[Fowl Intentions]

New to layout for divers. Want to go up to the lake and was wondering about the distance form shore a hunter needs to be. and any other advise one would be willing to divulge. Not new to duck hunting but just got all the tools for a layout diver hunt. PM me if necessary. Thanks for the help. Don't want spots just some advice form another layout hunter. How deep?

Cheers
erich

 

[Leakydecoy]

I've not specifically hunted Flathead but have hunted open water on plenty of other waterbodies in MT and the West. Layout hunting isn't that much different from selecting a shore blind in that you want to set up either where the ducks want to be or where they will pass en route to where they want to be. I wait to see what the birds are doing before dropping the first decoy. Consequently, I don't worry about setting up in the dark when using a layout. It may be 50 feet or 1/4 mile from shore in three feet or 50 feet of water. You said you have all of the tools but exactly what tools you have (e.g. a tender boat with a second person) may (should) limit how far you want to hunt from shore. You need to be able to get the heck to shore instantly if bad weather shows up.

 

[montana quackhead]

Unless your hunting near shore on Flathead Lake, you HAVE to have a tender boat!! Especially on Flathead!! The weather can turn sour quick and sh!t can hit the fan! Legally, you can hunt as close to shore as you want, but I wouldn't set up right there in downtown Polson. :lol3: :lol3: Good luck and let us know how it goes! Diver hunting can be a lot of fun on Flathead.

 

[montana quackhead]

Btw, if you know where the narrows is located, that would be a spot to check out! :thumbsup:

 

[Fowl Intentions]

Yes, I have a tender boat. I usually hunted out of a Momarsh DP but got a bigger john this year (tender for the diver hunt). I was going to layout in the Momarsh and deciding whether or not to try the visqueen trick. Good to know about the shooting distance. I think we are going to head out of big arm and head east but the plan can change. Our numbers are low on diver decoys but we might throw in some puddlers to add to the numbers. Getting close and getting excited. Ganglines are all set, too.

Cheers,
Erich

 

[montana quackhead]

Good luck erich! Keep us posted! :thumbsup:

 

[Fowl Intentions]

Hey quackhead. Would you be willing to divulge where the narrows are?

Cheers
Erich

 

[Will_Hunt_4_Food]

Hey Erich...when are you going to try and go?

 

[Fowl Intentions]

We are trying to go early next week during the week. Any other hints on a better layout spot would be appreciated but I figure that these divers will be like all the others ones I have encountered in MT. Easily decoyed. Thanks for the info guys.

Cheers,
Erich

 

[Leakydecoy]

I don't know if you have the gray or olive drab paint job on your DP, but if you have the door system to hide yourself I wouldn't mess with the visquene. You'll spend most of your time cursing it and it's really not necessary. My DP is gray and works great in the open.

Late season divers are still relatively easily decoyed and without a ton of decoys...if you're in the right spot. It's sorta like field hunting since when the birds start to congregate in one area, all followers will head to that spot. The beauty of longline rigs is that you can move pretty quickly. I'll be surprised if you see much other than whistlers, sawbills and maybe a few buffies this late in the year, but you may be surprised at the mallards wanting to land out there too.

Have fun and be safe!

 

[Fowl Intentions]

The momarsh is OD green. I bought it in WA on the coast and the guy owns a duck club. He said he only uses these boats as layouts in the OD green. I do have doors but they are grassed up. I read that if you just lay still it'll work. The visqueen does sound like a pain in the *** but it sure does look like water. Thanks for all the help guys. One more question...how far away from houses do you have to be. I thought I read 400 yds. I'm not sure where I read it or what state (some out of state hunting). Tried to look it up on fwp site but can't find it. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

cheers
erich

 

[wingnutty]

I do not believe MT has a law governing discharge in proximity to dwellings. On Montana STATE lands, there is a distance law, not sure if it is 100 yards or 400 yards, but this law only refers to state owned lands. We should all obviously use a good dose of common sense though, especially on places like flathead.

Best of luck and post some pics.

:thumbsup:

 

[montana quackhead]

On state lands, you must be 1/4 mile away from a dwelling before you can shoot. I don't think that applies to archery. And on Flathead, I don't know the specific laws, but just use common sense. I don't want to hunt by a dwelling anyway! :smile: But as long as your not hunting near an inhabited structure, it's game on! :thumbsup: