There’s a lot of noise in waterfowl hunting these days... from long lists of gear, age-old tactics, influencer opinions, “must-do” spreads, and new trends every season.
But the hunters who’ve been doing it the longest have a way of cutting through the noise.
So we asked a few “OGs” in waterfowl hunting to share the best advice they’ve learned over decades in the marsh.
No shortcuts. No sales pitch. Just experience.
#1: Lee Kjos
A love for the birds comes first
“I’ve always been a waterfowl enthusiast and sportsman, but what’s kept me in it all these years is a love for the birds themselves.
The most important thing you can do is pay attention to them. Study them. Not the media, not trends, not what people say you should be doing. Watch what the ducks actually do.
If you really want to learn, spend time with them when they’re not being hunted. I’m lucky as an outdoor photographer. I get to be out there all year just watching. That has been my greatest education.
Learn them first. Biology first. Where are they? Why are they there? What stage of migration are they in? What part of the breeding cycle are they in? Ducks do everything for a reason.
As a boy, I had my head in every bird book and waterfowl magazine I could find. My dad gave me that foundation. Growing up in western Minnesota in the early ‘70s, I remember watching massive mallard migrations late in the season and wondering where they came from. That curiosity never left me. It eventually took me to the prairies of Canada and beyond.
Hunting is really a byproduct of all that knowledge.
Weather, habitat, behavior. It all connects.
Success isn’t just about the number of birds you take. It’s about the experience, and your connection to the birds and the place you’re in.
Find love in duck country.
And I care deeply about conservation, more than anything. I’d give up hunting before I’d give up conservation. I don’t need to kill them, but I need to see them.
We need to pass that mindset on.”
He also puts it simply when it comes to hunting conditions:
“There are days it doesn’t matter what you do, you’re going to kill them. There are days it doesn’t matter what you do, you’re not going to. And there are days it really matters what you do. The ducks, the light, the weather, the timing… it all has to line up.”
#2: MD Johnson
If you’re going to do it, do it right—especially the hide
“Two things I’ve learned in 52 years of duck hunting:
First thing: hide like your life depends on it. Sometimes to the point of invisibility. There is no such thing as an insignificant detail when you’re trying to hide from some of the sharpest eyes in the natural world.
But don’t overdo it. Too much can be just as bad as too little.
Look at your blind. Then look at it again. Soften the hard edges. Blend it into the environment. Use sun and shadows. Use terrain to lower your profile. Be meticulous.
Second: make it real.
Throw the best decoys you can afford. Keep them clean. Make them look natural. Give them space. Don’t overcrowd them.
Forget rigid patterns like perfect ‘V’s or ‘C’s. Set your spread like you actually see birds sitting in the marsh. Add different species. Break the “all-mallard” mindset. Experiment. You can always reset and try again.”
#3: Matthew Cagle
In pressured areas, don’t look like everyone else
“Growing up hunting mostly public ground in heavily pressured areas taught me one thing:
You have to look different.
Ducks fly rivers and marshes every day and see the same thing over and over. Dozens of decoys, spinning blades, boats brushed into boxes. And every time they get close… something bad happens.
Eventually, they recognize it as danger.
So I started changing things up.
Sometimes I’d ditch the spinner. Run a dozen decoys instead of four dozen. Pull the boat downriver, walk back, and sit on the bank instead of hiding in it.
A few decoys. A jerk string. You and your dog tucked into the natural shoreline.
Simple setups can be deadly when everything else is overdone.
And honestly, sometimes they make you the envy of the boat ramp.”
#4. Bill Stephenson
It's about the hunt, not the kill
"I’ve been a duck hunter for almost 60 years, and I still love it as much as I ever have.
For me, it’s always been about the hunt, not the kill. Of course you want to have a good day and shoot some birds, but over the years you realize that isn’t what keeps you coming back.
The best part of hunting is sharing the experience with my friends and creating new and everlasting memories.
Some hunts are successful and some aren’t. Either way, you got to spend the day doing something you love with people you enjoy being around.
After almost 60 years, those experiences and friendships are what I value most.”
Closing Note
We love this stuff because it connects people to something bigger than just a hunt.
These are traditions built on observation, patience, and respect for the birds and the places they live.
We’re lucky to be part of a community that still values that.
If you’ve got your own “OG advice,” drop it in the comments. We’d love to keep this going.
“Never hunt for the limit of birds” As stated from others in the above posts, enjoy the hunt. I have had many great memories from pre dawn to mid morning without firing a shot. While picking up I might have a bird swing into the decoys just to land and fly off giving me the pleasure of, maybe, they knew all along I just wanted to be out there. Smiles thinking about those times.
40 years of legal duck hunting experience and I have learned most of the big lessons from actually hunting. A couple were handed to me like calling ducks which I can do better than most, but I should be able to after 40 years of practice. I was gifted a lesson when I was 14 years old with a gentleman named Butch Ritchenback, who, in his shop in Stuttgart impressed upon me the difference between calling while hunting versus calling for auditoriums. I still remember him telling me to tone down my chatter, leave the hail calls alone and to go to water and listen to ducks being ducks, all year long.
This is why I use a double reed call and I find places to listen to ducks and I keep my call in my truck. Of all the toys and tools I have used, if I have a call with me and a decent shooter, we will kill birds.
The other OGs here make points that I do not need to repeat, as they are correct.
I am a proponent of practice and involvement over tricks and tips, scouting over maps and time spent over anything Ai could ever grant me. At the end of the day, it’s not the limit that brings me back, it is the colors, smells, laughter and stories shared that does the lifting; I will duck hunt until I can’t and I will voluntarily leave many other pursuits behind me before this one. Have a fantastic season.
The first 30 years of the 50 some I have hunted were on public land. The early years I would be on the right marsh or lake but on the wrong spot. I made it my mission to scout these marshes and lakes a develop my ability to look a spot over and know where I needed to be the next morning and be sure to be in the marsh early and first. Sometimes I took the early and first a little overboard but with no regrets. What I found was after a few successful years I was able to take that knowledge of points , certain coves or Marsh areas to public land I had never been on and make great decisions even in the dark. I have found thru the years that a good spot on a lake or marsh can be duplicated in a lot of public areas by just looking for what worked for a reason on your home area.. Have a wonderful and blessed duck season.
The greatest part is learning every trip and then passing that knowledge on to others. Whether it is What did and did not work for you, how to use a call, or how the weather influenced the hunt. Sit back and just observe and enjoy the moment from time to time. Life is too short to base how good the hunt was on the number of ducks you bagged. Greatest thrill I got was taking my son out with me and my companions, with everyone passing on all the knowledge . They have. (And of course all the friendly ribbing everyone takes) Now it is passing that knowledge onto my grandson and watching them grow better than I ever was. Cherish the time with friends and family in the field. Before you know it your unable to take part and you will have memories of your adventures to keep you smiling.
MD Johnson is the real deal. He and his wife, Julie, have a lifetime of stories and experiences worth listening to.