Duck Hunting Tips of the Day

[ukiahcwa]

you can teach an old dog new tricks. I picked up a tip from this web site;wax the reeds in your single read duckcalls to prevent sticking.
like most of you i have a bag full of calls I don't use for various reasons. after reading the post about using rain-x or wax to prevent calls from sticking I dug into my bag and pulled out a call I really liked the sound of but I could'nt use because it was only good for the first flock of the day after that it wouldn't blow worth a darn unless I took it apart and cleaned and dried it. it was the perfect call for this test.

The only wax I had was the Eagle one wax as you dry (great for cars too) so I blew a few notes on the call and got it good-n-wet it started sticking of course, then I pulled it apart sprayed the reed and the insert with wax ( I didn't remove the read or cork) I uesd a dollor bill to work the wax under the reed and cork. A buck is the best thing for cleaning and to dry a call it won't tear and come apart like paper towels or tissue by the way.\
Then I wiped it all down with a soft cloth including the barrel inside and out.

Iv'e been blowing this call for 10 days and it still hasn't stuck, yes I'm a spitter, yes it was a plastic call, also it shines like a new penny, and yes I did the same to all of my single reed non wood calls.

If I knew about this 30 years ago my bag-o-calls would be much smaller

Frank

I use chap stick, always in my blind bag and keeps call moisture free

[elcazador]

I got on(I'm not sure if it's been posted yet, but oh well). If you use face paint/make up that's camo to hide your face from shining in the sun but forgot your face paint at home use a lighter and stick of soft wood or charcoal. Just burn the end of the stick and it rubs off. You could use a cork if you have one, they work better. Takes the shine off your face if you have nothing else.

[ukiahcwa]

I got on(I'm not sure if it's been posted yet, but oh well). If you use face paint/make up that's camo to hide your face from shining in the sun but forgot your face paint at home use a lighter and stick of soft wood or charcoal. Just burn the end of the stick and it rubs off. You could use a cork if you have one, they work better. Takes the shine off your face if you have nothing else.

If birds see in UV, wouldn't it make sense to just put on sunscreen? It makes your skin black under a UV light.. IDk?

[elcazador]

If birds see in UV, wouldn't it make sense to just put on sunscreen? It makes your skin black under a UV light.. IDk?

But if you put on the camo/charcoal then you can stop and get gas or food on the way back home and people will know you're a bad duck slayin machine! But seriously, I don't know about birds and UV and all that, all I know is paint your face and it helps you stay hidden. I might try sunscreen next season, seems like it would be easier to get off.

[ukiahcwa]

If birds see in UV, wouldn't it make sense to just put on sunscreen? It makes your skin black under a UV light.. IDk?

But if you put on the camo/charcoal then you can stop and get gas or food on the way back home and people will know you're a bad duck slayin machine! But seriously, I don't know about birds and UV and all that, all I know is paint your face and it helps you stay hidden. I might try sunscreen next season, seems like it would be easier to get off.

IDK I just end up wearing a light weight mask. Whatever works, right.

How about movement? I went battery free, only use a jerk cord now. But those Lucky Duck splashers look cool. Even on a windy day I watch large groups of ducks and there is always a lot of splashing water. Can't seem to get that with the jerk cord.. How well do the Lucky Ducks work?

[alwaysonahunt]

I am new to this forum. When I am out duck hunting, I don't like to call very much because I believe it scares more ducks away then brings them in. Anyone else having more luck only having motion in your spread but less calling? I am from the south so it is probably from them already being educated. IMO

[jimmymuller]

Hello Everyone!! I would like to recommend you do not shoot too fast. A key reason for missing ducks and geese is shooting too fast. Do not try to compete with your hunting partners. Just take your time, and focus solely on hitting your target.

[Waterfowl Ace]

When you exit the truck, make sure your lanyard is tucked on the inside of your waders. Especially if you're launching the boat.

[MNOutdoorman1]

Hello Everyone!! I would like to recommend you do not shoot too fast. A key reason for missing ducks and geese is shooting too fast. Do not try to compete with your hunting partners. Just take your time, and focus solely on hitting your target.

This^^^ Sometimes I'll send 3 quick shots into a large flock and maybe drop 1 duck. Other times I will take my time and shoot once or twice consistently dropping 1-2 ducks and conserving ammo

[jimmymuller]

All shooters want to shoot better. If a shooter says otherwise, he is telling a tall tale. Since perfect doesn’t exist, Duck hunting are always trying to come up with their next goal. Maybe your next achievement is to break your highest score on FITASC, maybe it’s to move to a different class. But for many shooters, a handful of shooting mistakes create frustration in the field or on the range. I have helped shooters at all skill levels gain proficiency by eliminating mistakes and by helping each shooter trust their instincts, learn to be present, and stay focused.

[kahunna]

Don't get caught almost getting shot on camera like MinnesotaDan did in his thread on HHole forum!

[Black Coyote]

Want to see what leads look like? Look at something still while your moving target is in view and blink once fast. The moving subject will appear to jump a gap. A fast blink clocks in around 1/10th of a second which is about the time it takes for a 35yd. shot. At twenty yards, halve the gap. At 55yds double it.

If you're blinking slower or shooting 1600fps then it may look like a 45yd. shot. At 25yds the lead would be half.

[KCNomad]

Put a sock over the heads of nice decoys to prevent scraping of paint or flocking

[CleanupBoss]

[img][img][/img][/img]One time saving tip I use is to prepare different camo field “Blankets” for my dog blind during the off season. Instead of trying to scrounge up natural cover for my personal blind, and then trying to camo my dog’s blind while everyone else is whining that (1) I took all the raked up grass, weeds etc. and (2) its taking too long for my anal retentive camo efforts, I just have a couple of “blankets” already made up and simply drape them over the dog blind.
In order to match the field conditions, I have a light colored blanket (Wheat field), a dark blanket (dead rice field) and a mixed color (Typically when I plan on adding some natural stuff out of the field we’re hunting in). Even if the blanket doesn’t match perfectly (Did I say I’m anal retentive about my camo?), you still get a pretty fast start on the camo project and need only a little more of the natural grasses/ reeds/ tumble weeds to finish the job.
I first get the Hunters Specialty leafy camo material (with holes already cut) from Wally World https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hunter-s-Spe ... 2/26464510
Over the years, I’ve collected several different colors of pre-dyed camo grasses. Tangle free had it on sale last year after season http://tanglefree.com/product-category/blindgrass alternatively you can get post season sale on Killer Weed layout blind kits for different types of field hunting https://www.averyoutdoors.com/killerwee ... -blind-kit .
I’ll cut a 6’ x 4’ piece of the Hunter’s Specialty leafy camo material and attach whatever color of pre-dyed grass is appropriate. I’ll take a handful of grass, stretch it out, run a piece of braided nylon decoy line through a couple of adjacent holes in the camo material (although zip ties would work too) and then tie the grass to the leafy camo material.
While this does take some time to do, it gets you out of the house (the grass is messy so either leave the house, do it in the garage, but make sure you have beer) typically when I take the dog for a run for a couple of hours. You don’t have to finish the blanket all at once, just take your time and think about those green heads coming in with cupped wings.
These blankets are light and roll up compactly like a small sleeping bag, wrapped by a bungee cord that also secures the blanket to the dog blind in really windy weather.

[Ducksolo]

That's a great idea. I am going to make that a project for next summer.

[CleanupBoss]

Yeah, definitely a summer project when the post season sales are on.
I got the dog blind idea after I made a personal 6'x4' blanket for hiding under when I either didn't have a ready made blind or when I'd move out of the blind to say, a near by pot hole or set up under a shady cut-bank next to a stream/pond- or toss it over my layout boat/blind. Same concept with the larger blanket, it rolls up easy and is very light. I'll bungee it to the bottom of my pack (just like a sleeping bag on a backpack) and just toss it aside until needed. If it gets wet/muddy while rolled up, no problem because neither the camo material, the braided nylon ties nor the dyed grass will rot.
Glad you like the idea; it's a really fast & easy way to set up in the dark and when the sun comes up, even if your blanket doesn't match your surroundings perfectly, its a lot easier to gather up some nearby cover and simply pile it onto your blanket.

[PFWaterfowler]

Whether it is early or late season we do our homework and by homework we mean scouting. Just like in real estate it is about location, location, location. We find the birds and then try to get to where they want to be even if it takes reaching out to land owners and bridging new relationships. This doesn't always work and we don't always get on the "X" but it is worth the shot.

We still hunt a lot of public lands and it is still about knowing where and when the birds are using those spots then try to be the first to get on them.

Check out our video from last season when our scouting paid off on a beautiful blue bird day!

[CleanupBoss]

Nice vid!
Looks like you guys had a blast!

[toddmania]

If your decoys have begun to look dirty, and you feel like dunking them to brighten their original colors, try cleaning them before your next outing with tire cleaner foam. Simply hang your old decoys along your backyard fence, spray them thoroughly with tire cleaning solution, and let them dry overnight using Mathews Chill SDX Bowstrings. The next morning, they look as good as new.

Thanks for these. How about this:
Stay late. Waterfowl frequently migrate with or slightly behind cold fronts to take advantage of strong tail winds. On good migration days, don't leave the blind early. The best hunting often occurs late in the morning, when many migrating flocks stop to take a rest.

[GREYHAWK38]

check boat batty before leaving home, because walmarts will be 70 miles away, for a hot batty

[agengo02]

Thanks BGipson.

We get a lot of teal. So the majority of my spread is teal. We also get a bunch of Ruddys, Scaup, and Divers.
I use about 15 teal, leaving enough room for birds to land . . .

I also have 4 Scaup hens I put seperate from the teal close to the shore w/ 2 feeder Scaup drakes.

I totally conceal my boat and hike about 10 yards from it, hunt from behind some tall grass or palm bushes by the spread. Im in full camo including face mask and gloves . . .

I'm just not limiting out or dropping as many birds as the other guys at the boat ramp . . .

I don't know if it was a typo or not, but you need to get further than 10 yards from your boat. Go stash the boat a couple hundred yards away. Stay low/hidden, call sparingly. Even this early in the season where I'm at they seem to be very call shy. A simple low quack (grey duck) will break off a single or pair off a main group better than a loud hail call.

[mudpack]

Late in the season, we set our decoys up so the birds will slowly cross in front of us instead of coming into our face. That way the birds aren't looking directly at you during their final approach.

Actually, they ARE looking directly at you this way; their eyes are on the SIDE of their head.

[mudpack]

I totally conceal my boat and hike about 10 yards from it, hunt from behind some tall grass or palm bushes by the spread. . .

I don't know if it was a typo or not, but you need to get further than 10 yards from your boat. Go stash the boat a couple hundred yards away.

I agree with '02; tough experience has told me that 200 yards from the spread is the minimum for hiding the boats.
I've had too many flocks that were circling my spread flare from a boat parked 100 yards away.

[DuckManClyde]

Went with all new avian deeks this year. Decided to Texas rig them. But with the price of weights I decided to make my own.

I work concrete construction so the boss gave me a bag of mix, some pvc, and I grabbed straws today. Will post back when they've been tested. 2inches tall 1 inch ID.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[walnuts4x4]

Let us know if they work out... I've done concrete for regular anchors but never Texas rigged...