Anyone duck hunt? I've never done it but I've been wanting to try it the last few years. I've heard puddle ducks taste good but divers not so much. No dog but I do have a 14' aluminum boat.
I used to, but haven't gone in a few years. We started going on hunting trips to Canada, which sort of spoiled us on local hunting.
I've gone a couple times. Goose hunting, yeah, I've done a lot of that. I'd like to go duck hunting a lot more. Ducks that eat fish, don't taste good. Top 10 Ducks for Eating | Duck Commander
The kind that fly. Or not. We were never too fussy. It just depended on the time of year as to what we were gonna see
I get quite a few wood ducks and teal from our ponds and shallow marshes. Sent from my SM-G930VL using Tapatalk
Thanks for the link. I like farm raised duck but never had wild duck before. I dont want to kill something that I'm not going to eat.
Reading up on the different kinds of ducks now lol. Looks like I dont want to hunt the bay near me and should head inland for ponds. I'm checking out the public land options in NJ.
My wife hates all non fish, wild game, except duck. She loves duck, wild farm raised it doesn't matter. It's the one animal she doesn't mind me hunting. She'll even cook wild duck. I think that just tells me I need to hunt duck regularly. I have 2 Labs, but neither hunt, and my boat is nothing like a hunting boat. There's also a huge marsh, one of the biggest for waterfowl in the US, in addition to tons of lakes and rivers. Also my main shotgun it's a shiny one, not ideal to keep the glare down. All are easily rectified, the bird dog part probably the most difficult.
Where you live, Woodies and maybe mallards only for eating... Im not sure when nj’s season starts but woodies leave here fairly early most years so get on them. Ponds and creeks. The tidal creeks have both.
PS- that place I showed you in IM’s... you’ll whack the crap outta some woodies n teal there in october..
I started out duck hunting and was very into it through high school and college. My buddy and I had wonderful waterfowl hunting in SW MN on private farms and public waterfowl management areas. Since then my interest has shifted to uplands, first it was pheasants in the same areas we hunted ducks, and most recently, over the last 20 years, ruffed grouse in the north woods. That being said I still jump shoot a few woodies, mallards, teal and black ducks when the opportunity presents itself...while grouse hunting. Once one starts down the path of serious duck hunting it often turns into a pretty in-depth sport, complete with a special boat, field blind, clothing, waders, guns, calls, and decoys. Nowadays the electronic spinning wing decoys are employed by many, and from what I have heard make a big difference in success. Also be prepared to get up very early to get out on the marsh or field to claim the best spots in time for the first shooting time action. I used to get so excited and full of anticipation that I often could hardly sleep more than a few hours the nigh before a hunt. Hearing the whistling wings in the pre-dawn, smelling he slough, and the sometimes fast action are a big part of the experience. As a bonus wild duck are more than good, they are delicious when cared for and prepared correctly.
I havent hunted ducks in years...i have a set of canvasbacks, buffleheads, blue bills, ringnecks, etc..however..i'd give my left n.. for a nice set of woodies.....prettiest ducks in my book...
Tread carefully... Waterfowling can consume you. It becomes an obsession for some. It became a deep passion for me. Throughout the year, even if I’m out hunting turkey or deer, I’m impatiently waiting on the arrival of goose and duck openers. Just talking about it gets me giddy.... I pine for the days of coming home with fresh ducks to clean on a cold and cloudy November day with the wood stove cranking away and a hot cup of coffee waiting for me. The adrenaline rush that comes from the sounds of obnoxious geese calling their way into your spread in a field of cut corn after you’ve spent 10 minutes flagging and calling them to you. The haunting sounds of a wood duck calling in the dark as you impatiently wait for first light. There is nothing more peaceful than watching the sunrise over the water, be it a swamp, pond, lake or the shore. Then to have ducks screaming overhead and dumping into your decoys just a few minutes later when you can still barely see them... my heart is pounding just thinking about it. Where I live it’s mostly all backwoods swamps and ponds that we hit. We don’t have an early season for teal but we see GWTs and an occasional blue during October season if it hasn’t been too cold of a start to autumn. October we’re mostly on woodies, mallards and black ducks. Once regular season comes knocking in November we’re thick in the greenheads and sometimes see large groups of ringnecks. Usually all the back waters and ponds are frozen up by December so we head to the shore on Saturday mornings for the full spread of species. Mallards and blacks to wigeon and gads to scaup, buffies, longtails, etc. I can’t not eat something that I harvest, feels wrong not to. So any fishy meat divers I get I usually make a heavily seasoned pot pie with. We don’t hunt with dogs. We just hunt with fleet of kayaks for all sorts of situations. Haven’t really found a situation yet where an appropriately shaped yak won’t do for access and retrieval. Except perhaps once you break away from the shoreline and head out for divers. Good luck in your fowling adventures if you step into it! Be safe.
pretty much gave up duck hunting when they started the point system here in WI - nail a drake Mallard first thing you are done for the day.
Sounds like you got it bad..... I, too,love to hunt the honks and ducks. I am also interested in what you use for a kayak. Great pics! Sent from my SM-G930VL using Tapatalk
Biggest thing with fowling yaks... Get them cheap. I think between the three of us who hunt together we have 14 kayaks. All but a couple were cheapie finds on Craigslist. Paint them up and they’re good to go. We leave them at certain spots throughout the season. Mostly our private permissions. Sometimes on state land spots. CT allows you to leave boats out on state land during the season so long as your name and address are posted on it. Just makes for an easier time when you don’t have to haul a yak a mile through the woods to a swamp or drag one on a roller loaded up with gear. My primary fowling yak for backwaters and swamps (most of our hunting) is a Beavertail by Phantom Duck Boats. Relatively inexpensive layout swamp boat (compared to most others) at $400. It wide and stable. Extra safe for shooting. You can see it in one of rhe pictures above.
