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Thread: New to duck hunting

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
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    282

    Re: New to duck hunting

    I put in my 2 cent worth. Being hunting waterfowls for 46 years. Through my experience I like to set my decoys in 2 groups. Right side groups is about 30-50 feet apart from left groups. You want the ducks to land want in big opening. Don't placed the (group)decoys to close together spread them out a least 5-10 feet part. Bunching them up together means the ducks are nervous and ready to take flight. I like to set my robo ducks about 50 feet away from the decoys. I used one tall pole and one short pole.

    I notice on sunny days I get way more mallards coming in for some reason. Windy days are great for all kinds of ducks. When by myself I just target greenhead.
    "Nothing kills a Deere faster than Magnum .....CaseIH."

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Posts
    563

    Re: New to duck hunting

    So where would be a good place to start playing around for someone from Coquitlam who doesn’t own a boat? Boundary Bay?

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Posts
    1,770

    Re: New to duck hunting

    Couple of points to keep in mind. Learn to use a call properly. Listen to how birds communicate in the marsh and try to duplicate. If you master a good hail call and feeding call you can bring in lots of birds. Study how birds raft up in different conditions and try to duplicate that pattern. As was pointed out, if your set is to tightly set, it gives the appearance of danger. Usually birds will raft on the lee side of a point of land in a stringed out pattern. Always have a hen as your lead decoy with a couple of drakes behind her. If you watch birds closely you will notice that in most cases hens always lead. When birds are approaching don't look up. The closer they get the more easily they will flair if they see anything that looks out of place. Be patient and study bird movements and patterns. Try your best to blend in to your environment. I have had some great shoots over the years, using no more than two or three decoys, and knowing how and when to call. Pay attention to detail and you will be rewarded.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    1,247

    Re: New to duck hunting

    Quote Originally Posted by VLD43 View Post
    Usually birds will raft on the lee side of a point of land in a stringed out pattern. Always have a hen as your lead decoy with a couple of drakes behind her. If you watch birds closely you will notice that in most cases hens always lead. Pay attention to detail and you will be rewarded.
    Now that you mention that I believe you are right. Last week I was out with a friend doing a field shoot. There weren't all that many birds flying but when 2 or 3 would come our way to the decoys they came in from our left. Because I was on the right of my buddy, we came to an agreement that I would shoot at the lead bird and he'd take a shot at the next one coming in from behind.

    Let's just say I was calling myself "Hen Boy" by the end of our shoot. There just weren't enough birds to just pick out green heads, otherwise we would only have gotten to shoot at half the birds we eventually got because obviously we would have rather had all green heads.

    Last edited by mastercaster; 12-20-2019 at 09:21 AM.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
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    1,770

    Re: New to duck hunting

    Quote Originally Posted by mastercaster View Post
    Now that you mention that I believe you are right. Last week I was out with a friend doing a field shoot. There weren't all that many birds flying but when 2 or 3 would come our way to the decoys they came in from our left. Because I was on the right of my buddy, we came to an agreement that I would shoot at the lead bird and he'd take a shot at the next one coming in from behind.

    Let's just say I was calling myself "Hen Boy" by the end of our shoot. There just weren't enough birds to just pick out green heads, otherwise we would only have gotten to shoot at half the birds we eventually got because obviously we would have rather had all green heads.

    Thanks for the reply. I used be pretty hard core hunting waterfowl. Spent a lot of time reading about and studying birds. Usually like most things, the devil is in the detail. By the looks of the picture, you appear to be pretty accomplished yourself.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    1,247

    Re: New to duck hunting

    Quote Originally Posted by VLD43 View Post
    Thanks for the reply. I used be pretty hard core hunting waterfowl. Spent a lot of time reading about and studying birds. Usually like most things, the devil is in the detail. By the looks of the picture, you appear to be pretty accomplished yourself.
    Not really. Getting to go with a friend every one in awhile who has access to some private land really makes a big difference,,,,location, location, location. haha He's also a very proficient caller so it's a good combo. This is just my dog's 2nd year on waterfowl. Generally, I'm a hardcore deer/grouse guy who spends a lot of time doing that.

    All through my teens I was lucky enough to take trips back to Alberta with my dad to hunt ducks on a relatives farm land so I've basically had a 4 decade absence from waterfowl hunting.

    I just want to get my griff out there as much as possible doing what she was bred to do so I've spent a ton of hours training her and allowing her to learn the ropes while out in the field. She's been a quick study in that regard. All the other bird hunting I've done is on rivers/water which is very hit and miss.

    Last edited by mastercaster; 12-20-2019 at 11:04 AM.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Vancouver
    Posts
    3,912

    Re: New to duck hunting

    Thanks for the tips Sako75 and VLD43.

    I never knew that bunched birds indicated danger.

    I went to one of my former go-to spots on the Pitt River yesterday, but things have changed. For one thing, there was a permanent blind still standing last year but over the winter it got blown over and washed up into the marsh. The other thing is that for some reason or the other they have moored a long row of barges all along the shore leaving only a thin strip of foreshore that you can watch for ducks. Also, duck flying long the river on the other side of the barges can't see my mojo and decoys either.

    The blind survived demolition by the authorities but the weather got it. Shame. It was nice to have a shelter on those wet snotty days that the ducks move in. It was a real chore to cycle along the dike about a km with a blind bag in my bike basket balancing a backpack mesh bag with 12 decoys, my mojo, a folding chair, a length of burlap and a bundle of bamboo sticks top, balancing my shotgun across the handlebars.

    There was no cover to put the blind up against so it stuck out like a sore thumb and I got no ducks to even come and have a look though there were dozens that flew over in the three hours I was set up there.
    Last edited by MichelD; 12-20-2019 at 03:38 PM.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    1,632

    Re: New to duck hunting

    Over cast and windy days are the best, keeps them flying lower.

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    282

    Re: New to duck hunting

    I would love to take out some new duck hunters out but I got full crew already. Some guys I am taking out are from this site. I'm the oldest guy from our group. I like the young guys because I always say great shots go pickup the ducks. I hunt on private farm in Lowermainland. Sorry can't say excactly where.
    "Nothing kills a Deere faster than Magnum .....CaseIH."

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Posts
    6

    Re: New to duck hunting

    Quote Originally Posted by Reef tank luke View Post
    So at 39yrs old I have started the addiction of duck hunting. I am completely new too it and too hunting. I have been down to the addington marsh a couple of times. But have minimal luck. We take the boat out and set up some decoys but have alot of high fly overs or just fly by. Could it be our decoy spread not being big enough? I only have 6 decoys. Or bad calling? Or should we just set up with no blind and decoys and just wait for them to come by. We spook them when we come in so they should come back? Basically any advice would be great. Again I'm just learning as I go. Cheers
    I too am trying to get into waterfowl hunting. I'm looking for public land so I can practice on my own or in a small group, but there's so few places that are "public land" in the greater vancouver area that aren't too close to a busy area, making me nervous about walking around with a shotgun and some gear. I drove past the Pitt-Addington marsh on Christmas day, and it was dead in terms of birds. I was hoping it would be swarming with birds. I don't know if it was the time of day, the weather, or the fact that the walking paths were pretty busy. But I saw a total of maybe 5 ducks in total on the way to the marsh and nothing actually in the marsh. Mind you, I did just do a quick scope. I will probably go back this weekend, maybe earlier in the day and see how things are then.

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