1. with watters do u get what u pay? i have to buy my first pair

2. whats a good first duck call for me to learn on.

3. I'm going to buy some decoys this is where I'm totally lost. i have no clue what I'm looking for

Get your first pair of waders right now as they are on sale.

Pick a call to your liking, probably a Buck Garner, Primos or whatever and get a tape player to play the instructional.

Look in Classified add here for used decoys to get your foot in the pond, or so to speak.

1. I wear Bass Pro's Bone Dry Waders... I know some folks dont like em but I've had great luck with them so far... usually $199, but keep watching the website and they will go down to $119.00 sometime during the off season

2. If you to learn to run a duck call like a pro start with something like a Quackhead J Frame... its a cheap single reed that usually comes with and instructional CD from RNT, but make sure to practice a ton before next season and then you can upgrade to a nicer call (Echo Pure Meat, RNT Daisy Cutter etc.)... (Buck Gardner also makes good calls to start on).... if you just want a call that will make a raspy quack straight out of the box and doesn't require a ton of vocalization check out Cutt Down Game Calls and try their Little Easy... it doesn't really matter how you run it, it always says "quack" (but thats about all it says, not very versatile)

3. Get some Greenhead Gear Hot Buy mallards at Academy when they put them on sale... I bought 2 dozen around Christmas this year for $24.99 a dozen... cheap, durable, and look great. Do yourself a favor and start out texas rigging your decoys... Mojo makes a great Texas Rig kit, or you can learn to make them yourself, this will save you a ton of time and frustration rather than having to wrap weights.

Do some scouting during the early off season (right now) and figure out what types of ducks are in your area... I always have mallards and teal in my spread, but also rotate in widgeon, gadwall, and pintail... if you're down at the coast, then you'll need bluebills, pintails, and redheads... try to make your spread look like the ducks you see rafted up in your area.

If you want to put some motion in your spread (and you do) get a jerk rig first and then start messing with the Mojos... I almost always have a jerk rig out, and only use Mojo's early in the season.

My recommendation would be to look for sales and buy your gear in pieces... you can always add more, and you will.

Welcome to the most expensive addiction ever!

Guess you've never tournament fished!?

Coin toss on that one bud. My last one was an 09 Puma FTD w/ two fiddy Merc...once you start adding fuel, lease prices, Ranger or 4 wheelers, dekes, calls, shells, dog, etc. It is so close I'll call it a wash

I told someone just the other day if someone tells you duck hunting is cheaper than fishing to call them a damn liar. Heck you have hunted the high fence you know how high that high fence duck hunting can be

I use the acedemy waders. They are half price right now. Keep your receipt. If they leak they will take them back. I use a shaker feeder call and a duck whistle more than anything. Calling works, but I think you can over call easy. I rather not call at all than have someone blaring a call everytime they see a duck. All ducks will land into mallard decoys. I like to throw in a few teal because they move better. Mojos work great early, but put them up during late season. The duck motorized duck butts work great all year to put motion in a spread. Texas rig is the way to go with your rigings. These are just the way I do things. Lots of things I dont know and plenty other ways to do them right. Good luck. Its the best hunting in the world.

I guess when you can hunt to minutes from the house, gas isn't very expenses. When you're a marksman shooter such as myself, you won't be shooting boxes of shells either. 6 bullets equals 6 drakes on the strap. The high fence duck hunt was won at a Ducks Unlimited banquet. The raffle ticket cost 1 dollar. One day you will realize that you are doing it all wring when it starts costing a lot

1). Yes you get what you pay for. I like 3mm waders for warm weather hunting and 5mm waders with insulated boots for cold weather. Look for sales happening right now. I like to get my wader boot 1 size smaller than what I normally wear. The waders seem to fit me better.

3). I agree with Bobbylight. Get yourself some GreenHead Gear hot buy mallards. I'm all about using a quality decoy at a very low price. I've used these decoys for four years. The paint has held up really good, especially through all the hell I put them through. I promise, the birds will come into them just as good as a $90/dozen spread.

thanks guys really appreciate it won't be to expensive cus I'm hunting on the bank and its3 miles from my house.

I do both and it's comparable. I spent between $4 and 6000 a year on fishing tourneys. I spent about 6000 on this duck season.

Brooks, I "hunt from the bank" alot and that doesnt mean it's gonna cost any less. You will soon find that you have to go to the ducks and not expect them to come to you. With that said, you also have to give the duck what they want and not expect them to adapt to you. That makes it hard to be successful all the time if you only have a doz cheap deeks. To be versatile and adaptive you gotta have gear and that's expensive. The point being once ya got the itch it's too late. You'll stop at no lengths to be a successful waterfowler.
Good luck!

No point in spending alot of money on waders, they'll eventually leak or get a hole...no matter what brand, thickness, etc.

You'll are die hards water fowlers lol. If I spent over $2000 on waterfowl hunting, I'd quit. But I guess since I only have to drive within 15 miles in any direction of town to hunt, helps on spending much on gas. I bet I didn't spend $500 on waterfowl this season.

I'll keep hunting cheap and shooting limits of green so I can spend a bunch on catching limits of green fish

It is just over 90 miles each way to the lease and I know since Christmas I was up there 2 or 3 times every week. That is at least a tank a week of diesel. That doesn't even factor in the cost of the lease...I was well over your limit and closer to AC's whole fishing budget on that one expense.

I hunted public the previous years and I can tell you it was worth every penny. I knew I never had to worry with someone either in the spot I wanted to hunt or trying to set up 50yds from me. I didn't have to get up at 2am and it was easier to scout because it got to the point where certain birds were using certain water and I just had to figure out which one I wanted to hunt with the conditions I had. Then there is the deal with letting birds rest that gets to happen on private that never happens on public. I just don't see myself going back to the public beating even with the costs, that is as long as I can continue to afford to play.

This coming year will be the first time I will be on a lease in a long time. It will be the first time I will be on a lease with just one other person, my brother. We will have a camp that is 1 mile from the blind. Decoys will stay in the blind. I have a kitchen stove that will be in the blind for coffee bacon, eggs and bisquits. So to go hunting we need only wake up in time to get waders on and drive 1 mile on a 4 wheeler. He can get the coffee going while I throw out the deeks. After 37 seasons of churning and burning up the highways it will be nice to just relax a little bit. It is well worth pony-ing up the cash for what the place has to offer us.

Army I hear ya, ain't either one of these sports cheap if you are going to be successful. I've done both as well.....