Wild duck hunting is one of the most popular types of fowl hunting in the world and today it is more popular than ever before, possibly because of the remarkable technological items that altogether make hunting much more pleasant and productive. Calling is essential in duck hunting, and this is what differentiates this sport from other similar practices. Also a crucial aspect is that of finding and choosing the place where to make the actual calling from. If we add the pre-hunt preparations and field planning we get a hunting variety that is as complex as it can possibly get.
Like is the case with most types of hunting, in wild duck hunting weather plays a very important role, especially in influencing the migration routes of traveling ducks, but also in the conditions you find on the field once you get there. For instance, excessive rain will make the soil muddy and every move you make will make more noise and you will lack the comfort needed to stay focused on the hunt at all times. There is, however, a bright side to rain making its appearance on the day you choose to hunting. Ducks usually can sense when rain is coming and will flee immediately, changing their entire route as they move. If you're lucky enough to be there when they decide to do so then you will be able to enjoy a unique display of chaotically flying ducks filling up the sky in just seconds. You may even see a shooting opportunity in this spectacle especially if it is not the first event of similar type you see.
The calling itself is a delicate and elaborate process, but it's indispensable in duck hunting. These birds are known for the variety of sounds they are able to make, according to the situation they find themselves in, such as mating, danger or feeding circumstances. Most often, picking up a call that mimics the sounds a hen makes when she is ready for mating will yield the best results, as many drakes will rush to the place where they expect to see the receptive hen. And what a disappointment they will have! Also an important aspect to look for is that of knowing how to calibrate the intensity of your calls, in a way that will seem natural to the target spread of birds. Therefore, if you hunt on windy conditions, try to establish whether you are on upwind or not; if the wind does in fact blow towards you, this means the sound will run faster toward the birds so you won't need to make the call louder. If however you find yourself on downwind, then try to make the calls increasingly louder until you observe that one or more birds react to it. The key thing to remember here is that excessive calling will not only bring no palpable result but you could loose any chances for later because if a duck gets spooked it will alert the others as well.
On the whole, wild duck hunting is a special kind of waterfowl hunting, in which calling and whether conditions (the way you manage to adapt to them and make the best of any situation) play crucial parts. Given its remarkable complexity it comes to no surprise that so many hunters choose duck hunting every year, instead of other hunting varieties out there.
