Five veteran duck hunters share their advice for a successful season
Duck hunting in Louisiana isn’t just a hobby, it’s our culture, a way of life passed down from generation to generation. And while the number of mallards we see these days may not match the days of our grandparents, Louisiana continues to be the winter destination for millions of ducks. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with a diverse group of Louisiana duck hunters and one legendary call maker in order to discuss calling tactics, decoy tips, scouting and strategy.
The experts
Mike Benton of Monroe, Louisiana – The owner of Challenger Cutdown Calls is considered Northeast Louisiana duck hunting royalty, with six decades of hunting under his belt.
George Lynch of Melrose, Iowa – The owner of Legendary Gear and founder and former CEO of Lynch Mob Calls.
Chuck Jones of St. Joseph, Louisiana – A hall of fame outdoor producer, he has spent years hunting Louisiana public land and rivers.
Taylor Gilley of Winnsboro, Louisiana – The head guide at Dave’s Bayou and youngest member of our panel.
Nick Andrews of Farmerville, Louisiana – A longtime waterfowler, call designer and wildlife habitat specialist.
What’s the best piece of advice you can give a young duck hunter learning to call?
Lynch: Don’t pick up any bad habits early in the process. Once you learn calling incorrectly, it’s super difficult to break yourself of those habits. Find a mentor, someone with years of experience who can share with you all the mistakes they’ve made, which will cut your learning time in half. Lastly, don’t overcall. I see more ducks flare off because hunters call at the wrong time. Never call into their faces, only when they’re going away or swinging wide.
Jones: Don’t overcall. You get in a blind with 10 guys calling and that’s going to be a disaster. Also, learn to call with cadence. Learn how ducks talk and the cadences they use. So many young hunters get caught up in tone and nothing else, but I’m telling you cadence and rhythm are super important with ducks.
Gilley: Record yourself and listen back to it. Better yet, have someone you respect as a caller listen to it and tell you what you’re doing right or wrong.
How important is scouting in duck hunting?
Benton: Extremely important, especially if you’re hunting public land. The older I got, the more important it became to me that I was successful versus just being out there. I still love watching the sun come up and hearing the world wake up, but if I’m going to take the time to go out and hunt, I want to at least be in an area that is holding ducks.
Andrews: It’s critical, and with apps like OnX it has become easier to do. For example, if you’re hunting flooded areas of a river, you can use OnX to find open holes in the timber, creeks, bayous and ditches or other ways of reaching some out-of-the-way places.
Gilley: Probably the single most overlooked part of duck hunting. I don’t know many hunters who are successful who fail to scout. It’s no different than deer hunting in that respect. I learned a long time ago to keep accurate records in regard to river levels. I need that information so I know if I can access remote areas off the main river channel in my boat.
What’s something about ducks most hunters may not have observed or learned?
Jones: Ducks imprint on locations. Even if the habitat changes. We hunted a place that for some reason the ducks wanted to land in the middle of a flat agricultural field. We had decoys and food in front of the blind, but the majority of ducks still landed 150 yards in front of us. Eventually, I went back and looked at an old map. Wouldn’t you know it, that spot they were landing in was an old slough that had dried up after the timber had been cut and the field leveled. Always study an old map prior to building a permanent blind.
Gilley: Hunting ducks in backwater is similar to fishing. When the water rises, the ducks move up. When the water falls, the ducks will follow that fall back towards the main channel. So be prepared to follow the water and realize ducks are going to move regardless of how good of a hunt you may have had the week before in a certain area.
Benton: You have new ducks which are your best days. Ducks that come down on weather fronts will be found in large fields, especially on a southwest wind. Then you have house ducks that have been around for a while and have become call shy from hunting pressure. You’ll find these ducks in thick places that most hunters overlook.
What advice do you share with hunters about decoys?
Jones: If you’re not where the ducks want to be, you’re going to have a hard time getting them to the gun barrel. Location is always more important than decoys.
Andrews: Be willing to change your decoy spread as the season evolves. Early on, use larger spreads, but as ducks begin to pair up, decrease the number of decoys in your spread in order to look more realistic.
Gilley: When hunting gets tough, I like to throw a few decoys into some thick cover close to where I’m hunting. This is what you see when ducks begin to pair up later in the season and hunting pressure has made them more wary.
Benton: Always be studying what the ducks are doing and how they’re reacting, especially to your spread. Be willing to make changes mid-hunt, even if that means losing a little time while you make those changes. I can’t tell you how many times changing a spread has paid off for me over the years.
What’s one piece of advice you would give young duck hunters?
Lynch: Find a mentor, someone willing to share with you all the mistakes they’ve made, so you can avoid them.
Jones: You can use YouTube to learn a lot about duck hunting, but being able to go hunting with someone who has experience will always be the best way of learning.
New gear
- Chambless Game Totes
Guide II Duck Carrier/Tote – $120
Seminole Watertight Case – $80
chamblessgametotes.com - Legendary Gear
LA Cutdown Call – $149
Raspy Hen – $149
legendarygearusa.com - Action Lube 80 Below
Extreme Temp Sporting Oil – $11
80belowoil.com
