re: Thoughts on duck hunting these days

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As a third year duck hunter, only this year have I started having any regular success with getting ducks to come into the decoys. I still shoot probably half of my ducks when they're flying overhead or making a close pass instead of waiting for them to come into the dekes. (When I don't take these shots, they often don't come in). Let me reiterate that I rarely take a shot past 30 yds unless it is a follow up shot on a wounded duck. Do you guys not take these passing shots? Do you take shots at wood ducks fly-bys? Forgive my inexperience. I do agree that the most beautiful shots I have taken are on ducks just frozen in mid air trying to land in the decoys. I just don't get those shots too often.

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Gorilla

In my very early years, it took me some time also to decoy ducks with some regularity. It is a learning process....how to set up the dekes, when to call, when not to call, etc.

Don't get me wrong. The ducks don't always decoy...in fact, I may only get 2 or 3 out of 10 groups to decoy. But at least I did not sky bust at them so that the next day I may have a chance at them. Sky busting only teaches the ducks to stay high or be very wary.

I always try to decoy the ducks initially. After several minutes of circling and passes and it looks like it is not going to happen, I may take a shot IF IT IS A GOOD PASS. So 30 - 35 yard shots are fine for this. If I lose the group, then we live to fight another day.

I am talking about the ridiculous sky busting shots. Those that are made at passing ducks at 50 yards or higher without any effort to decoy. You would not believe the sky bust shots I have witnessed. Even if they hit a bird, it will be a cripple and mostly likely not be recovered. And the sky busting shots in the distance seems to ALWAYS occur when I am trying to work a group. Of course, the ducks will flare and fly off.

So eliminating skybusting helps you and other hunters have better success to decoy the ducks throughout the season and reduces lost cripples which I hate.

Patience is a virtue. That is being lost on our society. There is no pressure to bring back a limit of birds with every hunt. There is no shame in being skunked. I would much rather have less hunts with the thrill of shooting at decoying ducks. There is no thrill in sky busting.

I'm hoping to get into duck hunting more in the following years, but man, reading this thread makes me want to part of it. So much negativity. Is it really that bad out there?

I'm used to deer hunting public land and I'm used to other hunters, but it's never really been an issue for me. Is it really that much worse duck hunting? I could never imagine pulling up on someone and deciding to set up shop right next to them. I think I read on another site what when asked to leave, trespassers threw beer cans in the water and hauled arse.

If it's so bad out there, why does everyone do it.

(Never watched an episode of Duck Dynasty, don't care about the social media or bragging... I'm just getting burnt out on deer hunting and want to give something else a try.)

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I'm hoping to get into duck hunting more in the following years, but man, reading this thread makes me want to part of it. So much negativity. Is it really that bad out there?

I'm used to deer hunting public land and I'm used to other hunters, but it's never really been an issue for me. Is it really that much worse duck hunting? I could never imagine pulling up on someone and deciding to set up shop right next to them. I think I read on another site what when asked to leave, trespassers threw beer cans in the water and hauled arse.

If it's so bad out there, why does everyone do it.

(Never watched an episode of Duck Dynasty, don't care about the social media or bragging... I'm just getting burnt out on deer hunting and want to give something else a try.)

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Yes, in some places it really is that bad out there. Is it possible to get away from the topwaters and have enjoyable hunts? Yes, it just takes some thinking, equipment, and lots of money and time.

As to why does everyone do it, I really have no clue other than the typical responses already discussed: cool thing to do, lots of fun, very social hunting environment, and driven by the money machine...

I can tell you one thing for certain, if I was a hardcore public land duck hunter it certainly would not be in south LA

Im just gonn jump in here and say nana nana boo boo.


Not every one hunts pit blinds in rice fields, or costal marsh in sportsman's paradise.

Hunting is a sport and a GOd given right for everyone and if you don't like the way I do it, stay the heck off my property.

The in fighting is just silly

Killed this am before 8.
7 shells fired, only one was setting down in deeks. A GW teal crashed down in the pasture behind the dam and was unrecovered despite searching.

I'll tell y'all a story

Earlier this year I was hunting geese in a big white spread. 4 of us were in layouts. The wind was off direction by what they called for so the birds weren't finishing where I hoped. By 9:30 we had about half our limit of specs. I had made the decision not to call the shot at a few groups (50yards or so) and I could tell the guys were kind of aggravated.

Bout that time we get a big group of blues and snows to look at us. They're flipping, circling, losing altitude fast. We got these bastards. Then out of nowhere a group of about a dozen specs fly about 10 yards over us straight from behind. Never heard them for a second. "Wait wait wait wait" I'm saying in between calling. BOOM. They bank. 180. Coming right at us. Feet down. Necks craned. They're yodeling. Pop pop pop pop. Specs down.

Took me too many seasons to get to that point. Patience pays off people.

The license will cost the same as store bought dinner, but will taste MUCH better. Get them woodies baw!

I agree but I got coworkers that kill them for me I've got 4 kids and spend enough time away from home deer hunting

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20 years later

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same old waiters

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No way....

"waders" btw.

I think too much emphasis is placed on numbers, and specifically limits. I love a limit as much as anyone, but because it indicates a good day with a lot of birds coming in.

I've had several good hunts this year with only 2-4 birds. They worked in great, responded to call, dropped the flaps and came right in. New dog performed great. Those are the good parts whether I get 3 or 6 per man.

A lot of my friends can tell you exactly how many were killed out of their blind, etc. Nothing at all wrong with counting, but to some it's like keeping score. Taking a chance on breaking a wing makes more sense when the success of your hunt is measured almost entirely by getting 6 birds instead of 4, rather than by how well they worked and other such things.