No matter where in America you live, there exists some sort of “big water”. Of course, “big” is a relative term, but for the sake of argument here in we define it as a large lake, substantial sized river and of course an ocean. Most of us live within a few hours drive of one such waterway, making it easy to translate these tips for our own use. In hopes of learning some of the basic skills, equipment and hunting tactics for these environments, we contacted three experts who have gleaned much through years of experience in their chosen waters.

Barnie Calef, hunts large rivers dozens of times throughout the waterfowl season and has filmed several videos while doing so. David Baker, of Michigan, can usually be found chasing ducks on the Great Lakes. Here divers are the norm, as are rugged, wet conditions that put even veteran hunters to the test. Maryland’s Jeff Coats hunts the east coast, predominately the historic waters of Chesapeake Bay. Sea Ducks are his main stay, but common flyway ducks, geese and Brant are often found in his daily bag. Each of these pros has offered up some unique tricks garnered over the past decades in their specific regions.

Quite possibly, you have seen him in the Hunter’s Specialties popular waterfowl hunting DVD series, Take ‘em. Barnie Calef is a three time World Duck Calling Champion from Iowa. A self proclaimed river rat, Barnie can more often than not be found hunting, towing or re-stocking his twenty foot duck hunting boat somewhere in the Central Flyway. “Where I live in Iowa, there just aren’t a lot of duck hunting opportunities,” admits Calef. Thus, he learned early on that if he wanted to collect limits of ducks he would need to travel. Fortunately, Iowa is bordered by two major rivers, on the west the Missouri and on the east the mighty Mississippi.

Its seems Barnie spends more time on the Missouri, but the tactics he describes will work equally well on the Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio or most any other big river system. First and foremost is always safety. Barnie always keeps that in mind. Winter time finds few folks out on the river and any rescue efforts might not be in time. Keep in mind that boat ramps may be few and far between, water temperatures close to freezing and the lack of boats make winter boat hunting a somewhat risky venture. For these reasons, Calef takes into account many things.

He runs a pretty good sized boat, twenty feet in length, powered by a ninety horsepower outboard. Inside, Calef has several propane fueled heaters to help ward off the cold and the entire boat is wrapped in an enclosed blind, which also shields hunters from most elements. One bonus of the bigger boat (besides stability) is its capacity to carry lots of gear. Additionally, Barnie always has a dry bag packed with extra clothing, socks and a towel. “We have kids, women and big guys hunt with us, so I keep extra large stuff like sweats that will fit the majority of people in case someone gets wet,” explains Calef. Still, getting wet in the late season normally spells the end of the hunt even with dry clothes and heaters available. “I got wet one time and tried to stick it out, but nearly froze to death one time,” surmised Calef. Do the smart thing; if someone gets wet, head in!

Big rivers have a lot of potential just about anytime of the season. They reach their prime though when conditions get extreme causing the ponds, marshes and streams in the area to freeze up. Bigger rivers have enough current that they freeze over only in the worst conditions. Thus, they harbor ducks and geese when nothing else does! Actually, these waterways can concentrate the birds with the lack of open water, so hunting can be excellent.

Still, not every mile of river will hold birds. Scouting is the key in big river hunting as it is in most situations. Barnie advises hunters to just get out and motor (either by boat or vehicle) and follow birds up and down the river basin. Find where they roost or at least where they travel to and from. Calef will often set up UNDER their flight patterns when they are going out to feed in hopes of catching them on their return to the roost.

The H.S. pro likes to find shallow water around sand bars to set up his spread and place his boat blind. Typically, he is employing big spreads of decoys (70-80 duck decoys and additional goose decoys) both for visibility and also for confidence, as well as to simulate a roosting spot. When needed, he will break ice to open up a hole in the backwater area and these “man made holes” can really be dynamite places to hunt.

“This ain’t finesse hunting,” quips Calef. “I do a lot of Main Street type calling,” admits the prior World Champ. By this, he means the super loud, boisterous hail calls often heard at duck calling contests. “We developed a perfect call, The Neckbreaker, just for this purpose,” claimed Barnie. Callers have to be able to blow their call loud enough to reach those migratory birds that are way up there in space! Thus, the name of the Calef call, which according to Barnie, came from “ducks that would break their necks trying to get into the spread when we blew that call!”

Callers shouldn’t be afraid to call to distant ducks, since Barnie says under these conditions it’s often possible to bring them into range with a bit of work. He kept empathizing how important it was to wail on distant ducks to get their attention. Once they turn and began head into the spread, Calef simply gives them just enough to keep them interested. “It can get crazy,” laughed Calef. “Once those ducks start in lots of times they come full bore and you can hardly get your gun up fast enough!”

In his experience, it’s not necessary to be up at the crack of dawn or earlier for this type of hunting. Most of the time the best success can be had from mid to late morning until early afternoon. Again, this helps allow hunters to travel up and down the river during hours of daylight, which helps prevent running aground or striking a snag in the dark. I doubt many hunters will argue the need to get out early, when they can sleep in!

With a little work and a dependable, stable boat, most experienced duck hunter can duplicate these tricks on the river(s)near them. Keep safety foremost in your mind and be sure to check local regulations when hunting rivers that border two or more states, since there may be issues with licenses and bag limits that need to be considered. To see Barnie in action, simply pick up a copy of Hunter’s Specialties Take ‘em and witness some of the destruction for yourself!

Quite a ways upstream from Barnie, we find David Baker hitting the really big water of the Great Lakes region. Traditionally, from late October until the end of January or as conditions permit, David can be found braving the cold, open water near his Michigan home. Whether it is Saginaw Bay, Lake Sinclair, Lake Erie or the St. Mary’s River, Baker will head out to whatever water offers the best opportunity for diver ducks. Take your pick; Bluebills, Canvasbacks, Redheads, Buffleheads or Golden Eyes, nearly every diver duck can be found in this vicinity and David has hunted them all.

Open water is where these ducks are found. Scouting is essential and finding the ducks or at least their travel corridors is the first step in success. David Baker starts by finding where they roost or feed. When possible, he’ll set his spread in the last place he witnessed the ducks feed at. Should that not work out, then he tries to intercept them somewhere between the roost and feeding spot. Usually, the returning birds fly in groups of three to five, although singles are quite common. Occasionally, there will be big flocks of up to one hundred ducks working through the spread, which can make for some memorable hunts admits Baker!

Just like anywhere, food sources are critical to finding ducks. Baker spends a good deal of time watching the ducks trade back and forth from roost areas to feeding grounds. Divers are vegetarians and require some sort of weed or grass. Aquatic celery flats are prime locations to find quality ducks, like Canvasbacks or other divers. Normally, they feed in depths of thirty feet or less, so its not like hunters need to search or hunt incredibly deep waters. David says most of his hunts take place in water ranging from five to twenty feet deep, even though the area may be well off shore!

For some reason, if the hunter can’t locate the feeding grounds, pay close attention to the flight paths. Baker will also set his spread in these “highways” to intercept ducks going to get “groceries”. Once again, it’s important to always have an eye out for approaching ducks. Any bird skimming the water surface can suddenly drop right into the decoy spread without hunters even noticing. Stay low in the boat and continue to scan the horizon for any flyers!

This is no place for the weary… Temperatures can drop to the single digits, while wind chill will often be in the sub zero realms. High quality equipment is essential in this environment. Baker relies on his gear, items like a Drake fleece lined pullover, which helps to shield the persistent moisture that comes from waves or rain, thus allowing Dave to remain warm and dry and able to continue hunting even in the most extreme conditions.

Probably, one of the biggest differences between diver hunting in open water is that the birds fly so low to the water. “Visibility,” admits Baker “is the key to diver hunting.” Simply put, the decoys must be visible to ducks from as far a distance as possible. “These ducks fly about five to ten feet above the water,” explained Baker. “They can’t see decoys very well and you can hardly see them at a distance either!” Thus David uses a flag to help draw attention to his decoy spread and get ducks to close enough to finish within range.

Other necessary gear is a boat load of decoys! Typical, open water hunts in this area require a huge number of decoys; a minimum of sixty and upwards of one hundred to provide consistent action. These decoys are rigged in long line fashion, that is a main line with a dozen of short drop lines attached to that main line. The decoys are then hooked to the short drop lines allowing one long line to sustain a dozen or more decoys. Each main line is then anchored on the end(s) much like a trot line. The principle saves time and permits the use of a large number of decoys without individual anchors on each deke. David mentioned, that he uses decoys of various species in his spread, but that when chasing Buffleheads or Golden Eyes utilizing a separate decoy spread containing those specific decoys makes a huge difference. “For some reason, they just finish better in a spread of their own decoys,” he advised.

Of course, since the hunting is done in or near open water, some sort of watercraft is necessary to transport and/or hide the hunters. Just about every type of boat can be used, but caution is the key in these waters. Big open water can get rough quickly and help may not be close by if and when it’s needed. Good judgment is essential when hunting here and knowing when to call it a day can make the difference between a short hunt and a bad day.

David mentioned, that layout boats remain a common ploy in the Great Lakes region. These small low profile boats are quite deadly, since they allow the hunter to remain at or below the water’s surface in an environment where there is little or no cover. Layouts are normally taken out and anchored in place to make them more stable for hunting. When anchored, these small crafts pitch and buck in the chop yet remain easily hidden behind the waves. While this makes them effectively inconspicuous, it can make for an uncomfortable day if the hunter isn’t adequately prepared. Baker admits, he normally wears waders and waterproof Drake clothing, since the wave action will force spray into the cockpit of the layout. Hunters sit or lay very low and even on a short, quick hunt, it’s easy to get soaked if not properly equipped for the conditions.

Hunters using layout boats in this region also commonly depend on a “mother” or “tender” boat to transport the hunters, layout boats, massive decoy spread and other equipment off shore safely. It can be a good distance from the launch point and having the larger craft to travel to and from the hunting location makes great sense, plus it’s a great way to stay dry.

Calls are not essential in open water diver hunting. According to Baker, there is little need for calling, since having the big decoy spread in the right place is all that’s required. Another interesting tip from this veteran is that it’s best to leave the Lab at home. “Unless the dog is very steady, it’s tough to shoot and be safe in a layout boat and there is too big a risk of the dog getting tangled or caught up and drowning in the decoy lines,” advised David. Most of the retrieving is done via the pickup or tender boat.

“These ducks are not hard to hit, but they are hard to kill,” said Baker with a laugh. Most shots are relatively close with the ducks near the water surface. Factor in the boat bouncing up and down and even a normally consistent shooter can be off his or her game. David advises the hunter to move up a shot size and uses either number 2 or BB shot shells to help prevent cripples. Wounded divers immediately seek refuge in the depths of the lake and often are never seen again, thus it’s critical to go with the bigger pellets for more penetration.

Michigan is one of the unique states in that certain areas allow for private ownership into the water. Baker explained that there are a lot of century old duck clubs in the Great Lakes region that legally have ownership that extends out into the water for some distance. It’s critical to study maps when hunting areas around Saginaw Bay, in order to prevent conflicts. Additionally, on the Canadian side of the lakes hunters cannot legally be more that five hundred meters out from shore. This rule is so that the ducks have some sort of refuge. Tradition carries a lot of weight in this area, so it’s always smart to consult the local regulations when hunting new water.

Of course, one of the most revered big water locations to hunt waterfowl in North America would have to be Chesapeake Bay. Maryland’s Jeff Coats, operates Pit Boss Waterfowl on the shores of the Chesapeake chasing duck, geese and sea ducks in its waters. Not only does Jeff guide waterfowl hunters, he is also a renowned photographer and decoy carver! In fact, he carves some of his own blocks and created some of the prototypes for new Green Head Gear decoys.

Whether he is out hunting, training dogs, scouting or snapping photos of wildlife in the area, Coats lives and breathes duck hunting. Just check out one of his Pit Boss videos and it’s easy to see that he goes the extra mile and pays close attention to detail.

Coats spends most of his time hunting sea ducks due to the substantially longer season. Normally, the sea duck regulations allow for a one hundred and seven day season, which allows guides like Coats more days on the water and more profit. The kicker is that to legally hunt sea ducks, hunters must be a minimum of eight hundred yards from shore. Of course, that isn’t difficult in this environment, but again this is big water hunting and things can get hairy.

“Good judgment is a key,” cautioned Jeff. “Lots of times I will drive the truck an extra half hour or more to a ramp closer to the hunting area, just so we don’t have to run the boat through rough water,” he explained. Coats tries to prepare for the worst. He operates a big rig, a twenty one foot Banks boat powered by a one hundred forty horse outboard. “The big boat sure makes things comfortable,” quipped the Captain. Regardless of the vessel, Coats like the other pros stressed that the boat hunters utilize be reliable and safe enough for conditions. Other important gear always aboard Jeff’s boat is a cell phone and a VHF radio. Gear aside, another important thing to consider when hunting these waters is the tide. Although Jeff claims tides don’t affect the ducks much, it can create hazards when boating to and from areas. Unless hunters are familiar with the waters, its best to keep travels inside the marker buoys.

Sea ducks roost in the ocean and can be found traveling from there to the rivers or bays to feed. Coats uses a two pronged attack to fill his client’s limits. Early on in the season he hunts “traffic” areas. Those stretches where the ducks are seen traveling to and from feed and roost spots. Later, he scouts until he locates rafts of feeding sea ducks and then idles over to run them off. Here, he will quickly set up his spread of seventy five to one hundred decoys and try to catch the ducks as they trickle back in.

Like Baker, Coats uses a big “gang rig” to anchor his fleet of decoys. He sets the blocks so that the farthest shot is no more than twenty yards out. As stated earlier, Coats stresses realism and no where is that more apparent than in his decoys. He uses carved wood and cork decoys for the optimum way they ride the water like real ducks. What’s more, Coats actually goes through the trouble to paint the decoys with all the details of real feathers and color schemes. “Sure you can kill ducks with plain black decoys,” explained Jeff, “but it just adds so much more to the client’s hunt and does help ducks finish better later in the season.” He often carves his own decoys, but will buy them if the paint and quality is up to his par.

“For some reason, this type of shooting is tough on hunters,” he added. ”Whether it’s the fact that they come in fast and low or the movement of the boat, we get a lot of misses,” laughed Jeff. Apparently, it’s quite common to shoot behind the duck and Jeff often has to coach the hunters to really swing through on the birds. Changing to a fast load that has a higher pellet count can really make all the difference in this hunting situation. The Pit Boss personally uses non toxic shells in #4 to 6 shot sizes.

Over the years, Pit Boss has noticed that his most consistent hunting has been mid morning. The eight to eleven o’clock hours seem to have more ducks moving than most of the rest of the day. Like most duck hunters and our other two pros, Jeff prefers windy conditions. “Sunny, cloudless days with a ten to twenty knot wind would be my choice conditions,” he pointed out. Sun makes the decoys more visible in the constant rolling chop and also gives them movement, which is critical. Conversely, Coats states that the traditional “duck weather”, i.e. rainy conditions play havoc on sea ducks. Apparently, they just don’t fly well in rain and if those conditions persist, he’ll often call it a day.

Like Barnie and Dave, Jeff also has a fondness for flagging. It’s been his experience that frequent flagging helps draw the attention of those low flying ducks that may have difficulty seeing the decoys. Flagging just helps set the stage for incoming birds and is just another of the little tricks that help fill out limits. Like Baker, Coats doesn’t do much, if any calling. Apparently, the sea ducks like divers are not a vocal bird, so calling isn’t needed.

Lastly, when you hunt with Coats, it helps if you are a dog lover. On these hunts you will get to see Labradors in their element. Jeff feels like it adds so much class to the hunt by having a well trained retriever chase down ducks. His clients often get their money’s worth just watching one of his experienced Labs brave cold temps, swim through rough chop and return with a mouthful of brightly colored Scoter, Old Squaw or maybe even a Canvasback that they shot.

Hey, big water duck hunting isn’t for the timid hearted hunter. Guys that hunt the big rivers, Great Lakes or ocean are built tough. They aren’t afraid to venture out to waters less traveled in hopes of drawing in less pressured ducks. It can take some specialized gear and tactics, but as these three pros can attest, with some effort a determined hunter can reproduce similar results.

Be sure to practice safe boating, carry a cell phone or two way radio and a GPS can also be quite handy, as well. Stay warm and dry by dressing for severe conditions with weatherproof clothing, like what Drake Waterfowl offers. Check local regulations, especially if you might be traveling through or across another state or country’s border. Often, they will have different bag limits and game laws of which you don’t want to run afoul. Good luck!

Barnie Calef calls and the line of Take ‘em videos can be purchased through Hunter’s Specialties website www.Hunterspec.com

David Baker also offers chartered fishing trips and can be reached at hotticket@chartermi.net

Jeff Coats offers guided hunts, as well as videos via his website www.Pitbosswaterfowl.com

For premium wet weather clothing, check out www.Drakewaterfowl.com