Wood Duck hunting advice

[Blue Water Buck]

On gun opener this past Saturday I set watch our big creek bottom field. Saw 3 different sets of woodies fly in between 6-7. Listened to them until almost 8. Where they headed they could have went to a big hole in the creek that we saw some last year eating acorns or the corner of a cut corn field that's been naturally flooded by a beaver dam.

Where should we set up this Saturday??

 

[Deadpool]

Woodies love creeks.

 

[MickThompson]

If they are coming in decent bunches, I'd set up on the big hole with just a few decoys in current or on a jerk string

 

[Blue Water Buck]

If they are coming in decent bunches, I'd set up on the big hole with just a few decoys in current or on a jerk string

Call to them unseen or no?

 

[West_Tn]

You don't call in Woodies.

 

[younggun308]

My advice is go glass that hole one morning between now and the opener. Be there before first light (30 minutes before sunrise). Find the flight path and set up in range of it or where they want to land.

It'll probably be too dark when they fly in for them to flare off of you if you are sitting around natural cover (treeline, tall grass, etc). But an evening hunt you risk either a) them flying in too late (shooting light for waterfowl ends at sunset, not 30 mins after like deer) or b) them seeing you and flaring because it isn't dark enough.

If they're in that big field in first thing morning shooing hours and you have even a little cover, I'd wait for them there. The hunt will be over in 15 minutes, probably, but you might just tag out.

 

[TNGunsmoke]

Wear your orange, they'll think you're deer hunting....

 

[jc0313]

If there's a good bend or oxbow in the creek that's where I would setup. I tend to see lots of Woodies in spots like that.

 

[Uncle Jesse]

Wood Ducks are cold sensitive. This front might push them out.

It happened to me a couple years ago. Had a pond with too many to count. Checked it the Sunday before season and it was loaded. A cold front came through and I checked it that Friday and not a duck to be seen

 

[Blue Water Buck]

My advice is go glass that hole one morning between now and the opener. Be there before first light (30 minutes before sunrise). Find the flight path and set up in range of it or where they want to land.

It'll probably be too dark when they fly in for them to flare off of you if you are sitting around natural cover (treeline, tall grass, etc). But an evening hunt you risk either a) them flying in too late (shooting light for waterfowl ends at sunset, not 30 mins after like deer) or b) them seeing you and flaring because it isn't dark enough.

If they're in that big field in first thing morning shooing hours and you have even a little cover, I'd wait for them there. The hunt will be over in 15 minutes, probably, but you might just tag out.

One group we definitely think went to the field as they went down later than the first 2. However the way their calls sounded some were absolutely in the creek. We may actually hunt both!

 

[younggun308]

One group we definitely think went to the field as they went down later than the first 2. However the way their calls sounded some were absolutely in the creek. We may actually hunt both!

Possibly could jump shoot the creek after hunting the field.

 

[Blue Water Buck]

Possibly could jump shoot the creek after hunting the field.

I've heard many talk about jump shooting but honestly I have no idea how people do it! Any time I've gotten near them they'd be long gone before getting off a shot!

 

[Uncle Jesse]

Look for wrinkles on the water as you're coming up to it. I've had good success by letting my dog go ahead of me. They're not scared of the dog and it keeps their focus away from me

They will alert to any sounds on the bank and if they see the dog first it really calms them down

Plus you can watch the dogs reaction and know if there's any there or not