Hunting Waterfowl On A Budget

By: Wyatt Lowder

With waterfowl season in Indiana ending within a few weeks, it’s becoming the time to buckle down and

grind out the rest of the year. However, the end of the season also brings the decision to reevaluate gear

and see what needs to be replaced or sold to someone who might use these items more than you. A wise man

once said, “If you want to be a millionaire and duck hunt, you should start off as a billionaire,” giving a

glimpse of how expensive living the life of a fowl chaser might be.

However, the purpose of writing this article is not to scare someone away from wanting to pursue the

chase of these birds, with the high upfront cost, I’m here to beat the dead horse that is starting out

fowling on a budget.

Facebook marketplace will be your absolute best friend throughout this whole process, so if you don’t

have a Facebook, make sure to create an account, simply for the sole purpose of using marketplace.

Scanning new postings in the marketplace with hot words such as: duck decoys, goose decoys, camo,

duck calls, and different things surrounding these important starting pieces. You won’t need to spend two

hundred plus dollars on your first set of decoys either, that will eventually happen. You can kill ‘em with a set of

,fifty-dollar, dozen of mallards. A very, very important piece I need to add with marketplace is that

scammers are everywhere. If you are interested in a sale, make sure to thoroughly look through the

profile and when the account was created, along with previous posts and time stamps for them. This

increases your financial safety. Shipping with Facebook is a hassle, be open to the idea of driving around

an hour or so to pick up something for a good deal. I know that I’ve personally driven 2 hours one way for

the best deal I’ve found. Don’t be afraid to lowball either. I’ve sold stuff for less than I was asking simply

because I wanted the stuff gone. Most sellers expect to not get their full asking price.

Another amazing and safe option is to check sales on Rogers Sporting Goods, Scheels, and Cabelas/Bass

Pro, these big box companies will run sales around the beginning of hunting seasons to increase their

profits. These deals are usually pretty good and will help you get started in your hunting adventures.

Now a starting-out Waterfowler will only need one big ticket item, waders. I ran Cabelas neoprene

waders for my first two seasons of waterfowling, and they held up to everything I put them through.

They will keep you warm, and they don’t break the bank. With waders, you basically get what you

pay for. You can’t go wrong with Cabelas ones though. Any person who wants to waterfowl and hunt other

game can use the same camo they already have. It doesn’t matter if you can stay still when birds are

working and have used the elements around you to hide.

I hope this gives some insight into budget hunting, and don’t worry, once you catch the bug you will be

spending more money. Be ready for it, because it goes by quick!