TheBenHoyle
Well-known member
This is all great advice. This is why I love Hunt Talk. You can learn so much from the others who share their knowledge. Thanks to everyone who posted so far. I feel like I just went to a waterfowl clinic.
Getting Ducks/Geese to Finish
- Thread starter Johnny44
- Start date
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Lots of great advice on here, especially in regards to being willing to change things up. If birds seem to flare or hang up over and over again on your spread, don’t stick with what you’re doing!
If you want a real show, stop and take a look in Riverton, IA after the first week of the season. It’s a giant flooded marsh filled with thousands of ducks. And then there are a dozen or so duck boats hunters with very similar decoy spreads, mojos, and a great amount of hen mallard reed noise. And guess how many gunshots? Close to zero.
I also call quietly and sparingly on the last 25 yards or so - it does seem to make a difference.
I’ve hunted with guys who really cared about having birds finish, and will not shoot unless birds set their wings. Then other guys the goal is just to get them in range, and shoot while birds are circling is fine. I point this out to say that it helps to have a goal of one or the other, and your hunter group is all on board in what you are trying to accomplish.
Also, not all duck species are alike! Good luck getting bluebills or pintails to finish - just getting them to zip by in range is an accomplishment, for me at least.
If you want a real show, stop and take a look in Riverton, IA after the first week of the season. It’s a giant flooded marsh filled with thousands of ducks. And then there are a dozen or so duck boats hunters with very similar decoy spreads, mojos, and a great amount of hen mallard reed noise. And guess how many gunshots? Close to zero.
I also call quietly and sparingly on the last 25 yards or so - it does seem to make a difference.
I’ve hunted with guys who really cared about having birds finish, and will not shoot unless birds set their wings. Then other guys the goal is just to get them in range, and shoot while birds are circling is fine. I point this out to say that it helps to have a goal of one or the other, and your hunter group is all on board in what you are trying to accomplish.
Also, not all duck species are alike! Good luck getting bluebills or pintails to finish - just getting them to zip by in range is an accomplishment, for me at least.
Northwoods Labs
Well-known member
Well letting the birds take one more pass to fully commit or taking the shot when they are in range is one of the cruxes of duck hunting. Lots of great advice on here, guess the only thing I can add is really learning an area and keeping track of where birds are landing and want to be. I hunt a wild rice lake and for whatever reason the birds wanted to land in one particular area and if you were set up in the right spot it was pretty easy going.
When birds flare for me, my first thought is concealment and that they busted me. I much prefer to set up on shore because it is easier to hide. Make sure the boat is well away from you and use brush to break up the shape of the boat up on shore.
Others have said that goose decoys scare off ducks, but I've found the opposite. I shot tons of ducks over goose decoys this year and I think the larger decoy and black and white silhouette get their attention but who knows.....
When birds flare for me, my first thought is concealment and that they busted me. I much prefer to set up on shore because it is easier to hide. Make sure the boat is well away from you and use brush to break up the shape of the boat up on shore.
Others have said that goose decoys scare off ducks, but I've found the opposite. I shot tons of ducks over goose decoys this year and I think the larger decoy and black and white silhouette get their attention but who knows.....
Nick87
Well-known member
My experience as well.
Nick87
Well-known member
I'd agree to disagree on that but were talking about different birds in different flyaways over 1000 miles apart. So you could be spot on out there, different here for sure.
Johnny44, I have been hunting waterfowl for about 50 years in many states and provinces. All the basics and some great information is outlined above by some very seasoned waterfowl hunters. Note the suggestions that are repeated by several of these guys. I suggest you focus there for a start. With waterfowl hunting, every day is different. Decoy arrangement, calling , and motion has to adjusted daily, and sometimes hourly. However, what never changes is your need for the very best concealment you can come up with.
Johnny44
Member
This right here!! I am reading and re-reading all of this stuff, there's just too much to respond to!!!!! lol. Thank you guys so much. This has been tremendously helpful!!!!! F250 said to start on the repeated advice. That's where I am going. Again, I cannot thank you all enough. This was the first time I started a thread and you guys didn't disappoint! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Mallardsx2
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On another note: When hunting waterfowl a lot of guys set up with the wind at their back. Pretty normal right?
I suggest you try this different approach if you can make it work in the area you hunt.(see below)
As birds approach decoys they are looking at the decoys and beyond the decoys on the bank for danger. If you can get those decoys 50 yards away from where you are hiding and let the birds get between you and the decoys not only do the birds 95% of the time flare back towards you closer into range but when you call the shot typically you are shooting at their back. This really works well for geese because they have exposed all of that spine and goodies to you....
I have killed literally hundreds of birds with a setup that looks just like this picture I drew below. The birds almost always flare from the decoys and come right back into my arms....(Which allows for precise shooting with a shotgun because you literally have 4-5 seconds to get three shots off) I have tripled dozens of times with this setup and still could have shot one or two more because the birds were still in range of where I was hiding. (This particular setup I would hide my boat between the 2 X's on the right bank. Its a big cut river bank and the birds pass 5 feet over the blind on their approach (Self control is necessary at times...)
I dont care much for lake duck hunting I am always hunting rivers or vast cattail marshes. This tactic obviously doesn't work real well on a lake, but it does work well on a pond also.
Bottom line is not to be afraid to get onto the downwind side of your decoys 50 yards. The eyes will likely not be on your and you can get away with being a little more comfortable and It can be a real slaughter.
FYI Those decoys in the picture are 50 yards away from our blind and the wind if blowing directly in our faces.. The birds were landing in the clear water at 30 yards (Right where I like birds finishing when they are upwind of me...) right on the ice flow line. When the shooting started they came right towards us. We had a limit of ducks and geese in 1 hour and then got out of there to let the birds come in there to rest. That is the typical sized spread I use for river duck hunting. I keep it small and fast. I want to shoot my limit and get out of there as soon as possible. Rest, rinse, repeat....all...season....long.
I suggest you try this different approach if you can make it work in the area you hunt.(see below)
As birds approach decoys they are looking at the decoys and beyond the decoys on the bank for danger. If you can get those decoys 50 yards away from where you are hiding and let the birds get between you and the decoys not only do the birds 95% of the time flare back towards you closer into range but when you call the shot typically you are shooting at their back. This really works well for geese because they have exposed all of that spine and goodies to you....
I have killed literally hundreds of birds with a setup that looks just like this picture I drew below. The birds almost always flare from the decoys and come right back into my arms....(Which allows for precise shooting with a shotgun because you literally have 4-5 seconds to get three shots off) I have tripled dozens of times with this setup and still could have shot one or two more because the birds were still in range of where I was hiding. (This particular setup I would hide my boat between the 2 X's on the right bank. Its a big cut river bank and the birds pass 5 feet over the blind on their approach (Self control is necessary at times...)
I dont care much for lake duck hunting I am always hunting rivers or vast cattail marshes. This tactic obviously doesn't work real well on a lake, but it does work well on a pond also.
Bottom line is not to be afraid to get onto the downwind side of your decoys 50 yards. The eyes will likely not be on your and you can get away with being a little more comfortable and It can be a real slaughter.
FYI Those decoys in the picture are 50 yards away from our blind and the wind if blowing directly in our faces.. The birds were landing in the clear water at 30 yards (Right where I like birds finishing when they are upwind of me...) right on the ice flow line. When the shooting started they came right towards us. We had a limit of ducks and geese in 1 hour and then got out of there to let the birds come in there to rest. That is the typical sized spread I use for river duck hunting. I keep it small and fast. I want to shoot my limit and get out of there as soon as possible. Rest, rinse, repeat....all...season....long.
Johnny44
Member
I really like this set up.
Nick87
Well-known member
The same idea works for fields too if you've got a little cover that helps you hide down wind short of the decoys.
JShane
Well-known member
Mallardx2 is thinking outside the box. Ninja skills worth listening too. Ton of great advice from everyone, listen to them.
Everything he said. This year was strange here with a lack of migrators so the birds were really wary and it was hard to get anything to finish-that's just how it is sometimes. Setting up with crosswind isn't a bad idea either, keeps you out of their line of sight a little better and could make it easier to take them when they circle.
Mallardsx2
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Everybody looks at limits and says "I want to try that"
Right up until I invite them to get up at 3:00AM and take a 20 minute boat ride in the rain/snow and then 20 minutes before shooting light I made the call to move the 100-150 duck decoys 200 yards because of a last minute wind shift.....It typically doesn't bring out the smiles.....
I have went through a lot of waterfowl hunting partners over the years to ensure a successful hunt. Sometimes I wonder if I would be better off just letting things ride out and going home with a couple birds and enjoying the day.....
Nah...lol
Right up until I invite them to get up at 3:00AM and take a 20 minute boat ride in the rain/snow and then 20 minutes before shooting light I made the call to move the 100-150 duck decoys 200 yards because of a last minute wind shift.....It typically doesn't bring out the smiles.....
I have went through a lot of waterfowl hunting partners over the years to ensure a successful hunt. Sometimes I wonder if I would be better off just letting things ride out and going home with a couple birds and enjoying the day.....
Nah...lol
Nick87
Well-known member
Yah you gotta want it bad, I know exactly what your talking about when everybody looks and says "you wanna do what?!" Every year I get older and my hunting group gets younger lol. Everybody else gets tired, the younger kids are fools like me.
I moved locations on 90% of my hunts this year. Mostly due to lack of scouting but necessary most times.
Mallardsx2
Well-known member
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A guy I know from CT who is a VERY heavy hitter in NY during the second waterfowl season told me that the best guys to waterfowl hunt with are firefighters.....
I hunted with younger dairy farms. So I knew what he meant.
I hunted with younger dairy farms. So I knew what he meant.
Johnny44
Member
This is funny. I'm a teacher and baseball coach, one buddy does crossfit (yea, he's batshit crazy), the other is a farmer. I keep bitching about getting older, but when it comes to hunting I'll walk through hell in a gasoline suit (nod to Pete Rose if I am not mistaken) if I think it will help.
ida homer
Well-known member
This, 100%. Sometimes I don’t go because I know how much work it is to really do it right.
Left no stone unturned last week and smashed em.
2 days later had the wind switch opposite right after we setup. We knew we needed to move all 8 dozen, but wanted to relax and be lazy. Only killed 5 total. MallardsX2 would have gotten a limit!
JShane
Well-known member
not to derail but man look at those mallards
MarvB
Well-known member
^^^ as said before, movement. They are always the most cautious on final approach, ready to flare at ANY sec just before dropping the landing gear. I’ve spent time in the blinds just patching my hunting partner(s) and it’s pretty common that one gets more anxious as the birds drop closer... too anxious and it’s bye-bye—birdy!
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