5 Tips For Better Walk-In Hunts

When my young editor asked me, “Do you walk-in to hunt ducks much?” I had to stop and think about it for a second. The truth is, almost all the duck hunting I do is on foot. I would even venture to guess that 90 percent of the duck hunting I’ve done since ’74 has been the walk-in kind. I’ve never had a big boat. I don’t own a side-by-side. But I do have two feet, and they get me to darn near anywhere I want to duck hunt these days.

While it’s true that the walk-in style of ‘fowling is perhaps the least complicated, it’s not without its share of tips and tricks to make those hunts more successful. With that, let’s look at five of the best tips for those brave individuals who consider themselves “Walk-In Duck Hunters.”

Wear good waders

It’s right there in the title – WALK. Five hundred yards. A mile. Two. Mowed levee. Waist high reed canary grass with the occasional surprise bundle of blackberry thorns. Regardless of what you’re walking through or on, the fact remains—you’re going to be walking.

Unlike 1974, when my Red Ball canvas waders weighed eight metric tons and didn’t fit, today’s duck hunter has access to waders that are, dare I say it, a joy to wear. Hunters must have comfortable waders that are not only comfortable but durable. From the long walks to busting through cattails, thorns, ice, phragmites, and anything else to get to those secret hunting spots, a pair of waders that are too big or don’t fit right can be miserable. Whereas a pair that fits like a broken-in pair of work boots can keep you hiking to the next best duck hole. Big deal? Yeah, it is a big deal! Walking a long way in these is like hiking the Cascades for blacktail in my best 10” hunting boots. I’m not tired when I get to the ‘X,’ and I’m ready to go.

Good waders that you can walk comfortably in are a must. So the next time you’re coughing up the coin for a set of waders, make sure they fit right and you feel like you could walk for miles in them—because the odds are that’s exactly what you’ll be doing.

Pack as light as possible

The walk-in duck hunter would do well to pack as light as possible for two reasons: First, it’s easier for most to carry 10 pounds than it is to carry 20. Second, let’s assume I have a stellar morning, and I’m fixing to walk out with my limit of seven greenheads. That’s roughly 15 to 16 pounds on top of what I walked in with. It’s been raining all morning, too, and all my gear is wet, thus making it heavier.

My gear load depends on the number of decoys I intend to set. Six mallard floaters and a jerk cord, and I’m using Rig‘Em Right’s Lowdown backpack. The pack is comfortable and stores everything except the floaters I sling over my shoulder. As for the shotgun, it’s in a padded case with an adjustable sling, keeping my hands free. If I bring 12 to 18 floaters, those, along with the jerk cord, marsh seat, cased shotgun, and downsized blind bag, go into RMR’s Refuge Runner decoy bag. Over my shoulder it goes, and I’m walking.

Check your blind bag for extraneous items, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Everything weighs something, and it all adds up. Sheep hunters talk about “Ounce counting”—walk-in duck hunters could benefit from doing the same. Or at least learn that 10 pounds of extra calls and backup snacks might need to stay home.

Go small

In keeping with this theory of packing light, walk-in duckers should consider what’s trending nowadays as the "minimalist" style of duck hunting regarding decoys and decoy spreads. Every situation is different; however, walk-in and small water/small spreads are somewhat synonymous terms. My walk-in destinations rate six to eight floaters and the ubiquitous jerk cord, which, incidentally, I’ve modified to hold two green-wing teal decoys, cutting down on both size and weight. 14 to 18 floaters are a big rig if I’m heaving everything in on my back, but sometimes the conditions/situation calls for more than six.

As for the decoys themselves, tiny spreads call for the utmost realism, which means fully flocked floaters. Yes, they’re more expensive and require a little more care and maintenance, but they look like the real thing. And if you only give the birds six or eight fakes to eyeball, those six or eight better look good.

Go natural (or carry your own hide)

I did a walk-in hunt on a local tidal marsh in Washington recently. In my blind bag, I always carry a Gerber folding saw, which I use to cut a small bundle of larger willow branches quickly. Twenty yards from my puddle, I staked my marsh seat among the reed canary grass and planted my willows behind and on the sides, giving me excellent overhead cover and some degree of protection from the morning drizzle. The mallards never knew I was on the marsh until the safety went CLICK.

Ideally, the walk-in ‘fowler will take advantage of a natural blind on-scene, e.g., cattails, willows, reed canary grass, thus eliminating the need to pack a blind into the field. If, for whatever reason, a natural blind isn’t available at the ‘X,’ there are a couple of options. One is a lightweight ghillie jacket; wear one and be the blind. (NOTE – Shooting accurately while wearing a ghillie jacket can prove a challenge; getting tangled in everything within 100 yards is notwithstanding. One might be wise to practice a bit.)

The second option is a collapsible/portable blind, e.g., Rig‘Em Right’s HydeOut GO. The hub-style GO weighs just five pounds but stretches 76” wide by 40” high. Tighten it up for the solo hunter, add some taller grass for the overhead hide, and viola! An instant blind that weighs less than two fat mallard ducks.

Have a plan

In this technological age, there’s no reason the walk-in duck hunter shouldn’t have a plan before the hunt, even if the hunt takes place in uncharted territory. OnX Maps, as many know, can provide a ton of preliminary information, including property ownership, boundary lines, likely honey holes, potential blind locations, and, perhaps most importantly, ingress and egress. How do you get in, and how do you get out of the ‘X?’ Are there tides to be considered? If so, what time, how big, and does either ebb or flood affect foot traffic? What’s the shortest distance between Point A and Point B? It all comes into play; most can be done from the comfort of your kitchen table.

A lot goes into making a duck hunt a great one. That holds particularly true for the ‘fowler going the distance on foot. Gear, hide, logistics, decoys, and accessories; all are planned out before and then packed into the field riding on the hunter’s shoulders. Hard work? Darn right, it’s hard work, but when a physically demanding walk-in hunt pays off in a full strap, well then all that legwork doesn’t seem all that tough, now does it?

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