I am wanting to get into duck hunting and need advice on where to start.  Where i deer hunt its about 1/2 mile to lake cypress in east Texas and my slew/pond is part of the feeder creek. I heard what sounded like WWIII kicking off in the early morning hours and that sparked my desire to duck hunt this year.

First off, i do not have a duck dog. I have an english pointer which i am going to try to cross train into a duck dog. Will it work? I dont know but i am going to try. Out of my 12+years dealing with upland game, she is by far the best athlete i have ever seen. I used to provide quail for field trials and i had the pleasure of seeing some incredible dogs working but Annie out does them by a mile. I had a professional trainer offer me five figures for her and i refused because she is part of my family and family is more important that money. She is a natural retriever which is odd for the breed and absolutely loves water. I play fetch with her in the pond just to wear her out and burn off energy so going from a ball to a duck decoy i dont see will be an issue. Sitting still and being still is my main concern as she is a hyper, adhd, ocd dog.

Second, deocys and calls. Where the heck do i start?

Third, scouting. When do i need to start and what do i need to scout for? I already know ducks and canadians fly over all the time. I have noticed my property seems to be a corridor they travel in route to the lake.

Fourth, gun/ammo. I never needed a reason to buy a new gun but this one is a ligit reason. I normally use a 20ga winchester ranger which is my first and favorite shotgun but i know i will have to part as its just not enough for this. Benelli Nova looks like a good starter gun for this but options welcome.

Anything else i have left please feel free to comment.

If your dog likes water they might retrieve a duck but I doubt a goose. A 20g. is fine for ducks but might be a tad small for geese even though I've shot allot of geese with a 410. Get a dozen or two of mixed Mallard and Wood Duck decoys and look up decoy spreads for woods and try those layouts remembering to give the ducks a place to land where you can shoot them. Almost any calls will work. I've got some old Yentzen calls that I still use after 40 years. Double reeds will be easier to learn to use I feel. try and scout the area a few weeks before season and look for coves that ducks can see and any food sources that might attract them. Good luck and enjoy the extra season.

Can't help ya with dog part,   Never had a duck dog. I usually hunt shallow water and wade, or use a boat.


Decoys?    Although some will say match the decoys to duck species you are hunting.  I'm not a 100% believer, due to I've had divers land in mallard decoys.  I have about 2 dozen decoys.   Mallards, surface feeders, feeder butts, and maybe a half dozen teal.   Mallard decoys will be fine to get started with, a dozen or two.  I you start noticing a lot of different species, ya might want to add some to your spread for realism.  Early season, I'll use all of them, plus some if a hunting buddy has decoys.  Later season I tend use a smaller spread, as the birds tend to be in smaller flocks or paired up.  

Calls?   That argument is as good as the 9mm vs .45 debate.   Double reed calls tend to be more forgiving, and easier for most beginners to get the hang of and get a duck sound out of. But, a large majority of them are limited in the ability to change the pitch and tone, for when wanting to sound like two different hens.  Don't get me wrong there are a few great doubles out there that will do it, but they are the upper end, more expensive calls.   A single reed is less forgiving, takes a little more skill to run, but tend to be more versitle.   When proper use, it's not hard to change sound like and old raspy hen, then sound like a young higher pitched hen.  

Scouting?    Is key.   Find out what area the ducks are using.  It may be just one little back water area that they are feeding in, but if that's where they want to be, they fly right over your spread without a second look.

Gun?   I prefer a 12ga., especially for larger ducks like mallards. Steel shot shoots a lot different than lead. But, with some of the newer non toxic loads, it seems a lot of folks have success with a 20.

Thanks for all the advice guys!

I'm gonna do my best to help answer some of your questions and prob add more confusion for you

If your dog already loves the water, and will fetch for you from the water, it should be fairly easy to cross-train.  Trying to keep a pointing dog steady in a duck blind can be a challenge at times.  I have a Pudel Pointer and holy shit is energy level is through the roof!  But once I start blowing the calls, he stays put and puts the eyes to the sky.  Focus on retrieving from the water and try to keep the dog "birdy."  My bet is you will be able to make this transition.  Hell, I've seen a German Shepard fetch dead ducks!

Where to start with decoys.  Weighted keel ride better in rough water but weigh more.  Hollow keel don't like rough water but are much lighter.  It depends on how far you are planning to haul them.  I hunt mainly dabbler ducks so my spread is a majority of mallards, with some widgeon, teal, and gadwall mixed in.  Some sleepers and duck butts are also thrown in.  On big water or high pressure areas we also use coot decoys.  A good buddy of mine uses crow decoys in nearby trees as a confidence decoy.  If your state allows, look at some type of motion decoy like a Lucky Duck or Mojo.  Spinning wing decoys work very well here in Idaho and the more the merrier, but we stop using them in late season.  NOTHING beats a good jerk rig to add movement and ripples to the water and you will always find one in my bag.

Calls; another place I don't know where to start.  I'm a cheap ass and not one of my duck calls is over $30.  They sound good to me and more importantly, I can mimic the sounds of the birds I am trying to kill.  They hang from my rear view mirror and I practice daily.  Confidence in your ability to correctly blow a duck call is a big deal.  Its also a big deal to learn WHEN to blow WHAT sounds by learning to read the ducks.  Being a cheap ass, I prefer Buck Gardner calls, but its your call.

I shoot a Winchester Super X2 and Super X3 (bought the X3 just cause I had to).  My X2 has approximately 10k rounds through it and still functions when I need it to.,  My load of choice is Winchester Super X, 3", 4 shot coupled with a Patternmaster Extended Range choke tube; it patterns amazingly in this configuration.  This being said, my duck killing partner uses a 20 gauge and puts the hurtin on the ducks.  Bigger is better just cause.  I have seen many ducks killed at the hands of a 20 gauge.

However, they best gear and advice do nothing if you are hunting a spot that doesn't have ducks.  I spend 75% of my time during duck season driving and scouting for the birds.  Do your homework and put in the time to locate the birds.

When I first started, I had 2 dozen decoys, a Mojo, my jerk rig, gun, and dog.  I was super mobile and learned so much by watching others.  I have wasted money on gimmicks and tried taking the easy way to kills birds.

Be confident in your calling ability, learn to read the birds, by flexible and mobile, and most of all, ENJOY the time in the field.

Hope this helps!  Let me know if  you have any other questions!

I tried to do some scouting this weekend. Ill upload some pictures and see what yall think.

While it is very good to scout your hunting spots ahead of hunting season, it is VERY wise to scout during the season.  Hunting pressure, weather changes, and migration routes will push birds to all sorts of spots.

Oh I agree. I am trying to figure out if 1) I have enough cover and 2)shallow water with vegetation and not deep water. Of course we are high in rain this year so what's normally shallow is now a couple feet of water.

Duck hunting is awesome, good for you!

There can be an incredible amount of info to learn, though, especially if you have to worry about identification.  It can take a very long time to reliably id ducks and not shoot something that can land you in jail.

Not to mention things such as currents, wind, etc that can be dangerous...in TX you don't have to worry about ice and freezing cold, right?  That helps a lot.

It can be pretty challenging without a dog, if the water is deep enough to need a boat, and you are on your own.  Wounded ducks will swim and dive in ways you never imagined, and can quickly escape.

My best advice is to find someone very knowledgeable who can show you the ropes and had the right equipment, if you are going to be on a big body of water, especially.

And if your state game dept offers a course in id'ing ducks then that is great, too.

All the best!  And prepare your wallet; it is addictive!

I have heard duck hunting is one of the most addictive type hunting out there. I need another hobby so dropping some coin(within reason) is not a problem. I am trying to learn as much as possible about all the major hunting around my area. I got a future hunting buddy that just turned two and I want him to enjoy the hunting. I grew up playing baseball 11 months out of the year and hunting just was not able to be fitted into the schedule as much as I would have liked. Besides the quail, no other hunting was in our family really.

Normally I would say in East Texas we don't deal with frozen water and bitter cold but last year was brutal. I remember sitting in the deer stand and it was 17 degrees and sleeting so hard you could see 40 yards.

That is great, got a couple of little ones myself that I can't wait to take out, too!

Do your best to learn to id them, and take it slow if you are by yourself...water + cold + wind + heavy clothes + fatigue + inexperience + drive to succeed can be a very deadly combo.

As far as a gun, I would recommend a quality 12 gauge autoloader with a finish you don't mind getting wet or maybe banged up on a regular basis.  The duck blind or boat is no place for pretty guns, think either parkerized or camo finish..  Take your gun to the patterning board with a pile of choke tubes and several different brands of shot and figure out what load / choke combo patterns best.  This is a far better starting point than the fools who go buy a gun and take it directly to the blind.  You owe it to the ducks:  every duck hunter experiences the shitty feeling of having cripples escape, you just want to minimize these instances.  

Steel shot sucks ass IMO, and effective nontoxic loads such as Hevi-Shot are usually several dollars per round.  Your call.  The ban on lead shot is based on junk science and probably one of the worst things ever to happen to duck hunting (steel shot usually means a LOT more cripples).  If using steel shot, use a tight-patterning choke and a lot of practice, this will mean your shots will be more either kill shots or clean misses.

Don't skimp on gear.  Duck hunting is usually done in cold, wet, miserable conditions.  Get a quality pair of waders that fit you well, you should be able to walk a mile or two in them and feel fine about it.  Get a quality duck hunting coat too, the Columbia Widgeon is my personal favorite.  As with dressing for any type of cold conditions, your base layers are what keep you warm and covering your head and staying dry is important.  If the day's hunt entails a boat ride out to the blind in a choppy estuary or river, you'll have to take wind and spray into account too.
Remember to get a vest for your dog, too.  

Everyone uses calls and thinks of them differently, that's your thing to practice and figure out.

Decoys?  Haven't bought any in 6 or so years, but I used to like Herter's, I think that company has either been acquired or out of business now though.  I'm sure someone else has taken up the slack for a quality unsinkable decoy.  If you're hunting a swamp or flooded timber, a jerk string setup is nice to have also.  If hunting open water, i.e. coastal marshes or sounds where you're having to put out a LOT of decoys, then having a string/line to fasten them together is helpful and saves a lot of time.

I'm not familiar with how pointers tolerate waterfowling conditions, so that's your call.  I've always hunted over Labs or Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.  Of those two, the Chessie is the more energetic and driven, the Lab is far more tractable and trainable in my experience.

Get your wallet out.  This is one of the more addictive forms of hunting out there.  And get involved with a conservation group, there are a lot of good ones affiliated with waterfowling.  You should be able to find your local Delta Waterfowl or Ducks Unlimited Chapter quite easily.  You'll meet a lot of good folks, do the sport some good and have a bunch of fun doing it.

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The pin on the bottom left is the spot the rest of the pictures are taken.

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i have seen ducks on the water all across the entire pond but i think the bottom left corner with the pin drop is going to be my best move. Yalls opinion?

That spot may or may not be the best. The wind will help determine where you want to set up.

It appears there is enough cover.  The wind will determine where to set up.  In the areas where there is little to no cover, a layout blind would be awesome!

Whats your recommendation on a layout? I found a lay n slay by kill zone.

Nothing beats shooting pumpkins out of the sky... Your all done now there's no cure .. get a 12 gauge you wont be sorry .. work with your best friend on staying still ,possibly in a box blind .Just have fun .P.S wait till you see the bucks in the water ...

Can yall also explain the wind part?

Ducks typically like to land into the wind. If you have a north wind, set up your decoys so the wind is at your back. If you were to set up so the wind was in your face, the ducks would come from behind you to land in your decoys.

If the wind is light, set up with the sun at your back, regardless of wind direction. You don't want to be looking directly into a rising or setting sun, it'll blind you when you try to shoot. Let the ducks have the sun in their eyes, it makes it harder for them to detect you. If the wind is strong, say over 10-15mph, you'll want the wind at your back if you can, because the ducks will always land into a stronger wind, light winds don't seem to matter to them, but strong winds do. If you can't combine the two (sun & wind direction) to your advantage, try to set up facing to the north or south... never facing east into a rising sun, nor west into a setting sun. The ducks  coming into a crosswind is better than coming from behind you, or coming in out of the direct sun.

Very good information guy! Thanks!

1. Dogs aren't necessary. None of the guys I hunt with use a dog. You just gotta go get the birds yourself. Dead ducks float, so it isn't a big deal.

 

Oh and learn ducks in flight! Learn what is a duck, what isn't a duck. Then be able to ID them. Season open late on mottles(Texas' native species) and some species have certain bag limits a day. Game wardens don't play around if you accidentally bring in too many of a certain species.

Ahhh man.... Be really really careful. Duck hunting is extremely addictive. A lot of the advise I read above is spot on.  In your current situation, hunting the pond you plan on hunting, I would buy a couple dozen cheap bass pro shop economy pack mallard decoys. They are super cheap 38$ per dozen, but won't last more then a couple seasons of tried and true duck hunting. You will need a 12 gauge, something durable. Don't bring your engraved over under with you. Depending on how deep your pond is, for the early season, you may not need waders, just some rubber boots may do just fine..

I would try not to over think it your first couple of times out. Don't worry about calling, just worry about being concealed, keep movement to a minimum, and when you see ducks, if you see ducks, assure you have a shot before taking it. this prevents cripples and gives you a fair chance at hitting them.

After you kill your first duck, you will be hooked.. There is no doubt about it. So when this happens, come back here and tell us all about it. Chances are you will want to upgrade your gear and learn about other places to hunt besides that little pond.

I'll help you out from there. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about public land in our area.

Thanks for all that information. And that is a very generous offer. I am in the tyler longview area more specifically the lake fork area. I pull my own weight and I promise I won't slow you down. I may pick your brain about duck hunting until you're frustrated though!

Cool man. Where are you located?

Going with someone who's done it for a long time really helps. My first trip years ago was with some good ole boys from Georgia who I had known for a long time. My buddies dad has been doing it for like 30 years. They told me to get a decent 12ga and a good pair of waders. They had all the decoys and calls, so I just watched the first couple of times. Those old duck hunters really know their stuff! After about 6 trips, I had it down.

I also got yelled at several times for raising my gun to a duck I wasn't supposed to shoot. It's important to be able to id them. A good laminated picture guide will help with that. I had a wildlife officer pull right up in the middle of our decoys because he was watching us with binoculars and thought we shot something we weren't supposed to. The he proceeded to check if we had our plastic plugs in, if we were using steel shot, licences, the whole nine. Those guys take conservation seriously which I think is awesome.

My go to gun now is a Remington 11-87 Sp in 3.50" with a 30" barrel. It seems to reach out a little farther and really helps give a little extra punch for geese. Folds em right up. Good luck man, it's addictive!

I'm in Houston, but hunt all over

Well if you ever make it up to the lake fork tyler/longview area, give me a shout. Ill be more than happy to be an apprentice and haul the decoys.

That kind of attitude will get you invited on a lot of hunts!  I know I would certainly welcome an "apprentice" to set and retrieve decoys, break ice, retrieve that swimming cripple that is now 300yds away, etc.

Well that might be a deal. As long as the water ain't above wadder deep, I love a challenge.