Wood duck

[rides bike to work]

Here is a pick of moma woody and woodlings. I would love a drake woody mounted. How do I hunt wood ducks. Is it just dumb luck one flys by. Do they like ponds or the river. Or should I just get my sleeping bag and bike and follow around this family until they grow up.any wood duck hunting tips would be greatly appreciated.
http://i62.tinypic.com/3344uc6.jpg

[rides bike to work]

http://i58.tinypic.com/1ze9imr.jpg

Anyone know what percentage of these little ones might end up drakes and what direction they will be headed?

[heyblast]

My guess thier not all Woodducks, 17 is a lot for one hen. I believe it's Widgeon that sneak eggs in when the hen is feeding, may be wrong on the species but it's not uncommon for hen Woodduck to rear more than her own brood.

[walks with deer]

Woodducks decoy easy if you have a spot were theey like easy to get they taste strong I would only shoot 1 and mount.

[f350ps]

Quote: Females typically lay between 7 and 15 white-tan eggs that incubate for an average of 30 days.[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_duck#cite_note-DU-4) However, if nesting boxes are placed too close together, females may lay eggs in the nests of their neighbours, which may lead to nests which may contain as many as 30 eggs and unsuccessful incubation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incubate_(bird)), a behaviour known as "nest dumping".[6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_duck#cite_note-NPWRC-6)

[wicket]

I enjoy eating them, maybe an eastern thing with a different diet though. I put boxes out at 1 per acre. I don't think there is anything scientific behind it but we don't get any nest dumping at this density.

[lorneparker1]

Woodducks decoy easy if you have a spot were theey like easy to get they taste strong I would only shoot 1 and mount.


Every wood duck ive eaten was damn tasty!

[rides bike to work]

To those who have shot these "wooden ducks"

was there any specific techniques you used to target wood ducks specifically or was it just a chance fly by?

[Fella]

I'll echo what Lorne said on the taste. I shot a pair last year (1 shot, two birds :D) and they were delicious. They'd been feeding in my cousins hazelnut grove.

[Chessieguy]

I have always found Wood Ducks to be one of the best tasting ducks I have eaten, especially if you can find them on a nice stream or river lined with oak trees (they stuff themselves with acorns)
From my experience they are most common just at first light or just before/after last light. Generally they decoy reasonably well, and seem to like creeks and small ponds.

Good luck with them, they are a beautiful bird and make an awesome mount.