Need some guidance!
Need some guidance!
I have a question that maybe some of you pros could help me with. Last week I hunted a field and behind me about 75-85 yards I could hear some mallards chattering and talking amongst themselves. A mallard come through my spread and I shot and I could see them get up and it was several. After getting up they never returned. After I got through hunting, I walked over and looked at where they were sitting. It's a nice spot. My question is: Would you hunt this spot in the morning or do you think it is mainly a roost hole? Do birds decoy to roost holes? I've heard people say, "it's a good roost hole", speaking in general, but I don't know if mallards in the day necessarily would stop on a spot that is used in this fashion as in roosting. This is the first time I've noticed this hole. Your opinion and personal experience is needed and is very appreciated. I only have one more shot to get'em and that's in the morning and don't want to waste my time guessing. At least my guessing!!
- Bustin' Ducks
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- Ducks be us
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don't want to waste my time guessing. At least my guessing!!
Ohhh!!!!!!
You might as well stop duck hunting then!
Do you have a for sure spot instead? If not, it's all guessing isn't it?
Seeing ducks is generally a good thing to place a guess on
If it's a roost, then anytime tomorrow after 2 pm will probably be good because weather is on the way and they tend to show up early in that case.
Get there earlier, what the heck.
If nothing shows, then hunt it sunday morning.
Ohhh!!!!!!
You might as well stop duck hunting then!

Do you have a for sure spot instead? If not, it's all guessing isn't it?
Seeing ducks is generally a good thing to place a guess on

If it's a roost, then anytime tomorrow after 2 pm will probably be good because weather is on the way and they tend to show up early in that case.
Get there earlier, what the heck.
If nothing shows, then hunt it sunday morning.
'Hookup'....I don't know how far away you were from the hole when they jumped (at the sound of gunfire).......but my experience has been that when you bust some ducks out of a spot, wherever they went afterwards is where they'll show-up the next day.
I scouted last week (not really expecting to find anything) and got careless. I checked-out a spot I normally hunt and wasn't real quiet, approaching. Some birds were in plain view as I rounded the bend in the boat, but I was full-throttle. They saw me and jumped the treeline into a land-locked slough on private land. I eased up to the hole to see if any more were there, that didn't see me. There was about a dozen left, and I just sat and glassed them for about `15 minutes. The other birds didn't come back. Next day, we set-up where they were sitting the day before and only got 11 to return. Out of those 11, we only got 3 to land where we wanted them to.
When ducks are few and hunters are relentless, ducks won't take a lot of harrassment.
The other thing is......I wouldn't count-on 5% of what jumped, to return the next day. If you jumped 200 birds, obviously your odds are better, but you can bet one thing.......what DOES return will be cautious. 'Lotta times, if we can make sure we get hidden real well (within 30yds of the "X"), we won't put-out any decoys and don't do any calling. 'Lotta folks insist on puttin'-out decoys and calling in situations where you don't even NEED to.
........and settin'-up 'close' to the "X" (outside of gun range), isn't going to do much good. If it's a big hole and you're not sure where they jumped from, Wait 'til the first bunch hits and go set-up THERE.....pronto!
Good luck.
I scouted last week (not really expecting to find anything) and got careless. I checked-out a spot I normally hunt and wasn't real quiet, approaching. Some birds were in plain view as I rounded the bend in the boat, but I was full-throttle. They saw me and jumped the treeline into a land-locked slough on private land. I eased up to the hole to see if any more were there, that didn't see me. There was about a dozen left, and I just sat and glassed them for about `15 minutes. The other birds didn't come back. Next day, we set-up where they were sitting the day before and only got 11 to return. Out of those 11, we only got 3 to land where we wanted them to.
When ducks are few and hunters are relentless, ducks won't take a lot of harrassment.
The other thing is......I wouldn't count-on 5% of what jumped, to return the next day. If you jumped 200 birds, obviously your odds are better, but you can bet one thing.......what DOES return will be cautious. 'Lotta times, if we can make sure we get hidden real well (within 30yds of the "X"), we won't put-out any decoys and don't do any calling. 'Lotta folks insist on puttin'-out decoys and calling in situations where you don't even NEED to.
........and settin'-up 'close' to the "X" (outside of gun range), isn't going to do much good. If it's a big hole and you're not sure where they jumped from, Wait 'til the first bunch hits and go set-up THERE.....pronto!
Good luck.
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