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Hey duck hunters

A.Mas

Member
Oct 24, 2019
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Or go ahead and start him real deep into the addiction process and buy him a lee load all 2 so you can load your own steel shot is cheap and the lee stated above is a solid performing press that you can find on sale around 50 - 60 dollars. Only thing better than one addiction is multiple addictions lol.
 

Nutterbuster

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Oct 12, 2017
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Where the skys are so blue!
Here’s a rainy day Atlantic flyway limit of mallards from this morning on a walk in hunt killed with $10/box Winchester #4’s.....

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I'm going to find a mallard down here one day, aside from the 3 white ones they keep at the boat launch. Jealous!

I'll hunt with whatever cheap 4s I can find if it's that or stay home. But more shot flying faster and therefore hitting harder is something I'll take if it's available.
 

dalton916

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Sep 27, 2018
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If I was having to pass shoot I would tend to agree with ya, but it doesn’t take much to kill a duck back peddling 5-10’ off the water.
 
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Nutterbuster

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SH Member
Oct 12, 2017
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Where the skys are so blue!
If I was having to pass shoot I would tend to agree with ya, but it doesn’t take much to kill a duck back peddling 5-10’ off the water.
Unfortunately, most of my birds are passing or flushing from the canoe. Still working on getting woodies to make friends with my dekes.

I did surprise the tail feathers off of a group yesterday. Flushed them at maybe 20 yards. They looked like turkeys in my sight picture they were so much closer than usual!
 
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dalton916

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IMHO, wood ducks are going where they want to be until they get shot at when they get there. After that you can get their attention with a call and have them come in to the decoys.

I have a hunt I do on the river here when everything freezes up besides the river. I take my sneak boat to the most upriver slack water well before daylight and let the masses have at em at first light. I’ll kill what comes in, but mainly I unclip from the limbs around 9:30 when everyone else has left and slip down the river. It’s the definition of fun.

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A.Mas

Member
Oct 24, 2019
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Killed a lot of birds with 4 shot but when the divers and scoters get here I use 2 shot at a minimum and prefer 1 shot for some reason it seems like a scoter can take a hit like no other. Could just be me but that’s what has proven to put them down with one shot for me.
 

bigjoe

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Jan 10, 2015
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VA
LOCATION
VA
It all depends on how far you are going to shoot. If you keep the shots within 30 -35 yds most steel loads very affective. If shooting longer ranges look at your your bismuth, heavy shot and tunsgsten. Much more expensive than steel.
 

A.Mas

Member
Oct 24, 2019
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That’s with scoters decoying at 30 for me they just seem to have my number for not dieing unless I’m using what I stated above.
 

bigjoe

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Jan 10, 2015
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VA
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Sea ducks are a tough bird. Puddlers not so much. Geese with steel I just use BB
 

Buchholz06

Active Member
Nov 10, 2017
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Florida
I am going to budget 300 for him to start up so it sounds like I can get him a decent start. Never heard of Banded so I will check those out. What’s a decent price on dekes and do I need more than just mallards?


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New to it as well but picked these up and used them over the weekend. Froggtoggs has a 25% off deal going right now as well. Being in FL, breathable and removable liner were key for me for versatility.
 

Vtbow

Well-Known Member
Mar 21, 2018
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hey guys - whats a good shot load for ducks - I know non-lead, but anything you guys recommend specifically? For central NC area? I see it can be anywhere from 3 - 6 and seems like 3" shells are typical. He'd be using my 12 gauge
I always shoot black cloud 3.5" generally #3.
 
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A.Mas

Member
Oct 24, 2019
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Makes me smile every time I crank the twins up to go hunt.


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