Nimble and stealthy tactics for pickpocketing ducks in micro-environments and when the greater hunting conditions get tough.
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MUSKEGON, Mich. (November 27, 2024) – There are times during waterfowl season when savvy hunters rely on special tactics to bag their birds. Hiking-in to remote areas or using small watercraft such as canoes to gain access to back bays, creeks and bayous where some of the smartest ducks live are a couple ways to improve your odds to bag a few ducks, albeit with a little more effort.
These scenarios call for traveling light, including cutting way back on decoys and other equipment. All the creature comforts hunters come to expect in blinds – forget about all that stuff. A gun, a reasonable amount of ammo, calls, and a few decoys are all that is needed.
When ducks become “stale” and the migration stalls during warmer patches of weather, smart ducks still go about their business in little nooks and crannies around the countryside where they are seldom seen. Oftentimes, ducks will be inactive during daylight hours and restrict movement to a nocturnal schedule.
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Scouting morning and afternoon is critical. Observing a given spot’s full potential may require staying well past legal hunting hours. You may not be able to see birds very well, but you should be able to hear them. These lowlight observations help determine the number of ducks in the area. Also, by watching which direction ducks come from, you can derive where they’ve been. Confirmation is a simple matter of observing that other spot…so, the inverse of the evening scout in the morning. Share the burden by tag teaming assignments with a hunting buddy (or friendly confidant).
If you find ducks on public land, great. If not, attempt to gain landowner permission either on the “X”, or at a minimum nearby under the flight line. If this isn’t possible, move on and find another area.
Also, study your On-X or maps to make sure that your final destination and all points in between are legal access points or secured through permission.
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Hunting these second-tier areas may not require much in the way of resources, but timing is of the utmost concern – especially when ducks aren’t moving much during daylight hours. Ideally, it’ll be crummy day, which will likely force ducks to move during legal hunting hours. Rain or snow can swing the advantage your way. Unfortunately, during long stretches of placid conditions ducky days are hard to come by.
On nicer days, it’s very likely the hunt will be over in a matter of minutes, with peak activity occurring just prior to morning legal time or just after sunset, so be sure to pay attention to the clock and stay legal!
While flushing birds off a loaf midday and waiting for them to return works sometimes, ducks that know the lay of the land well will often have a secondary “secret” spot or two they can pivot to quickly, then return to their preferred spot long after legal hunting hours.
Using ninja style tactics to hunt these hidden gems is rewarding because shots are often very close, and bagging birds is almost a given. And, despite the additional time scouting, the reality is excessive logistics associated with big water or field hunting aren’t necessary. In a nutshell, it’s a very simple way of waterfowl hunting.
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Hiking In – Blind Free and Living Easy
Without the added burden of carrying big bags of decoys and blinds such as a-frames, getting in and out is a quick endeavor. Except for a wide-open space in a field with very little vegetation surrounding the water, blinds are just not necessary. Birds tend to come in hard and fast, so just leaning against a tree or hiding in tall grass or brush and staying still works fine. Take a few minutes if you absolutely must use some branches and brush to build a makeshift hide.
Small shoulder slung blind bags and backpacks work great because you carry just about everything you need – don’t forget the game strap. Shotguns should be equipped with a comfortable non-slip sling, so it stays in place, and a minimal number of lightweight decoys. Consider using an open choke and lighter loads, too. This is a perfect application for sub-gauges such as a 20 and 28 gauge.
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Slightly smaller “standard” sized decoys such as the Hardcore Rugged Series Standard Mallard that show-out well when used in smaller spots work great for this type of hunting. This is especially the case when hunting exactly where birds want to be, but be sure not to crowd the “hole” with too many decoys as ducks landing in tight confines like to have an open landing zone.
Decoys rarely need more than a few feet of anchor line, or weight to stay in place. This is a perfect application for Texas rig style anchors such as Hardcore’s 3ft/4oz option. Light, easy to carry and just the right length and weight.
Be sure to ascertain whether the water is wadable. If not, and you don’t have a retriever, consider adding a small fishing rod combo with a floating plug to your gear for retrieval purposes.
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Canoe and Kayaks
Some spots are easier to access via small watercraft. While kayaks have become increasingly popular for waterfowl hunting in recent decades, the good old-fashioned canoe is hard to beat, and even if you don’t have one you can probably borrow one. Canoes are cheap and easy to operate and you can find a used beater for a couple hundred bucks on Facebook Marketplace. Depending on the cover you may not even have to camo the canoe.
Whether you use a kayak or canoe, most of them fit in the bed of a truck or on the roof of a car. If you don’t have a roof rack, you can purchase some cheap foam gunnel pads that are designed to nest small watercraft on the roof without damaging the vehicle. Adapting smaller trailers for canoes and gear is another option and the investment is minimal.
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Incidentally, canoes are also great for floating streams and “jumping” ducks. This is a bit of an old-school way of hunting and some waterfowl hunters will even add squirrels or other game to their bag. Lay some brush or branches on the bow to obscure the shape and the shooters profile, and slowly drift along looking for ducks hiding in little eddies and backwaters. The shots are usually very close. Be sure to check the legality of float hunting as state trespassing laws vary.
Canoes are also great for accessing areas when ice becomes a factor. They are just light enough to pull over or through ice and tend to cut through skim-ice easier as well. Canoes are smaller, too, so hiding or camouflaging them is much easier. Old sheets, for example, work great with a snowy backdrop. Ducks rarely pay much attention to canoes because they fit right in with other natural cover, such as fallen trees and banks.
If you’re tired of waiting for new ducks, do some legwork and start finding those little spots that will produce once or twice a season and keep them in your back pocket when the going gets tough.
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ABOUT NEXUS OUTDOORS
Nexus Outdoors, headquartered in Muskegon, MI, USA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of performance, hunting and casual odor-controlling apparel, footwear and equipment under the ScentLok Technologies®, OZ®, Blocker Outdoors®, Whitewater, HARDCORE, and Tree Spider® brands. It also owns American Range Systems, manufacturer and distributor of the world’s strongest and safest bullet traps. Nexus Outdoors is the only company with access to all scent-controlling technologies, including their patented Carbon Alloy™ and Cold Fusion Catalyst™ technologies, which provide superior success in the field. ScentLok and Blocker Outdoors are pioneers in the hunting industry, which many credit with creating a market focused on superior scent control to get closer to big game.
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