A question for more waterfowl on the ground.

bigbore14

bigbore14

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Hey guys,

I'm looking at a new idea for duckhunting. Well new to me. I have heard through some old time Duckhunter's that one should not set up or shoot at ducks at least 30 minutes after legal light or even longer.


The theory (which does make a lot of sense now) is that groups of ducks will send scouts out at first light. If those ducks don't return safely to the group, the more mature and smarter ducks won't go to eat at those same spots. That is why after about an hour or so the smarter ducks are coming in and always seem more wary. They tend to circle more and don't commit to the spread as well.

So, if you hold off setting up right at first light and have some patience, you're likely to get more ducks that day. I have heard this may also hold true for geese.


I have only been out 3 times this season. And I haven't been really successful. Any idea if this might help me get more limits? D
 
Uh, I have shot ducks on a slough all afternoon, and have set up late for a morning hut as well.
Dunno where that old wive's tale started, but I doubt if there is any truth to it at all.
Cat
 
An hour after first light the ducks can see better which is why the circle more and seem more wary. Those "scout" ducks come straight in and land because it is still dark. We have shot our limit of ducks before official sunrise many times. I would never pass up shooting at early ducks.
 
I have never seen the "scouts" you mention. FInd the field or water they want, set up in advance and let the show begin. I almost exclusively hunt ducks in the field at night and let me tell you it can be quite the sight.
 
More nonsense from old hunters. I've heard a few myself. "To kill a duck the lead has to be hot or it won't go through the feathers."
 
yup.. sounds like a load of BS. Go when you can and blaze away. Geese generally fly a bit later than ducks. They usually wait til sun up. If you've had bad luck so far, try a different time or location. There's a pond I hunt quite a lot where the best times are first legal light and again around 2:00 in the afternoon!?
 
pigeons use scouts, so maybe the old fellow was confused and thinking about pigeons. As for ducks, I would say no.
 
Get to your spot and get set up early and never mind the BS stories. There's nothing worse than setting up late and birds come by while your setting up, and they turn out to be the only birds that approached your set area that morning.
Mallards are notoriously wary and will circle and circle a set especially if there educated and have been shot at before. That is just the nature of the bird. Divers on open water can be just as wary at times, other times they want in into the decoys so bad the dog can be swimming in the decoys and the birds will land around him.

Getting in and set up early has always worked for me in my area and circumstances, It may be different for you in your area and circumstances. The story about scout birds etc. in my opinion is a line of BS. If you want to believe it look at it this way those scout ducks will taste just as good as the so called smarter ones..!
 
In my experience I have never seen ducks do this, but Canada geese do. The past couple years we've had large flocks of Canadas circling high above our set up, one goose will drop down, do a couple pass by's and land (if you let him). Not long after this the rest of the flock will start dropping down. I have always taken the shot at the first goose, but a friend of mine who moved here from Pennsylvania told me about this happening "back home" and now I wait out the bigger flock. I can honestly say I've taken more geese after letting the first scout land.
 
Wpg_Turbo said:
In my experience I have never seen ducks do this, but Canada geese do. The past couple years we've had large flocks of Canadas circling high above our set up, one goose will drop down, do a couple pass by's and land (if you let him). Not long after this the rest of the flock will start dropping down. I have always taken the shot at the first goose, but a friend of mine who moved here from Pennsylvania told me about this happening "back home" and now I wait out the bigger flock. I can honestly say I've taken more geese after letting the first scout land.
Click to expand...

This happens lots in Goose hunting where a single bird gets to the ground first as the flock circles. It has nothing to do with "scouting" out the spot. It is usually just a juvenile less wary bird piling in anxious to join the fakes and start getting his share of the grub!! And yes we usually leave it be to help draw the rest of the flock in, can't get more realistic movement or sound than nature supplied live dekes. It also happens lots with ducks too, especially when field shooting them.
Watch snow geese descend on a spot some time. Circle, circle , circle and then one drops in and the others start doing the same as the main flock continues to circle. It's known as "funneling"
 
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the spank said:
This happens lots in Goose hunting where a single bird gets to the ground first as the flock circles. It has nothing to do with "scouting" out the spot. It is usually just a juvenile less wary bird piling in anxious to join the fakes and start getting his share of the grub!! And yes we usually leave it be to help draw the rest of the flock in, can't get more realistic movement or sound than nature supplied live dekes. It also happens lots with ducks too, especially when field shooting them.
Watch snow geese descend on a spot some time. Circle, circle , circle and then one drops in and the others start doing the same as the main flock continues to circle. It's known as "funneling"
Click to expand...

Exactly what it is.
 
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