Ian F.
09-24-2007, 11:24 AM
Been a bit of a stretch between “chapters”, life has caught me pretty hard lately as I try to get everything done for work, family and otherwise before the magical time of year begins.
So where were we at?
Homework..
Mallards are puddlers and as such feed on a variety of plants predominately. As puddlers their food needs to be accessible to their “dipping” so within about 12” of the surface, on the surface or within 12” above it. Fields are other choices. Find the plants ducks like and you’ll find the ducks! Ducks are just like guys, food and sex runs their lives, DON’T FORGET THIS!
Eclipse plumage is when all the puddlers look like hens, yet you can still pick out the drakes in hand. Wings are 100% and if you want to find out more spend some time with Carney (http://mercury.bio.uaf.edu/courses/wlf419/wing_age_sex/duckplum/duckplum.htm (http://mercury.bio.uaf.edu/courses/wlf419/wing_age_sex/duckplum/duckplum.htm)) this is literally the bible and used by all the professionals. Also, look at the bills, drakes are olive, hens orange. Drakes have a black stripe down the middle, hens have black splotch with little dots all around it. There are lots of greenheads around as of yesterday (Sept 23rd)
RIggin’ out,
One of the huge differentiators of waterfowling and other forms of hunting is the gear. We have decoys, boats, blinds, waders, coats, dogs and all other assortment of things that the other hunters don’t worry about. This is half the fun of waterfowling!
Basics – coat
I would say next to a scattergun, a good WATERPROOF coat is you most important purchase. There are many makers out there, some better then others, some pricier. You’ll need to make that choice. I like systems coats, commonly called 4 in 1’s and I prefer wader length. If you never leave a field then a regular length is fine, but if you wade, or will wade, buy the shortly!
http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/Item/94/29/21/i942921sn01.jpg
Basics – Face mask
If there is one area that most waterfowler simply miss it’s covering their white faces! You can pick hunters out in the marsh for 2 reasons, 1. They are taller then the vegetation around them. 2. Their faces look like beacons. Correct this, buy a face mask! I like the ones with the plastic rim thingy (I wear shooting glasses). Choice is yours, just wear one if you want to kill more ducks!
Basics – Gloves
Take the principals above and apply to hands, think about calling and using your hands to change the sound, get the point? I use nipple gloves for early season, others as needed in the cold and big orange waterproof polar grips for working with decoys.
Basics –Waders
Few of us can consistently hunt dry fields and not have the need for waders, if you are the exception give me a call I’m more then willing to help you shoot birds! If you are like the majority then you need waders. Dark colours are fine, camo better. Neoprene is a great choice for one all around pair. I bought some breathable gunning waders this year as I find it too warm here for my neoprenes until later in the season. Use what you have or can afford, if buying for gunning Cabelas home brand is hard to beat.
http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/Pod/02/15/66/p021566vr03.jpg
Basics – Hats
Get a camo one, NO ORANGE ANYWHERE! Remember this is what sticks up the highest and is first seen by birds, oh and if you live in the lower mainland, remember it tends to rain here.
The basics explained,
You may or may not have figured this out, but if you are camoed from head to toe, you are the blind! You are all the movement that can scare ducks and you have taken every precaution you can to reduce your appearance, this means more ducks! Sit in the grass in full camo and you’ll kill ducks, plain and simple. Everything else you do adds to this base, keep it in mind, and yes you can kill ducks in a jean jacket, but this article series is about the right choices, when you are ready to make them.
Decoys
As a world class carver myself (brag, brag, brag www.partridgecreek.ca (http://www.partridgecreek.ca/)) decoys are something I live everyday. But do you need to hunt over a rig of hand carved dekes, hell no! BUT, some dekes, 2 or more is better then none. Get what you can, what you can afford but get something!
http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/Item/22/59/78/i225978sq04.jpg
The best deal in decoys right now is Greenhead Gear hotbuys, you can get a dozen mallards for $25 U.S.! Take a drive to Bellingham or Burlington, hit Joes or the new Sportsman’s warehouse (burl) and you’re rigged out! Drive not an option? The net for U.S. suppliers (remember duty and BS) or St. Lawrence outfitters for Canada (http://www.stlawrenceoutfitters.com/ (http://www.stlawrenceoutfitters.com/))
I would say your basic BC spread would start with a dozen mallards, 2 dozen would be better. Some widgeon and pintails even better, but you’ll kill plenty with a dozen or two, and remember this waterfowling 101, not advanced class!
You’ll need anchors and lines; I like tarred cord (Fishery suppliers) and make my own weights, lots of options here.
As for field decoys I’ll talk about that separately.
Boats
Waterfowling and boats, is like bacon and eggs, they go together! I’ve built 5 duck boats and still have yet to find the right one, but that’s the beauty! If you can’t walk in, set decoys and retrieve downed birds all in waders you’ll need a boat! The options are limitless and dictated by the way you hunt, which you may not even know yet. I’m not going to make much of recommendation here, just to say use what you’ve got to start and then go from there. I’m happy to talk boats all day long!
One thing to keep in mind is there is no one duck boat, period! I think you need 3 to 4 to cover all situations, 1. An open water boat 14-16 open style, 2. Small water power boat like a sneakbox, 3. One man marsh boat like an aquapod and lastly the universal Canadian Icon, and good canoe. And I’d start with the canoe!
http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs/Buffalo/images/pf057422.jpg
There are a few other odds and sods for riggin out, like decoy bags, gear bags, gun cases etc, but I’ve run out of time for today..
Almost forgot your homework….
You have 3 mallards cupped and decoyed inside 20yards feet down, which one do you shoot first, second, third? What if 1 is a hen, does this change your answer? Add the why to your answer, and this is not meant to be a urination contest of hen vs drake shooting!
So where were we at?
Homework..
Mallards are puddlers and as such feed on a variety of plants predominately. As puddlers their food needs to be accessible to their “dipping” so within about 12” of the surface, on the surface or within 12” above it. Fields are other choices. Find the plants ducks like and you’ll find the ducks! Ducks are just like guys, food and sex runs their lives, DON’T FORGET THIS!
Eclipse plumage is when all the puddlers look like hens, yet you can still pick out the drakes in hand. Wings are 100% and if you want to find out more spend some time with Carney (http://mercury.bio.uaf.edu/courses/wlf419/wing_age_sex/duckplum/duckplum.htm (http://mercury.bio.uaf.edu/courses/wlf419/wing_age_sex/duckplum/duckplum.htm)) this is literally the bible and used by all the professionals. Also, look at the bills, drakes are olive, hens orange. Drakes have a black stripe down the middle, hens have black splotch with little dots all around it. There are lots of greenheads around as of yesterday (Sept 23rd)
RIggin’ out,
One of the huge differentiators of waterfowling and other forms of hunting is the gear. We have decoys, boats, blinds, waders, coats, dogs and all other assortment of things that the other hunters don’t worry about. This is half the fun of waterfowling!
Basics – coat
I would say next to a scattergun, a good WATERPROOF coat is you most important purchase. There are many makers out there, some better then others, some pricier. You’ll need to make that choice. I like systems coats, commonly called 4 in 1’s and I prefer wader length. If you never leave a field then a regular length is fine, but if you wade, or will wade, buy the shortly!
http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/Item/94/29/21/i942921sn01.jpg
Basics – Face mask
If there is one area that most waterfowler simply miss it’s covering their white faces! You can pick hunters out in the marsh for 2 reasons, 1. They are taller then the vegetation around them. 2. Their faces look like beacons. Correct this, buy a face mask! I like the ones with the plastic rim thingy (I wear shooting glasses). Choice is yours, just wear one if you want to kill more ducks!
Basics – Gloves
Take the principals above and apply to hands, think about calling and using your hands to change the sound, get the point? I use nipple gloves for early season, others as needed in the cold and big orange waterproof polar grips for working with decoys.
Basics –Waders
Few of us can consistently hunt dry fields and not have the need for waders, if you are the exception give me a call I’m more then willing to help you shoot birds! If you are like the majority then you need waders. Dark colours are fine, camo better. Neoprene is a great choice for one all around pair. I bought some breathable gunning waders this year as I find it too warm here for my neoprenes until later in the season. Use what you have or can afford, if buying for gunning Cabelas home brand is hard to beat.
http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/Pod/02/15/66/p021566vr03.jpg
Basics – Hats
Get a camo one, NO ORANGE ANYWHERE! Remember this is what sticks up the highest and is first seen by birds, oh and if you live in the lower mainland, remember it tends to rain here.
The basics explained,
You may or may not have figured this out, but if you are camoed from head to toe, you are the blind! You are all the movement that can scare ducks and you have taken every precaution you can to reduce your appearance, this means more ducks! Sit in the grass in full camo and you’ll kill ducks, plain and simple. Everything else you do adds to this base, keep it in mind, and yes you can kill ducks in a jean jacket, but this article series is about the right choices, when you are ready to make them.
Decoys
As a world class carver myself (brag, brag, brag www.partridgecreek.ca (http://www.partridgecreek.ca/)) decoys are something I live everyday. But do you need to hunt over a rig of hand carved dekes, hell no! BUT, some dekes, 2 or more is better then none. Get what you can, what you can afford but get something!
http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/Item/22/59/78/i225978sq04.jpg
The best deal in decoys right now is Greenhead Gear hotbuys, you can get a dozen mallards for $25 U.S.! Take a drive to Bellingham or Burlington, hit Joes or the new Sportsman’s warehouse (burl) and you’re rigged out! Drive not an option? The net for U.S. suppliers (remember duty and BS) or St. Lawrence outfitters for Canada (http://www.stlawrenceoutfitters.com/ (http://www.stlawrenceoutfitters.com/))
I would say your basic BC spread would start with a dozen mallards, 2 dozen would be better. Some widgeon and pintails even better, but you’ll kill plenty with a dozen or two, and remember this waterfowling 101, not advanced class!
You’ll need anchors and lines; I like tarred cord (Fishery suppliers) and make my own weights, lots of options here.
As for field decoys I’ll talk about that separately.
Boats
Waterfowling and boats, is like bacon and eggs, they go together! I’ve built 5 duck boats and still have yet to find the right one, but that’s the beauty! If you can’t walk in, set decoys and retrieve downed birds all in waders you’ll need a boat! The options are limitless and dictated by the way you hunt, which you may not even know yet. I’m not going to make much of recommendation here, just to say use what you’ve got to start and then go from there. I’m happy to talk boats all day long!
One thing to keep in mind is there is no one duck boat, period! I think you need 3 to 4 to cover all situations, 1. An open water boat 14-16 open style, 2. Small water power boat like a sneakbox, 3. One man marsh boat like an aquapod and lastly the universal Canadian Icon, and good canoe. And I’d start with the canoe!
http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs/Buffalo/images/pf057422.jpg
There are a few other odds and sods for riggin out, like decoy bags, gear bags, gun cases etc, but I’ve run out of time for today..
Almost forgot your homework….
You have 3 mallards cupped and decoyed inside 20yards feet down, which one do you shoot first, second, third? What if 1 is a hen, does this change your answer? Add the why to your answer, and this is not meant to be a urination contest of hen vs drake shooting!