Home Forums Birds & Dogs Waterfowl Flaring

What have you noticed causes waterfowl to flare when working the decoys? Anything odd.

My guess is the ducks have been called at and called at and called at so many times, ( you are in Texas, right?) and subsequently been shot at so many times that they are going to be pretty skittish.

It is a long way from Canada to Texas, and millions of hunters are trying to kill ducks. It is probably easier to hunt ducks,here in Wisc.

Flash from a fancy shiny gun will flare geese.

Hide well, stay still, don't look, think good thoughts. When they do come in its so exciting. We had one weekend hunt this year that every mallard in the county wanted to be on our slough. We felt like masters of the world.

I wear a facemask, have a camo gun, wear camo jacket and camo waders. We sometimes use layout blinds on slough banks if there isn't enough weeds. Can be a ton of work but the first group the starts back pedaling erases that memory.

If your gun is flaring ducks you're doing a piss poor job of hiding. I've used a camo gun and nicely blued gun interchangeably for years and there's never been a decline in my success when I use the blued "shiny" gun. The 2 most important factors in having a successful duck hunt are 1) being where the ducks are/want to be and 2) concealment

A) Decoy SetUp Sucks

B) Your Position SetUp Sucks

C) ain't no C

A) OverCalling, Motion/ FlatWater, Wind Entry wonky

B) Movement, Concealment, Movement, Movement

When using Robo ducks.. On a blue bird day. Put panty hoses on the wings.

Helps cover up the sun hitting the white blade or wing. Seems to help.

Overcalling and hands. Ever spotted a guy all in camo by his white hands?

Concealment

Icy decoys

Decoys not looking "natural"

I’m also in Texas. Hunt Columbus area. Sometimes despite your best efforts some groups will flare. Remember you are using decoys, not real ducks. Pintails especially can be tricky. I have found that if you hide offset to the decoys you are often set up better for a shot when the birds skirt the decoys, especially where I hunt over flooded rice.

facemask and keep your head down, the blind behind you is more important that the blind in front of you. Tuck in.

Sometimes its the decoys, gotta know when to use them and when not, go pull some or change it up if you think you are doing everything else right.

This is about right ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

All of the above plus stale birds and clouds.

Finish a lot more ducks when that sun is shining on the blocks.

One particular creek I hunt (I’m in eastern NC) only ever has woodies and assorted divers on it. The woodies won’t come anywhere near the dekes and actually fly closer to me when there are none set out. The divers will often land among mallards but won’t land among woodie dekes, which I’ve heard is fairly common.