Eight weeks from duck season? Here is exactly what to do each week to be fully prepared.
8 Weeks Out: Licensing
Confirm your state game licence is current. Complete or renew waterfowl identification endorsement if required. Book any public land permits — these fill quickly.
7 Weeks Out: Gear Audit
Inspect every item. Check waders for pinholes — fill with air and submerge in a bathtub. Inspect decoys, shotgun, and ammunition.
6 Weeks Out: Scouting
Drive roads around your hunting area at dawn and dusk. Note which wetlands hold birds. Patterns of use are consistent even if numbers shift.
5 Weeks Out: Practise
Book a clay target session. Duck shooting involves passing and crossing shots at birds moving faster than expected. Practice translates directly to cleaner kills.
4 Weeks Out: Dog Work
Restart retrieving work — water retrieves, blind retrieves, and steadiness to shot. A dog that needs reminding the week before opening is a problem on the morning.
3 Weeks Out: Decoy Setup
Set your spread in the backyard. Untangle all lines, replace cracked weighted keels, repaint faded decoys. Practice your [decoy setup techniques](https://wildrangelife.com/blog/how-to-set-up-duck-hunting-layout) to ensure efficient deployment on opening morning.
2 Weeks Out: Final Gear Purchase
Any replacement gear should be ordered now. Do not leave it to the last week.
1 Week Out: Final Prep
Confirm locations, access permissions, weather. Load the vehicle the night before — [opening morning strategies](https://wildrangelife.com/blog/duck-season-opener-victorian-wetland) start at 3:30am. Plan your approach route and consider [cooking your harvest](https://wildrangelife.com/blog/duck-confit-recipe-wild-duck) recipes for a proper celebration of the season.
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varying angles — practise these specifically. Spend at least 50 rounds on crossing targets at different heights. Consider booking sessions at different clubs to experience varied trap styles. **Clay Target Techniques for Duck Hunters** Focus on maintaining a smooth swing rather than rushing your shot. Start behind the target, match its speed, then accelerate through. For high crossing shots that mirror typical duck presentations, lead with your whole body rather than just your arms. Many successful duck hunters practise with their actual hunting loads rather than target ammunition — this builds familiarity with your gun's specific pattern and recoil characteristics. **Shotgun Maintenance Window** This week is ideal for a thorough shotgun service. Strip and clean your semi-automatic completely, paying special attention to the gas system if applicable. Check your choke tubes aren't seized — apply anti-seize compound when reassembling. Test your gun's cycling with various loads, as some semi-autos can be finicky with lighter target loads versus hunting ammunition. ## 4 Weeks Out: Physical Conditioning Duck hunting demands more physical preparation than many realise. Early morning wades through thick mud, carrying decoys and gear, then standing motionless in cold water for hours — your body needs conditioning. **Cardio Base Building** Start with 20-30 minute walks carrying a weighted pack. Gradually increase to the weight you'll carry hunting (typically 15-25kg including gun, ammunition, and gear). Focus on uneven terrain that mimics wetland walking. Swimming builds the specific leg and core strength needed for wading against current. **Cold Water Adaptation** If possible, begin taking cold showers to acclimatise your body. Start with 30 seconds of cold water at the end of your regular shower, building to 2-3 minutes. This genuine physiological adaptation improves your comfort and safety in cold hunting conditions. **Flexibility and Balance** Duck shooting often involves awkward positions — crouched in blinds, shooting from unstable platforms, or maintaining balance in mud. Yoga or basic stretching routines improve your shooting stability and reduce injury risk during long days afield. ## 3 Weeks Out: Decoy Strategy and Blind Construction **Decoy Selection and Rigging** Your decoy spread tells a story to approaching ducks. For Australian conditions, a basic spread of 24-36 decoys works well on most waters. Mix species-specific decoys — Pacific Black Duck, Grey Teal, and Hardhead decoys for inland waters, with some Chestnut Teal for coastal areas. Quality decoys like [Avian-X Topflight Mallards](AMAZON_LINK) ($45-65 each) offer superior realism but require significant investment. Budget-conscious hunters achieve excellent results with [Greenhead Gear Over-Size Mallards](AMAZON_LINK) ($25-35 each). The key is ensuring your decoys match local species and appear relaxed — feeding and resting positions rather than alert heads-up poses. **Rigging Systems** Use different anchor weights for varying water depths. For shallow areas under 1.5 metres, 100-gram sinkers on 2-metre cords work well. Deeper water requires 200-300 gram weights on longer lines. Consider [Texas-style rigs](AMAZON_LINK) ($8-12 per set) — the weight slides freely on the line, preventing tangles and allowing decoys to move naturally. Store rigged decoys in mesh bags or decoy sleds. The [Tanglefree Flight Series Bag](AMAZON_LINK) ($89-120) holds 18-24 decoys and includes separate compartments for weights and lines, dramatically reducing setup time. **Blind Building Basics** Effective blinds blend seamlessly with surroundings. Natural materials work best — use local vegetation like reeds, tea-tree branches, or paperbark. Avoid symmetrical shapes or straight lines that scream "artificial" to overhead birds. For permanent blinds on private property, construct frameworks from star pickets or treated pine posts. Cover with shadecloth and weave natural material through. For temporary setups, portable panels made from lightweight aluminium frames and camouflage netting work well. **Layout Blind Considerations** Layout blinds suit open water hunting but require careful positioning. They must face into the wind — ducks almost always land into wind. Position 25-30 metres upwind from your main decoy cluster, with a small landing pocket directly in front of your blind. ## 2 Weeks Out: Final Gear Checks and Load Development **Ammunition Selection and Patterning** Different loads perform vastly di