Edmonton waterfowl hunting

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Moving to Edmonton from Ontario wondering how the waterfowl hunting is compared to Ontario's. Not sure if I should bring along all my field decoys and my marsh rig. The rig is a 17ft jon mod v with a mud motor and collapsible blind. Does anyone see a use for a boat like that in Edmonton or should I get rid of the boat before I go. Also any use for field decoys out there?

Thanks, D
 
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Bring your field decoys. If it's not a big hassle you can bring the boat but I think you'll find you use it less than in Ont.
 
There is no comparison in the waterfowl hunting,, alberta is part of the duck factory. I moved from Ontario to alberta 4 years ago. Ive killed more fowl in 4 years than I have in the previous 20 years of waterfowl hunting.

Get rid of the boat and save the hassle of dragging it out here. You will end up wanting an enclosed trailer and field goose decoys. 90% of my waterfowling is field shoots, the other 10% is pothole shoots(small water in fields where you need 1-2 dozen decoys and a pair of waders)
 
I am from Alberta, and it is a great place for waterfowl. You can put the boat to good use. I know a few fellas in the Edmonton area that have duck boats, but Ontario Gunner is right on about the shooting. I had/have a tendency to shoot the potholes as I have a pair of duck tollers. They like to swim with ducks in their mouths.
 
Shooting over water is generally discouraged in the Prairies. Our birds tend to roost on water and feed in the fields. "Shooting the roost" is often considered bad manners and tends to make the birds migrate south sooner, or at least makes them unpredictable for field shooting.
Prairie waterfowling generally starts with scouting feeding fields, watching that the birds have not been disturbed in the field, then setting up temporarily layout blinds and field decoys to shoot at first light the next morning. It is critical to set up exactly where the birds want to feed, not where you hope that they will be attracted to your nice decoy spread.
Good luck and welcome to the West!
 
the waterfowl hunting in Alberta is spectacular - definately bring those field dekes and you'll probably buy more when you get here. As for the marsh rig - there may be some places that you'd use it, but probably not like Ontario. A boat of some sort can be helpful for big water. I wish I could have brought my 12 ft aluminum duck boat out west (cost too much to ship it) because they are hard to find out here.
 
What ever you decide, make sure you have a couple spinners. Provided you put in the windshield time you will see more ducks in one day then most guys will see in a season elsewhere.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. From what I have heard there is a different style of what is ethical towards water hunting out there. Is a morning shoot on the water acceptable in say a traffic area or feed area and not on the roost? How about diver hunting, should I bring the bluebills, buffies, goldeneye decoys? In ontario we get good shooting right until end of season Jan 9 or so for puddlers or divers because of lake Ontario not freezing. What's an average freeze up out there and when do the birds tend to disappear.
 
Longwalker is right saying that shooting near water is frowned on by the locals. Even getting on the morning flyway may not make you too popular with the field hunters. Generally all you're going to shoot is geese, mallards and pintails and mid November will pretty much be the end of the season. When most of the water freezes and feed is harder to find the birds head south. There's exceptions. I'm 300 miles north of Edmonton and will not shoot too much into November as a rule.
 
If you look at many of the guides decoys (in the Edmonton area)- their goose decoys are field decoys and their duck decoys are mostly mallard floaters. Except for the fella that guided on Chip Lake, his were mostly diver floating decoys.
 
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There can be some good diver shooting on the prairies, but most people don't bother with them since there are so many mallards. If you really like diver shooting, bring your boat and the big decoy rigs. The taboo about shooting the roost does not apply to divers, just mallards and geese.
Mallards can be hunted on small ponds as well, because of a phenomenon that happens on the prairies - alkali sloughs. The water in the big roosting marshes is often quite salty and alkaline, and is not good for ducks to drink.
Most of my mallard shooting is on small watering sloughs. Birds will go to water just at dawn, and again after feeding in the fields but before returning to the roost. A dozen mallard floaters are all you need, and 6 is probably enough. Again like field shooting, it is critical to set up exactly where the birds want to be. A boat is not needed for this type of duck shoot, only some chest waders.
 
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as a transplanted easterner, I hunt ducks on the water - where I know the ducks will be. Only this year did I hear about someone's choice not to 'shoot the roost'. It doesn't seem to be a big deal here - possibly because the only handful of duck hunters are also transplanted easterners. I guess it's different on the prairies where field hunting is the traditional method. i've done it a few times and it still feels weird hunting ducks & geese without waders.

Diver hunting on water does seem acceptable on the prairies (as previously posted)...bring your bluebill dekes and sell your goldeneye/whistlers and bufflehead. Maybe pick up some canvasback or redhead dekes to add to your spread.

I have hunted those tiny prairie potholes on occasion. It's really something to see clouds of mallards descending on the puddle that you're set up on.

As far as timing goes, around here, it all freezes up in late October. If I get to hunt at all in November, those are bonus days indeed. May be a week or so longer in central Alberta.
 
I see lots of guys posting hunts here in the fall and they shoot water as much as fields from what I have seen. You have the equipment already. Why not take what you have and enjoy yourself out there. I know if the opportunity presents itself when my GF's custody battles are over with we will be heading west too and even though I shoot mostly fields as it is my preference my marsh boat and water gear will be going with me when I go.
 
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