Your Montana Waterfowl Adventure Starts Here
What to Expect on Your Bighorn River Duck Hunting Trip
Let us help you prepare for your Bighorn River trip
Gear Up for Success
River Rock Outfitters has spent nearly 30 years helping hunters experience some of the finest waterfowl hunting in Montana. As your trusted Bighorn River duck hunting guide, we handle the scouting, setup, and daily planning so you can focus on enjoying the hunt and making memories in the blind.
A successful waterfowl hunt starts with preparation. This Bighorn River duck hunting guide covers the essential gear, clothing, travel information, and expectations for your trip. Our guides provide the decoys, blinds, boats, retrievers, and local knowledge needed to maximize your time in the field.
Duck Hunting
What To Expect From Your Bighorn River Duck Hunting Guide
Clothing
- Waders: Mandatory, breathable with boots attached, one size larger than normal shoe size.
- Warm Winter Parka: Recommended brands: Sitka Hudson, Boreal, or similar.
- Warm Winter Hat & Gloves: Oversized mittens and thin liner gloves preferred.
- Heat Packets: Bring 2-4 per day. Toe warmers are also helpful.
- Layered Clothing: Loose-fitting layers are best due to varying temperatures.
Equipment
- Provided by River Rock Outfitters: Decoys, blinds, and equipment
General Trip Details
- Hunt Departure: Duck hunting is done early in the morning, and we often leave before sunrise.
- Hunt Times: Daily hunts end by 2 PM to allow birds to comfortably roost undisturbed in the afternoon.
- Hunts Per Day: One hunt per day. No afternoon hunting options.
Recommended Gear For Bighorn River Duck Hunting
Guns, Ammo, & Gear
- Shotgun: 12 gauge preferred, but 20 or 28 gauge acceptable.
- Shotgun Rental Available: Franchi Affinity 3" 12 gauge
- Ammunition: 3" #2 steel shot recommended, but other options allowed.
- Shotgun Type: Autoloaders are most common, but double guns or over-unders welcome. 3 ½" guns are unnecessary.
- Chokes: IC and M chokes preferred. Long-range chokes not required. I personally shoot IC.
- Spent Hulls: We will pick up every single spent hull every day!
- Eye & Ear Protection: Essential. Foam plugs are NOT recommended as they can be dangerous in live hunting scenarios. Please only bring ear protection that allows you to hear clearly.
General Information
As your Bighorn River duck hunting guide, we work hard to make every trip as smooth and enjoyable as possible. Please review the following information before arriving at the lodge.
- Licensing: Purchase licenses through Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks by visiting their website.
- Gratuities: Not expected but appreciated. Suggested amount is $100 per gun/rod/day. Your guides provide all essential gear, flies, tackle, dogs, fuel, lunch, drinks and EVERYTHING related to your day out of their own personal inventory.
- Billing: 50% deposit is required to reserve your dates. Until the deposit is received, those dates are available to anyone. We prefer to have 1 person take care of the entire bill. Managing 6-8 different portions can be cumbersome in the middle of a busy season. We offer discounts to group leaders for their efforts putting a group together and managing the billing process.
- Airport: Logan International Airport in Billings, MT (BIL) is one hour away. Hardin has a smaller airport for private planes or smaller jets. Logan International Airport, in Billings, has a runway to accommodate larger jets.
- Transportation: Drive or rent a car.
- Game Processing: We will help you clean birds everyday and try to send you with frozen or whole birds when you leave. We do not “have a place” for the birds you harvest. We believe if you harvest a wild animal, you have an obligation to utilize that wild game - it’s the right thing to do!
- Dogs: Only well-trained dogs are welcome. Generally, we expect Master level dogs, which means hand signals and remote sit at a minimum. They will be expected to be quiet and polite in the blind, get along with other dogs and honor the retrieves of your guide's dog. We hunt for our dogs just like you!
