First 2012 Duck Hunt

[walk213]

Got an invite yesterday to my friends lease. It is a PRIME spot that produces every time out. That said, I saw first hand, the impact of the drought. The water has receeded 2,000 yards. We humped our gear as close to the water as we could get, and waited in layout blinds. We saw ducks....that landed 200+ yards away from us. We had one shot at about 50 yards to an unidentified duck and missed. It took over an hour to pack up and make it back to the truck. We had a good time depite the lack of success. That said, I am not sure how that body of water can be hunted this year?

 

[rwalker]

Just Wait

They were local ducks, locals always land in the middle. Same thing is going on on my leases. Only way to over come it is with motion. I am not sold on spinners any more, but jerk strings, quiver ducks is the only way we can get a few to commit. We limited or could have limited by 8:30 on the first hunt at each body of water. Local ducks learn quick where they get shot at. We get some northern birds and that will change. If that is on the front range it may be lights out later as the drought conditions away from the front range are WAY worse. I have a lease out by sedgwick that is bone dry and it is a stone throw away from Jumbo. This means birds will veer west or east of eastern Colorado and Western Kansas. Other thing is to wear waders or neo tub the layout and dig it in. if the doors are mudded you will be able to hide. If it isn't too deep you can throw decoys and mojos in the middle to block what they want to do if it isn't that large a body of water. It will come, it always does.

 

[sdt-Evergreen]

Sounds like it will be a tough hunting season for ducks, phesant and praire deer and a lot of work. I think I'll stick to walking the dried up fields for what pheasants made it. Good luck guys.

 

[walk213]

Thanks

I had my waders on the entire time. When I tried to venture beyond 2 inches of water I sunk to my knees in muck. I almost had to leave my waders in the mud and crawl back in my long underwear. That would not have been fun....or pretty. I will forward your suggestions to my buddy who owns the lease and is trying to develop an alternative strategy.

We will shoot some pheasants this year.....hopefully.

 

[rwalker]

I will say that I have heard a lot of pheasants cackling on my early morning treks into some of the SWAs on the Platte. I don't hunt public unless a buddy asks me to tag along usually, I hate having to wear a helmet and flak vest to hunt ducks. I think some areas the pheasant chasing will be pretty good. That lease in Sedgwick has some for sure. Landowner thinks the dry spring actually helped brood production in that area. If a guy can find tall grass, corn, and thick weeds near irrigation ditches it may be lights out until they get shot out.

 

[Hoss]

This is the first year in a long time that I haven't gone duck hunting, have a license, just no time to go. I have heard about the lack of water from a lot of people.

My buddy goes duck hunting every Wednesday and Sunday. Since the season opened he's gotten one teal. That's about it.

 

[rwalker]

Water is king this year. You have water and don't shoot it out it should stay decent. Like I said we have done awesome the first hunt on each body of water. We rest each for a week or so but still have seen the birds taken go down, not getting skunked atleast. Birds are stale, we need weather to get cold up north. Talked to a buddy in ND and they are starting to see massive flocks feeding in fields. They will get here. I have shot 21 green and blue wing teal since duck openner. Last year I shot 1 during regular duck season, it's going to be a little different this year than usual I think.