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Most waterfowlers talking about duck hunting mention boats, flooded timber, reed-choked marshes, waders and floating decoys. That's because duck hunting is generally considered a water sport. But in agricultural areas, hunting farm fields is a productive way to put a few ducks in the bag.

Scouting
Start by locating water that holds ducks. Ducks move on the winds of the fall migration, and you want to be ready when they're around. Look for puddle ducks -- mallards, pintails, woodies, black ducks, etc. Once you've found your ducks, establish which direction the birds approach their roost from, and which direction they leave it each day. If their direction of approach and departure is the same, concentrate your search for fields in that area.

Decoys
The bulk of my field duck decoy spread consists of geese. Live geese draw ducks to farm fields like magnets, and goose decoys mimic that attraction. I have about two dozen silhouette, mallard decoys that I use on field duck hunts, but I typically pitch about 100 Canada goose decoys. If I'm hunting an area with a lot of snow geese, I'll also put out a few dozen fake snows.

Place the duck decoys near a hole in the spread where you want the real ones to land. Ducks in the air will head toward ducks on the ground in the midst of a flock of Canadas or snows.

Place the duck decoys near a hole in the spread where you want the real ones to land. Ducks in the air will head toward ducks on the ground in the midst of a flock of Canadas or snows.

Also, motion adds life to an otherwise lifeless decoy spread. And to ducks that have escaped countless motionless decoy spreads, a little movement can be just the trick to fool them one more time.

Use commercial motion decoys where legal or provide the motion yourself. Flagging is the practice of waving a cloth on a stick over your head while lying among your decoys. The premise is, passing ducks will think the flag is the flapping wing of a bird on the ground. Flags are a snap to make. Just take a 14-inch square piece of gray cloth and staple it to a 2-foot-long dowel. Wave the flag in a figure-eight pattern over your head.

The Setup
When you're setting up, keep the letters "U," "J," and "O" in mind. These are some general shapes for your decoy spread that you can use to direct the ducks to land where you want them. I use a U-shaped setup early in the season before the ducks have seen too many hunters. In this setup, I place my decoys in the shape of a "U," with the closed end upwind.

Since ducks land into the wind, the idea is they will enter the spread between the two posts of the "U." The hunters are hidden among the decoys in the closed end of the spread, facing directly downwind. Once the season wears on and the ducks have survived a few encounters with hunters, they become less likely to land in the middle of the U-shaped spread. This is when it's best to use the J-shaped spread.

Set up the J-shaped spread with the hook upwind. Again, this is where the hunters should hide. With this spread, the ducks follow the leg in and land in front of the hook.

Use the O-shaped spread when there's no wind and the ducks can approach from any direction. Quite simply, arrange your decoys in a circle, leaving a hole in the middle for the ducks to land. Hunters can hide anywhere in the spread -- just make sure you're not positioned to shoot at one another.

The author says in agricultural areas, hunting farm fields is a productive way to put a few ducks in the bag.

An inexpensive way to hide among your decoys is to cover yourself with a camouflage blanket while you're lying on the ground. If you're looking for more comfort, try a low-profile, or "coffin," blind. These one-person, camouflaged blinds allow you to lie in a field, but protect you from the elements. Coffin blinds typically have spring-loaded doors that fly open when you sit up to shoot.

Equipment
For hunting ducks in a field, I use a 12-gauge shotgun, fitted with an improved cylinder or modified choke. If everything goes right, your shots shouldn't be more than 20 or 25 yards. I shoot 3-inch, steel shotshells primarily in sizes 1 and 2.

Calls are a necessity whether you're in a field or on the water. But in the field, the best call you can carry with you is a goose call, assuming the bulk of your decoy spread consists of goose decoys.

Tuck a Thermos filled with coffee, some sandwiches and other treats into your daypack, and you're ready to go field hunting for ducks. It's a unique experience that's as exciting as it is rewarding. Give it a try this year. You might never go back to the water again.