skimerhorn
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Narrowed it down to 3 states, which one do you guys think would be the best to try for a late season hunt? I'm looking to get into some different hunting then we have here in va.
ND, AR, or LA for ducks?
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TimeOnTarget
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exactly, Birds will stick around up here until the open water is no more. That may be Oct, or it may be after the season ends depending on the year. really hard to predict.
Yup it really depends on what you are calling late. I would add Kansas to the list.
I hunted AR once on another person dime, it was a work function. It was a lot of fun and I got to shoot some birds I don't see around here much but I am not sure I would want to try that on my own. We were on private ground. I think it would be a tough hunt going down there and not doing guided. I don't think LA is much different. Those guys are duck fools down there so they get pressured a lot. Not if you know some locals that would be different. I would go down there for the experience more than killing a lot of birds.
If you want to hunt public and kill a lot of birds then I would go ND or Kansas.
I hunted AR once on another person dime, it was a work function. It was a lot of fun and I got to shoot some birds I don't see around here much but I am not sure I would want to try that on my own. We were on private ground. I think it would be a tough hunt going down there and not doing guided. I don't think LA is much different. Those guys are duck fools down there so they get pressured a lot. Not if you know some locals that would be different. I would go down there for the experience more than killing a lot of birds.
If you want to hunt public and kill a lot of birds then I would go ND or Kansas.
skimerhorn
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I'm thinking Dec or Jan
Flatland Crusoe
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I would gravitate toward the type of hunting you are geared up for whether that means you have a narrow jon boat with a mud motor, a fleet of layout boats or a big river john with a pop up blind. The issue with Arkansas in January is that everyone is going there because their home state is closed. Generally speaking the central flyway (ND, SD, KS, OK) is going to have less pressure, better public access and just as many birds than the lower Mississippi.
Late season to me isn't when I would plan a duck hunting trip a long way off because its entirely to variable as to how far north its iced up. You have to be really, really adaptable in the late season most of the places you are suggesting or in the case of AR or LA the birds may just not be there in numbers yet. The game plan is much more straight forward in the northern plains earlier in the season and doesn't require that you have big water rigs and a trailer full of field hunting gear as well to chase the birds where they ended up.
Late season to me isn't when I would plan a duck hunting trip a long way off because its entirely to variable as to how far north its iced up. You have to be really, really adaptable in the late season most of the places you are suggesting or in the case of AR or LA the birds may just not be there in numbers yet. The game plan is much more straight forward in the northern plains earlier in the season and doesn't require that you have big water rigs and a trailer full of field hunting gear as well to chase the birds where they ended up.
skimerhorn
Member
Is there somewhere that would be good in our thoughts then or maybe nov? Not really interested in Canada.
Being from ND I would advise if you come in Dec you have to hunt from Lake Sakakawea south to about Bismarck as that will be the only open water around. The waterfowl season also closes just before Christmas so January is out of the question. The best duck/goose hunting takes place Mid to late October to mid November or until the water freezes up.
I'll you what though if you get here at just the right time there is more birds here than you can ever dream of.
Flatland Crusoe
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This map is a great place to start. It at least gives you an idea of where people historically are shooting ducks, sure it doesn't account for hunter days afield or accessible hunting but ducks are fairly concentrated across the country so it gives you an idea of where you can get into them.
My goal personally if I'm going to travel to hunt waterfowl would be to hunt them a specific way whether that's flooded timber, flooded corn, prairie potholes or big water. If your goal is just piling up limits you can likely do so with effort more locally or in an adjoining state. The only other reason would be to get into new species like cinnamon teal and sea ducks.
I feel like you need a little more direction to zero in on what you are asking for.
My goal personally if I'm going to travel to hunt waterfowl would be to hunt them a specific way whether that's flooded timber, flooded corn, prairie potholes or big water. If your goal is just piling up limits you can likely do so with effort more locally or in an adjoining state. The only other reason would be to get into new species like cinnamon teal and sea ducks.
I feel like you need a little more direction to zero in on what you are asking for.
skimerhorn
Member
I'd like to go for dry field and green timber, and maybe out of a pit blind. I guess the top 2 species I'd like would be pintail and specks, I've never gotten either. I was looking at KS and that looks really good to me. Anybody have any experience out there?
Last year I did my first seaduck hunt out of a layout boat and had a blast! I'd recommend that to anybody. This year I'm going to the eastern shore for more seaduck and try for Atlantic brant
Last year I did my first seaduck hunt out of a layout boat and had a blast! I'd recommend that to anybody. This year I'm going to the eastern shore for more seaduck and try for Atlantic brant
Flatland Crusoe
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For Kansas I'd start at Cheyenne bottoms and aim for the first week of December. Its somewhat more difficult to get on dry fields access wise, but asking permission to hunt is still definitely a thing in Kansas outside of deer hunting. Kansas can be really really good in late December but its the game of the bird show up, everything freezes, the birds congregate on open big water and eventually get pushed out. The pattern of roosting on big water and field feeding at night on clear cold nights is what can lock things up.
skimerhorn
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I'd go guided if public access isn't much. That's a long way to go in blind and I'd only have a few days. Pintail and specks sure don't but those are 2 species I've never gotten, don't necessarily have to get both in one pop
Nemont
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pintails and specks would point me to somewhere in the Pacific flyway
Flatland Crusoe
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If you want to go guided late in AR and LA are fine especially if you want to hunt green timber.
I'm personally of the opinion that you can drop in blind to productive waterfowl area of a few thousand acres plus with birds in the area and figure it out in a few days if you are scouting and hunting every hour of daylight. You might not hit it until the third day or so, but after a few days of the most up to date local knowledge you will be ahead of 95% of the guys in an area for the next day even if they have hunted the area for 30 years. The hitch in the plan is if areas are draw based and you don't get in without a good local backup.
Realistically most any fairly short trip hinges on hiring a guide or local knowledge to get up to speed. Its also worth noting localized specialization of equipment is really big for waterfowl so paying a guide for a few days might mean you come out ahead on $$$ very quickly if you need gear to be competitive on public land. I'm not a big fan of guided hunts, but for waterfowl in a new area with specific setups like 2 trailers of full body goose decoys to hunt a field its as good of an argument that you are renting gear as much as paying for someone to hunt for you.
If you want to shoot Pintails northern CA is the place to go.
I'm personally of the opinion that you can drop in blind to productive waterfowl area of a few thousand acres plus with birds in the area and figure it out in a few days if you are scouting and hunting every hour of daylight. You might not hit it until the third day or so, but after a few days of the most up to date local knowledge you will be ahead of 95% of the guys in an area for the next day even if they have hunted the area for 30 years. The hitch in the plan is if areas are draw based and you don't get in without a good local backup.
Realistically most any fairly short trip hinges on hiring a guide or local knowledge to get up to speed. Its also worth noting localized specialization of equipment is really big for waterfowl so paying a guide for a few days might mean you come out ahead on $$$ very quickly if you need gear to be competitive on public land. I'm not a big fan of guided hunts, but for waterfowl in a new area with specific setups like 2 trailers of full body goose decoys to hunt a field its as good of an argument that you are renting gear as much as paying for someone to hunt for you.
If you want to shoot Pintails northern CA is the place to go.
Another good spot for Pinnies is OK.
If you are willing to go guided then I would do AR personally. I think ever duck hunter needs to hunt flood timber at least once in your life. It is just different and cool. You should have a good shot at a Speck a long with a pinny. We shot both on our trip, the speck was random.
If you are willing to go guided then I would do AR personally. I think ever duck hunter needs to hunt flood timber at least once in your life. It is just different and cool. You should have a good shot at a Speck a long with a pinny. We shot both on our trip, the speck was random.
California is the no brainer option for late season sprig and specks.
It going guided it should be a done deal to kill both in 2 days of hunting.
There is good Pintail hunting in ND early to mid October, they will be mixed in with the hoards of Mallards coming into pea fields, or greened up wheat or barely stubble fields to feed in the morning and evening. We just used goose decoys and the ducks will come into them. Not a lot of Specks in ND although you will heard them mixed in with the Lesser Canadians and the Snows and Blues. I've never shot one but have been with guy guys in our group who have.
I definitely agree that there is good pintail hunting in ND but I've never seen one that would have been mount-worthy with a long tail. We shoot lots of pintails every fall and quite a few of them have beautiful plumage but none ever have the long tail or usually any tail at all. They just leave the state too early in the season for them to get the long tail.
So you're only going to hunt a few days? If you're going to hunt less than 5 days, I think you should hire a guide. It's going to be very tough to have many good hunts in just a couple days unless you know a local who can put you on birds right away.
