open invite to duck hunter.

S

starcrafttom

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So I have been working hard and long to get my duck boat up and running. After several false starts and repairs, including replacing the 71 johnson 60hp ( it lost a ring while I was on the water ) with a 2008 mercury 4 stroke.

So any brat that has a waterfowl license that would like to join me is happy to do so. If you are coming from a distance we have a room.

I am new to duck hunting and don't know alot about what I am doing. I know a lot about running a boat and shooting guns but the setting decoys and calling are all new to me and I am trying to learn.

So come one come all and take your chances.
 
Word of caution - Tom voted for Dick Cheney a couple times.
 
I duck/goose hunted for a few years while in Northern CA in the central valley. While the birds were everywhere, public lands sucked. It never failed that we'd get out well before sunrise, set up our decoys only to have some yahoo show up just as the birds were moving and take up residence near the edge of our spread. To add insult to injury, it was the norm for folks to shoot at nearly anything that they could see - almost always well out of range. Working the ducks down to your decoys was an exercise in futility.

I later joined a hunt club that had private leases in many locations, with blinds already set up - each having at least 5 acres, usually closer to 10. Reservations and assigned areas. 1 hour prior to sunrise, they locked down access to the fields until after 10AM - keeping the late arrivals from spoiling everyone else's hunt. Now THAT was a blast...

Are you planning public land hunts? If so, I'm wondering if the experience is any different up here...
 
hunting public lands and lot of open water. Having the boat should get me away from a lot of people. There is a different definition between a lot of people in Ca and a lot of people up here. I have heard river fisherman complain if the even see someone while fishing. Not in the back country but on the lower sky that has a highway running its whole length.
 
Hey Tom- I'll give you a sack of duck decoys but you have to come to Idaho and pick them up. I used to have the bad habit of stopping at yard sales and asking for duck decoys. The wives would go find them and were happy to get rid of them and the husbands probably didn't find out until the next hunting season! I have more than I can set out.

Your father in law lives very close to good duck hunting in Idaho. Lives close to the Snake River like us. Take care and be safe. I was just reading about the Remington 700 rifle problem(wow). Roger
 
I've never hunted waterfowl without a retriever,
of some sort.
So what's up about a dog?
So much better with one.
Sooo much better.

Aye.
 
the waterfowl hunting in your area is amazing. I have spent many days chasing ducks and geese up there. the pintails are gorgeous and the snows are amazing. Snow goose hunting in skagit is big treat that a lot of waterfowl hunters dont get to experience.

if the shooting is still legal, we also had fun sea duck hunting the penn cove area.

there are harli's a little further north too. gorgeous ducks.

I just got rid of all my hunting gear last fall otherwise i'd join you.
 
Hi, I have been out three days this week and shot 4 ducks out of my boat. Not really good but at least I'm getting some. One buffle , one Gadwell and two shovel heads.

Saw a lot more ducks but could not get any to come to my decoys.

Foggy- Its hard to get shadow up to early let along go swimming. I just wade out and get the duck if I can or I run the boat over and get them. If any one has a dog for rent let me know.
 
Tom,, Shdow is a herder, not a retriever. And smart too :lol:

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

1_10_2012_from_Canon_961.highlight.jpg
 
Tom,

I wish I could take you up on the offer, but heading to Idaho on Monday and hope to do some hunting there.

You do need to temper what you shoot. You got one good duck out of 4. Focus on shooting the puddle ducks (the ones that take off without running across the water). They generally like to eat grain when it's available. The other ones eat fish and other stuff on the bottom. Puddle ducks are mallards, pintails, widgeon, gadwalls, and teal. Shovelers also qualify, but I tend to let them go on by since the perception is they eat too many fish and stuff on the bottom. They aren't very smart and decoy real well. They are loners, generally fly low and you first notice them when they land in the decoys.

One of the tricks I used to get into the mallards is just to watch the areas where they were working naturally, and then use the boat to get closer. A lot of times, we would take the decoys walk a little ways, put a few out and then find a place to hide.

Good luck.

Tom
 
tpbrady":3aq7n3a2 said:
Tom,

I wish I could take you up on the offer, but heading to Idaho on Monday and hope to do some hunting there.

You do need to temper what you shoot. You got one good duck out of 4. Focus on shooting the puddle ducks (the ones that take off without running across the water). They generally like to eat grain when it's available. The other ones eat fish and other stuff on the bottom. Puddle ducks are mallards, pintails, widgeon, gadwalls, and teal. Shovelers also qualify, but I tend to let them go on by since the perception is they eat too many fish and stuff on the bottom. They aren't very smart and decoy real well. They are loners, generally fly low and you first notice them when they land in the decoys.

One of the tricks I used to get into the mallards is just to watch the areas where they were working naturally, and then use the boat to get closer. A lot of times, we would take the decoys walk a little ways, put a few out and then find a place to hide.

Good luck.

Tom
Click to expand...

the buffie could make a good mount, but the rest of those ducks you'll know you dont want to eat them the second you cut them open and get that smell... lol
 
The gadwalls I shot in Colorado were generally pretty good. I don't hunt ducks in Alaska any more since for the most part they all eat the same thing. A year ago we had a great hunt in Idaho with a new yellow lab. The first mallard I shot almost landed on him and he didn't quite understand where it came from or what to do with it. By day 3, he retrieved 4 of the last 5 ducks we shot while competing with 2 other dogs. He's also pretty good at detecting bears and moose before they surprise me.

Tom, the dogs also have good eyes. I've hunted with labs that saw ducks before I did, and they are not bad at locating pheasants and grouse. The downside was last 4th of July, the lab heard the first fireworks going off and was running up and down the dock in Wrangell looking for a bird. He almost launched on a hen and a drake paddling around before I got him.

Tom
 
I have not found a duck yet that I don't like to eat. I just breast them out and fry the meat in oil, garlic and onion. Susan say's it taste like steak.

I don't think I will get a dog just for hunting until shadow goes and that's going to be a long time. I just need to find a freind with a dog.
 
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