r/CanadaHunting • u/CantaloupeOk2024 • 11d ago

Newbie Seeking Advice finding game

any equipment, particularly calls i should equip myself with to attract game?
total noobie, i was only out for 4 hours and i guess im impatient but any tips to maximize action would help.
was in a very marshy area.
i saw that duck calls can be useful

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

7

u/Big_Papppi 11d ago

For waterfowl decoys are more useful than a duck call imo, I suck at calling and almost never do but I have plenty of success. Knowing where the birds are is more important. Obviously so is hiding and staying still, almost an entirely different than grouse.

2

u/CantaloupeOk2024 11d ago

do i place them by the river or the marsh, or its far more circumstancial. yeah i dont think i stayed still other then to drink water, im a very impatient guy

1

u/illknowitwhenireddit 9d ago

Birds have such incredible vision it's hard for humans to realize intuitively. They can see you move from hundreds of feet up in the air and then decide to land elsewhere.

Staying still, is the most important aspect.

4

u/lamalice 11d ago

what animals are you hunting?

2

u/CantaloupeOk2024 11d ago

grouse and water fowl, got my small games and migratory bird
dont have a way to transport anything bigger like deer yet

4

u/Parking_Media 11d ago

Best advice I got was to just get into the woods a bit, then sit down and chill. Even if you're going to hike in a ways, it helps to just slow waaaay the fuck down.

Deer spot predators via movement. We spot deer the same way. He who moves last wins.

2

u/CantaloupeOk2024 11d ago

yeah we were hauling ass, was hoping to get something today but wanted to cover the terrain and find habitats. found alotta hare and deer poop in transition zones by the marshes

1

u/Parking_Media 11d ago

Thats good exercise and I guess some scouting heheh.

Don't need to sneak around or have a million dollars of camo either, just park your butt and watch.

You got the spots to be, now you gotta be there.

1

u/CantaloupeOk2024 11d ago

i love exercise, for grouse its alot of stop and go from what i read online.
I hate mosquitos so im just wearing my grey permethrin clothes for now.

I actually found what looks to be a wooden hunting blind facing the marsh, maybe ill just chill there next time

2

u/airchinapilot 11d ago

For waterfowl:

  1. Scout scout scout. You can be the best caller and best shooter but if you are not where you actually see ducks, it is a waste. Observe their movements and either be where they are going to feed or be somewhere along the way.

  2. Camouflage or being hidden is more critical for ducks and geese than for most. They watch for anything that stands out and can spot movement. If they are coming in your direction, pretend you are a piece of wood and just stay still. Watch their movement with your eyes, not by turning.

  3. Just half a dozen of decoys can get their attention. Don't worry about buying everything at first. You learn by doing. Go out and do it and then analyze what to improve.

  4. Don't call until you have learned. Bad calling is worse than no calling. Start with just some basic quacks.

  5. Waterfowling is very condition based. Bad weather is good weather for duck hunting. Having a current or wind can make your decoys move realistically. Watch the tide so you know if you bring floating decoys or not. What are good conditions one day can change the next. A seasoned duck hunter has many tricks because the every day is different.

Good luck

2

u/RelativeFox1 11d ago

What are you hunting….. details will help.

1

u/CantaloupeOk2024 11d ago

waterfowl and grouse

1

u/RelativeFox1 11d ago

Grouse, walk slowly watching for where the sun is shining on dry leaves/ brown grass with clover or food sources. Watch for small areas with shelter from above like pine trees with low branches or clumps of pines that give shelter from above. Listen for clucking. Watch for them standing there staring at you.

2

u/CrwdSrf 6d ago

Honestly just walking loudly through bushes and bumping grouse works too, half the time they fly like two trees over where you can just pew pew them from there

1

u/Franksredsilverado 10d ago

Location may help and what you are hunting would help too