Home Forums Birds & Dogs Waterfowl Anybody duck hunt?

This sub forum is awfully slow....

We aren't really duck hunters, but 'bird' hunters trying to fill some empty time locally. Don't know what we are doing, but being in the right place at the right time helps.

Had a hen mallard land on the pond as we were setting out decoys in the dark with lights on and everything, she didn't seem to care. Then a few more mallards and a handful of teal. Got a couple teal at first light. Then had a flock of a dozen or so come in 10 minutes later. Beats sitting on the couch I guess...



Brother in laws dog Boo getting it done. Retrieved all 4, including a swimmer headed for the cat tails.



Brother in law and nephew

Nice pics of a fun hunt. I love waterfowl hunting. So much variety.

Plenty of opportunity around just haven’t learned the art just yet.

shot my first duck 3 weeks ago! have wanted to for half a century but never got to do it. think i am hooked.
sister has a remington 3200 she wants to sell me, are they any good?

Being in a duck blind with the right people is awesome.

So true. Other hunting you only interact when it's over, duck hunting you spend the whole hunt together.

As for the Remington 3200, it's probably a great gun but not necessarily what you want in a duck slough. You can have mud, blood and water all over your gun on a good day. The duck hunters I respect are the guys shooting 870 express or something like that. Shamefully, you could buy 5 duck guns for what I paid for my shotgun. I'm part of the problem.

i have a 870 m wingmaster with a full choke barrel. guess i willl try to find a barrel with interchangeable chokes for it. from what i see a barrel will cost about what a 870 sells for in todays market

Yes, seems to be a lot of $200 barrels for sale these days. I lucked out and got a $100 barrel for an old 20 ga 870LW in modified choke not long ago.

You can get an H&R pardner pump for less than an 870 barrel. Good luck in your search.

Hiding is paramount!! You have got to stay out of sight. And covering your face with a camo mask or face paint is a must, a beard works well, too. Covering everything in camo is a must. Anything shiny or brightly colored will scare them off.

The ducks can see the "shine" on your face. We call it "pie facing", looking at the ducks with no cover on your face. May as well have neon sign that says "danger here."

Last, if they are coming in, shut up and let 'em. Only call to wingtips and tail feathers.

Yes, let 'em come!

Old poet said about duck hunting: As long as they're coming, let them come in, shoot where they're going, not where they've been!

Been alternating warm and cool, warm and cool here - not many ducks down yet. Got some actual cold weather coming next week for several days so I booked a hunt on Currituck Sound for the first three days of our third season (18-20 DEC) - maybe there will be enough ducks to get some shooting in by then.

40 years ago, I had the fever... baaaad! A couple of friends and myself hunted all over north La. It was nothing to drive 2-3 hours and then motor 10-12 miles to get to a special place to hunt. Or, wade thru muck and mud while carrying a full large decoy bag, shotgun, clothes, etc. But, when the point system came out in the early to mid '70's, it got to where it just wasn't practical to spend that kind of time, effort, and money for just 2-3 ducks. So, I gave away my dog, decoys, boat frame, and boat cover. I did keep my shotguns, but now they require steel shot and these old guns wont stand it, so I guess my duck hunting days are over, for good.

Gotta admit, it was lots of fun!

Chased them around when I was a teen, maybe up to 22 y/o. Had more fun hunting geese. The year I graduated HS, I spent that whole fall hunting geese. Took two geese every day (limit was 2). Filled the freezer's of my parents. Two sets of grand parents, and a few friends and neighbors too.

I was up in North MO last weekend on a duck hunt. Had it planned for 3 months with my little brother. Too bad couldn’t have rescheduled it for this coming weekend. This cold front coming in will have the birds moving. Only came home with 3. Three is better than none and it sure beat working!

We hunt em every year. We chase a few around home, but our more serious hunt is in Arkansas. The waterfowl in Arkansas can be awesome to see and hunt. Need some cold weather up north to push them down, I'm told. This seems to be the case about every year. We hit that area in January when conditions are usually pretty good. I was in Kansas deer hunting last week and the ducks were building on the rivers and lakes out there.

got a 870 express from my sister that has the rem choke system. now i am shopping for waders. have the rest of this month to bust ducks now that the buck is cut up and the elk are still romping the mountain.

Wife refers to herself as a waterfowl widow. Especially after Christmas when the diver hunting gets good., he'll my boss forgets he employs me that time of year. In fact I just got done ordering 8 dozen more bluegill and redheads and some more longlines

Had a decent hunt on Currituck Sound this past MON-WED; my hunting partner and I got limits on Monday morning - mixed bag of Shoveler, Gadwall, Greenwing Teal, and Widgeon. Tuesday and Wednesday were slower but we got a few Ruddy's, Gadwall, and two Ringnecks. Bluebird days but ducks did fly. Odessa

Great t9 hear that the ducks are flying down east. Bluebird days are what we want in the Arkansas flooded timber. The ducks have a hard time seeing you when sitting in the timber, on clear days.

Cheesy you are killing me man.

I just got a new boat, blind, had good decks, and spinners - But lost a family member and parked everything now season is almost over if not shot.

I managed to catch the flu bug or a hell of a cold last week (I was going to hunt today, but as under the weather).

Next year !

Tag!

I'd like to. I have 40 mixed duck decoys, and 40 goose shells of bedded geese, I have never yet had the opportunity to use. Lost my hunting partner to an out of state job offer, and haven't found a replacement yet.

I got home from my last hunt of the season a couple hours ago. I got both of my sons and my new son in law to come along. Up at 4am,on the road by 5:30. 2 1\2 hour drive to get to our field. It was +5* with a 8-10 mph wind out of the NW. Had 2" fresh snow on top of the 3-4 already on the ground. We set out 150 big foot, 200 DD wind walkers and 150 sleeper shells and settled in and waited. Around 10:30 they started flying from the open water on the river. There wasn't as many as I had hoped for but we had birds in the air. I flagged and called in a small group of 10-12 lessers . When I got them in nice and close with their feet and flaps down I yelled Kill Em. I didn't even grab my gun. I just sat back and watched the boys mow down five of them. It was great laughing and high fiveing with them. I really wanted to get a flock of Greaters to come in. I love shooting those big honkers but the birds weren't cooperating. We spent the next three hours watching the sky, eating snacks and telling my son in law story's of past hunts. This was the first time he waterfowl hunted and he was hooked. I called in a few single and doubles but they were lessers and we decided to hold out for some of the big guys. Around 3:30 I spotted a small flock of the big one's and went to work. My oldest son and I started calling and flaging and got them to turn in. When I was sure they were the big ones I yelled Kill Em and we all opened fire. We dropped five of them. We still had a hour of light left and the boy's wanted to limit out and there were birds in the air so we went to work tring to get some to come in. I was just getting settled in when son #2 sees three birds heading our way. They were on us fast and the boy's opened up on them. To my horror I watched three birds drop out of the sky. The limit is 3 birds each. Then I heard son #1 say I shot a Blue! He ran out and grabbed it to show me. I breathed a sigh of relief and congratulated him.
It was getting close to sundown so I started the long walk to get the truck and trailer while the boys started gathering the deeks. After loading up we had some sandwiches and a few celebratory brews before heading home. I couldn't have asked for a better way to end the season or to celebrate Christmas. All the way home we were planning a spring snow goose hunt in South Dakota.
I am blessed to have great sons and hunting partners.

sounds like a fun hunt! and yes, you are blessed, sir

Sounds like fun.. We only get a bit of jump shooting here.. I missed that this fall..

great way tp spend the day

Got out last weekend with dad. Shot a ring neck at first light then had some teal buzz us a few times but no dice. Headed for central Texas in a few days for Christmas at the in laws. Mornings will find me on a pond bank, or tank as they call them down there. Last years was quite a mixed bag in that place. Green wings, widgeon, mallards, wood ducks, and one the guys on duck hunting chat are still likely arguing about wat it was.

My first limit of ducks. Won’t say how many shells I used. That’s just a testament of my calling and layout abilities to get so many oppportunuties I think.

The new Beretta did well though.

Way to go!
Greenies are hard to hit. Unless you are a world class skeet shooter it is easy to go through a box of shell to get a limit of them.

The last four I got were doubles. Four birds with four shots. I won’t discuss the first two. 😂

Cheesy which model Beretta

A300 Outlander. I’ve had a 391 for years but got tired of dragging in mud.

Today’s lesson: don’t shoot Ringnecks.

Cheesy those are some great pics, congrats on your ducks.

I think duck hunters are pretty conscience of the wetlands, a little off topic but wondering if you are seeing muskrats returning to good numbers.?

I haven’t seen a muskrat in 20 years, was back when I was in high school. I truly don’t spent much time in the wetlands. Right now I’m just hunting some farm ponds in central Texas. Earlier in fall was farm pond in Kansas. Places I hunt in Missouri are ponds on a conservation area. So no true marshy areas.

I’d rather be following my bird dogs chasing pheasants anyway. 😂 but I’ll admit, this is kind of fun and my legs don’t feel ready to fall off after a weekend.

Thanks for the quick reply!

I was afraid you might say that, it's a damn shame that the 'rats seemingly have just about disappeared.


Okay, back on topic...

I have more muskrats than I want. They pretty much disappeared a decade or so back but are back with a vengeance. I shoot them on sight as they prefer to dig dens in the pond dam than the bank. I could use more mink, that's for sure.

Ringnecks are decent eating, certainly no any worse than any other diver. Unless you are talking of the smell of them- that is an issue only beat by the stench of coots.

I just understand now why ducks are plucked. No skinning here.

I skin or breast out all my waterfowl, plucking them is a pain in the extremities. I'll pluck them if I have a commercial bird plucker or the Hutterites will do it for $2 but failing those, skinning is the primary option.

Cheesy (and others) do you practice with clays..?

I used to shoott a lot of farm pidgons on the wing, and found that if silo fed they were pretty tasty, as well as being good practice for any moving target.

I usually skin, but these ringnecks were just ripping the breast meat off. Maybe try a filet knife to assist?

At various times a year I’ll shoot skeet, trap, sporting clays, 5 stand or simple backyard clays. I don’t near as much as I used to though. Maybe go to an actual range for official games 3 or 4 times a year. Backyard clays once a month or so.

Thanks for the response.

Backyard clays rock.!

One of my little brothers loaded up for some back yard clay action with an old 16ga SBS. My dad slipped a 16ga shell foster slug into the mix and wouldn't ya know it my bro swung through and (unknown to him he was about to squeeze off a slug) busted the clay.

Dad and I just raised our eyebrows a little and mumbled...

I shoot on a sporting clays league (50 birds/week, 20 weeks), 300-500 registered sporting clays per year to maintain my classification, two 500 bird trap leagues, two 500 bird skeet leagues, and a winter 410 skeet league of 400 birds. That does not include backyard practice with the three automatic throwers I have, starling, pigeon, or crow shooting, birds shot for dog training, and hunting.

This is way down from my peak when I shot over 5000 registered sporting clays every year along with the above mentioned leagues. I also took several hours of instruction each year which added a couple thousand rounds. I think 13,000 rounds of targets was my max for a year, I moved three classes that year.

I do pretty well shooting, when I remember to do the basics correctly. I have a terrible desire to lift my head when I shoot game which does not lead to desired results very often. My experience allows me to do a fair job analyzing my misses so I can correct for the next opportunity. That is very helpful as it lessens the likelihood of repeating the same mistakes over and over in succession.

Hunted Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning on the Pamlico River (between Bath and Belhaven) - saw a lot of divers staying out in the middle and just a few big ducks flying high. Never pulled the trigger.

I've seen natives use a torch to burn the feathers off their ducks and geese.

took out dog last week shot a few

Had a barrel making day on redheads and buebills. Today, even got to chop ice out of the boat launch, and unthaw gas lines

It's been six weeks since I last saw open water, yesterday I had to point the hair dryer down into the well piping to untoward the water line. Need some snow as these temps are pushing the frost line too deep. I worry about the septic lines- those backing up would really suck.

What kind of duck is this?
I’m thinking hooded mergansers but the coloring ain’t quite right.

HoodedLizzard (HisXHers)

Saw bill AKA hooded merganser. The teeth are a sure tip off.

Yes.....

CommonLizzards gunning, ...yields 'bout 6Mo'Nugitz, per Bucket (so they say)

great pic

Well needless to say I won’t be shooting any more of them.
Didn’t taste very good. 💩

LMAO!

👍

that aint Perch ur Carving.....

For real.

Left 40 degrees in central Texas this morning to see -1 tonight here in southwest Missouri. Still open ponds around Oklahoma City and there were ducks on about every one.

I35 with freezing drizzle in FT Worth was entertaining to see.

I duck hunt a little, not being in a major flyway makes it hard sometimes but we have fun.

I also carve hunting decoys on occasion, here are a few.