Texas Style Duck Hunting

According to the author (pictured), duck hunting has a learning curve. You can learn through trial and error, or you can start hunting with a seasoned duck hunter.

Your alarm goes off as you fumble around to turn it off while getting out of bed. It was a short night, and you feel sluggish as you make your way to the coffee pot. You put on assorted clothes, load up your gear, and head out to your favorite duck hunting spot. The wind and water are cold as you wade about, placing decoys. Afterwards, sitting in the dark, you wonder, “Why would anyone subject themselves to this?” You begin to question your sanity as you wait for the sun to come up over the lakeside mesquites.

You hear wings cutting through the cool morning air as the birds fly past. You hear them splash down as they land around you, and listen to them whistle and make feeding calls as they swim about. The negatives get quickly replaced by positives, and all is forgotten. As the sun comes up and legal shooting time arrives, the action begins as more birds circle the decoy spread. The rest of the morning is exhilarating as the best wing shooting imaginable unfolds.

Duck hunting has gained some popularity in recent years as more people venture outdoors to experience one of Texas’ oldest hunts. The Duck Dynasty TV series brought duck hunting into American homes from 2012-2017, and featured the Robertson family living their lives in Louisiana, while duck hunting and making duck calls for the family business. The successful TV series provided a new appreciation for duck calling and hunting.

Historically, duck hunting in Texas is one of the oldest wingshooting sports, but has been overshadowed by dove, quail, and turkey hunting. Inland duck hunting is often overlooked, resulting in many hunters missing out on great wingshooting on inland lakes and stock tanks. Like a lot of hunting, it may not be for everyone and is certainly more involved than some of the other hunts. But for those who enjoy wingshooting and consider themselves well-rounded sportspersons, it should be given close consideration because inland Texas is virtually an untapped duck-hunting mecca.

From the drab appearance of a gadwall to the beautifully ornate coloring of the wood duck, the variety of species found wintering in Texas is impressive. There’s no telling what will come into a decoy spread when you’re out hunting.

There are two types of ducks: dabblers and divers. Dabbling ducks feed on, or just below, the surface by dabbling their upper half of their body under the water to reach aquatic vegeta-

The author says to think about your decoy spread because ducks will fly into the wind on their approach.

tion. Dabbling ducks can spring up off the water on take-off and include widgeons, gadwalls, mallards, mottled ducks, pintails, shovelers (“Hollywood mallards”), blue, green, and cinnamon teal, and wood ducks.

Diving ducks feed by diving completely below the surface and swimming to find aquatic vegetation and invertebrates. Diving ducks rise off the water by running across the top to gain momentum while gradually becoming airborne. Divers include buffleheads, canvasbacks, common and hooded mergansers, redheads, ring-necked ducks, ruddy ducks, and scaup.

Texas has a lot of prime waterfowl habitat extending from the playa lakes of the Panhandle to the miles of coastline. The Coastal Bend stretching from the Rio Grande Valley to East Texas arguably has some of the best duck hunting. Ducks are migratory waterfowl and move to satisfy their biological needs. They spend spring and summer in northern latitudes and fall and winter in southern latitudes. Migration patterns are extensive with four flyways traversing North America. Texas is positioned in the Central Flyway. During mild winters, ducks may take their time making their way down to Texas, and each winter, thousands of ducks remain inland, feeding and resting on lakes and the many stock tanks.

Waterfowl require unique management strategies because their migration patterns transcend international borders. The Migratory Game Bird Treaty Act of 1918 sought to establish guidelines to apply across borders for the management of the resource. The Federal Duck Stamp followed in 1934 in an effort to help offset declining waterfowl populations. Management efforts were successful and today’s waterfowl populations are stable, and only threatened by loss of habitat from urban sprawl. Another problem is the draining of wetland areas for agriculture.

For those looking to get started duck hunting, it’s best to go with an experienced hunter to learn the ropes. Make sure your hunting license has a HIP endorsement and Federal Duck Stamp. Having the right gear is critical. Waders, an appropriate duck gun, No. 3 and No. 4 steel shotshells, decoys, and calls are a must. Be sure to wear camo because ducks have incredible eyesight. A boat will help with accessibility and a trained retriever is always nice. Watching a good dog work is enjoyable and makes retrieval a pleasant experience.

Like anything else, duck hunting has a learning curve. You can learn through trial and error, or you can start hunting with a seasoned duck hunter. Think about your decoy spread because ducks will fly into the wind on their approach. When it comes to wind, duck and deer hunting are exactly opposite. When you’re deer hunting, you want the wind in your face. When you’re duck hunting you want the wind at your back. Take this into account when putting out your decoy spread, taking care to leave a landing zone for ducks to home in on. As ducks turn or circle, use light calling to convince them it’s the real deal. Patience is the key, and you should wait until they commit to your decoys. When you see the landing gear coming out, then it’s time to let the steel shot fly. How many decoys? Some hunters say to use six to eight mallard decoys, with two to three pintails slightly away. Some duck hunters say you can’t have too many mallard decoys. Others use a spread of mallards and pintails—separated—with a couple of teal off to the side. It’s a hunter’s choice, but have plenty of decoys. Duck hunting offers a unique outdoor experience that can be enjoyed by all ages. It’s extremely rewarding to see everything come together for a successful hunt. Setting out a good spread, calling, and watching the ducks cup their wings makes it all worthwhile. Texas has a lot of winter ducks, so give it a try. Duck hunting can be a lot of fun and possibly a bit addictive.

A retriever makes for an excellent hunting companion.