Waterfowl hunting

A

alltieear

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Ontario
Hi all,

Recently got my outdoors card and will be purchasing the waterfowl seal and stamp soon. Just wondering what I'll need in terms of gear.

I do not own a boat so I will be on shore. Preferably looking for puddle ducks.

I will probably purchase waders And a jacket. And would anyone recommend me getting a small inflatable canoe?
 
alltieear said:
Hi all,

Recently got my outdoors card and will be purchasing the waterfowl seal and stamp soon. Just wondering what I'll need in terms of gear.

I do not own a boat so I will be on shore. Preferably looking for puddle ducks.

I will probably purchase waders And a jacket. And would anyone recommend me getting a small inflatable canoe?
Click to expand...

I would recommend a hard bodied stable built canoe over an inflatable. And you’ll probably want at least a few decoys to get you started unless your plan is just a bit of jump shooting?
 
the spank said:
I would recommend a hard bodied stable built canoe over an inflatable. And you’ll probably want at least a few decoys to get you started unless your plan is just a bit of jump shooting?
Click to expand...

jump shooting? i really have no idea how to begin. i just figured ill go out, and find a nice place with a group of ducks already chilling. and maybe wait for more incoming ducks. is that feasible?
 
alltieear said:
jump shooting? i really have no idea how to begin. i just figured ill go out, and find a nice place with a group of ducks already chilling. and maybe wait for more incoming ducks. is that feasible?
Click to expand...

Not quite that simple but you’ll need a few decoys to play that game and learn to play the wind/sun/concealment game. Biggest thing with waterfowling is scouting and determining the differences between feeding, loafing and roosting locations. The more you scout and observe the more you’ll learn and be able to determine your best avenue of approach (ie: where, how and when to set up).
 
alltieear said:
jump shooting? i really have no idea how to begin. i just figured ill go out, and find a nice place with a group of ducks already chilling. and maybe wait for more incoming ducks. is that feasible?
Click to expand...

As the spank said you will need to scout out locations and each location will have a different setup/approach based on the time of day and wind direction. Decoys are really a HUGE help.

Also, in your initial post I saw you got your outdoors card and were getting a stamp. In Ontario don't forget you also need a small game license.

As for a canoe/boat, I really like the small 12' jon boats they are light and easily maneuverable.
 
And as Baron pointed out above you are much better off with a small Jon boat. They are lightweight, manueverable and much more stable than a canoe especially to shoot from. Try joining a forum like The Refuge. You can glean a ton of information from a site dedicated soley to waterfowl. Good luck and good shooting!

http://www.refugeforums.com/forums/the-duck-hunters-forum.7/
 
Something I have thought of but never seen anybody mention it before is to "pay to go to duck hunting school", by this I mean you find a Waterfowl outfitter in your area....pay him for one days hunt and absolutely pay attention to every thing he says and does. You will come away with enough knowledge to start your own hunting adventures free of charge and know what equipment to buy without buying a lot of useless stuff the shop's all try to sell you needlessly...this alone will make the outfitter s day charge worthwhile.
 
fingers284 said:
Something I have thought of but never seen anybody mention it before is to "pay to go to duck hunting school", by this I mean you find a Waterfowl outfitter in your area....pay him for one days hunt and absolutely pay attention to every thing he says and does. You will come away with enough knowledge to start your own hunting adventures free of charge and know what equipment to buy without buying a lot of useless stuff the shop's all try to sell you needlessly...this alone will make the outfitter s day charge worthwhile.
Click to expand...

Boy that sure would have saved me some time and $$ the past 37 seasons!!
 
fingers284 said:
Something I have thought of but never seen anybody mention it before is to "pay to go to duck hunting school", by this I mean you find a Waterfowl outfitter in your area....pay him for one days hunt and absolutely pay attention to every thing he says and does. You will come away with enough knowledge to start your own hunting adventures free of charge and know what equipment to buy without buying a lot of useless stuff the shop's all try to sell you needlessly...this alone will make the outfitter s day charge worthwhile.
Click to expand...

I am fortunate in that a friends brother owns an outfitting operation in Saskatoon, and I have spent six days hunting with them after they were done with their American clients. I am still a novice waterfowl hunter, but that experience certainly helped to give me a good start.
 
fingers284 said:
Something I have thought of but never seen anybody mention it before is to "pay to go to duck hunting school", by this I mean you find a Waterfowl outfitter in your area....pay him for one days hunt and absolutely pay attention to every thing he says and does. You will come away with enough knowledge to start your own hunting adventures free of charge and know what equipment to buy without buying a lot of useless stuff the shop's all try to sell you needlessly...this alone will make the outfitter s day charge worthwhile.
Click to expand...

great idea! cost is approximately the same as getting own start up gear (which will probably end up being junk). i think ive seen one in my area.
 
I have a spot of land I go to and hunt ducks and geese, it is basically a large pond surrounded by trees and fields, I just shoot them as they fly onto and off the pond or dip down low for a look. No decoys, boat or anything, just my gun and a camo jacket, rubber boots too. I don't limit out but in a morning I can usually get a few birds for sure, got two massive Canadian geese last weekend. Probably not the "proper" way to waterfowl hunt, but it is damn cheap and works.
 
FLYBYU44 said:
I have a spot of land I go to and hunt ducks and geese, it is basically a large pond surrounded by trees and fields, I just shoot them as they fly onto and off the pond or dip down low for a look. No decoys, boat or anything, just my gun and a camo jacket, rubber boots too. I don't limit out but in a morning I can usually get a few birds for sure, got two massive Canadian geese last weekend. Probably not the "proper" way to waterfowl hunt, but it is damn cheap and works.
Click to expand...

this is what id like to do, but add a few decoys. nothing too extensive.
 
A spinning wing decoy, ie: Mojo,robo, lucky duck, will help greatly with ducks but hinders geese. Get good waders and a dozen floaters. See if you can find someone local that you can hunt with, talk to one of the guys at Ducks Unlimited they may know someone. Have a great time, but it is better with friends.
 
We live in the day and age of technology....Youtube and Google has pretty much all the info a guy needs. Don't waste your money on hiring a guide, invest it in good decoys, gear and fuel to scout. I just started duck hunting over decoys in ponds and its really pretty simple. Get the spread set right, and have the wind to your back and be in area with ducks and you will have success. Ducks are pretty stupid birds...or at least the ones in my area as Im a newb and get my limit on every outing.
 
In my limited experience I have found geese even less bright, they definately can't see as good. A duck will make me out miles away, while a flock of geese will head straight at me 10' off the ground, makes it kind of hard to miss :)
 
how do geese taste? i just have a negative view of geese (they swarm waterloo campus and bite people going in and out of buildings)

but im sure id end up shooting one to eat anyways.
 
My personal preference is for goose over duck when it comes to eating. If you’re in the Kitchener-Waterloo area duck hunting is pretty much going to be a water hunting affair for you unless you have access to private farmland and the water hunting is going to be pressured on public areas. Do not expect the ducks to come easy. You aren’t going to have the same kind of dumb birds to hunt as suggested above on the potholes of SK. Different game here in SK altogether than southwestern Ontario. Get some gear and scout, scout , scout!! Once you have a spot pinned down set up and start your hunt.
 
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