Waterfowl hunting, tips, pics and general

[Bob Rankin]

I’ll start with my story. I picked up hunting waterfowl at the ripe age of 45 and this is my second season of hunting solo on public land with no dog. Water is usually knee deep or less.

If I were to give advice to a person wanting to dive into this sport of solo hike in waterfowl hunting,here are a few things i would say.

1
Have someone take you out that has all the gear, to see if it’s something you want to obsess over.
2
If your all in like I was, it’s time to spend a lot of money
3
A dozen good decoys is a great place to start.
4
You will most likely need some good waders, besides the simms G4, I did that last year and you’ll just destroy your good fishing waders. It’s best to have a pair specifically set aside for this.
5
You’ll need a duck call and have to figure out how to use it.
6
Camouflage is huge, those ducks can pick you out from a long ways away! Especially in the late season when they get shot at every time they land. I bring a solo blind with me that I brush up with my surroundings.
7
You will need a way to haul all of your new goodies, whether it be a backpack, dolly or a sled. Might be all three!
8
now that you have gathered all of these glorious goodies you’ll need somewhere to go. The internet’s a great place to look and so is the DFWL.
9
Always tell someone where your going and be safe!

 

[Roper]

I’ve hunted ducks twice, once with a friend that has everything. Another time a guided hunt in the Skagit Valley. I really enjoyed it. Problem is finding public lands around Everett where I live. EWA is better but driving and accommodation is a negative. None of my friends around here are into ducks so even getting a guided group hunt doesn’t work. So I’ll probably stick with grouse hunting…but I’m envious of that pile of mallards.

 

[Bob Rankin]

I’ve hunted ducks twice, once with a friend that has everything. Another time a guided hunt in the Skagit Valley. I really enjoyed it. Problem is finding public lands around Everett where I live. EWA is better but driving and accommodation is a negative. None of my friends around here are into ducks so even getting a guided group hunt doesn’t work. So I’ll probably stick with grouse hunting…but I’m envious of that pile of mallards.

I imagine it is a little easier to find places to go on this side. I met a guy at a refuge over here that drives from the west side three days a week to shoot ducks. He is always in the parking lot before me… And I get up early.

 

[Pink Nighty]

I grew up hunting ducks fanatically, jump shooting on the way to school and increasingly complex spreads as I got older. By about 21 though i felt i had my fill of wild pacific flyway ducks, and have never felt fulfilled by just calling them in and getting them to land. I needed the bang, and I needed the splash. So I gave it up.

I do have some tips to throw into the ring here though, for what they are worth!

1: Go where the ducks are. If hunting public lands, go spend a few afternoons seeing where the ducks are piling into. They will work a food source until it doesnt make caloric sense. They're almost always to be found today where they were yesterday.

2: Sound like ducks. When you're out scouting, listen to the ducks. 1000 birds are usually quieter than a dude with a call, but they're  never totally silent for any length of time. Learn to call softly, the feeder chuckles and various muted hail calls. Less as they approach closer, but silence can blow it too.

3. When setting decoys, give the birds a landing strip into the wind that ends in your blind. Ducks would rather not land over other ducks, and they want to land into any wind if possible. Once you figure out how to direct their landing path, you become a much more consistent shooter. Movement from your decoys is always nice.

One other note.... A 3.5" shell is the spinning reel of duck hunting. The game is to make them come close, deploy their landing gear and hold still in the air while they wait to be shot. 2 3/4" is a gentleman's shell.

 

[Bob Rankin]

I grew up hunting ducks fanatically, jump shooting on the way to school and increasingly complex spreads as I got older. By about 21 though i felt i had my fill of wild pacific flyway ducks, and have never felt fulfilled by just calling them in and getting them to land. I needed the bang, and I needed the splash. So I gave it up.

I do have some tips to throw into the ring here though, for what they are worth!

1: Go where the ducks are. If hunting public lands, go spend a few afternoons seeing where the ducks are piling into. They will work a food source until it doesnt make caloric sense. They're almost always to be found today where they were yesterday.

2: Sound like ducks. When you're out scouting, listen to the ducks. 1000 birds are usually quieter than a dude with a call, but they're  never totally silent for any length of time. Learn to call softly, the feeder chuckles and various muted hail calls. Less as they approach closer, but silence can blow it too.

3. When setting decoys, give the birds a landing strip into the wind that ends in your blind. Ducks would rather not land over other ducks, and they want to land into any wind if possible. Once you figure out how to direct their landing path, you become a much more consistent shooter. Movement from your decoys is always nice.

One other note.... A 3.5" shell is the spinning reel of duck hunting. The game is to make them come close, deploy their landing gear and hold still in the air while they wait to be shot. 2 3/4" is a gentleman's shell.

Very well put. 2 3/4” #4 and #5 bismuth all the way!

 

[TicTokCroc]

I’ve hunted ducks twice, once with a friend that has everything. Another time a guided hunt in the Skagit Valley. I really enjoyed it. Problem is finding public lands around Everett where I live. EWA is better but driving and accommodation is a negative. None of my friends around here are into ducks so even getting a guided group hunt doesn’t work. So I’ll probably stick with grouse hunting…but I’m envious of that pile of mallards.

Kinda the boat I'm in. It's hard to find places in the more populated wet side.

 

[TicTokCroc]

I grew up hunting ducks fanatically, jump shooting on the way to school and increasingly complex spreads as I got older. By about 21 though i felt i had my fill of wild pacific flyway ducks, and have never felt fulfilled by just calling them in and getting them to land. I needed the bang, and I needed the splash. So I gave it up.

I do have some tips to throw into the ring here though, for what they are worth!

1: Go where the ducks are. If hunting public lands, go spend a few afternoons seeing where the ducks are piling into. They will work a food source until it doesnt make caloric sense. They're almost always to be found today where they were yesterday.

2: Sound like ducks. When you're out scouting, listen to the ducks. 1000 birds are usually quieter than a dude with a call, but they're  never totally silent for any length of time. Learn to call softly, the feeder chuckles and various muted hail calls. Less as they approach closer, but silence can blow it too.

3. When setting decoys, give the birds a landing strip into the wind that ends in your blind. Ducks would rather not land over other ducks, and they want to land into any wind if possible. Once you figure out how to direct their landing path, you become a much more consistent shooter. Movement from your decoys is always nice.

One other note.... A 3.5" shell is the spinning reel of duck hunting. The game is to make them come close, deploy their landing gear and hold still in the air while they wait to be shot. 2 3/4" is a gentleman's shell.

I hear the phrase "jump shooting" ducks a lot as a way to get started in the sport without a lot invested. Is this simply walking along a river or swamp and scaring them up? If lucky enough to get a hit, how do you retrieve?

 

[Roper]

Very well put. 2 3/4” #4 and #5 bismuth all the way!

Amen brother!

 

[Roper]

I hear the phrase "jump shooting" ducks a lot as a way to get started in the sport without a lot invested. Is this simply walking along a river or swamp and scaring them up? If lucky enough to get a hit, how do you retrieve?

That’s tough, consider where they’ll fall. And choose your shots wisely.

 

[TicTokCroc]

I'm surrounded by some great flooded farmland. Driving the kids to school in the morning we cross over several culverts and flooded fields just full of birds. Makes me want to knock on doors but who knows who all the land belongs to and then there's the 99% rejection rate. I do have a local business to give me a bit of clout, not like some rando coming out from the city.

 

[Pink Nighty]

I hear the phrase "jump shooting" ducks a lot as a way to get started in the sport without a lot invested. Is this simply walking along a river or swamp and scaring them up? If lucky enough to get a hit, how do you retrieve?

I was a country kid, fortunate enough to have a 20 minute drive to school and knew enough farmers on the way to set up a milk run of sorts. Go hit 3 or 4 ponds/ditches and turn the 20 minutes into 45 and a few birds.

Recovery planning and trigger discipline are key components to jump shooting. You often have only one safe shooting lane (away from roads/houses/other non targets) and in that lane only a small window where the bird is in range and will fall in a place where you can recover it. Back then, my most common use for a fly rod was an 8' 6wt with a bare treble hook on it for the times we dropped birds in the middle of the pond.

 

[Bob Rankin]

I hear the phrase "jump shooting" ducks a lot as a way to get started in the sport without a lot invested. Is this simply walking along a river or swamp and scaring them up? If lucky enough to get a hit, how do you retrieve?

To each their own. I’m not a fan of this type of hunting, or pass shooting for that matter. I’m not judging others though. I like to see them cupped up wheels down coming into the decoys!

 

[Scott Salzer]

I learned my duck hunting on the Nisqually Delta back on the early 70’s, I know an old guy. Hit your spot early, enjoy the owls hunting and the sunrise. Learn to call while driving down any road. Set dekes with a place the bird can set in to. Know your birds - golden eye, buffs, any merganser are to be avoided - trust me.

Location is obviously important but we didn’t have that luxury on the delta. Cover, cover, cover - can take many forms. No movement is the key. Be patient, wait for a wing set. Not true with teal but they are a hoot to pass shoot, and will come back after being shot at. (Just don’t hit your hunting partner across the channel - no harm done, fortunately. ) Preferred birds, mallards - duh, pins, wigeon and never pass up a goose.

There are others which have way more experience than me, but the hunting was you great and a wonderful experience with great friends .

Just my two cents, not much detail.

I will agree with Roper - if jump shooting ponds/channels how do plan to recover downed birds ?

Good hunting to. Just learn every day and cherish the timebe out in the field.

 

[TicTokCroc]

To each their own. I’m not a fan of this type of hunting, or pass shooting for that matter. I’m not judging others though. I like to see them cupped up wheels down coming into the decoys!

This wouldn't be my 1st choice for sure, just wondering how it worked.

 

[Bob Rankin]

This wouldn't be my 1st choice for sure, just wondering how it worked.

I totally understand.

 

[Bob Rankin]

Braved some Gaelforce Winds today for a mixed bag. 2 Suzy’s, 1 Pintal, 3 Gadwall and a freakin shoveler I was tired of waiting for something good and they just kept coming, so I figured why not.

 

[Uptonogood]

Late in season, a smaller spread of decoys is excellent. Put movement in the spread using a pull cord to move the water in your spread. Ducks get real “decoy shy” later in the season. Remember, ducks and geese land heading into the wind.

Camo or similar drab clothing is fine but it’s movement, even subtle turning of the head, that flares birds. Face paint reduces “face flash”, too.

invest in calling lessons from an expert. Nothing drives ducks away like bad calling. Later in the season stop calling altogether, the birds are call-shy by then.

Pattern your shotgun at 20, 30, 40, and 50 yards using three different chokes and three different duck loads. It’s time consuming but incredibly enlightening to your gun’s effect. It’s a great way to prep for the season.

Lastly, duck hunting is more dangerous that other forms of bird hunting. The hunt is always in water, sometimes deep. Shotguns are used in close quarters with other shotguns. It’s also cold and wet or snowy for the best shoots. Dress accordingly and let others know where you are.

Good luck.

 

[Bob Rankin]

Late in season, a smaller spread of decoys is excellent. Put movement in the spread using a pull cord to move the water in your spread. Ducks get real “decoy shy” later in the season. Remember, ducks and geese land heading into the wind.

Camo or similar drab clothing is fine but it’s movement, even subtle turning of the head, that flares birds. Face paint reduces “face flash”, too.

invest in calling lessons from an expert. Nothing drives ducks away like bad calling. Later in the season stop calling altogether, the birds are call-shy by then.

Pattern your shotgun at 20, 30, 40, and 50 yards using three different chokes and three different duck loads. It’s time consuming but incredibly enlightening to your gun’s effect. It’s a great way to prep for the season.

Lastly, duck hunting is more dangerous that other forms of bird hunting. The hunt is always in water, sometimes deep. Shotguns are used in close quarters with other shotguns. It’s also cold and wet or snowy for the best shoots. Dress accordingly and let others know where you are.

Good luck.

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I couldnt agree more about calling less in the late season. Yesterday I had a guy a few hundred yards away that never stopped calling and sky busting. I could literally see birds flaring and in general just avoiding him.

After he left it was great! I hardly call at all this time of year. It seems to be working. I had out 20 decoys yesterday and it worked out great in 20 mph winds. If there is no wind I run a lot less and have a few on a jerk string.