BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[Scotty E]

Im new to duck hunting i read the post "how is this done" and learned a ton. but i have a few questions of my own. will all mallard calls make all the mallard noises(feeding mallard, quack quack ect) also what are the different types of noises ducks make how do you produce them? i have a retiever but
its not the best retiever (has a hard time playin catch eg. finding the ball) So is there an alternitive to using a dog. can you hunt ducks in a field like geese?
thanx

[hunter777]

I hunt them in rivers where the water is shallow enough to wade out and retrieve them myself. You can make all the calls you need to make with most callers. Keep it simple and get an instructional audio tape and learn to call like a duck. You need to put excitement into it (like when a duck sees more ducks flying over head and wants them to come down and hang out with him). Learn to do a feed call and a hail call (greeting call) and when the ducks fly over and circle and then start flying away you will need to hit them with the come back call (just a really loud greeting call with a pleading sound to it). The pros on the tapes will have you calling in ducks the first time out if you are on location.

[ChesterGolf]

The "ducks unlimited" website has all the calls and some good info. to get started with. A good retriever will be worth its weight but one that doesn't retrieve may drive you crazy. Try what hunter777 said and hunt the rivers with your dog. If it retrieves thats great but if it doesn't you have a way to get your game.

[Serious Hunter]

Jump shooting mallards on drainage ditches and small ponds - don't necessarily need a dog. If you do have a dog it needs to be able to sneak with you. Shallow rivers and lakes you can use waders. Deeper lakes and ponds you may need various watercrafts.

Sneaking or decoying ducks into fields (corn, etc.) that they might be feeding in is difficult, but can be done.

Lately I've been pass shooting as they come out of a tight pond situation. If - when I connect they land in a mowed pasture - that's about as good as it gets when it comes to retrieving. But they are getting tired of meeting me at their exit to the pond - so I will probably start hunting the pond proper. And there's a small row boat there at my disposal.

I guess what I'm trying to say is - find where there are ducks - and then figure out how you want to get them (legally of course).

Shot size for mallards: lately I've been using steel #4; sweet. Ran into some quail, and the #4 steel worked on them, also. :) Works great on pheasants you run into along the way.

Caution: in Idaho, and probably elsewhere, you cannot have even in your possession any non-steel shot while hunting waterfowl. Alas the #4 on quail and pheasant.

[clemson]

you cannot have non-steel shot anywhere while hunting water fowl because lead shot will posion water resources.

[bnow0707]

It's just no lead shot right it can be other alloys. Right?

[Serious Hunter]

Non-toxic ... but as defined by the FWS ...

Here's what's in the Idaho regs: (scroll to pages 5 and 6)

http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/c.....f/info.pdf

As I recall - it's not that lead endangers the water resources, it's that the ducks think the lead shot is something edible, snails or whatever, eat it, and are poisoned. At least that's where the debate began. Steel appears to be a lot less effective at dropping birds ... and a lot of ducks fly away from (frustrated) hunters with steel shot in or through them. The steel may not be toxic, but all the germs the shot brings in with them on entry, and the damage done, I would think eventually kills a lot of birds. I think a blanket ban on lead doesn't make sense - especially field hunting or hunting over (deep) water the ducks don't feed in. On the other hand, a blanket ban is way easier to enforce. This battle was waged (and lost) some time ago.

Until I make the rules ... I'll follow them.

[hunter777]

Alot of ducks are shot over shallow water where they feed and they were seeing a lot of problems with the ducks picking up the pellets to put in thier crop to grind food with among other things.

[hunter777]

clemson wrote: you cannot have non-steel shot anywhere while hunting water fowl because lead shot will posion water resources.

In South America thousands of ducks and geese are killed every year with lead shot......I'm sure most other places in the world too.

[Serious Hunter]

Yeah, South America ... I'd like to go there. For a number of reasons.

[hunter777]

I can set you up with a good friend of mine in Argentina if interested . :thumbsup1:

[Serious Hunter]

Yes, definitely (ducks, Argentina) ... but I have to wait a bit - I'm flat broke. Give me at least a few months. (I think I may have done too much hunting and not enough work last fall.)

[hunter777]

I know EXACTLY what you meen!

[WesternHunter]

hello,
Yes it's Federal Law that no toxic shot be used for waterfowl hunting. For ducks we hunt lakes and ponds over decoys spred out in a U or V pattern pointed into the wind with us concealed in the cattails and reeds at the waters edge. Same thing for warm water sloughs when those lakes freeze over. For geese we hunt fields. I've never done pass shooting or jump shooting, but you'll want a full choke with #2 or #3 and modified choke for any shot larger than #2 for that if you plan to do that method. Use a 12 gauge. I like high velocity #2 steel for all ducks and T shot for geese. Modified choke works as a good overall and in close quartered small ponds or sloughs I use an improved cylinder. Your clothing should be either a camo pattern to match the area you plan to do 75% of your hunting in, or go with just plain drab colors that match the area like light brown, khaki OD, or tan clothing. Anything that will match the vegatation. Also try not to move around a whole lot, waterfowl have good eye sight and movement gives you away even if you are totally camo'd out.

[Superstroker17]

yah u can hunt ducks in a field. i JUST GOT SOME OF DEM DARE MALLAQRDS ON DEM SWIVELS BY GREENHEADGEAR. tHERE REAL NICE, I LIKE DEM ALOT. tHE QUACK AND SLOW CHUCKLE AND SPEED CHUCKLE IS ALL YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW.