better served by cutting their hunting short by half the time they are allotted and scouting around to ensure success the next time out than sitting in the same spot and seeing nothing.  Scouting and being in the right areas are truly paramount to have continued success while in the field.

This is one that we are all guilty of.  I don’t care if you have ducks decoying in your face the entire day, if you can’t hit the broadside of a barn you are going to struggle to bring any birds home.  The truth is the majority of hunters are horrendous shots and give themselves too much credit as to how far they can be effective shooting ducks.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not out hunting to not shoot at ducks, but shooting at ducks 50 yards plus (which is common around the nation unfortunately) is far beyond the capabilities of 99% of the shooting population.  More importantly, being able to consistently shoot ducks at 20 to 30 yards seems like a given, but you would be surprised at the number of hunters that fail miserably in this regard.  Take the time to go shoot some clay pigeons.  Go out as often as you can to hunt doves or similar and see how your shooting progresses.  Don’t worry if you are terrible at the beginning.  That isn’t what matters.  What matters is when it is prime time duck season and how you are dropping them then.

Many duck hunters are out there for the scenery it seems as their results are downright dismal at times. They are always looking to buy that new gadget, like wind duck decoys or similar.  That isn’t to say that there is no hope. If you follow the above two tips you are surely on your way to more success in the duck blind this fall.