Because you're probably going to be using goose decoys along with your field-duck decoys, bring a goose call, too. Goose and duck seasons often run concurrently, and both calls act as confidence calls in many cases. If you're hunting with a group, a couple of hunters can be blowing goose calls, while the others make quacks and chuckles to produce the ultimate attraction.

Get Your Gun Right
Don't spare the gun when hunting ducks in the field. Unless you're hunting in the expansive fields in Canada and the birds are still naïve, it's kind of rare to have ducks just plop right into the middle of your spread.

Often, ducks are cautious -- skirting the field edges without really committing. While still in range, they might not be flapping down in your face, and by the time you sit up, shoulder the gun and get on a duck as he catches the wind, he's a little farther away than you expected.

For that reason I use a 12-gauge shotgun breached for 3-inch shells stoked with No. 2, No. 1 or even BB steel shot when I'm hunting fields. If you're using some of the newer non-toxic loads, like Kent's tungsten matrix, No. 3 or No. 2 shot will work fine. If the goose-hunting season is open, there's a good chance you might get a crack at some geese, too, so you'll want the bigger shot.

Gogs -- Duck Hunters' Best Friends
If you have a dog that minds and will stay still when field-hunting, he or she can be a godsend for running down cripples. Otherwise, throw some No. 7 steel shot loads in your pocket for cripples. A wing-tipped mallard can easily outrun a stumbling, bumbling hunter through a maze of cornstalks, and a few light steel loads will make the chase much shorter.

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Even though they're called waterfowl, water isn't the only place to hunt ducks. Give field-hunting a try this fall, and you may never get your feet wet again!