How to Hunt Ducks Without Calling

I didn’t do this by having someone call for me (at least not always), nor by recording the sounds of flying and feeding ducks and then playing it over a speaker, as I’ve seen hunters do. No, for years I took my limit and filled my freezer with both ducks and geese by not calling at all.

Going quiet in the duck blind is one of the more overlooked things you can do to be a successful duck hunter. While there’s no question that calling can be deadly, just like with turkeys or elk, when you don’t know how or when to call, you’ll often end up scaring them away. All hope is not lost if you’re not an expert duck caller. Because with the right setups and strategy, you can get your hands on plenty of ducks without making a quack.

Scouting is essential to all duck hunting, but is especially important if you’re not calling the birds in to land. You not only need to find a good, duck-filled waterway, but you also need to find a spot where it won’t be necessary to call the birds into range. This can take a bit of extra work as you need to find the exact right place to set up a duck blind.

Normally, when you can call ducks in, you set up in any area of their flyway where they’ll be able to hear your calls and be drawn within range. However, when you’re not calling ducks, you have to set up in the place where they’re most likely to land.

This takes a bit of homework when you’re scouting, as you have to watch the ducks closely with binoculars or a spotting scope and observe any areas where the birds are gathering. These can include feeding areas in flooded fields or shallow muddy flats surrounded by deeper water. Note where the ducks are gathering and feeding, and then take a look around for spots with surrounding cover within shotgun range that’s sufficient for a blind. While this may mean you have to be a bit more selective in your hunting spots, it can really pay off when you find the right one.

Another spot where you can regularly find ducks is any offshoot between a major food source and overnight roosting areas. One of the best duck hunting spots I ever found was a small, slow-moving creek that flowed between a cornfield and a lake. Ducks flying to and from the field and lake would often land or at least fly low over the creek, giving me plenty of opportunities for shots without having to make a sound. These little in-between areas can be as large as a field of flooded timber or as small as a diversion ditch, and every one of them is worth checking out.

Setting up your spot is essential for success whenever you’re hunting silently. Not only do you want to be wearing the right camouflage clothing to blend in with the surroundings, but you’ll also want to set up your duck blind within easy shooting distance of the birds. Once this is done, the only other thing you have to worry about is your decoys.

Putting out the right decoy spread is essential anytime you’re duck hunting without calling. You’ll want the setup to draw passing birds’ attention, while still looking natural enough to land. The easiest way to do this is by setting up your decoys in a U-shape.

To do this, start by setting out a cluster of 5 to 10 decoys on the downwind side about 10 to 20 yards from your blind. Next, extend out the arms of the U by setting 3 to 5 decoys out into the water in a line on both sides of the original cluster at 5 to 10 yard intervals so that your whole spread is roughly 30 yards wide. Ideally, birds approaching your spread will be drawn into the center of the U right in front of your blind.

Another easy and effective setup for these situations is the J-shape. This is done by making a single line of decoys off the main cluster in front of your blind, creating an ideal landing spot for birds along the hook of the J. In both the J- and U-shape, you can make your setup look more realistic by adding rippling or vibrating decoys, or set up a decoy on a jerk string to the cluster closest to your blind. This will help the spread look more realistic by imitating feeding or gathering ducks.

Once your blind is in place and your decoys are set up, the hardest thing about duck hunting without calling is waiting for birds. This goes against the very instincts of a duck hunter, as you often feel like you must constantly call to make something happen. But when you’re hunting silently, patience is a virtue. And when you can wait the birds out, you can get your limits at some surprising times.

While those first morning and evening flights are still important to the non-calling duck hunter and should be hunted, you’d be surprised at how many ducks will come in silently at midday. These sleep-in birds are following patterns that can be formed from both cold weather, where it takes ducks a while to warm up, and by hunting pressure, where ducks leave the water before shooting light and then return at midday to feed after most hunters have gone home. These late-flying birds can be the silent duck hunter’s bread and butter and can make those all-day sits in a freezing blind well worth the wait.

Over my years of practice, I’ve developed at least some skill as a duck caller. I will also readily admit that nothing is more thrilling than seeing a flock of ducks turn on a dime and commit after a hailing or feeding call. It’s one of the most beautiful and satisfying moments in the hunting world.

Many hardcore waterfowlers believe that having the skills to call ducks into your spread is essential to being a true duck hunter and won’t set foot in any blind where birds aren’t called. I can respect that, but at the same time, I’m a hunter who loves duck meat and will try to get my hands on it any way I can. So, on those tough days come when the birds are being stubborn and not coming into what I’m putting out there, I’m happy to rearrange my spread, hunker down, and go into silent mode.