As a new duck hunter, it is important to start preparing before hunting ducks. Here are some basics of duck hunting.

Learning to duck hunt can be a challenging task if you don't have an experienced hunter to guide you. To get started, it's important to take a hunter safety course, obtain the necessary licenses, purchase the right equipment, learn how to identify different duck species, obey hunting laws, scout for locations, set up bait ranges, master calling techniques, and know when to shoot. These are the basics that every beginner should be aware of.

However, once you experience the thrill of shooting ducks in decoys, you'll likely get hooked on the sport. Waterfowl enthusiasts are known for their passion for duck hunting, and there are several reasons why:

1) The duck hunting season is long, which means you can hunt often.

2) There is something magical about watching waterfowl migrate every fall and then calling and coaxing them up close.

3) The North American duck season spans from September to March, allowing hunters to quickly improve their skills and become better hunters.

Duck hunters are gear fanatics, leading us to sometimes become more obsessed with the tools we use to hunt ducks than the ducks themselves. Most of us end up filling our garages with decoys and blinds and pulling high-priced duck boats behind our beat-up cars.

Bait

If you are a hunter who hunts on foot or by boat, foam-filled floats are ideal because they reduce weight. They're not always as realistic as some flocked molded lures, but you can carry more.

You can also choose a heavier, more durable lure. These baits are usually more expensive, but they tend to last longer. And as the bait ages, heavier baits won't need to be repainted and flocked.

I'm less concerned with the appearance of field decoys than I am with how long they last because when mallards are foraging in the fields, they focus more on spinner decoys. That said, the best-looking field lures are the most durable. The cheaper the bait, the more likely it is to break.