by Art Young

Created on: December 10, 2011

Contrary to popular opinion, foul weather is not a prerequisite for waterfowl hunting success. Veteran duck hunters and guides understand the significance of the lyrics, penned by songwriter Don Schlitz in his song “The Gambler” that opines: “Every hand’s a winner and every hand’s a loser… you just gotta know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.”

In other words, a savvy hunter can win this poker game and take home ducks in any weather conditions, if he knows the right tactics to use. Here are some tips on playing the weather hand that’s dealt.

Fair Weather Hunting

A beautiful, clear day makes for some very tough hunting. Why? The ducks can fly and dive wherever the urge takes them. Plus, the bright sunshine reveals outlines of hunter shadows and the reflection of the sun off of the hunter’s face is brighter than the neon signs in Times Square. Plus, on clear days, it’s much easier for ducks to see where hunter might be hiding, thereby determining where the safe areas are located and where danger lurks. However, make no mistake, just because they can fly or land anywhere they want, these highly intelligent birds don’t do anything willy nilly.   

Experts such as those at the conservation organization, Ducks Unlimited (DU) note that the flight lanes that they use, the fields and woods that they feed in and the water that they float on follow patterns that they have established over many generations. Since there is nothing random about the actions of these birds, the smart hunter can position himself to take advantage of these movement patterns by spending the time to closely observe them.

So, even on crystal, clear days, which offer the ducks excellent views of anything that might be amiss (e.g. a hunter with a twelve gauge shotgun in his hands) below, it is critical for the hunter to set out the decoys and concentrate on watching the flight, feeding and rafting patterns of the birds. Over time, and this might take hours or days, a hunter can ascertain the pattern and position himself for the best shots.

Stormy Weather

If the weather forecast suggests that rain is imminent – cloud cover increasing, low pressure and increasing wind velocity – this is music to the duck hunter ears. This gloomy weather means there is no problem with ducks being able to see the shadows or movement of hunters and there is no sun glare off shotgun barrels and hunter faces.

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