Roost questions --

[Bercy]

Yes, I know - don't shoot a roost.

However, if you have ducks that are using your place heavily as a roost, what have been your experiences trying to hunt in the afternoons? Can you hunt overcast days, shoot the early arrivals, be out 30 minutes early regardless of what you have, let the majority of birds come in and not mess them up?

On the other hand, in the same place in the mornings - has anyone been able to tell any noticeable difference with ducks coming back if you flush them out in the dark to set up vs. letting the ducks leave then set up after sunrise?

Thanks.

[4dawgma]

just show up 5 mins before dark and shoot the hell out of'em! your only gonna get to do it once so dont worry about limits.

[ScottyLee]

learned a valuable lesson last year about doing this. We have a small drain that the beavers have damned up in an overgrown field with willows growing down the fence that runs through the middle of the break and some buck brush in the upper end. entire thing is knee deep except for the beaver runs....

anyways, here's my advice:

On overcast days it seems the birds would come in earlier in the afternoon. the brighter and sunnier the later they would come to roost. If the birds aren't disturbed off of the roost they will come back on up in the morning/afternoon to day sit before feeding again in the afternoon. Wait until all of the birds are gone out of there in the morning, then go in and set up mid morning (bring a lunch) Plan to stay all day, because they will come back although it might seem as an eternity has passed before they show up. you will pick up several birds throughout the day just coming back to day sit. As it gets closer to legal shooting time ending it will be pretty intense on an overcast to cloudy day.

Just remember watch the clock, don't forget to keep tabs on what's hangin on the tote. and enjoy an amazing experience!!


oh and IF your going to do it, don't do it regularly. once or twice a season is plenty enough

[Tedl10]

learned a valuable lesson last year about doing this. We have a small drain that the beavers have damned up in an overgrown field with willows growing down the fence that runs through the middle of the break and some buck brush in the upper end. entire thing is knee deep except for the beaver runs....

anyways, here's my advice:

On overcast days it seems the birds would come in earlier in the afternoon. the brighter and sunnier the later they would come to roost. If the birds aren't disturbed off of the roost they will come back on up in the morning/afternoon to day sit before feeding again in the afternoon. Wait until all of the birds are gone out of there in the morning, then go in and set up mid morning (bring a lunch) Plan to stay all day, because they will come back although it might seem as an eternity has passed before they show up. you will pick up several birds throughout the day just coming back to day sit. As it gets closer to legal shooting time ending it will be pretty intense on an overcast to cloudy day.

Just remember watch the clock, don't forget to keep tabs on what's hangin on the tote. and enjoy an amazing experience!!

pretty solid advice there

[torch]

NEVER,EVER shoot a roost.

[jdbuckshot]

NEVER,EVER shoot a roost.

i don't hunt roost anyway, i like hunting ducks much more.

Ducks Migrate. what ever duck is on your lease today, will be on someone elses lease very shortly, shoot ducks while you got them.

JD

[LawDawg]

hunt all day for ducks???? yall are some crazy crackers...

[torch]

i don't hunt roost anyway, i like hunting ducks much more.

Ducks Migrate. what ever duck is on your lease today, will be on someone elses lease very shortly, shoot ducks while you got them

When you shoot a roost they are gone forever. I have seen great brakes become a gar hole. Those ducks will become nocturnal and leave before shooting hours and come back in after shooting hours.

[donia]

Those ducks will become nocturnal and leave before shooting hours and come back in after shooting hours.

...happened to us after we snuck in before daylight a few times early season one year..... almost set your watch by it....2min before shooting hours, the entire slough would get up and fly 300yds and sit and eat all day (and laugh at us!) and by 10 min after shooting hours were up in the afternoon, they were like mosquitos they were so thick coming back in....SUK'd!

[ScottyLee]

Those ducks will become nocturnal and leave before shooting hours and come back in after shooting hours.

...happened to us after we snuck in before daylight a few times early season one year..... almost set your watch by it....2min before shooting hours, the entire slough would get up and fly 300yds and sit and eat all day (and laugh at us!) and by 10 min after shooting hours were up in the afternoon, they were like mosquitos they were so thick coming back in....SUK'd!

yep. chit sux when having to watch them land after hours are closed and leave before hours open, that's why it usually works best to let them filter out on there own, they'll come back on a more normal routine than if they got the ran off...

jmo

[LODI QUACKER]

he he he.....


Nocturnal ducks.... he he ehe.


If you will notice while sittin in da duck woods the birds are up and flying in the wee hours of darkness, thus the ole land in the decoys before shootin time thing.

Do what ScottyLee said , only shoot it a few or couple of times a year on the worst weather days you can have ( rain sleet, snow wind) some will be back early shoot them in da mouff and get hell out before the majority start coming back. Dont gather up all your buddies for this hunt, go by yourself or with one other gun. Shoot 6-12 times respectively and leave. Ducks arent going to go anymore "nocturnal" then they already are. HE EHE EHEE!!!!!!!

Been doing it on several holes for years, its amazing, dam wonder we dont have to have a q-beam to kill any in those holes.

Now if you go in and shoot the roost- late when they really start pilling in, it will be done till new birds start using it.

Bet that!!!


Nocturnal mallards!!!!!!!

[TODO]

I once knowed a dude that had a pretty good little hole that had become a roost. Many moons ago when he was much younger and dumber he bowed up and shot the chit out of that roost one evening. Legend has it aint no duck been seen on said hole since, except for some buffleheads, and we are talking 10+ years. Stay away from the roost shoot my advice.

[kris Schaumburg]

Where are those buffleheads at?

[LawDawg]

Where are those buffleheads at?

HAHAHA, i was about to say the EXACT same thing.

you can kill all you want on the rez.

[RNT]

at my camp we only evenin hunt the last two days of the season.. kind of a end of year treat I guess ha ha. but yea I would not recommend doin it often.