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2023-2024 Waterfowl Thread

What features do y’all look for when scouting small water spots? I’m just getting into this side of duck hunting, so it’s all new to me. Obviously, there’s no substitute for finding the ducks themselves or a bunch of feathers on the water, but beyond that, is it as simple as finding water that’s 6 inches to 4 feet deep, is secluded, and has oaks nearby? What else?
 
TNbowhunter said:
What features do y’all look for when scouting small water spots? I’m just getting into this side of duck hunting, so it’s all new to me. Obviously, there’s no substitute for finding the ducks themselves or a bunch of feathers on the water, but beyond that, is it as simple as finding water that’s 6 inches to 4 feet deep, is secluded, and has oaks nearby? What else?
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If I'm scouting for ducks, I'm looking for ducks. End of story. They're not deer. They don't hide in the day. If you're not seeing them, they're not there. What you described is a good place to start looking, but that's it. 90k acres of what you described in my backyard and 95% of it isn't worth a damp fart for ducks.

If I went hunting with you and got blanked, and found out that you'd set us up in an area you hadn't recently seen birds in, I would promptly find out whom could whip whom's ass. ;)
 
First day of the last split. 5 by 9. Calm and no wind. LOTS of teal.

Monday should be a slaughter.

Loving the Famous Jane decoys. They're big, but light. Old school paint style....I was concerned they may need touch up. Even in today's conditions they wanted to sit right on them.

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Nice little pond hunt this morning. First wigeon I've shot in a long time
 

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What are y'all typically doing for waders when hunting where you have to hike in? Not sure I want to haul my heavy neoprene chest waders a mile up a creek, but I also don't want to wear them and risk catching em on briars and deal with patching. Is there a good set of hip waders you like? Or a tough set of neoprene waders?

Also, what's your method of bird recovery when you don't have a dog and the water's a bit too deep? I'm envisioning bringing a lightweight collapsible fishing rod with a topwater plug and just casting to the bird, but I'm curious if there's a better way.
 
Field hunted today. Certain invites you never turn down. Just a spectacular morning of getting to watch birds and pick shots.
 

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TNbowhunter said:
What are y'all typically doing for waders when hunting where you have to hike in? Not sure I want to haul my heavy neoprene chest waders a mile up a creek, but I also don't want to wear them and risk catching em on briars and deal with patching. Is there a good set of hip waders you like? Or a tough set of neoprene waders?

Also, what's your method of bird recovery when you don't have a dog and the water's a bit too deep? I'm envisioning bringing a lightweight collapsible fishing rod with a topwater plug and just casting to the bird, but I'm curious if there's a better way.
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Either carry em in with a wader bag or get a set of tough breathables for walk in hunts. Won’t go back to neoprene after getting a good pair of breathables. A fishing rod works, I’ll use my mojo pole if I can get close to it but need some extra reach. But with my kayak I don’t have to worry about that anymore
 
TNbowhunter said:
What are y'all typically doing for waders when hunting where you have to hike in? Not sure I want to haul my heavy neoprene chest waders a mile up a creek, but I also don't want to wear them and risk catching em on briars and deal with patching. Is there a good set of hip waders you like? Or a tough set of neoprene waders?

Also, what's your method of bird recovery when you don't have a dog and the water's a bit too deep? I'm envisioning bringing a lightweight collapsible fishing rod with a topwater plug and just casting to the bird, but I'm curious if there's a better way.
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I wear breathable and they're fine for walking in. Much lighter than neoprene. If it's gonna be really thorny, you'll want to pack them in.

As far as fetching birds, you'll be better off if you don't hunt areas where you can't either wade or use a boat to get to ducks.
 
TNbowhunter said:
What are y'all typically doing for waders when hunting where you have to hike in? Not sure I want to haul my heavy neoprene chest waders a mile up a creek, but I also don't want to wear them and risk catching em on briars and deal with patching. Is there a good set of hip waders you like? Or a tough set of neoprene waders?

Also, what's your method of bird recovery when you don't have a dog and the water's a bit too deep? I'm envisioning bringing a lightweight collapsible fishing rod with a topwater plug and just casting to the bird, but I'm curious if there's a better way.
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I've been hiking in with lightweight waders. It's much easier than packing another thing in! I have an early season pair and then a pair with more boot insulation. I'll still avoid standing in the water if I can cause it will help your toes last.

As for recovery, I'm using a round float tube. There aren't many made anymore. I've picked up a few on ebay and I like one that I can use a small lithium ion pump to blow up. The ones with the inner tube are more solid but I don't find it practical to blow up once I'm in the woods. So far I've only used it in places where I have to go out 20 yards at the most. Most of those spots I can touch bottom most of the time but it's a huge help when the bottom has no bottom when you start stepping. I have a waist style life jacket that I use every time I go in the tube.
 
Got my first black duck Saturday! Probably could have had one more for a limit but it was so overcast that I held off shooting a group that came in early at the edge of my range.
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dalton916 said:
I dislike you very much right now.
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@Nutterbuster informed me that's pretty rare. I read somewhere that NJ is the largest black duck wintering area on the east coast. Most of that is down in the southern half of the state in the marshes but I've seen them 2 weekends in a row now :)
 
redsquirrel said:
@Nutterbuster informed me that's pretty rare. I read somewhere that NJ is the largest black duck wintering area on the east coast. Most of that is down in the southern half of the state in the marshes but I've seen them 2 weekends in a row now :)
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Very common here as well. They were coming to the fields with mallards today.
 
I talked to a buddy who hunted Western KY (right near the Mississippi River) over the weekend, and he said the few local ducks they had before the big storm front rolled through disappeared, and none of those fabled northern ducks migrated down to backfill, so they had a couple of dead hunts.
 
redsquirrel said:
@Nutterbuster informed me that's pretty rare. I read somewhere that NJ is the largest black duck wintering area on the east coast. Most of that is down in the southern half of the state in the marshes but I've seen them 2 weekends in a row now :)
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First duck I ever killed was a black. We have them quite a bit here as well. The other we get that is canvasbacks
 
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