By Rachel Voss
We all gear up for the fall for various reasons. May it be the beautiful fall colors, may it be sitting in a tree stand, or stalking and bugling that BIG massive bull elk. However, there is one feathered friend that many can’t WAIT for Fall/Winter season for… duck!
Wait no longer, wings are locked and set and the birds are ready to land in your decoy spread! We can’t forget our beautiful retrieving pups diving in after that fallen bird!!!!
Unlike sitting in a stand alone..or belly crawling in on a big game stalk…duck hunting is a hunt that is better done and more fun with a friend by your side. Whether it be our furry friends or our favorite child, sister, brother, cousin, Mom, Dad, or spouse (hopefully you only have one of those….spouses that is)!!!
First and, foremost, I should start off by saying duck hunting isn’t for the faint of heart! It can involve endless hours of sitting in a marsh freezing your hiny off….(if you’re not prepared) digging to see what snacks are left and of course how to hide them (from your partner) making fun of your hunting partner for being cold and saying “ stupid ducks”, making funny noises and giggling, and of course hearing nearby shots thinking “those suckers in that other blind just sky busted my birds.” I’m gonna give you the 411- on one of my FAVORITE post big game season hunting activities and a few IMPORTANT basics of DUCK HUNTING!!!
Duck hunting is what you make it…. and you can make it FREAKN’ AMAZINGLY FUN with a few special tips!
GEAR!- Get the Right Gear!!!
DECOYS- Decoys- At least a dozen high quality decoys such as Avery Green Head gear or Columbia River Decoys/Full Curles. One dozen (ummm that would be 12) is a good number to start with and the ecumenical Mallard duck decoys are a good solid pick no matter what area you hunt.
LICENSING – Acquiring the appropriate and necessary licenses to hunt in your area is a must. I SOOOOO CAN NOT TELL A LIE…or my nose will grow….. this can be costly, both in time and money!!!! Duck hunting is a highly federally regulated sport with TONS and TONS of restrictions. This is important to help regulate and conserve the duck populations. KNOW YOUR STATE’S LAWS! Get out those regulations!
WADERS and UNDER CLOTHING – A good chest high wader is a must!!!!! Unlike hip waders, chest waders keep you dry when you sit down, even if you’re not in chest deep water.
MY CHOICE IN WADERS IS: HERTERS Women’s Camo Waders. At a great price point, these are nice warm waders, with room to layer. LAYERING IS WHAT KEEPS YOU WARM!!!! They are available at Cabela’s and have a total of 41 ratings online with a 4.5 out 5 star rating. Why I like these is that they make it possible for me to wear my FAVORITE layers underneath for maximum warmth!!!!
Which leads me to the ULTIMATE in under wader warmth!!!! The XTREME Series by Prois Hunting and Field Apparel for Women. The XTREME Jacket and Pants are perfect for under your new waders! With a complete waterproof shell/ 150Gm Thinsulate Insulation…these bad boy’s…errrrrrrrrrrr I mean GIRLS are guaranteed to keep you snug and warm….. while you laugh at your hunting partner whom will be freezing cold!! Being Cold sucks…. they may try to BUY your Xtreme Series pants and Jacket from you…but don’t do it…who wants to be cold???? Just smile and hand them a hand warmer! Tell them you like them so much, and want to hunt with them again that they can get their very own set of Xtreme Cold Weather Prois gear at www.proishunting.com
Then tell them you care so much about their warmth that you want to save them a lil cash and they can use coupon code “Voss” at check out to load up on their Prois needs.
CAMO- If you have done any type of hunting, you will know by now that matching camo to your surroundings is KEY!! The same goes for waterfowl!!! Assuring your clothing and camo choice matches both your blind and surroundings. If you were to build a bright green cane blind in a dingy brown field…. “If it Flies, It Dies” certainly won’t be your motto for the day! Ducks are so much smarter then we give credit to….so use your your savy and match your surroundings! Again…. hit the awesome www.proishunting.com for your camo needs year round…and use that coupon code “Voss” at checkout!!!
OHHHH, and a face mask or some face paint…. either way you will look WAY cool.. ninja like…. but these smart fliers can see that pretty, round, white face look up at them; FLUSH THEY WILL….sky blasting chick you will be known as… so be wary…get your habitat sufficient camo and cover up that pretty face!
DUCK CALLS-There are so many makes and models to choose from so read up on them…I could write you a novel….but if I did….the “basics “ of duck hunting would go right out the “blind” in this blog!!!! Some of my favorite come in both single and double reed calls and are by the following companies: Zink, Foiles, Duck Commander, and Rich and Tone. Before you start blowing on your call like a kazoo at a pre-k party you can pick up a CD on how to blow your new call at your local sporting goods store. You can easily learn the basic call, and add a fun little feed and chuckle….and before you know it you will have birds cutting in on your set up! REMEMBER: Practice Makes PERFECT!!!! Again, to avoid calling in children, get a DVD or CD and listen and learn! Have fun, and “TAKE EM!’”
Rachel Voss is on the Prois staff and is also the Washington State Chairman of the Mule Deer Foundation.
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Informative post, fun to read!