I’m considering giving myself a retirement gift of a Chesapeake Bay duck hunt. Are there any old style hunting clubs still left on the Chesapeake? Somewhere that would take a guy out for 2-3 days.

sounds like a fun time,wish great luck,Pete53

The waterfowl hunting there isn't what it was back up until the early 70's. The Atlantic flyway has much less 'prime' wintering habitat than it used to have, and the ducks tend to crowd into those protected areas where there's good food source and little if any hunting pressure. Also weather doesn't drive the migration the way it used to. We used to go up in early November and combine hunting with the Waterfowl Festival at Easton. Great fun and the whole community was simply "ducky" as any place you'd ever want to visit. When I was stationed in the DC area in 2003-2008, I would drive over to the Eastern Shore during the winter and was really disappointed in absence of waterfowl, even geese. As much as I love that area, if I was planning a one-time super waterfowl hunting vacation, I think I would research the Dakotas and find a lodge up there where you could combine ducks & geese in the morning and pheasant in the afternoon. By the way if you really want to get in mood, dig up a copy of the Gordon Macquarrie Trilogy: Tales Of The Old Duck Hunters & Other Drivel. If that doesn't make you break out the decoys in the living room, nothing will.

You live in AK and are looking for ducks???? You have arguably the best waterfowl hunting in the nation....

And I agree - Maryland sucks now adays... I hunted there in the 70's and it was on the way down.

Yes and no. We have great waterfowl hunting in areas. Much of it difficult or expensive to get to. And for geese, well the majority of them are gone by the time moose season is over. I haven’t found the local waterfowling to be particularly good.

And we’re leaving Alaska to get my wife closer to medical care she needs and closer to my aging mom who has none of the other kids close if and when she needs family close. And last winter was exceedingly hard on my wife. Her health is deteriorating and being housebound like we were much of last winter was the final straw for her.

And I have always fancied that I’d like to have the old style duck club experience on the Chesapeake.

There is some really great waterfowling south of you. Skagit Bay, Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay. Inland the Pot Holes area, call Mardon Resort, they have blinds(guided and unguided hunts), cabins and restaurant. I never hunted with them but have camped on their place and hunted on my own. The only guide I knew of on the south coast died but there are others.

Fun on the south coast with the oldtimers




North Dakota in the Devils Lakee area has plenty of great waterfowling and lots of guides for both on the water and field hunts.

Idaho on the Snake can be great.

Other renowned places are Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas.

East of the Mississippi I'm lost

Oops, years ago I used to hunt ducks at Horicon Marsh and had good hunting again self guided but there are some guides and clubs around there. I guess that is east of the Mississipi.

I used to hunt the Potholes area. And the Snake and Columbia in Washington. We’ll be in Idaho soon. Looking forward to more waterfowling back in my old stomping grounds. I’d still like to spend a few days at an old duck club on the Chesapeake, if they still exist.

Good luck with the move mart. Hope Idaho suits your needs.

I hope so. Where we’re buying we’ll be within 3 hours of several fair sized cities with far more medical options for Etta. And it is by far the most conservative of the Northwestern states.

Louisiana or Arkansas might have some of the old clubs and history you seek? But, I think I understand...these's no substitute for the history and nostalgia of the Chesapeake Bay.

Mart,

Good luck on your move. I think I would look at Arkansas or Louisiana for that you are wanting. I grew up in AR, and went to high school with some people that their families ran duck lodges. If you look, I think you may find close to what you are wanting. Also, many people I k is that are hard core waterfowl hunters in AR and that travel for hunting will go to North Dakota to get an early start on the season. From what I’ve heard, some of the operations there are great and also seem close to what you are looking for.

There are plenty of duck clubs on the Atlantic flyway. He just had to find one willing to let him join in.

They say Oklahoma is the new Arkansas.. So I definitely look at Oklahoma..

I need to retire and take up duck hunting.

Old style duck hunting clubs made me think of my neighbor who has one in north central SD, started back in the 30's. Neighbor's dad loved to duck and goose hunt, passed away before I met him. Anyway his duck and goose camp on Swan Lake was originally acquired by businessmen from Milwaukee and then deeded to him to keep and maintain, etc. The owners were some people named Davidson and Harley or something like that...

What's your goal?

Great lodge and dining?

Limits every morning?

Handicap style hunting (that's not meant as a derogatory claim)?

What I've heard of Chesapeake bay hasn't been good. Never gone there, I can't comment. Have a lot of Mississippi and central flyway options.

I guess budget is a consideration? Or maybe not.

I’m definitely interested in the options you have. Up here in Alaska it’s a damn odyssey to get to where we duck hunt. Some days you might get them coming in hard other days you are bored out of your mind.

The glory days of the Chesapeake area have passed. Unless you know someone.

Here in the East, the Finger Lakes of NY, at the right time can show you tornadoes of Ducks. However, it would be more of an outfitter experience with little resemblance to a club.

I'll send you a PM

I completely get it and know of what you seek. As a lifelong Marylander I understand what you are looking for but I'm not sure that it exists. What others have posted is disappointingly true. I'm sure there are private clubs around that do much better than average but commercially I'm not sure what you want is available. If it were I doubt you would want to pay what it would cost to make such an operation financially viable. Besides diminishing habitat and lack of access there are just too many people in the area competing for a limited resource. Additionally, with a limit of 1 goose (30 day season), 2 mallards, 1 or 2 bluebills, etc. there are much better options if you are willing expand your horizons.

It doesn’t look like I’ll be taking that retirement waterfowl hunt to any clubs. My hunting is going to have to be limited to day hunts close to home for the foreseeable future. Etta’s illness has progressed to the point where I don’t feel comfortable being gone for more than a few hours. Even then I worry quite a bit about her. She tells me not to worry and to go enjoy the things I like but that feels selfish at this point when she depends so heavily on me.

There’s plenty to explore here within short distances of our new home in Idaho.

Mart I am saddened to hear this. My best wishes.

Thank you sir.