# Waterfowl hunters?



## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

any waterfowl hunters out there?


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## axeforce6 (Sep 15, 2010)

Yep. Not havin a good season tho...


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## archerykid13 (Aug 11, 2009)

Yeah. I'm having an ok season. Not as good as I would like it to be.

Jake


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## ctrout (Nov 17, 2010)

Yes. Just started this season. Got a limit of greenheads passing on all others on opening day but I had $1600 O/U in the blind and it came away not looking so good so I decided to get a dedicated waterfowl gun. Picked up a Benelli M1 for $650 and have been having a lot of trouble hitting birds with it so my season is finishing out not as strong as I would like.


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

sweet, i got my limit of geese and ducks 4 days straight. 23 shots.. 8 geese 16 drake mallards, no hens. 2 drakes in 1 shot, no sucks or geese after that.


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## axeforce6 (Sep 15, 2010)

Where are u hunting. Lol. I haven't got to hunt that much tho. I may go to Ballard this Saturday. Not sure yet


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## Jonny Boy (Mar 7, 2010)

Favorite thing to hunt. Duck season is over here in eastern nebraska, but I had a pretty good season. Late goose season ends January 26th and I have been hunting them hard. Got my limit in the first 10 minutes a weekend ago, hunting with my cousin over a soy bean field.


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## Jonny Boy (Mar 7, 2010)

Can't wait until snow goose season opens up here again!


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

awesome, we slam geese up here in Illinois


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## Liv2Hunt8 (Sep 1, 2010)

Big Duck hunter here! I hunted the Northern opener in Wisconsin and we didn't see hardly anything. Had one flock come and and somebody jumped the gun.... but overall we did well in the Horicon Marsh for the remainder of the season. There were probably 2-3 days where we limited out and plenty of days we should have limited out.... couple ringnecks and plenty of teal shot this year. Also the usual drake mallards and one hen the whole year shot by me....lol. But we did pretty well. no woodies though...... also my buddy shot a mounter green wing teal but he already had one mounted. Nicest Green wing I've ever seen...Yeah I just shoot a pump too. 870 Wingmaster. She shoots straight....


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## Rory/MO (Jan 13, 2008)

I love it. Having a great season here so far. Still got a while to go.


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## Liv2Hunt8 (Sep 1, 2010)

Also the Geese flew high in Horicon this year... No Geese shot in our usual money holes for ducks... all Geese were shot field hunting by my buddy. I'm not a huge Goose hunter anyways. Plus I had exterior zone this year...


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## Jonny Boy (Mar 7, 2010)

Liv2Hunt8 said:


> Big Duck hunter here! I hunted the Northern opener in Wisconsin and we didn't see hardly anything. Had one flock come and and somebody jumped the gun.... but overall we did well in the Horicon Marsh for the remainder of the season. There were probably 2-3 days where we limited out and plenty of days we should have limited out.... couple ringnecks and plenty of teal shot this year. Also the usual drake mallards and one hen the whole year shot by me....lol. But we did pretty well. no woodies though...... also my buddy shot a mounter green wing teal but he already had one mounted. Nicest Green wing I've ever seen...Yeah I just shoot a pump too. 870 Wingmaster. She shoots straight....


870 shooter also. Love pumps, never tried a semi, so I don't have a reason to change. My cousin has a 20 gauge 870 and shoots ducks and geese with it, I always thought 20 gauge was too low of power, but he swears by it and has proved me wrong. 

Haven't shot any wood ducks around here either, usually shoot a few....


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## bdman (Jun 7, 2010)

i jsut got into waterfowl hunting this year, shot my first mallard hen the other day, and got a goose this morning! im hooked now! lol.. going out again in the morning hope we can get on em! good luck every one!


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

Jonny Boy said:


> 870 shooter also. Love pumps, never tried a semi, so I don't have a reason to change. My cousin has a 20 gauge 870 and shoots ducks and geese with it, I always thought 20 gauge was too low of power, but he swears by it and has proved me wrong.
> 
> Haven't shot any wood ducks around here either, usually shoot a few....


 I started out my fowl days with a 20 ga semi auto, i knocked down a goose at 65 yards. what type of shells do you guys use? i have always used 3" 2 shot, remington or kent shots i like.


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## Jonny Boy (Mar 7, 2010)

bdman said:


> i jsut got into waterfowl hunting this year, shot my first mallard hen the other day, and got a goose this morning! im hooked now! lol.. going out again in the morning hope we can get on em! good luck every one!


Good luck bdman, and have fun!


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## bdman (Jun 7, 2010)

Jonny Boy said:


> Good luck bdman, and have fun!


thanks jonny, i am hooked! i knew i shouldnt have gone, now its something else i will spend my money on!!! but its well worth it!


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## Liv2Hunt8 (Sep 1, 2010)

You guys may think the bigger the shell the better, but I swear a 2 3/4" 4 shot Federal is the best shell I've found. Just the blue box, not even the Black Clouds. Also I use a Modified choke and If the birds are decoying well, I shoot a improved cyl. What do your guys spread look like? We just basically set 50-75 decoys out and make "points" and "hooks" for the birds to decoy into. (I don't ever water swat unless the bird is winged and won't die). We got Pintail decoys and alot of hens and drake mallard decoys. Also a few buffs and teal.


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## Liv2Hunt8 (Sep 1, 2010)

What kind of calls do you guys blow? I got a Double nasty and a Tall Timber duck call. Both Buck Gardners. Also I blow a Canada Hammer Buck Gardner Goose call. But I have blown a Zink Poer Hen at Cabelas, and holy crap I love that call!! I can do a pretty darn good Hail call and a decent feeder...


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

i have a wing lock duck call that i love and a death somethin shortreed goose call, but i love my big river long neck, cant beat how easy it is to blow.


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## bdman (Jun 7, 2010)

Liv2Hunt8 said:


> You guys may think the bigger the shell the better, but I swear a 2 3/4" 4 shot Federal is the best shell I've found. Just the blue box, not even the Black Clouds. Also I use a Modified choke and If the birds are decoying well, I shoot a improved cyl. What do your guys spread look like? We just basically set 50-75 decoys out and make "points" and "hooks" for the birds to decoy into. (I don't ever water swat unless the bird is winged and won't die). We got Pintail decoys and alot of hens and drake mallard decoys. Also a few buffs and teal.


i was shooting the black clouds, and i didnt care much for them, i dont know if its me just being new to duck hunting, but they didnt seem to shoot very well out of the beretta. so ive got some other that a friend of mine gave me. im shooting 3". and the ducks seem to be scared of teh decoys around here, not sure if they are local birds and know whats going on and wont come in. they will stay out there around 65-70 yards when they land.


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## Rory/MO (Jan 13, 2008)

I shoot a Stoeger M2000. I consider it the best deal on the market by far. I think right now the MSRP is $400 for a black synthetic stock. I bought mine 6 or 7 years ago and haven't treated it great, just cleaned it a couple times a season and it's holding up great still. I bought it back then with a Max-4 stock for like $425ish. It has the Benelli Inertia system, but it's half the price. 
I mainly use Kent Fasteel BB, but use 1's occasianally. I shoot a modified choke. Blow a Haydel's Dirty Rice that's just about blown out, gonna pick up another call or two this off-season. Great on the quack, still learning the hail. Also blow a great widgeon/pintail/drake mallard whistle, but then again, who can't.

I'll be the first to post pics I guess lol. These are some of my hunts from this year. Haven't put all of my pics on photobucket yet.

30 ducks and a snow (there were 5 guys total) in about 4 hours









7 mallards and a shoveler all day









Opening day 18 in a couple hours


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

awesome, ill post some pics of mine, wait how do you post them? ill just do a link to photo bucket


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## Jonny Boy (Mar 7, 2010)

Liv2Hunt8 said:


> You guys may think the bigger the shell the better, but I swear a 2 3/4" 4 shot Federal is the best shell I've found. Just the blue box, not even the Black Clouds. Also I use a Modified choke and If the birds are decoying well, I shoot a improved cyl. What do your guys spread look like? We just basically set 50-75 decoys out and make "points" and "hooks" for the birds to decoy into. (I don't ever water swat unless the bird is winged and won't die). We got Pintail decoys and alot of hens and drake mallard decoys. Also a few buffs and teal.


I don't care what size of shell you shoot unless it gets the job done! For me, I shot 3in mag's, 2's for ducks and close geese, and BB's for geese only. I shoot a modified choke with a 28in barrel. I am a mobile duck hunter, going from place to place, marshes, lakes, rivers, so I have 14 mallard drake decoys, 6 greenwing teal decoys (2 hen and 4 drake) two mallard mojo's (drake and hen) and a quiver duck butt (adds ripples, looks like a feeding mallard, and keeps the water from freezing on calm days). Sounds like a lot, but I put all this on my back, and have no trouble getting to my farthest hunting hole (about 3/4 mile walk). My set up is usually in a "J-hook", a "V", or a "U" formation, with the point of the formation into the wind, mojos facing into the wind also. For calls, I carry a Duck Commander classic commander (so easy to blow and sounds amazing) tried out many more expensive calls, and still came back to this one. A big river long honker goose call, a specklebelly call (during season), and a pintail/mallard drake/gadwall/teal whistle (comes in alot of handy!)


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## Jonny Boy (Mar 7, 2010)

outdoorsman3 said:


> i have a wing lock duck call that i love and a death somethin shortreed goose call, but i love my big river long neck, cant beat how easy it is to blow.


That goose call is my favorite call ever!


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

i dont really care what shell i use either, ill put them down, here is a pic...

http://s1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff419/setchman3/?action=view&current=Picture005.jpg


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## Rory/MO (Jan 13, 2008)

outdoorsman3 said:


> awesome, ill post some pics of mine, wait how do you post them? ill just do a link to photo bucket


 Instead of using a link use the IMG code from photobucket. Just copy paste it right in.


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## Jonny Boy (Mar 7, 2010)

Nice birds guys!


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

there we go


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## Jonny Boy (Mar 7, 2010)

bdman said:


> i was shooting the black clouds, and i didnt care much for them, i dont know if its me just being new to duck hunting, but they didnt seem to shoot very well out of the beretta. so ive got some other that a friend of mine gave me. im shooting 3". and the ducks seem to be scared of teh decoys around here, not sure if they are local birds and know whats going on and wont come in. they will stay out there around 65-70 yards when they land.


I don't know what to say about the decoy problem, except make sure they are well painted, and you set them out with a spot that other ducks can land in. Another thing you can try is to purchase some motion decoys, like wing spinners, feeding ducks, quivering ducks, anything really to add realism and motion.


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

we use a robo duck and swivel feeders. along with bigfoot geese


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## bdman (Jun 7, 2010)

i am actually making a jerk cord for some of them now, and thought about going and getting some of the "duck butts" and and a jerk cord to them also. thanks for the help guys!


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## bdman (Jun 7, 2010)

outdoorsman3.... thats a sweet pic!


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

bdman said:


> outdoorsman3.... thats a sweet pic!


thanks!! and i want one of those AWESOME AMAZING CANT EXPLAIN HOW AWESOME REMOTE CONTROL DECOYS!!! just image... slow day... gettin bored... you and your buddys are racin them around!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5LN9ye7nbk


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## Liv2Hunt8 (Sep 1, 2010)

I wish I could post pictures from my phone but I can't. All the pics are the birds hanging off the boat after the hunt but I will try to get a couple up...


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## Liv2Hunt8 (Sep 1, 2010)

My Hen Mallard and a mounter Green Wing. 

It's a picture of a picture. Sorry for the bad quality. We didn't shoot too good that day either... lol


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

lol, its alright


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## bdman (Jun 7, 2010)

those pictures make me want to get out there even more! we only have a few weeks left here on the ohio river.


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## Liv2Hunt8 (Sep 1, 2010)

Yeah our season is long gone now, but there are still ducks stacked up in a little subdivision pond by my house now. The whole pond is froze over cept a little area for about 75 ducks. I drive past everyday wishing I could shoot em'. I just can't believe there's still ducks here in Wisconsin with single digit temps. Also my buddy swears he saw a hooded merganser which makes me want to go shoot em' even more... lol


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

Liv2Hunt8 said:


> Yeah our season is long gone now, but there are still ducks stacked up in a little subdivision pond by my house now. The whole pond is froze over cept a little area for about 75 ducks. I drive past everyday wishing I could shoot em'. I just can't believe there's still ducks here in Wisconsin with single digit temps. Also my buddy swears he saw a hooded merganser which makes me want to go shoot em' even more... lol


i coulda shot a drake hooded merg. but they taste terrible to eat.


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## Rory/MO (Jan 13, 2008)

outdoorsman3 said:


> i coulda shot a drake hooded merg. but they taste terrible to eat.


Taste terrible but look great on the wall.


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

yeah haha, im not a big mounter


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## Liv2Hunt8 (Sep 1, 2010)

They look awesome. Same with Cans and Redheads IMO. Yeah a merganser is a fish duck, longer beak taste like crap...


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## Liv2Hunt8 (Sep 1, 2010)

Rory and outdoorsman, do you guys mostly hunt public marshes/swamps/wetlands? or do you have a private pond or something? I hunt the Horicon marsh... largest freshwater marsh in North America if I've not mistaken. Also there is a couple other smaller public marshes in my area... i.e. Jackson, Theresa marshes...just curious. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKZs8vV8La0


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## Liv2Hunt8 (Sep 1, 2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT9bYJdkkBo&feature=related


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## Jonny Boy (Mar 7, 2010)

outdoorsman3 said:


> i coulda shot a drake hooded merg. but they taste terrible to eat.


Hey, hey now, I eat mergansers. There is a special way you gotta cook them though.


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## Jonny Boy (Mar 7, 2010)

Sweet vids liv2hunt, Duck Commander is one of my favorite shows!


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

Liv2Hunt8 said:


> Rory and outdoorsman, do you guys mostly hunt public marshes/swamps/wetlands? or do you have a private pond or something? I hunt the Horicon marsh... largest freshwater marsh in North America if I've not mistaken. Also there is a couple other smaller public marshes in my area... i.e. Jackson, Theresa marshes...just curious.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKZs8vV8La0


i have a private pond, but i hunt cornfields laying out all the time, ( look at my pics )


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## Rory/MO (Jan 13, 2008)

I mainly hunt private rice fields, private flooded timber, and private corn fields. I grew up duck hunting public land and still try to draw in every once in a while, but haven't had any luck even getting in in the last couple years.


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

Rory/MO said:


> I mainly hunt private rice fields, private flooded timber, and private corn fields. I grew up duck hunting public land and still try to draw in every once in a while, but haven't had any luck even getting in in the last couple years.


im an hour away from the mississippi river and i hate it because guys take 200 yard shots just so other people wont get ducks... idiots man, what are you gonna do?


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## Liv2Hunt8 (Sep 1, 2010)

Outdoorsman, that's what we call SKYBUSTERS! haha hate em' but can't get around it. I can't tell you how many times we were working a flock and waiting till good, ethical 30 yard or closer shots on decoying ducks when before we yelled the magic words some numbnuts across the bay or somewhere in the marsh would skybust and the birds would flare. It's extremely annoying.. because especially opening day you get guys that only hunt the opener and just look to shoot at whatever flies and however far away the bird is.... it sucks because it seems like there are only a few non-sky busters in the marsh.... other than us..... lol


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

exactly! haha. we just want some ducks and they want to shoot. i hate when guys shoot at those migrating teal that are like 700 yards in the air..


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## Liv2Hunt8 (Sep 1, 2010)

Not to mention the mallards that already have been shot at and are blazin' by 1,000 feet in the air and already know where they are goin' but the skybusters still throw some steel out there!!!
LOL. It's not fair. And it really makes me mad when they skybust and wing one and it slowly flies in the thick cattails and the dudes have to fire up their boat and mess up the hunting for us and on top of that they don't have a dog.... lol aggravating....


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## outdoorsman3 (Nov 15, 2010)

definetly, sky busters shouldnt be aloud to hunt.


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