Waterfowl hunting season is generally in the winter and fall. At this time of the year, the birds have finished raising their young and are migrating to warmer areas. There are three elements used by almost all waterfowl hunters: a shotgun, hunting blind, and decoys. The decoys are used to lure the birds within range, and the blind conceals the hunter. Once the birds are within range, the hunters leap up from the blind and quickly shoot the birds before they are frightened off. ... http://www.squidoo.com/best-duckhunting-ever Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:35:53 -0600 FeedCreator 1.7.2 Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:04:36 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/best-duckhunting-ever Waterfowl hunting season is generally in the winter and fall. At this time of the year, the birds have finished raising their young and are migrating to warmer areas. There are three elements used by almost all waterfowl hunters: a shotgun, hunting blind, and decoys. The decoys are used to lure the birds within range, and the blind conceals the hunter. Once the birds are within range, the hunters leap up from the blind and quickly shoot the birds before they are frightened off. Duck or goose calls are often used to attract birds; sometimes calls of other birds will also be simulated to convince the birds that there is no danger. Waterfowl hunters also often use dogs to retrieve dead or injured birds; there are many retriever breeds, such as Labrador Retrievers and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, specifically bred for the task. Wild ducks of various species (including ducks farmed and released into the wild) are hunted for food or sport, by shooting, or formerly by decoys. From this came the expression "a sitting duck", which means "an easy target". Ducks have many economic uses, being farmed for their meat, eggs, feathers, (particularly their down). They are also kept and bred by aviculturists and often displayed in zoos. All domestic ducks are descended from the wild Mallard, except the Muscovy Duck. Many domestic breeds have become much larger than their wild ancestor, with a "hull length" (from base of neck to base of tail) 12 inches or more and routinely able to swallow an adult British Common Frog whole. Despite widespread misconceptions, most ducks other than female Mallards and domestic ducks do not "quack"; for example, the scaup makes a noise like "scaup", which its name came from.  In 1934, at the urging of editorial cartoonist and conservationist J.N. "Ding" Darling, the US government passed the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act, better known as the Federal Duck Stamp Act. This program required hunters to purchase a special stamp, in additional to a regular hunting license, to hunt migratory waterfowl. Revenues from the program provided the majority of funding for conservation for many decades and funded the purchase of 4.5 million acres (18,000 km²) of National Wildlife Refuge land for waterfowl habitat since the program's inception. The Duck Stamp act has been described as "one of the most successful conservation programs ever devised." Duck stamps have also become collectible items in their own right. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:04:36 -0600