Happy New Year Limit

Date Hunted 1/2/2017:

We started out the new year right this morning. There was a little fog this morning and the tide was up but the good stiff wind had the ducks on the move. Three of us shot 18 ducks for the day. I shot a grey, spoony, GW teal, BW teal, widgeon and pintail. The duck cycle I guess. The other guys shot a drake canvasback, redheads and greys. A very good late season hunt. .

Nice shooting, we will be heading down to SE Louisiana on the 13th to hunt the Wax. I am hoping we can have a few good shoots it is a long ride over from GA not to do much. I notice it looks like you hunt a lot of marsh land is their any advice to help us, Like how many decoys to put in a spread what kind of calling we need to do etc. etc.?

We hunt big water ponds. My suggestion if you hunt in a similar circumstance is to get as many decoys out there as you can. Even if it is late season. It is my experience if you have 100 decoys out the greys will come take a look. Also recommend at least 3 mojo spinners to get the ducks attention. All the above will do is to get the packs of greys to come look and hopefully you can get two or three out of the bunch to come close enough to shoot. If you only have 2 dozen decoys out the flocks of greys will pass you up and not give you a look.

As far as calling goes when the ducks are off in the distance hit em hard. Once they cup from high up just do a feed call or grunt into the call, lightly. Greys typically will corkscrew from high up down to the decoys and circle around the blind. If they start to leave hit the call medium to hard and they usually turn back around. They will usually give you two or three good looks and that is it. So if it is the third time around you may as well take a shot if you have one. It is very rare they (greys) will land in the decoys so pass shooting is what is required.

Another part of the equation is to be well hidden and still during their decent and flying around the decoys. Any movement is a killer.

One more bit of advice we have learned is on windy days shoot them sitting on the shell bucket. When 3 guys jump up to shoot they see that and will flare up 15 - 20 feet in no time so the quality of the first shot is not good and the second shot almost a waist of time.

I hope my advice helps. Good luck on your trip.

Thanks, I am hoping for a little weather change it seems like we might be swatting more mosquitos than ducks because of 75 degree days. Maybe we can have some luck. and any info is good info I appreciate it.

Hey mileypop is there any way on this forum I can private message you, I would like to talk with you about our trip and see if you could give us some better info. Thanks.

Bring a lot of decoys to hunt the wax, the more the merrier out there. The spinner can be a blessing and a curse, put a couple out and watch how the birds respond to it, if they no likey then go pick it up. In the morning go find a big patch of roseau cane (like soft bamboo) and cut a bunch of it(2-3 large bundles). Head out to the edge of the 'fingers', out in the gulf . You may find an old blind to get your boat in and dress it up with the cane that you cut. I like to put two piles of decoys on the downwind side with a landing zone and spread the other decoys up wind of you . Hope for some wind cause without it your hunt will s@@k.

Thanks Wolfman, I am hoping with the big cold front coming this weekend maybe some ducks will hold down there for next weekend with the warmer weather coming.