Duck Hunting vs Deer Hunting: Head to Head Comparison

Hard-core deer hunters and hard-core duck hunters love their style of hunting. But when hunting season comes around, what is better? Duck hunting or deer hunting? We can’t decide on just one, but we put duck hunting and deer hunting head to head in this comparison to let you decide.

Duck Hunting Pros and Cons

Pros

You don’t have to be completely silent: When you go duck hunting, you don’t have to be completely silent. In fact, you can be quite loud and joke around with your buddies who probably came with you on the hunt.

Lots of action all day long: There is action to be had all day long. Of course, it’s not actually all day long, because the ducks will be gone before noon. Instead of sitting around waiting for what could be hours, you get non-stop action.

No need for scent-killer spray or soap: Scent-killer spray and unscented soap really aren’t needed for ducks, and you also don’t need to worry about which way the wind is blowing your scent.

Wide variety of species: The variety of species of ducks that you can hunt in one day is a lot of fun. You can bring home a duck bag full of a variety of colors and species.

The dog can retrieve the duck: What some duck hunters love most about duck hunting is that they can bring their dog with them to retrieve their ducks. There’s nothing like being out in the marshlands with your dog.

Cons

Must deal with muddy marshlands: A lot of times, you’ll be in your waders in muddy marshlands, and this could be a deterrent for hunters who would much rather hunt for deer.

Must wake up early: To hunt for ducks, waking up extra early is a must. Many who prefer deer hunting don’t like waking up as early as duck hunters. Some hunters aren’t morning people, and duck hunting requires an early start to the day.

Done with hunt by noon: Although your day starts early, your day of duck hunting will also be over before the afternoon, so getting the earliest start on your day is essential hunting your duck before it’s time to come home.

Deer Hunting Pros and Cons

Pros

• For more quiet hunters: For hunters who like the peace and quiet and don’t mind being in complete silence a lot of the time, deer hunting can be an excellent choice over duck hunting.
• No sitting around in mud or water: With deer hunting, you don’t have to sit around in muddy marshlands. A lot of deer hunters have talked about their younger wilder days of duck hunting, whereas after getting a little older, they would much rather hunt for deer any day.
• Stories of the big game: Being on the hunt for big game, stalking the deer, sometimes waiting all day until you get a clear shot, and then following the tracks of blood until you find your hunt. This is what deer hunters live for. A story to tell.
• For single hunters in solitude: For hunters who enjoy a day of solitude, deer hunting is definitely more their style. You can’t find a lot of solitude in duck hunting, and deer hunting will allow you to remain entirely silent the whole day if you wanted.
• More meat for food from deer: Unless you hunt quite a few ducks, you’re going to get a lot more meat from a deer. For those who hunt and kill to eat, deer hunting will give a lot more benefits to how much meat you can get.

Cons

• You must be extremely quiet: Although some hunters who enjoy the solitude don’t mind the quiet nature of deer hunting, many hunters prefer being able to talk with their friends and enjoy their time. For those who can’t keep their mouth shut, deer hunting isn’t their style.
• Species-specific and no variety: Duck hunting allows you to bring home a wide variety of ducks, whereas you are hunting for a single species of deer. However, most hard-core deer hunters swear that each deer they’ve hunted and killed had their own personality and look to them. 
• Must use scent-killer spray and soap: Before you go deer hunting, you must shower while using non-scented soap. Before going out into the forest or field, you are going to need to spray scent-killer all over your clothes. On top of using scent killer, you must also pay attention to what direction the wind is blowing and take that into consideration during your hunt, so your scent isn’t being blown toward the deer.
• Low-action and lots of waiting: Deer hunting is extremely low action that requires a lot of waiting. Unless you are with people that are okay with sitting around waiting without talking louder than a whisper, you’re more than likely going to be on your own.

Duck hunting vs deer hunting? Verdict

Both duck hunting and deer hunting have their pros and cons. Those who enjoy one more than the other enjoy it based on their personality.

Duck hunting offers a chance for a group of friends to wake up early and head out the marshlands to enjoy a long morning full of laughs and stories and shooting ducks while having a great time with their dogs. A hunter enjoys duck hunting because of the ability to be loud and not having as much quiet throughout the day. A hard-core duck hunter is all about camaraderie and telling stories during the hunt.

On the other hand, a hunter who loves deer hunting often loves it not for the stories he or she may tell during the hunt, but for the story they are creating during their hunt. They enjoy solitude and being alone. Even with multiple people, they enjoy the quiet whispers and the waiting game. They like the sound of their heartbeat when the buck or the doe walks out in front of them. Deer hunters are incredibly patient and don’t mind a full day of no action if it means getting that one shot.

While hard-core deer hunters and duck hunters seem to have very different personalities, some hunters love both styles of hunting equally. We’re those people. What kind of hunter are you?

For further info, check our hunting guides for deer and duck.