Waterfowl Hunting Instructions for Women

To be quite honest, I had no intention of going hunting with my chocolate Lab, despite the fact that both of her parents had been hunters. This realization caused just enough remorse to inspire me to start toying about with my retriever by keeping a full-sized duck in my freezer, which was given by my brother-in-law, in order to present her with a weekly “hunt” in the field adjacent to my townhouse, which was supplied by my nephew. Although this was a long cry from a traditional hunt, my dog really enjoyed himself.

 

 

I also began bringing Bella to hunt lessons, where they would let our dogs recover a bird from a pond as a group of dog owners huddled around with their leashed dogs to watch and learn. One of these events was scheduled for my Lab, and she managed to grab the bird and continue swimming around the pond, not wanting to come out for fear that other dogs might take her prize. 

 

 

This demonstrated to me exactly how intense her enthusiasm for bird hunting really was, and it was eye-opening. During one of those outings, my retriever brought back a live bird, which was identical to the previous experience. Even though I was relieved that she had not murdered it, she immediately severed its neck as soon as I handed it over to the trainer. But even though I claimed it didn’t upset me, it did.

 

 

 

However, although it was a strange circumstance for me personally, it was evident that my dog was completely at ease with these experiences that were near to hunting but not quite there yet. Looking back, I know that I was being dragged in the direction of hunting with her, but that I wasn’t quite ready to go at the time.

 

 

 

I continued to explore for more opportunities to introduce my dog to hunting settings, which brought me to the Minnesota Game Fair in Minneapolis, where I spent the whole six-day event. 

 

 

That’s where I met my future husband, and although my Labrador and I were hesitant to go into the realm of actual duck hunting, we received more than a shove in the right way as our relationship began to blossom. 

 

 

 

It was clear even in those early days that I was a long way from being the kind of lady who would feel at ease packing up her dog and a few decoys and going to the next pond for some whistling-wing action.

 

 

 

First and foremost, I needed a firearms introduction.

 

The First Significant Obstacle

There are a variety of factors that discourage women from going hunting, but one of the most significant is a lack of familiarity with weapons. We aren’t that far away from a period when it was totally normal for young boys to open up boxes holding BB guns and.22 rifles as gifts while their girls opened up boxes carrying dolls and make-up sets as gifts.

 

 

 

It has simply become more normal for boys to be exposed to firearms and taught how to handle and use them, which means that many prospective adult-onset duck hunters who do not have a Y chromosome are left in the dark about how to go about learning to hunt ducks. It’s for this reason that I’ll be eternally thankful to my spouse for setting me on a well-thought-out route to handgun comfort and familiarity.

 

 

 

To begin with, he seized the reins and taught me how to shoot a rifle safely and how to strike clay pigeons with a stick on the range. Following that, he recruited a shooting coach to help me reach the next level of performance. 

 

 

This meant that, despite the fact that I was fairly acquainted with how to handle and fire a gun, I’d get tuition from a coach on the kind of shooting that would be required in the duck blind setting.

 

 

Initially, there were just two packages of shells and no instruction manual. To continuing firing, I was instructed to do so for two boxes of rounds. When I completed, my teacher informed me that he’d wanted me to know that the 20-gauge was not going to kick, which had been my major concern at the time. 

 

 

This was a fantastic method to take the edge off the session and enable me to begin to feel more comfortable with the shooting technique. With practice and practice came correct posture and form, as well as the process of identifying something with my eye, aiming it, pressing the trigger and seeing it through to completion.

 

 

 

 

 

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That undoubtedly seems basic to anybody reading this who has a sufficient number of years of shooting experience under his belt—and it is. 

 

That is exactly the purpose. A lady who wants to try her hand at bagging her first wood duck or mallard but isn’t confident with a shotgun will want some assistance in building her confidence to the point where she can be comfortable in the field.

 

 

…As Well As The Second

Just like my husband would advise you to do with a young duck dog, you should properly introduce your retrievers to hunting circumstances long before you ever go hunting with your dogs. 

 

 

This is accomplished, of course, via education and training. While it may not be a good idea to declare that you are going to put in some training exercises to get your wife into hunting fitness, it is necessary to move beyond the shotgun comfort zone and have a grasp of what the hunt entails in order to be successful.

 

 

 

This may include easy explanations of all of the many phases of the duck-hunting process, from calling to decoys to big-water retrieves to, you name it, anything you want to learn about duck hunting.

 

 

 All of this is beneficial and encouraged, particularly when it entails asking and answering several questions about the scenario at hand, but an even better method to get a better understanding of a hunt is to accompany someone on one without a firearm in hand.

 

 

 

Having the opportunity to serve as a camo-clad observer in a duck blind would open up the world to a lady who has never seen it before, just as it would for an older man or a small child. 

 

 

 

When there is no pressure to think about how to handle a gun and fire it as ducks approach, a ‘hunt’ takes on a different type of vibe than it would otherwise. It enables you to have a taste of hunting without the added strain of becoming a hunter, which may seem unusual at first, but is a significant advantage.

 

 

 

 

To readers who have 40 duck seasons under their belts, this may seem to be overkill, but for a newbie to the sport, waterfowl hunting may be daunting. 

 

 

The early hours and the places where outstanding hunts are often found might seem to be a lot of work. When you include in the commotion of approaching ducks, as well as the calling, shooting, and recovering, you have a very exciting scene to witness—let alone engage in.

 

 

 

This is why I urge to any ladies who approach me about becoming a duck hunter that they locate someone who is willing to take them on a couple of trial runs and be patient with them throughout the process. In these situations, the less people present, the better, and they prepare the ground for the first true hunt.

 

 

 

 

Solo and Near-Solo Performances

As someone who has spent a significant amount of time duck hunting, I can say that some of my favorite hunts are those that I spend out in the field by myself and with my dog. 

 

 

 

In fact, there are a surprising number of mornings before I go to work that I’ll pack up my Lab and travel to a pond for a quick hunt before heading to school. These hunts may result in a limit of wood ducks, or they could result in my never firing a shot.

 

 

 

 

However, they are all quite productive.

Not only is it always good to spend time in the blind, but traveling alone lets you to operate at your own speed without having to worry about the safety of others. As an extra bonus, I can keep my dog as comfortable as possible while yet maintaining complete control over her since she is not surrounded by a slew of distractions.

 

 

 

 

At this point, I recognize that most newbies to waterfowling will not start off by hunting alone in a secluded location. They should, however, hunt in groups of as few individuals as possible. In an ideal situation, they’ll be the lone shooter, with someone more skilled in duck hunting handling the setup and calling the birds in. 

 

 

 

This is an excellent opportunity for a beginner hunter to increase her level of comfort in the blind while also beginning to grasp how hunts might unfold and what she should anticipate.

 

 

 

Any gentlemen reading this who are thinking of introducing their wives, girlfriends, or daughters to duck hunting should really consider what I’ve just said above. Even while it’s unpleasant to think about giving up your own shooting chances for the benefit of another, doing so will really assist you in teaching them how to become duck hunters themselves, and it will completely alter the dynamics of the scenario.

 

 

 That’s not insignificant, and it’s a fantastic starting point for finding a new duck hunting companion who is committed to the sport for the long term.

 

 

 

If she (like me) eventually chooses to go hunting on her own, you should support her to do so. Hunting may be a lovely communal event, but it is a quite different activity than going on a solitary excursion with a canine companion. 

 

Both are wonderful experiences, but when it comes to newbies, low-pressure hunts should always be the first option on the list.

 

 

 

Ducking without a care in the world

For those involved in the sport of waterfowling, it is common knowledge that all successful duck hunts will require narrowly avoiding hypothermia. Ducks do fly in bad weather, there’s no mistake about that. However, this does not imply that every hunt must be a grueling, endurance-testing ordeal.

 

 

 

 

Wood duck hunts in October in sweater weather may be just as enjoyable as late-season mallard excursions in blizzards. For a beginner hunter who is apprehensive of the whole procedure and is just getting her feet wet in duck hunting, this is really more enjoyable.

 

 

 

As a result, it’s important to pay attention to the weather and recognize that the best initial hunt may come during beach weather rather than genuine duck weather, and that this is something to keep in mind. 

 

 

 

If she gets the duck hunting bug, she’ll want to go when the weather is less pleasant, which means that those warmer outings will serve as a warm-up for the later, less-comfortable hunts later in the season. The appropriate clothes must be procured, ranging from base layers to wind-blocking, waterproof outer layers, as well as electric socks in my case.

 

 

 

If my feet get too chilly, my quest will vanish like a flaring pintail if I don’t warm them up. The same can be said for my hands, which is why I prefer to wear a hand muff that also has a rechargeable handwarmer when it’s cold outside. 

 

 

Duck hunters are well aware of how fast you can go from feeling good to feeling horrible during a hunt, which may take the enjoyment out of the experience completely. The appropriate equipment allows you to maintain that “pretty decent” sensation for much longer.

 

 

 

Conclusion

However, although it is a gradual migration, it is taking place: an increasing number of women are becoming waterfowlers. 

 

 

Many things they can do for themselves to ease the transition, just as any man who wants to see the woman in his life acquire a passion for waterfowling on par with his own may take many efforts to guarantee that everything proceeds according to an effective, long-term plan.