Found ducks now what?

[QH's Paw]

I would have had my kid practice shooting ducks on the water by using their decoys as targets.

Eff thos guys.

I'm glad she had fun, and wants to go out again. Give it two weeks, and you should have the place to yourselves...

of course they didn't have their own decoys

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I hunt Wyoming quite a bit and that is a very common tactic. I mean, people setting up on your approach with no decoys. I rarely see other hunters with decoys set up there. I just figured all the Mormon were too cheap to buy their own decoys. Then one Sunday, I saw two guys packing deeks to a nearby spot from where we were setup. Less than 2 hours and they picked up and left for church. They were shooting birds still when they picked up. They were Mormons.
Sorry but, I'm missing the sermon if the birds are flying. If god wants me to be preached to on Sunday, he'll send a duck hunting preacher to the marsh.
Good you got the girl out. Things will go better as your season progresses, just like others have said.

that's a pretty broad statement based on a few people. Being an asshole is a personal choice they make everyday. That being said Utah hunters have the poorest ethics I've seen and I hunt out of state every year. One thing I learned in the army is you can't tell who you want in the hole next to you by just looking at a man's shell

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I think you're missing the point. It is a generally accepted practice the way they hunt on other people there. They don't think they're being jackwagons because most of them do it.
As a matter a fact, the two guys who left for church, I've talked to the one that is obviously running the rigs etc. I asked what he thought of the guys that had snuck in under them and started shooting at their approaching birds and he just shrugged and said he was used to it.
Here, we do get people to set up too close once in awhile on public land but, they usually put a rig out in the water or field. Here, the quickest way to get them to stop is invite them to share your blind but, that doesn't work if it is two big groups. Over there, they are hunting without deeks.
My statement is based on far more than a few people. Funny you would say that and then make your Utah statement.
In Wyoming they have a name for the Utah hunters, they call them Utards. It fits in a high percentage of the time.

[realunlucky]

I was just trying to say all utards are not Mormon but most lack hunting courtesy. I lived in Wyoming a few years and know the hate is strong as I still hunt there as much as I can. Almost everything to hunt here is a draw now so it push s is to hunt neighbouring states

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[realunlucky]

New pond is the spot plenty of ducks no pressure going to hunt it in the morning

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[realunlucky]

Ducks are in the water I sneak in dark throw decoys out. What happens at shooting time? I'm I trying to shoot them as they leave the pond hoping others are flying in to join them. What if they just swim over?

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[QH's Paw]

Ducks are in the water I sneak in dark throw decoys out. What happens at shooting time? I'm I trying to shoot them as they leave the pond hoping others are flying in to join them. What if they just swim over?

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You can jump up and get them in the air or just shoot them on the water, like Jehler.

I was just trying to say all utards are not Mormon but most lack hunting courtesy. I lived in Wyoming a few years and know the hate is strong as I still hunt there as much as I can. Almost everything to hunt here is a draw now so it push s is to hunt neighbouring states

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The area I'm hunting in WY is around Star Valley. It is a major Mormon settlement in history, once the governments started cracking down on polyamy. They settled there so they could quickly change from Idaho to WY and back and forth as each state worked on the issue independantly of each other.
My son lives there, so I go there a lot to hunt, ducks and big game.
Where and what are you hunting in WY?

[Feelin' Fowl]

Others may have another opinion, but if it's a small pond, I would sneak up at shooting time and shoot the suckers.

Doing this could kill your hole though.

My second option would be to scare the ducks away by tossing your decoys out, and hope they come back when it's time to shoot.

[The Duck Hammer]

Doing this could kill your hole though.

It will kill the hole, did it last year. Ended in a nice limit of big fat mallards but it run the other hundred off. Never saw them again. Most ducks I've ever seen in one spot.

[realunlucky]

So how should I hunt this pond?

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[The Duck Hammer]

So how should I hunt this pond?

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I don't know. Your best bet would be to watch it in the evening and see when birds start funneling in and see if there are some early arrivals. And if there are, pick them off and get the hell out of there before the majority show up. If you go that route, forget decoys and calling, you are where they want to be and they will come.

[The Duck Hammer]

Or find where they are flying, set up away from the pond on their escape route and knock 'em down over the land. Hopefully they wont associate that with their roost.

[realunlucky]

Ducks are in the water I sneak in dark throw decoys out. What happens at shooting time? I'm I trying to shoot them as they leave the pond hoping others are flying in to join them. What if they just swim over?

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You can jump up and get them in the air or just shoot them on the water, like Jehler.

I was just trying to say all utards are not Mormon but most lack hunting courtesy. I lived in Wyoming a few years and know the hate is strong as I still hunt there as much as I can. Almost everything to hunt here is a draw now so it push s is to hunt neighbouring states

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Where and what are you hunting in WY?

I lived in kemmerer and have an office in Laramie I visit a couple times a year. I know a bunch of people that live there and have hunted all the over the counter big game there. I love Wyoming and cried when I moved
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[Feelin' Fowl]

Or find where they are flying, set up away from the pond on their escape route and knock 'em down over the land. Hopefully they wont associate that with their roost.

This is the best long run option. If you don't care to hunt it again for several years, kill them all!!!

[NuffDaddy]

Find out when the majority leave and if they keep using it throughout the day. If they do, setup after and shoot them midday. If they all leave at dawn and come back at dark, your best bet is to try and find where they are going and hunt them there. If you can't, then setup and pass shoot them a few hundred yards off the pond like said above. Or you can just bust them in the morning or evening and get one good shoot out of it, then go find more somewhere else.

[realunlucky]

So I never want to hunt this pond in the evening as they are returning to roost. But I could hunt it mid day if small groups are coming and going

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[realunlucky]

So how should I hunt this pond?

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I don't know. Your best bet would be to watch it in the evening and see when birds start funneling in and see if there are some early arrivals. And if there are, pick them off and get the hell out of there before the majority show up. If you go that route, forget decoys and calling, you are where they want to be and they will come.

guess I'm going to need to spend more time scouting it. Think I know where they go I'll have to check it out

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[Feelin' Fowl]

You just don't want to let an influential group think that's it's not safe in that hole. If you can pick off whole groups/pairs coming back during the day you'll be fine for sure, but if you let some escape to warn the others, the hole may not produce for a long time. That's why items best to find out where they go, then get them on their way to, or at the next spot.

[realunlucky]

Guess I thought they only stayed around a few days than flew off and the next group flew in

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[realunlucky]

I know their escape route but they basically make a pass around the levee side of the pond gain altitude fly away real high

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[The Duck Hammer]

So how should I hunt this pond?

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I don't know. Your best bet would be to watch it in the evening and see when birds start funneling in and see if there are some early arrivals. And if there are, pick them off and get the hell out of there before the majority show up. If you go that route, forget decoys and calling, you are where they want to be and they will come.

guess I'm going to need to spend more time scouting it. Think I know where they go I'll have to check it out

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I would. I basically charged in last year and made the biggest waterfowling mistake I've ever made. But it's all up to what you want to do. If you take your daughter it'll be a hell of a shoot out and experience but odds are it won't happen again. At least not there.


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[Feelin' Fowl]

Guess I thought they only stayed around a few days than flew off and the next group flew in

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Food, water, and safety will help to keep ducks for a long time.

[Feelin' Fowl]

And get them to return next year...

[The Duck Hammer]

Guess I thought they only stayed around a few days than flew off and the next group flew in

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This very well could be. I'm a lot farther south than you and you may have all migratory birds hitting an ancestral safe spot. The birds I shot had set up camp, I knew where they were feeding and had been watching them for almost a month before season started.


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[QH's Paw]

Guess I thought they only stayed around a few days than flew off and the next group flew in

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That is the case later, as they start their heavy migration but, in most seasons, right now is early for that big move. Of course, that is related to your location also. The big move of birds in WY seems to be around Nov but, that is very weather dependant. I'd imagine Utah is similar but possibly a week or two later. This year may be different with these early cold fronts.
There are websites that show the main migration as it is happening but, they seem to be a tad behind most seasons.

[Rick]

I'd be hunting the pond, morning or afternoon. Just don't jump-shoot the bunch, quietly push it out, set up a small/quick rig, pop the first birds back and get the heck out, so the rest can continue to find safety there.

[realunlucky]

Made the pond this morning all ducks flew before I into position to see the pond very disappointed. One straggler but missed it couple times. Decided to check a fewer of the small ponds/puddles on the way out. Jump shot at the couple birds each was holding and missed missed missed. Going to check the pattern of these shells and see if I know anyone that has a clay pigeon thrower. I just plain suck very frustrated at my inability to hit a damn duck

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[NuffDaddy]

Practice practice practice.
I've patterned my gun and do a fair amount of practice shooting...I've still had days where I've gone through a box of shells and only got a couple ducks.

[jehler]

I'd be hunting the pond, morning or afternoon. Just don't jump-shoot the bunch, quietly push it out, set up a small/quick rig, pop the first birds back and get the heck out, so the rest can continue to find safety there.

best advice you'll get right there^

[The Duck Hammer]

It's all excitement. And jump shooting is something that's hard to practice for. Experience is the best tool for it. The hardest thing about it at least for me is you never know for sure how far away they are and how they'll take off.


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[NuffDaddy]

It's all excitement. And jump shooting is something that's hard to practice for. Experience is the best tool for it. The hardest thing about it at least for me is you never know for sure how far away they are and how they'll take off.


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And to add that a flying away duck is a lot harder to kill because all the vitals are much more protected than a decoying bird.

[NuffDaddy]

What are you using for shells...length, shot size, how heavy, velocity?