Waterfowl Hunting Thread - quack, quack, boom

Haven't seen a thread dedicated to us waterfowl hunters (yes, I did search) and since our season just kicked off figured I'd start one.

Wasn't able to go to our club for this past weekends opener due to unforeseen circumstances but let's see what and where you all hunt.

Where do you hunt and what do you shoot in your area.

Me:

Lease a duck club by the Salton Sea in Southern California. Warm weather almost the whole season, low 40s is about as cold as it ever gets, we've had it be 100+ for the opener before. We shoot primarily greenwing teal, cinnamon teal, wigeon, spoonies and pintail. We get snow geese on our club and the occasional canada goose. I'll hunt all over California as well as Montana. Best hunt days are when my daughters are with me.

Here's some of my past pics to get this started.

 

I just got started on waterfowl hunting this past weekend. Only got one duck my first go around but next week I am heading up North to Tehama County, California to set up on some geese.

That's awesome that your daughters join you! Core memories being built right there.

Hen Wood Duck, my buddy got the drake.

 

I'm missing a lot of pics on this phone. Hunt 200yds off the Platte River and have shot a little of everything. Havent been lucky enough to find a lost cinnamon teal, or been able to get a speck down but we see them every once in a while

 

Finally got out this season. We’re just starting to see some migration.

we ended up with 6 snows.

 

It's been pretty good around here (central Arkansas) getting plenty of wood ducks anyway. Now that the timber is flooding things should really improve.

 

I hunted Arkansas about 10 years ago. When we were there everything was frozen solid and we ended up hunting the rice fields. Never got to do the flooded timber. Still on my bucket list.

 

Had a pretty good weekend. Limits for me and a buddy Saturday.

 

Anyone having luck around San Diego/ El Centro? I’ve spent all my time focusing on turkey and deer but this year I’d like to try my hand at waterfowl. Checked some local ponds and not a lot of water to jump some ducks. Going to head out east this week sometime so any pointers would be a great help.

I also would be very happy to join in on any local watermen for a hunt if you’ve got room. Unfortunately, I am selling my skiff because I bought a bigger boat or else I’d offer it up for use on the local lakes. Happy to trade some duck hunts for a tuna run this season on the new sled.

 

Blue bird day. No birds flying. No shots fired. Sprig my lab an AKC Senior Hunter being spoiled and ruined by me. Great day.

 

For Imperial Valley you've got a couple of options. You can put in for reservations to Wister or sweat line it. If you don't want to do the refuge your best bet is to drive the canals and jump shoot mallards. Lots of driving but if you find the birds you can do pretty well. Really helps to have a dog if you're jump shooting the canals.

 

Tough day yesterday. We went from limits style hunting at the club to only seeing 6 ducks all day. Not sure what happened. Luckily we had two snows that decided to fly over the blind at 20 yards.

 

Henshaw?

 

My buddy did that Wednesday and got 5. I’ll have to give that a go soon.

 

No. Northern California around Grizzly Island, Honker Bay . When we have some weather we usuallly have great shooting. Tough work for the dog due to currents, tides and wind and waves. But it’s what he is born to do

 

My buddy and I got limit’s yesterday for the first time. Just got seriously started in waterfowling this season after deer ended. Pretty addicted now and can’t wait to hit it hard next season. Good reason to go gun shopping at least.

Here are some photos from the last month or so. Plus the gun that got it done. All the ducks were jump shot off canals or ponds. I did get to hunt a private club and it was a bust. I used BOSS Shotshells in either #5 or #3/5 blend for all ducks taken and have to say I’m pleased. A handful of ducks needed a follow up shots or to be dispatched but I’m no crack shot either.

I got all these with my 20ga Benelli Upland Ultralight. I use this gun for quail and dove but it was this or use my over under. It’s a performance shop model from 2017 and it’s got some beautiful wood stocks. I absolutely abused it yesterday and it’s too sentimental to me to destroy. Decided to order an Ethos Cordoba 12ga with the BEST treatment. Pretty excited about next season and more adventures to come.

How do you folks setup your Tacoma for hunting? I hunt everything and every season (rifle/ archery deer, turkey, upland, predator and now waterfowl) so I’m always shuffling gear based on what I’m doing. I’ve been considering a @decked system paired with a canopy. Currently I used a variety of crates or bags and it’s kind of a mess more often than not. I’m an organizer and the OCD in me is looking for better systems to consider.

 

Welcome to waterfowling! Where everything you want to buy starts at $250, and will look 30 years old in a week! Life doesnt let me hunt 45 days a year like it used to, but when fall meant hunting at anytime I just made a cheap platform to sit on top of my rear seats. I have a DC, and bought a 1/2in piece of plywood and couple feet of 2in dowel. Cut the dowel into 6in lengths and dropped drywall screws into each through the plywood. Fold the seats, platform goes in, room for a couple gun cases under and whatever clothes, packs, decoys(turkey/deer) go on top. Anything wet or bloody goes in the bed.

 

First season duck hunting, out of Bay Area ca. So I hunted grizzly island quite a bit with a few resis up north, Colusa and gray lodge. Lots of days that I should have limits but I need to brush up my shooting skills. I sorta just jumped in to it in December on a whim. Definitely see myself continuing. Here are some ducks and geese I got this year. Not great at remembering to take pictures so it’s not everything. But quite a few teal, spoonies, and wigeon. Then a few extras like bull sprig and that hand full of snows

 

sounds like a great setup! I’ve got a kid on the way and will need my backseat. Might be time for some more organization options!

 

I'm not 100% but the biggest duck in the middle pic looks like some type of Eurasion Wigeon-X hybrid. The bill is the wrong color.

 

That’s awesome! Sounds similar to my season. I hunt turkey and deer a few days a week minimum. Now that I know where to find ducks more or less, I’ll keep a shotgun handy for sure. I already can’t wait to see how 2023 shapes up with a few out of state deer hunts that I’ll try to double up on waterfowl if the deer hunting ends early in the trip.