Duck hunters are traditional and proud of it. We’re also — how should I put this? — an opinionated lot. So by nature, we are susceptible to old myths. Certain ideas get passed around duck camps, shared on duck hunting forums, and finally extolled on hunting social media. And once these ideas are believed, they cannot be unbelieved — even when they are patently false.
As part of my job I’ve had the opportunity to hunt waterfowl all across the country with some truly great duck hunters. I’ve learned a little bit from each of them. I’ve also learned a lot while hunting public waters on my own. And I’ve seen firsthand how some of the big myths in duck hunting can lead a hunter astray.
It’s also part of my job to report my findings from the field. So with that, here is what I consider to be the biggest, and potentially most damaging, myths in duck hunting.
Myth 1: The best duck hunters shoot limits.
If you didn’t post a photo of a four-man limit of greenheads from your morning hunt, then you must not be a very good waterfowler. After all, the hunting influencers, big-time guides, and even your buddies are posting pile pics. And you obviously need a limit for that photo, right?
The thing is, the best duck hunters I’ve been around don’t really care about shooting a limit. Yeah, they want to have a good hunt and kill a bunch of ducks, but they won’t linger at a feed or burn out a hole just to get those last few birds. If everybody has shot some ducks and had a nice hunt, they get the hell out of there to let the place rest — and to scout the next hunt. What these guys really care about is decoying ducks in and seeing the show. Sometimes that results in a limit, sometimes it doesn’t, and that’s not the point.
In that context, getting fixated on shooting a certain number of ducks on any given day is a bit silly. But I’ll admit that I have been guilty of this more than once; I can only hope to grow out of it in the future.
Myth 2: The duck count is down, so hunting this year is going to suck.
Each year, the waterfowling world dives head first into the duck population survey results released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This year, those results aren’t exactly inspiring. But that doesn’t mean your season is going to be any worse (or any better) than previous years. These surveys are meant to keep tabs on duck populations and are used as part of a framework to help set seasons and harvest limits. They are not meant to be read as a hunting forecast. Ducks Unlimited has an excellent breakdown of how the surveys work, and why they matter in the video below.
In reality, your local conditions and the overall weather conditions in the flyway are going to have a much larger impact on your hunting than the duck count results. But an even bigger factor in how many ducks you see during the season is how adaptable you are. In today’s world of totally unpredictable weather the adaptable, mobile hunters win the day. The hunters who must wait for the ducks to come to them might have a good season — or they might not.
Myth 3: You need spinning wing decoys on every hunt.
We’ve all seen ducks bomb right into the Mojos or Lucky Ducks. It’s a magical moment, and it’s one we want to relive again and again. So yes, spinning wing decoys can be deadly effective, but they’re not useful in every scenario.
The main value of spinning wing decoys is that they are highly visible from long distances. So they work best on bright, sunny days. They’re also critical when you’re trying to run traffic on migration days and when you’re hunting big feed fields.
Spinning wing decoys are not great early in the morning or during hunts with low visibility (think fog or heavy overcast). I also think it’s better to not run spinners when you’re hunting pressured ducks on water, if you’re able to get on the X. Almost every duck hunter, from the weekend warriors to full-time guides, has a spinning wing decoy at this point. In other words ducks have been shot at over spinners before. I’m not sure that pressured ducks necessarily learn that they might get shot at over spinners, but I do think that you should go with the least amount of impact when targeting pressured or stale ducks.
In these cases, a minimalistic decoy approach with some rippling or swimming decoys for motion is better. Focus on a good hide, use subtle calling, and let the ducks work in. Remember, you’re already where they want to be. You can always put spinners in the spread and keep them turned off until the conditions are right.
Read Next: The Best Motion Decoys, Field Tested and Reviewed
Myth 4: To have success, you need to hunt all the time.
Duck hunters love to talk about “the grind.” It’s a point of pride to be out there hunting all the time, in all conditions. But the best duck hunters know when not to hunt. If it’s 75 degrees with no wind in late October, it’s probably more beneficial to spend time with your family or catch up on work than it is to be sitting in a duck blind. Even some guides, who make a living by hunting every day, will reschedule clients when the conditions are bad and they know it’s just not going to happen.
Likewise, it’s important to spend at least as much time scouting as you do hunting. Every lights-out hunt that I can recall required diligent scouting. This can be especially hard to do on traveling freelance hunts, because you only have a limited number of days and of course you want to make the most of them by hunting. It’s tough to drive around in the truck looking for ducks after you just drove cross-country.
But I’d rather have one morning of dedicated scouting followed by one killer shoot than two mornings of mediocre hunts.
Myth 5: A mud motor will get you into secret spots other dudes can’t hunt.
We all have mud motors now. And we also all have digital mapping apps. So there really are no more secret spots. There are only places that other duck hunters are not willing to go — and these are usually the spots that require a long or difficult walk in. If you have the physical fitness and patience to hike into these spots, you’ll probably find ducks there. But if it’s a spot you can boat into, no matter how hellacious the mud, don’t be surprised see another boat there.
Myth 6: You need 3.5-inch mag loads and big shot sizes for geese and large ducks.
I get the appeal of 3.5-inch 12-gauge loads. A heavier payload means more pellets, which should mean a deadlier pattern. But the reality is that most 12-gauge shotguns do not pattern 3.5-inch loads well. A few years ago I tested the same load and shot size, out of the same gun, in 3-inch and 3.5-inch shotshells. The 3-inch loads actually put more pellets on target than the 3.5-inch loads did. I’m not talking about a higher percentage, I mean more pellets overall. If you’re a 3.5-inch 12-gauge fan, I dare you to try this same head to head test with your own gun.
Read Next: The Best Duck Loads, Tested and Reviewed
You’ll likely find that the 3.5-inch loads are more expensive, induce way more recoil, and deliver about the same, or maybe even worse patterns at a distance of about 40 yards. If you really want to kill big ducks and geese dead, then go with a denser-than-steel option like Hevi Shot XII or a stacked steel/tungsten load like Apex WS-3.
Myth 7: It’s always best to have the wind at your back.
It’s true that ducks like to land into the wind. But setting up with wind direction as your primary concern is usually not a good idea. Sure, if the wind is going to be blowing steady at 15 mph or more it’s nice to have it at your back. But in most other cases you should prioritize concealment when picking a setup. That means good cover in front of you, behind you, and over you, and the sun rising at sun at your back (or at least to your side). This will keep you in the shadows and put the sun in the ducks’ eyes, not in yours.
Some more points about wind: If the wind speed is about 10 mph or less, ducks will happily land on the downwind side of a slough or pond; Setting up with a crosswind gives you the advantage of ducks not looking directly at you as they drop in; if you set up with the wind and in your face it’s possible to shoot ducks over the top as the lock in to the dekes.
The point is, with a light or moderate wind you can get away with a lot of different setups. There are very few instances (maybe none?) where you can get away with a marginal hide and the sun shining on your face.
Myth 8: You need to set your dekes in a “U” or “J” to decoy in ducks.
I’ve seen innumerable illustrations in hunting publications that instruct hunters to set their decoy spread in a “U” or “J” shape so that birds will land in the gap. This is fine, I guess, if you’re working with several dozen blocks over a big area with a bunch of gunners. But from what I’ve seen while hunting public land, most hunters are setting between one and four dozen floater decoys. When was the last time you saw a dozen mallards positioned in a perfect “U” shape?
When you’re working with a relatively smaller spread like this, it makes a lot more sense to set it up naturally. Watch how the live ducks are positioned in the spot, and then set your spread to mimic them.
Get your dekes out where they can be seen, ideally in the sunshine, and make sure there is some element of realistic motion, as mentioned above. Give birds room to land and you’ll be golden.
Read Next: How to Decoy Ducks: Expert Tips and Tactics for Finishing Birds Close
Myth 9: Other duck hunters have ruined duck hunting.
Those sons’ of guns across the bay sky blasted ducks that were coming to your spread. Outfitters have leased up all the good ground. Private landowners are stopping the migration short with their flooded corn ponds. All the kids care about these days is posting pile videos on TikTok.
This myth is founded in anecdotes that have in fact happened, or at least partially happened. So if you want to be cynical, you can find enough instances to argue that duck hunting as we know it is doomed. But that’s only true if you allow it to be true.
The fact is there’s still a ton of great hunting to be had out there for the DIY waterfowler. And there are also a ton of other friendly, ethical, and decent hunters who are getting after it — just like you. I’ve had far more positive encounters with other duck hunters than I’ve had negative ones.
But I work hard to make that so. I try to never set up close to other hunters, even if I know I can kill ducks in a spot. I’m nice to folks at boat ramps. I pick up my spent hulls and I pick up other hunter’s trash when I see it. If someone sets up too close to me, I’ll go talk to them — nicely. If I’m on the X, I’ll invite them to come hunt with me, as I’d rather have them shooting birds with me than skyblasting swing ducks. At worst, I’ll just move to another spot because I’ve scouted like a maniac and there’s always another spot.
Read Next: It Should’ve Been the Best Mallard Hunt of Our Lives. Instead, We Almost Died
I trust that the duck hunting gods will reward these acts of decency with good fortune. And so far, that has been true for me. Over the last few years, every season has gotten just a little bit better.
My point is, if you choose to take the perspective that other hunters are the enemy, out to ruin your hunt and violate the tradition of ethical duck hunting, then you will find that to be true. But if you take the alternative perspective, which is that we’re all out there just trying to enjoy the same thing, and that good hunters actually help foster our duck hunting culture and tradition, well, then you will find that to be true.
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