Rookie Duck Hunting ????

For the most part your set up looks preety good. A couple of thing that I might change would be. Spread out the decoy's a little more and have a hole in the middle of your spread to entice the ducks to land there giving you a better shot. Another thing is to scout for spots to hunt. If you find a spot that the ducks like even before you set up then your hunting will awesome. One last thing you might to consider is a couple of confedence decoys like some feeder butts or some blue heron decoys.

As far as cover goes the biggest thing is to hold still when the ducks are coming in. The more cover you you have the better but you don't have to be totally hidden.

Good Luck on you waterfowl adventures.

well first of all it depends on the ducks mood. ive been in the blind with a horible setup and the ducks would come in like mad likewise if had the absolute perfect setup and the duck wouldn't give a second look.
but i usually make a U pattern with the decoys with the open end of the U facing with the wind so the ducks come with the wind in their face and are landing inside the U. if the duck are well hunted around there then it is real important to have cover over the top of you or they'll pick you out every time. but it does take a few learning trips to get the hang of it but on the right day there is not much you can do wrong just let em come

Thanks guys

Any info is greatly appreciated !! :thumb

This duck hunting seems like it could be addicting !!!! :-$ :-$

Its great having something to hunt after the muzzle loader deer and Elk season is over. :thumb I thought we were done for the year . :>/

Thanks again-
Rob and Cody.

UtahRob, One thing for sure, If you don't draw the ducks, you got a great view! =D>

Late season ducks are tough, to say the least. They have been hunted for a while and don't fool easily. I think having camo over the top would help. And lots of patients. Seems like every once in a while a group will fly in for a close look. :thumb

a spread of mallard decoys is real common it seems to help me a ton to toss out a small group of teal decoys on the side then a few widgeon decoys mixed in with the mallards.

Addicting is an under statement. When you get your set up looking sweet and the wind kicks up from just the right direction those ducks will seem like they are dropping in on a string. One day of it being like this and you will be like the rest of us. Dozens of decoys stacked all over the place just waiting for the tempurture to start dropping and a strom to come rolling through will get you blood boiling just like the other hunts will. And the best part is that the hunt goes till the end of January for geese. =D>

Saturday was a good duck day for me. I went out at sunrise, broke ice with the boat to get to my spot, endured the yahoos setting up with 75 yards of me and calling non-stop for 3 hours. No birds to speak of. No wind. A little cloud cover. Cold. Very cold. Almost left at 11:00.

After everybody left I moved my set-up a few hundred yards. Still nothing would commit. Moved again. Then it happened. At 1:20 PM the wind kicked up from dead calm to a 10mph blast of cold air. Then the snow started and then the ducks got stupid and I was on the X. It was a rare day when I could pick and choose what I wanted to shoot. I ended the day at 2:45 with 6 mallards and 1 pintail.

During the course of this hunt, I had 5 decoys out in my first set-up. I had 2 out in my second set-up. Those 2 spots were small potholes surrounded by tall tules. On my third set-up I put 9 decoys because I was in a larger body of water. A different set-up can sometimes be the difference in your day.

As was mentioned by killerbee, different decoys help. I always put out at least 1 decoy of a different size just to add variety, usually a teal decoy. I've also hunted over 1 decoy in a pretty good size pothole with excellent results. Try different set-ups and vary the number of decoys.

Cover is what makes the difference for late season mallards where we hunt. If you have birds flaring off, you're not concealed well enough. We wear face masks and sit very still. Mallards are spooky and cautious.

I stay all day, or until I get my limit. It can turn on (or off!) in a hurry. Saturday everybody left before the magic started. I had it all to myself. But one thing is certain, if you're not where the ducks want to be, nothing will work. Windy, raining and snowy weather is always best for me. Don't be afraid to move and try to keep the wind at your back.

You've already been warned... this sport is extremely addictive. Whatever money you had left after deer and elk season ended is now spent on duck gear! And as a_bow_nut said, make room for the stacks of decoys!

Thanks again great info !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :thumb

Hey utahrob keep us posted on theprogress let us know what changes help

here's a question for you , are moterized motion decoys legal where you hunt? if so that will help a ton! but it all starts with having duck where your hunting if they are not there, nothing will work, and it time to try anew place

Join Ducks Unlimited! Greatest conservation organization in the world - plus the magazines are full of the info you need....