I've duck hunted twice before Thanksgiving this year (once with a guide, once on a preserve where everything was set already set for me). Most people, including my family, focused on mule deer, elk and upland game where I grew up despite huge numbers of Canadas, ducks and sand hill cranes in the area so I never learned to waterfowl hunt. This year, my son and I stayed the night at the lease Wednesday and duck hunted Thanksgiving morning. I had a limit down about 30 minutes after legal shooting but ended up losing three because I couldn't get to them before they snuck off. Our lease has about a 6-acre lake, two 2-acre tanks and three smaller tanks. All hold ducks this time of year, particularly the three bigger lakes/tanks. What do I need to cost effectively hunt the place?
I was thinking I need decoys, I found a really good natural blind and had no trouble positioning myself to get plenty of shooting even without decoys. What type of decoys would work in Texas and how many? I guess I would also need to get duck calls and learn to use them.
My biggest issue is retrieving. I have hip waders and rubber boots, but the lake is deep enough, I had a hard time retrieving until they drifted close to shore. The wounded birds were getting away before I could get to them. I looked at the cost of retrieving dogs on the Internet and was shocked. They're as much as pointers plus I'm not sure I want another dog right now. Could I retrieve with a kayak or canoe? If so, what type should I look at?
On another note, when my wife and daughter arrived at the lease for Thanksgiving lunch, they were raving about the bacon wrapped "filet" (scaup and teal) I had grilled.
