Duck hunting 101

My assignment: head out into Delta Marsh to go duck hunting. I’ll admit, I was initially skeptical about traipsing through a freezing marsh at the crack of dawn in the middle of October, especially after coming down with a bad cold the day before I was supposed to embark on my duck-hunting journey. Little did I know, my trip would turn out to be an extremely interesting, informative experience, even for someone who has never hunted a day in her life and, had it not been for this opportunity, probably never would have.

Our trip was made possible thanks to the folks at Delta Waterfowl, a not-for-profit conservation group that works to strengthen North America’s waterfowl hunting culture and secure the future of waterfowl and waterfowl hunting across the continent. Delta Waterfowl president Rob Olson—a man obviously passionate about passing down the traditions and values of duck hunting—offered to lead us through the renowned Delta Marsh in search of the ducks that call the marsh home.

Our group stayed at the historic Kirchhoffer Lodge—which was built in 1914 in anticipation of a royal visit from King George V—so we could wake up bright and early and head out onto the water before sunrise.

After enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning, we outfitted ourselves in warm winter gear. One of the most important things to remember when doing any sort of hunting is to dress appropriately for the weather. It’s a good idea to wear layers—if you get too warm, you can always remove a layer of clothing. You should also invest in some camouflage gear to keep you hidden during your hunt. In addition to head-to-toe camo, we donned chest waders to ensure we stayed dry on the crisp fall morning, which was made even chillier by a biting wind.

After piling into the boats, we ventured into the dark marsh. I was surprised at how much thought went into our route—we stopped more than once so Olson and Jim Fisher, the director of conservation policy, could map out an ideal course, taking factors like the wind, the weather and the ducks’ flight patterns into consideration. Both men suggest checking out the area before your hunt to ensure you’re in a prime spot.

“Once you find a good area, the best way to find out where the ducks are is to drive up in the morning or night before your hunt, get your binoculars and watch the sky,” says Olson. And Fisher, a fourth-generation Delta Marsh hunter, agrees. “The easiest way is to go and look beforehand and see where the ducks are feeding,” he says. “In lieu of that, paddle around and see where birds are flying and where they are on the water.”

Once the men established a promising location, we deployed a few dozen decoys—floating plastic ducks painted to resemble living ducks—and hid amongst the cattails to camouflage ourselves. “Hiding yourself is huge. Ducks are extremely wary and have great eyes. Make sure you hide shiny things, get in the shadows and cover yourself if necessary,” says Olson, who has been hunting for 36 years.

As we waited for the ducks to make their appearance, Olson and Fisher, along with fellow Delta Waterfowl staffer Nigel Simms, discussed the more than dozen types of ducks in the marsh, which included bluebills, mallards and canvasbacks. The men could easily identify which ones were flying overhead and could also describe some of the characteristics of each. Being aware of ducks’ eating habits and behaviours can play an essential role in a successful duck hunt, so it’s wise to conduct research prior to your hunt.

“Some of the ducks—like bluebills and canvasbacks—spend the whole time in the water. They’re actually diving and going down to the sediment to dig up roots to eat. Bluebills dive and eat animal matter like small shrimp, which are maybe half an inch long,” says Fisher. “Mallards and pintail ducks go out to farmers’ fields and eat grain, so they’re actually going out twice a day to feed in a stubble field, then come back at dark and spend the night at the marsh.

“All of this determines how you might hunt different types of ducks and it also affects how they might taste,” he continues.

Luckily for us, there were plenty of ducks in the marsh that morning. Olson’s dog, Brambles, sat in one of the boats, outfitted in gear to keep her warm when she jumped into the icy water, while the men used their duck calls to hopefully lure the fowl in our direction.

Thinking the calls could only make a stereotypical “quack quack” sound, I was surprised to learn they can be tailored to the type of duck the hunters are seeking. Hunters must practice their calls in order to use them most effectively—Olson suggests accessing an online resource and listening to different duck calls, then experimenting with a call of your own. The most important tip for a successful duck call, he adds, is to be where the ducks want to be. “Encouraging a duck to go some place is being in the right spot—that is where 95 per cent of your hunting success comes from.”

Once the birds were within range, the men acted quickly before they were frightened away. In an hour or two, they had shot several ducks, with Brambles swimming out to grab them and return them to the boats after they had fallen from the sky. Then came the messy part not for the squeamish—I’ll admit, I had to look away—plucking out the ducks’ feathers and cleaning the birds. “My favourite way to prepare them is to pluck the birds like you would a chicken, then roast them,” says Fisher.

As a special treat, Olson prepared us his version of a shore lunch: duck breakfast sandwiches, made with buns, eggs, a touch of seasoning and duck as fresh as one could possibly get. Check out our video to watch Olson prepare and cook the duck, right in the marsh.

Our bellies full, we rowed back through the marsh to our vehicles. Though I had, at first, been a little apprehensive about the idea of duck hunting, it turned into a wonderful opportunity for me to experience the time-honoured tradition. If you would like to try your hand at duck hunting, visit Delta Waterfowl at deltawaterfowl.org for more information, as well as some tasty duck recipes. And be sure to check out our videos of the experience!