If you do it right, using a kayak for hunting can give you a huge advantage in your pursuit of ducks and other waterfowl. Do it wrong, and you might just end up in the water. I have been hunting out of various kayaks for six seasons and I am going to share with you my best tips for how to use a kayak for duck hunting.
There are 3 primary ways for how to use a kayak for duck hunting:
As a new public land duck hunter, it only took me a few hunting trips to the local marsh before I quickly realized that the ducks don’t want to land next to the dikes. Sure, I’ve seen great duck hunters and top-notch callers convince a group of ducks to land near their dike setup, but I am not an expert or professional hunter. My duck hunting strategy relies on putting myself on the ‘x’, where the ducks naturally want to be.
Have you ever been out hunting and watched a group of ducks dive-bomb into the marsh, landing nowhere near anybody’s decoy spreads? Unless you are hunting strong migration days, the ducks are already keyed in on the safest spot in the marsh. This is typically the hardest spot to get to with the least amount of hunting pressure. My goal has always been to find a way to get to those spots.
When you are in the right spot and have a good hide, all you need is a small decoy setup to convince even the weariest of birds to put their feet down and drop in. This is my absolute favorite style of hunting. Nothing beats a group of 20 mallards dropping down right on top of you. But it isn’t easy to get to this point. If it was, everyone else would be out there, and the ducks would quickly find a different spot.
Duck hunting kayaks give hunters a unique advantage in getting to, and successfully hunting, those hard to access locations. They offer portability, transportation, stealth, conceal-ability, and a wide array of other benefits. Simply put, kayaks are one of the most versatile waterfowl hunting tools you can own.
One of the most common ways kayaks can be used for duck hunting is transportation. There are so many situations where it just makes sense. A kayak is a great mode of transportation because it is easily stored. Do you live in an apartment or don’t have a lot of room in the garage? A kayak is great because you can load it up in the back of your truck, and it doesn’t take up a lot of space when not in use. No need to hook up to a trailer or store a boat.
Paddling beats walking. In a lot of shallow water applications, you could technically walk-in without a kayak. But trudging long distances through water can burn a lot of energy. Not to mention, you have to carry everything. A kayak lets you float most of the weight in while paddling, which is a whole lot easier than walking.
The versatility of kayaks for transportation can’t be matched. A large boat might let you cover ground quicker, but you will be limited in how shallow you can get. Or you could walk in, but if you need to cross a channel/deep spot to get to the hunting hole, then you are out of luck.
Using a kayak for transportation to your hunting spot isn’t a one size fits all solution, but it is perhaps the most versatile of any method. You can get a kayak into a lot of spots that you can’t get a boat in, and you can paddle over water that is too deep for walking. I highly recommend looking for hunting spots in the off-season that might have difficult access, and then making a plan for how to get to those locations during the season. Good chances are, a kayak can help you out.
My favorite way to use a kayak for duck hunting is as a layout blind. You can use it to hunt in a couple of inches of water or a couple of feet. Kayak duck hunting blinds are incredibly low profile and practically disappear in areas where it is very difficult to hide with other traditional hunting blinds.
There are a ton of different methods for hiding your kayak. A simple camo cover might be effective if you are hunting areas with lots of vertical cover. Kayaks really prove their advantages though when you can use them similarly to a layout. There are several commercially produced options for kayak duck blinds that are available, or you can get creative and make your own.
If you are looking for some ideas on how to build a diy kayak duck blind, check out this post where I walk through my kayak duck blind build process.
I love getting out in the middle of a marsh where there is very little cover. I set up a small decoy spread and spend a little extra time in the morning brushing in the kayak with natural vegetation. It works pretty great when I hunt by myself, but I do notice when hunting with a bigger group that it’s a little more important to find some better cover.
When by myself, I position my kayak almost in the center of the decoys, but towards the back edge with the wind at my back. With a small decoy spread, my furthest decoy might only be 20 yards away. There is no real ‘landing hole’ but I find that out in the middle of the marsh, the ducks will readily dump right into my small, scattered decoy spread. This often leads to ducks working and landing very close, which is an absolute thrill when it all comes together.
Another way hunters use kayaks for chasing waterfowl is by jump shooting. This involves using the kayak to sneak up as close as possible to the ducks, before flushing them off the water. A kayak is a great tool for jump shooting because it is low profile and quiet.
Jump shooting out in the open is a difficult task. If you want to get close enough to ducks before they flush, they can’t see you making motion, or making noise. Paddling in a kayak quietly is doable, but paddling without making any motion is basically impossible. So if you want to jump shoot rafts of ducks out in the open, search for scull boats for duck hunting.
While kayaks aren’t the best for jump shooting on open waters, they are excellent tools for jump shooting on rivers or small marshes with lots of cover. Floating a river is a great way to use a kayak for duck hunting. The river provides the current that allows you to get close to the ducks without moving. Hunker down behind your kayak and often times you can float right past a group of ducks. The hardest part of this is keeping your kayak straight without paddling. I float a shallow river when jump shooting, and find a piece of chain or similar weight dragging behind me can help keep the kayak straight and make shots easier.
If your river doesn’t have much current, you can still jump shoot ducks by being prepared on the corners. Paddle down the river and as you get to a bend, try to let your momentum carry you around. If there are ducks around the corner, you won’t get nearly as close as you could if you were hunkered down in your kayak, so be prepared to shoot quick.
One of my favorite times to jump shoot from my kayak is late in the season after a deep freeze. All the marshes and even the lakes are locked up, and the birds will be loafing on the river in the afternoon. I can sleep in and wait for it to warm up a bit before taking an afternoon float down the river. It’s not the most successful method of hunting that I have, but when there aren’t many other options, it is still great to get out and maybe bag a bird or two.
If you want to focus on this method of kayak duck hunting, one of my best recommendations is to get a good gun holder to help keep your hands free when paddling. I liked to use an ATV style gun mount, and it’s not a bad idea to tie your gun to the mount with a length of para-cord to make sure it doesn’t end up at the bottom of the river.
As a beginner kayak duck hunter, one of the most exciting things about kayaks is their versatility. They can be a useful hunting tool in so many situations. It can be easy to fall into a rut when duck hunting; going to the same spot, doing the same thing. There is nothing wrong with that either, especially when it works. But there is more to duck hunting than shooting ducks, and part of the adventure is trying new tactics and locations. Kayaks are great for duck hunting because they can help you be more successful, and they give you a way to try out new spots that are hard to access with traditional methods.
Do you have a specific question on how to use a kayak for duck hunting? Send us a message and we will share our thoughts!
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