Wings in the trees and one shot and a splash of duck and the dog leaping off the stand and then the bird in hand. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The ducks were early, but, inexplicably, the X had moved. A canoe makes it easier, for sure, but I have a pretty good system for my hike-in spots. If your favorite pond seems to be drawing fewer ducks, look up and down the watershed for places where beavers have recently migrated. Heck, yes.
If more than two flights of mallards snub your set for some other corner of the swamp, move your decoys swiftly.
Woodies tend to be especially vocal on the water, and their contented squeals and chuckles are all the confirmation you need to plan a hunt. It’s back to Wingshooting 101: Pick one bird. Copyright © 2020 Field & Stream. Adding movement to your decoys can play big dividends during the waiting hours. Things had gotten personal. Is that too many?
Something I can't seem to shake. Duck hunting in swamp ponds south Texas.
For many duck hunters, waterfowling is a social pursuit. It’s true that most beaver pond shots will be close, but late in the season ducks are overly cautious even about the seemingly safe havens of pocket water. Two days later, Minnie and I were set up before dawn and ready for the long haul. The morning I first saw them, they winged across the top of winter-bare gum trees as I was hiking out of the swamp and headed back to the truck. Hunt together with the same friends year after year and they accrete a varnish of shared moments that brings a certain luster to the memories of a hunt. So I cut my DIY duck-hunting teeth on beaver swamps and ponds, and I’d still just as soon gun over a foggy beaver swamp than anywhere else in the world.
Beaver swamp birds have minds of their own, and they aren’t easy to decipher. I gritted my teeth and shook my head.
Maybe I should have moved Minnie to the other side of the tree. The fact that I've been after them, single-mindedly, for more than a week speaks to one benefit of hunting solo: I never have to coordinate with anyone else's schedule. If they stick around for a few minutes, you’ll double your decoy spread’s drawing power. And happy to have company. Always scout beaver ponds in the morning, not the evening.
"I know, girl," I whispered. As usual, poor Minnie couldn't catch a break. Ten o'clock ducks.
I have other places to hunt. Different duck species seem to behave differently in beaver ponds. But he also grew into a college student, living in another town, with other priorities and new hunting buddies. First, a half dozen ducks set their wings and settled down 80 yards up the swamp. And I made the tough call to leave Minnie behind. I wanted those ducks.
As pondside trees age, they produce more and more mast, a wood duck bonanza. If there’s any chance at all for ice-up, add a half-hour, minimum, and bring a portable spotlight. Migration Alert: Great Lakes States Reporting Strong Bluewing Numbers, Migration Alert: Ideal Conditions Set the Stage for Texas Teal Hunters, Migration Alert: 2020 South Atlantic Preview, Five Atlantic Flyway Public Land Hotspots for 2020, When you're all by yourself in the duck woods, every moment is yours to treasure, Contributing Editor of Ducks Unlimited magazine, T. Edward Nickens is a North Carolina-based freelance writer who has a passion for the outdoors and conservation.
The paint on wooden blocks is less … I've committed three good mornings chasing just a handful of birds during the peak of migration, when there is no guarantee they will stick around. Beaver swamp mallards don’t make it easy. Carry small pruning shears to trim away overhanging brush or briars that will snag your coat sleeve as you turn to fire a highball at a cruising flock. No matter how long you stay, it's always a half hour shorter than you should have. If you’re hunting with a buddy, sit at angles so you can watch each other’s backs for ducks slipping in quietly.
For the last 10 years I've had a stalwart swamp buddy in my son, Jack. ©2020 Jordan Outdoor Enterprises, Ltd. All rights reserved. It didn't seem as if they flared. If black ducks are slow to commit, wait until they drop below 35 yards, and take them as they pass overhead with wings spread and vitals showing. There are no more whispers.
An older beaver pond or swamp that fills with ducks at sunset might be empty of birds just a few minutes past legal shooting light as they depart for distant feeding grounds. Mallards, however, go where other greenheads went. Weight. But I’ve spent years trying. She's a small retriever, barely 50 pounds, and on these swamp hunts she has to swim to keep up, pulling herself over blowdowns and beaver dams, then paddling around in the dark while I attach her tree stand. The tree stand put us at eye level, an unusual arrangement, but a fitting one given that she's my equal partner now. They might be just enough of a deterrent to steer birds to your blind. No chance of getting turned around now. Place decoys in each. We all know how often you can wake up in the middle of the night, drive an hour or more, haul decoys and blinds, hide the dog, watch the sun rise, and still go home skunked.
This is when patience and discipline are virtues.
Even older ponds, however, can produce a fine duck shoot. I loved seeing him mature into a mentor for others, so I knew this time would come. Make sure to remove these sneaky scarecrows on your way out. Another challenge is hauling all the gear by yourself, especially when walking in to hunt. Why are you dragging yourself out here alone? Hunting with a buddy or a small group of pit pals seasons each experience with laughter and good-natured ribbing. This video is unavailable. Know your range and be honest about your shooting ability, but don’t hesitate to shoot birds that meet those parameters. A face full of dog slobber seems to help.
Over the next 15 minutes, another two dozen ignored my calls and decoys and parachuted into some unseen opening in the swamp, some place that looks little different from where I sat. I pulled her up onto her stand and barely twisted away in time. In low-light situations, beaver ponds toss up tricky shooting situations.
Finding firm footage in beaver ponds is difficult, so stomp around and get your feet in position now, before you have to shoot. This is up-close-and-personal duck hunting, and you’ll need to fine-tune your open-water skills to toll in beaver pond birds that are skittish as day-old goats. It was 26 degrees at 5:30 a.m. You're not really alone. Some of my favorite beaver ponds are resting sites, and they don’t come alive until long past dawn. It can be a challenging endeavor, as wood ducks are notoriously wary and shy to commit. You can learn more about him by visiting his Instagram. October 9, 2020 | Timber 2 Table Wild Game Recipes, October 7, 2020 | Timber 2 Table Wild Game Recipes. Vent your frustration by hanging a few aluminum pie pans in trees located in the far corners of the beaver pond, away from your set-up. Run the jerk cord to your blind and clip one to five decoys to dropper lines.
I didn't want to just shoot a duck. Try not to horse around during the slow periods. Her collar clattered as she shook, showering me from head to waist.
While I packed my gear, Minnie followed me up and down the basement steps, ready for action. Heavy and wet, the water beading on its impossibly green head.
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Those deeper waters stay ice-free longer and can be a late-winter magnet when surrounding ponds freeze up. I WAS LUCKY I'D FOUND A FEW DUCKS IN AN ACCESSIBLE SPOT. This is one of the most frequent mistakes I make. Find another.
She's soaked to the bone before the hunt even starts. "Hoodwinked again." Tie a snap swivel to the end of each loop.
My blind bag goes on top of all this, and I cinch down the pack top. Is Southeastern Missouri the New Arkansas for Duck Hunters. This is my third crack at these birds in eight days. The loops should be about 2 to 3 feet apart.
I now hunt over plastics exclusively. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. Know what’s in the bag so you’ll be clear on what remains of your bag limit. I marked the spot by a dip in the pines on the far horizon. And don’t pass up good shots. Young ponds and flooded swamps are a hunter’s best bet, because rich, flooded soils produce a flush of edible plants, from duckweed to wild rice. The night before my third hunt for those peripatetic ducks, I decided to pare the kit down to three mallards on a jerk cord and a pair of black ducks on short anchors.
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