DUCK SHOOTING

Ducks are often hunted at sunrise and sunset as they arrive at or depart from watercourses, lakes and wetlands. Hunters take up positions around the water hole. It is important that they are as invisible as possible, so the ducks do not see them. It is necessary to have a good retriever that likes water. There are many duck species that may be hunted, but the most common are mallards, teal and widgeon. You can also hunt duck on fishing territory, from a barge or small boat.

Challenges of duck shooting
Duck hunting is particularly good in windy weather, especially if there are passing showers. People usually go duck hunting in the early morning or at dusk, when it is cooler than in the middle of the day. It is also important to remain still despite the cold. You cannot jump around while manning your post and waiting for the ducks, otherwise they will turn and not come within range. This presents special challenges to duck hunters, who need warm, waterproof clothing. Hunters must also not be seen by the ducks. It is therefore important to wear camouflaged clothing. You need to be dressed for ‘duck weather’.
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DEERHUNTER
How can I go duck shooting?
There are several ways to go duck hunting. You can become a member of the local beach hunting association and join others hunting from a motorboat or camouflaged rowboat. This is probably one of the more affordable options. Another alternative is to find a shoot, but these are usually organised on a daily basis and will cost considerably more, but on the other hand you are likely to have more duck for the game parade at the end of the day. Good hunting!
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DEERHUNTER

Hunting stories from a hunter

You rarely rise as early and quickly in the morning as when duck season finally arrives. You’ve been waiting for months, and have made all your preparations the day before. Only the coffee has to be brewed before climbing into the cold car. You pay no heed to the cold, because your thoughts wander to pleasant hours beside the wetlands in previous seasons, wings beating rapidly in the darkness, the scent of marsh water and fresh wind on your cheeks from the west. You are suddenly roused by the sound of your rubber boots splashing through the shallow water to your post. The dog trots sleepily behind you, and wags its tail as you look down and say, “time to see if there will be a duck for us today.” After some waiting, the ducks start to move. The wind has picked up, and the first ducks have descended on the marsh, but too far away. The dog looks in their direction, and wags its tail again. “Stay calm,” you say with a smile. You know the feeling of eagerness too. Perhaps you should have brought decoys? There is another pause in the hunt.

Summer is over
You start to be able to see more of your surroundings. The reeds on the opposite shore whisper in the wind, the birch leaves are yellow and the sky promises cold weather. As summer’s decline gradually comes into view, you can be taken by a strange mood. Everything seems so uncertain and melancholic. You take a sip of your coffee, and are surprised by a small flock of teal arriving diagonally from behind. You quickly shoulder your gun, as the coffee from the cup you just had in your right hand spills over your clothes, the shotgun and the bag containing your lunch.
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The first shot misses, but the second bags the last bird in the flock. The dog thinks, “we should all do what we do best, so I’ll get that right away.” And before you have had time to reach for the forgotten dog whistle, man’s best friend is sitting front of you with a handsome teal in its mouth. The spilled coffee, the autumn melancholy, the cold, the strange mood – everything is forgotten. It’s no longer night and dark, it’s morning. At home your spouse is waiting, having just got out of bed. You feel you have a long story to tell, but the words won’t seem to come out. You end up just saying, “I got a duck. It was a nice morning.” You sit at the breakfast table, lost in your own thoughts, while your spouse asks, “how did you get coffee all over everything?” The dog sighs in its basket and wags itself off to sleep.

Deerhunter’s recommendations for hunting duck

READ ABOUT OTHER TYPES OF HUNTING

  • PARTRIDGE SHOOTING
  • CROW SHOOTING
  • PIGEON SHOOTING
  • GOOSE HUNTING
  • STALKING
  • HUNTING GUIDE FOR DEER STALKING
  • Bow hunting
  • WATERFOWLING OPEN WATER
  • fox hunting
  • DRIVEN HUNT FOR HARES
  • Driven hunt
  • buck hunting
  • SNIPE SHOOTING
  • PHEASANT SHOOTING