Duck carriers are an important piece of gear if you are going to get the most out of your next duck hunting outing. While it’s not a piece of gear you’re likely to forget, there are some major differences between a good reliable carrier and one that is cheaply mass produced.
There really isn’t a huge difference in price between the best duck carriers and those that don’t hold up to the roughest of duck hunts.
There are several really top notch options when looking for the best duck carriers that hunters can find on the market. DynoGoods create the best overall duck carriers from paracord while Tourbon has the best leather duck carriers. Game totes for fowl are also worth looking at if you’re not comfortable with conventional duck carriers.
So why settle for mediocrity when for just a couple bucks more you can enjoy one of the best duck carriers out there? That just brings up one simple question: what is the best duck carrier out there?
Want to know more? Read on to see our picks for the best six carriers for duck hunters on the market right now. If you want the best of the best before your next hunt, you are going to find them right here!
Table of Contents
Best Duck Carriers Comparison Chart
While most designs are relatively similar, that doesn’t mean there are no differences between good duck carriers and cheap ones.
| Duck Carrier | Brief Description | Avg Score | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 DynoGoods Slip Ring Duck Carrier | One of the biggest names in duck hunting offer one of the premium picks in duck carriers. | 9.8 | $$ |
 ALPS OutdoorZ Slip Ring Game Tote | Full game tote from the trusted ALPS brand great for water fowl. | 9.8 | $$ |
 DynoGoods Game Carrier Slip Knot Duck Carrier | The slip knot version of DynoGoods’s duck carrier. | 9.7 | $$ |
 Tourbon Leather Hunting Duck Strap Carrier | Made with a classic leather design, Tourbon offers the best leather duck strap carrier out there. | 9.5 | $$$ |
 PSKOOK Duck Call Paracord Lanyard | An unusual versatile design, this is our pick for the top paracord duck carrier – designed to carry duck calls as well. | 8.2 | $ |
 ACKEIVTO Game/Duck Carrier | A very well made budget option (slip-knot style) for duck hunters. | 8.0 | $ |
Top Choice: DynoGoods Slip Ring Duck Carrier
DynoGoods is a name that is going to pop up quite a bit when it comes to finding the best duck carriers out there. In fact, two of our top three picks come from DynoGoods. This makes sense considering their focus on outdoorsmen in general and with hunters in particular.
The slip ring carrier is made from paracord with a simple, reliable, and classic design that has proven itself over the test of time. This carrier is good for most waterfowl so not even just ducks but also goose or other birds, as well. The DynoGoods slip ring duck carrier can hold up to a dozen ducks at a time, with six on each side.
The paracord is connected with a classic metal slip ring design. The metal is specially treated to resist rust and corrosion. Considering where the best duck hunting spots are, this is especially important!
These are great for carrying the ducks you manage to hunt, or display for those excellent pictures. This item is extremely light at a mere 4 ounces and made from high quality paracord that allows it to stand the test of time.
Pros:
- Only uses the best materials available
- Classic proven design
- Resistant to freshwater AND saltwater
Cons:
- At an average price of $15 they are a touch on the “expensive” side, but at $15 that really doesn’t matter
Check for up to date pricing on Amazon
ALPS OutdoorZ Slip Ring Game Tote
If you’re into all types of outdoors then the ALPS OutdoorZ probably looks really familiar. It certainly does to me from a lot of time spent in winter camping situations. ALPS OutdoorZ is one of four brands under the ALPS name, and the same quality that this company is renowned for with tents and cold weather gear applies to their hunting gear as well.
The ALPS OutdoorZ slip ring game tote manages to bring something a little bit different to the table and hunters have generally responded with love. The materials are top notch. Designed with treated stainless steel that is resistant to rust and wear.
Add that in with reinforced webbing from strong synthetic fibers. This is a duck carrier that is designed to carry really heavy loads, keep your hands free when you need them, and even with reduced slipping.
This is a touch heavier at 8.3 ounces but there is extra material compared to classic designs so that makes sense.
Pros:
- Exceptional design giving extra functionality to the classic duck carrier
- Made from top notch materials
- The “no arms” under arm carry setup is a really nice innovation
- Made in America (same company that makes the famous ALPS Mountaineering premium tents)
Cons:
- This will be a touch heavier than your average game tote
- If you have shorter arms the design might not work quite as well as it does for tall hunters or hunters of average height
Check for up to date pricing on Amazon
DynoGoods Game Carrier Slip Knot Duck Carrier
This is the other popular duck carrier from DynoGoods. Featuring quality slipknots, this is very similar to the other top rated design however it has a degree of additional versatility.
Used for ducks, geese, or other water fowl, this game carrier involves a strap you hold or can wrap around the back of the neck. This allows the balancing of a half dozen to each size.
The ability to carry a conventional 12 ducks, geese, or combination of both, these high quality carriers help you make the most of every outing. You hit the full dozen limit of water fowl and you won’t have any problem carrying along back to civilization.
Many hunters prefer the other one from DynoGoods saying that it’s just a little bit more adaptable, especially if you end up running into slightly larger than average game.
Since you always want the fat bird for the table (or camp fire if you’re camp cooking with Dutch Ovens), this can be a definite con in some cases.
Pros:
- Proven as a good option for grouse or squirrels, as well
- Very lightweight at a mere 1.6 ounces
- From a proven brand that hunters trust
Cons:
- Doesn’t have a clip, which would have made it more versatile than the simple noose
- Some complaints that the nooses are a bit tighter than they need to be
Check for up to date pricing on Amazon
Tourbon Leather Hunting Duck Strap Carrier
Here is an entry that the really old school duck hunters will absolutely love. This is the highest entry that uses the old fashioned leather for a game carrier as opposed to modern paracord.
In fact, it’s the only leather duck strap that makes our list of the top options available among the best duck carriers.
Tourbon duck carriers are made from 100% leather. The real thing, nothing fake here. This has the one main ring set up from which twelve ringed straps are connected. This gives the full capacity of 12 ducks, or decoys, or your combination of both for a successful day.
The clip setup is set up to make it easy to clip this to your belt, a backpack, or whatever else you need to attach it to while hunting. Or moving to and from the daily sites.
The length is 12 inches total and the weight is a little more since it’s leather and metal versus paracord but it’s still very reasonable at a mere 5.3 ounces.
Pros:
- The leather looks really good and is treated to hold up in rough weather
- Can be clipped on belt or gear for hands free use
- Top notch construction from quality factory – no cheap overseas labor
Cons:
- The six and six split on each side isn’t easily available with this old design
- Some people prefer the versatility of paracord over leather
- Without the stretch of paracord some hunters find these too short
Check for up to date pricing on Amazon
PSKOOK Duck Call Paracord Lanyard
This one is a bit interesting because it is more of a multi-use tool for duck hunters as opposed to acting 100% purely as a duck carrier. This paracord lanyard sticks out from the pack in many ways. First of all, the use of multiple bright colors of paracord make it really stick out.
This can work for duck, goose, pheasant, or other waterfowl. Braided by hand, these parcord lanyards are designed to carry calls, whistles, and although it starts out as wearing as a necklace it can be adjusted for carrying hunted fowl, as well.
All told 60 feet of strong paracord are used with this duck call necklace.
While not necessarily right for everyone, this can be a good duck carrier or an additional duck hunting accessory that adds a little bit more to the table. Pick one in the color you want and use it with your other duck hunting gear to meet all of your needs.
Pros:
- Bright colors make it easy to spot if you fall or trip
- Designed for fowl and multiple bird calls
- Inexpensive
Cons:
- Carries less fowl than the other duck carriers on this list
- Not the most efficient design for carrying of water fowl
- Versatile but not necessarily fantastic at meeting any one duck hunter’s needs
Check for up to date pricing on Amazon
ACKEIVTO Game/Duck Carrier
One of the more popular options that you will find on Amazon, the ACKEIVTO game carrier (but especially designed for ducks, pheasants, geese, and other large water fowl) is a solid choice with good construction.
Based on a braided paracord design, this is a very solid option that doesn’t do anything wrong but it also doesn’t do anything to be the best.
In other words it is a good but not great duck carrier, with the biggest criticism being a lack of a clip. While there is a loop at the top that allows for a thin carabiner to be fit in, this isn’t an optimal solution.
Pros:
- One of the most inexpensive options on the list
- Simple design that is easy to use
- Strong paracord
Cons:
- Design is short for clipping
- Too small for many hunters
- A lot of little things not done optimally leads to a good duck carrier, but not a great one
Check for up to date pricing on Amazon
What to Look for When Buying a Duck Carrier
There are several traits that the best duck carriers all have in common. One is the use of high quality materials. There’s good leather and there’s mediocre leather. There’s basic paracord (which is still more than enough in this case) and high tension parcord.
You have normal metal and treated metal that avoids corrosion and rusting. Those details might each seem small individually but when you put them all together they make for a big difference.
You should make sure that there’s enough strength to carry up to a dozen ducks at a pop in addition to having the flexibility to carry water fowl of different sizes.
That combination of quality materials, strength, and versatility makes the difference when figuring out the best available duck carriers for hunters.
What to Watch Out for When Buying a Duck Carrier
Many of these pieces of duck hunting gear can look alike. Like almost identical if you haven’t been duck hunting before. And that is very clearly a problem. Beware of anything that appears to be dropshipped or that doesn’t have a solid clip option.
That’s how you can often see the difference between one designed by duck hunters as opposed to those that are not.
You should look for high quality materials, a common sense design, and a setup that allows for the easy carrying of water fowl or clipping the duck carrier to a backpack, bag, or belt.
Leather Duck Carrier Vs. Paracord Duck Carrier
The old school designs generally used treated leather to construct reliable duck carriers that could last the test of time. However, many modern duck carriers use paracord instead. So which is better? Is there a major debate about this topic?
While this can seem like something that would be an issue, the truth is that it is pretty much solved. While some duck hunters love the old school look and feel of a leather duck carrier, paracord has won the day for good reason.
Paracord (also known as parachute cord) is more flexible, more versatile, and in the unlikely situation of an emergency the paracord can be unwrapped and used in emergency situations. There’s a reason paracord is on every list of must have survival gear, after all.
There’s nothing wrong with a true old school leather duck carrier. We have a great one on this list that works admirably and should last for many, many years. But paracord is the clear winner. Strong, reliable, and versatile with just a touch of flexibility, paracord duck carriers are the best out there.
Can I Make a Homemade Duck Carrier?
This is possible. In fact we are currently putting together an in-depth and detailed article all about how to create a high quality duck carrier that you can make from a simple work bench at home. Assuming you have the right materials to get started with, of course.
While you can definitely go with classic leather working, that is going to be more difficult and require a higher level of skill and experience than going with classic paracord.
When the step by step guide is created you’ll be able to buy it HERE but until then, keep in mind that paracord is the way to go if you design your own. Or you could save yourself hours of frustration and stress about reliability by buying one of the top models on this list.
Even the most “expensive” one is within virtually any duck hunter’s budget.
In Conclusion
As you can see, there are plenty of options when it comes to finding a quality duck or wild fowl carrier. When it comes to finding the absolute best duck carrier you will want to spend time with this list.
These are the best options on the market and will help make sure that every hunting trip comes back a smashing success.
Duck carriers are a vital piece of equipment. Not only does it work well for what it needs to do, but it makes it look great for pictures.
Your faithful bird dog is going to have a heavy wagging tail when he/she can look over and see that impressive group of birds from a good day out duck hunting.
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