Hunting with a pal is one of the most rewarding experiences that you can ever have. The simple companionship maximizes the fun and gives you the advantage of an extra pair of eyes – say two heads are better than one.
With the duck population growing by the day, there isn’t any better way to hunt for these lovely creatures other than with a pal. Nonetheless, your success depends more on how keen you will be when hunting.
With boat hunting for ducks, though, safety still remains the most important thing to consider. You must understand your perfect position and how you can keep yourself safe on a moving boat.
So two hunters are duck hunting in a boat. What is the safest position? I will get to that. But before I wrap it up, here is what you must understand.
Any perfect hunt can easily become a nightmare in case you don’t pay any attention to safety for both you and your hunting pal.
As such, the first thing that both of you must understand is the main safety tips that are crucial to a successful duck-hunting spree.
Top Duck Hunting Safety Tips
So which safety tips must you keep in mind when duck hunting? Please take a look at what I’ve wrapped up for you.
Never Overload
First, ensure that your vessel is not overloaded. To prevent that, you must ensure that you know the limits that your vessel takes in terms of weight capacity. Load it to the limits and have safe transportation when hunting.
Distribute Weight Evenly
Next, make sure that you distribute the weight in the vessel evenly. This will give your vessel the best balance. It will ensure that you’ve got enough space to move around and that your boat maximizes its stability too.
Wear Your Life Jacket
This is another very important thing to do. Make sure that you have worn a personal floating device. This means wearing something that can keep you safe in case you fall in the water, such as a life jacket.
This should be worn by both of you. And if you’ve got a dog, then placing one on them might be a better idea too. Coldwater is dangerous. It can easily cause muscles cramp and possible hypothermia.
Have Proper Dressing
Check on the weather conditions and dress accordingly. Cold-water immersion, as I said, can be deadly. So in case you fall over, make sure that you climb back in very fast. A good way to counter the cold is to wear a swimsuit too.
Have a Checklist
In addition to what I have given you, make sure that you have a checklist every time you set out to go hunting. You can again install the duck apps on your phone as some of them have an uploaded checklist to help.
Other Safety Tips
Apart from all these, there are other tips that will still come in handy. These tips are easy to master and should be done by each and every duck hunter that expects a successful hunt. Here they are.
- Transport guns safely (make sure they aren’t loaded)
- Protect yourself when shooting, especially when hunting with a partner.
- Learn the duck sounds, calls, and any other hunting tricks
- Take a professional hunting course
NOTE: With proper hunting courses, you will get the skills and again take practical lessons. In addition to that, your hunting trips will have different level hunters, which helps in developing your hunting skills.
Duck Hunting Position in a Boat
With that said, what is the best position for duck hunting? Here is the thing. Let’s say that two hunters are duck hunting in a boat. What is the safest position?
When duck hunting with a pal from your boat, the safest hunting position is the back-to-back position. Why?
This ensures that the zone-of-fire is completely confined to about 180 degrees to the front of every one of you (hunter) and, in doing so, ensures that when firing your gun, both the hunters and the boat remains in the safest position.
In other words, because you will be firing your guns in the opposite directions maintains, there won’t be any chances for a stray bullet to hit, and neither will the guns kick interfere with the stability of your boat.
So can any of you stand when taking a shot? No! When hunting from a boat, whether you are hunting ducks or not, it’s not recommended that you stand when taking your shot. In case you do that, you can easily fall into the water or possibly capsize your vessel.
What happens if, while sitting back to back with your pal, you both swing to the same side? If two hunters are sitting in the back-to-back position and then swing to the boats on the same side when they start to fire, the double recoil will be unbalanced.
This causes the boat to tip in the opposite direction, and that’s the main reason why most hunters are likely to fall off balance, or the boat may capsize.
NOTE: Proper duck hunting position in a boat is another safety tip that most people ignore. You will learn that once you’ve got the position right, everyone will remain safe upon taking a shot. The boat’s stability will be easily maintained, and no one will fall over or get shot at.
Killer Duck Hunting Tips
The next best thing to look at is the killer duck hunting tips. What are the best tips when duck hunting?
- Create a kill hole if you don’t have a boat (you can build a shack on the boat)
- Camouflage your boat by covering (buy covers online for your vessel)
- Spread out the dummy ducks (this tricks works and if spread looks natural)
- Hide properly (learn how to stay away from sight)
- Learn how to call for ducks (duck calls and sounds are important)
- Go on the hunting ground early (allows you to prepare before the ducks come)
NOTE: There isn’t a better way of hunting for ducks except when you are committed. That’s why you need to learn every hunting tip that’ll make the difference. Make sure that you’ve taken your time to prepare so that you don’t make any bad mistakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before we wrap up this post, here are some of the most common questions that you will bump on when looking for the safest duck hunting trip with a pal.
Where should you keep your finger until you’re ready to shoot?
Before you are ready to shoot at your duck, do not touch the trigger. Instead, keep your finger outside the trigger guard. Once you have decided to shoot, you can then take your position and latch on the trigger.
What is the steadiest rifle shooting position?
Let me say that there are four standard shooting positions for anyone who wants to hunt. However, they aren’t all steady. The steadiest one, which is again best for two hunters in the boat, is prone.
Can you shoot at the ducks when the vessel’s motor is turned on?
No! Firing while the vessel moves are not safe. It interferes with your aim, vision, and concentration. As such, it can easily lead to an accidental shooting. Because of this, you shouldn’t fire until your vessel has completely stopped.
Make sure that the motor is turned off too. That’s not all. Again, ensure that your vessel is properly anchored. After you’ve done all these, you can then take an aim and fire.
Do you need to stand in the boat to take a shot?
No! You don’t need to stand in the boat before you can take a shot. In fact, you shouldn’t stand at all when taking a shot in the boat. When the recoil takes place, it can easily throw you off balance, which may lead to falling in the water or capsizing of the vessel.
Conclusion
Two hunters are duck hunting in a boat. What is the safest position? I know that you’ve already got that. So next time you are out hunting for ducks in a boat, keep yourself safe by choosing the safest position.
With that said, here is the thing, whether working on a large inland lake or just simple coastal bays and flats, there isn’t any doubt that duck hunting can be fun. While it is the most rewarding experience, it is again one of the most challenging.
As such, anyone who wants to go for this waterfalling pursuit must ensure that they are armed with the right tricks. From the best tactics, gunning gear, clothing to the knowledge of the duck’s ecology, you must be armed to the teeth.
These killer tips that I have given you will give you the best springboard, and you’ll find a great experience when duck hunting. But remember that hunting agricultural fields and the small potholes again have its charms too.
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