I know, I know - I am really off topic here, but I'll give it a go.

I am a lifelong quail hunter - that's it - quail. We went crackers hunting quail when we were kids in Missouri, but nothing else.

That being said, I've been invited to go duck hunting here in the Pacific Northwest. Sweet - I've always wanted to go, but I need some advice on gear.

What sort of gear do I need? Waders? Camo? Should I be head to toe in camo? The fellas I'm going with have all the decoys and whatnot, so I just need personal gear. All I really have is Skeet/Trap gear and Quail gear, which is pretty much the same thing. I have my old trusty Remmington 870 Wingmaster which should do the job.

So - hunters - please give me some help here.

Thanks much.
Walt_Mink

 

I do most of my hunting in Western MN, so I don't know what kind of weather you'll be in, but I usually wear a camo hat, my 4in1 camo jacket & my non-camo waders.

I'd highly recommend wearing some kind of waterproof glove. I bought a set of insulated shooters gloves at Cabela's, they are well worth the $$$.

From my experience, ducks & geese react to movement more than anything else. So, if you don't want to spend a ton of $$ on camo, just wear something than will be close in color to the environment you'll be hunting & don't move around too much.

 

A good set of coveralls and waders makes the experience a whole lot more enjoyable. When your duck hunting your doing nothing but sitting and waiting and it can get awfully darn cold when your sitting in knee deep water and it's 40* outside with a slight mist and a 10mph wind. Neoprene chest waders are the best insulators hand down. Don't even bother with hip waders. They suck. A set of water proof gloves is a real blessing. Some sort of face mask as well will help keep you warm. It's a lot of gear yes, but if you buy the right stuff your experience will be a lot of fun.

 

Great stuff thanks! That's the direction I was going. So how about camo coverage? I'm guessing you don't have to be 100% covered like with turkey, but does just about everything need to be camo? I don't want to cheap out and ruin the hunt for the experienced guys.

 

Just don't wear bright colors & you should be fine.

 

Sweet - thanks again - I'll post pictures after I (easily) get my limit

 

your 870 wing master should be fine just be shure the barrel is aproved for steel shot as almost everywere in the us you must use steel for waterfowl. also find out if you are hunting from a boat, tank blinds, or tulees (SP) you would need different gear for each. Boat no waders if good dog on board. tank regular chest waders and quality long johns and socks, tulees. good neoprene waders, longjohns, good socks and gloves. and a large thermos of hot beverages to keep your core temp up. And no mater how much you want to don't take love nips from the 80 prof to stay warm it makes it easier to get frostbite or other cold injuries (trench foot/ keep feet dry, hypothermia from being underdressed and sitting still)

 

I am an active duck/goose hunter and I will tell you that all wetlands camo is best way to go. Make sure that gun can handle steel shot. Remember to layer your clothes depending on weather. Alot depends on your hunting set up, layout blinds, boat blind, duck blind, etc... Have fun and don't shoot a hen if you can help it. Good Luck.

 

Call in your Bands, please, if your lucky enough to get one!