A good duck hunter knows, or rather understands, the duck. Only then can you manipulate the duck to capture it. You see, ducks have excellent color vision, contrary to the popular idea that they are color blind. They can also inspect a wide visual area at a glance. This is due to the wide eyes on either side of the head that allow the duck to detect predators. The best area to blind a duck will probably be the region just behind its head. It is not easy to hunt a duck, since its morphology adapts to the supreme vision and its natural learning ability to work against hunters and other predators. Therefore, understanding a duck and its characteristics helps the hunter make better decisions when hunting for ducks.
Choosing the perfect hunting spot is just as important as knowing the duck. The perfect location ensures a good lot size and also a successful hunt. The perfect places are those that offer food, water and insulation to the ducks. The area should be quiet and relaxing, ensuring the ducks a safe place to rest. Finding such an area would be a real treat for any duck hunter.
Ducks love to swim, and the possible bodies of water you may find them in are drainage ditches, reservoirs, ponds, salt marshes, streams, flooded plains, or high waterfall regions, etc. A good idea is to ask the locals about the different areas frequented by ducks. Look for new and unique locations that ducks frequent. This location may not be the same as last season and requires some intensive research on foot. The antennae images can also be relied upon to identify bodies of water. Adventurous hunters can use a GPS system to locate bodies of water.
You also need to understand flight pattern times, flock size, and duck feeding. The flight patterns include the exact location of the migration and also other places where some ducks decide to dwell for a few days. The weather also plays an important role in the success of a hunt. An intelligent hunter will always observe the flight of ducks a few days before hunting. From the flight, the direction of the bird’s movement can be noted, indicating the possibility of water in a particular direction.
Different flocks have different time intervals, so when observing, the arrival time, etc., should also be considered. This allows for proper planning of the duck hunt. Doing a good duck call is also necessary to attract birds. A duck’s call mimics the sounds that ducks make in nature. There are several devices and methods that can produce a duck call, and they all produce similar results. Making duck calls with friends would create the illusion that there are multiple ducks in the area and they would be more inclined to approach if they feel safe. But, making too many duck calls not only makes the area look chaotic, it also scares away the birds. Therefore, a number of factors must be considered before embarking on a hunting expedition for successful results.