12 excellent ways to totally botch your duck hunt

#1 ARRIVE LATE

Ducks will often be in the air and buzzing your decoys right at legal shooting time. Typically, the period from a half-hour before sunrise to shortly after sunrise will offer the best action. So, if you’re still setting up decoys or running a boat off the water or a vehicle off the field, you’re going to miss out on this action.

When figuring out what time to head out from your duck camp, remember that jobs such as hooking up a trailer, walking back to the spread after parking a vehicle or brushing blinds add time to your pre-hunt activities. And to make it easier to get out the door on time, start preparing the night before. Simple things such as setting an alarm clock, packing a snack, preparing the coffee maker, laying out your clothes, planning your route and putting your vehicle keys in a visible place can help make sure you’re not late.