The Unwritten Rules of Waterfowling
Shawn Swearingen for SPLIT REED
Photos Courtesy of Phil Kahnke
A few years ago, waterfowl historian and collector Ryan Graves compiled a short list of “Unwritten Rules of a Duck Hunter”. It went viral around social media, as far as things can go in the waterfowling world. The ‘dyed in the wool’ waterfowlers were attempting to share some of the wisdom that had been passed to them from previous generations over their many years in marshes, bays, and fields.
Over the course of interviews and discussions with those that guide for a living or just hunt when they can, there was an undercurrent of this ethos needing to be revisited and shared again as seasons get underway. I really want to thank Ryan for laying the foundation and allowing me to build with input from Alex Langbell and a few others.
• Never return to a place that you were invited to as a guest. Furthermore, if you get invited, don’t feel like you are in a position to invite someone else. Loose lips sink ships. Don’t drop a pin on your phone for the tree you are leaning against. Was it a good day out? Enjoy it. While you are at it, observe your surroundings and remember what makes it special. Then scout, explore and find something that works with what you've learned.
• Never leave the blind without a gun. You may need to run down a cripple, that lone green head may swing over or wood ducks may return to the slough. On the flip side, if you leave your gun in the blind, put it in a safe place, take one out of the chamber and let the person sitting next to you know.
• Never walk behind a blow-down. Safety first and be aware of your surroundings. There might be a big hole right behind that blow-down, and there might be widow-makers overhead on a gusty day. Be observant.
• Never be late on an invite. As a guest, you don’t want to be the one holding everything up. Ask to help set decoys. Check where everyone wants to sit in the blind. Long-standing groups usually have ‘their spot’. Don’t be the person on their phone when it comes time to pick up decoys. Always send a ‘thank you’ note afterward as well.
• Never shoot until you're told. Designate who is calling the shot that day. Either on the drive-in or after setting up the decoys. Even if I’ve hunted with someone for a decade or more, we make it a habit to do so.
• Not everyone loves your dog as you do. Everyone has a different opinion on how bird dogs should work, but everyone agrees they should behave and not break. If your four-legged pal is joining the group, be sure they exceed everyone’s expectations of being well-mannered.
• You aren't invisible. Sit and keep your face down and back while the birds are working.
• Don't ask someone how many ducks they kill. Everyone has their own standard of what a decent time hunting is. They may have only had a passing first light shot at wood ducks and mergansers or maybe the mallards decided to descend from the heavens the next slough over. And, they may be all the happier witnessing it all.
• You aren't Tom Knapp, shoot your ‘lane’. Additionally, don't be a bird hog, that guy that claims every duck. If you feel like you’ve shot your limit, let the other people in the blind get their shots. Oftentimes birds will work one end of the blind better.
• Don't dick around at the boat ramp. Get ready before backing down the ramp. When ready, dump your boat, park your truck, and get out of the way.
• A duck call is meant to be used as a tool, not a noise maker.
• Respect your fellow hunters. Never know when you may need them.
• Slow down, it is not a race. If you get to your ‘Plan A’ location and someone beats you to it, tip your cap and move to B or C options.
• Respect the posted signs and the landowners. With technology today, there are zero excuses for not knowing the regulations and property lines. Pick up after yourself, grab all of your hulls, especially when you are on someone’s property, and don’t tear up the fields. Don’t set up too close to someone else and don’t down-wind them either.
• If a farmer has given you and another person permission, don’t fight over the field. Work it out and definitely don’t bring the farmer into it or you can both lose access.
• Get your head down and lead properly. You never know when you're firing your last shot. Make it count. As Nash Buckingham wrote it best, “How kind it is that most of us will never know when we have fired our last shots.”
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