Some tips for duck hunting in a promising season
It's good news for duck hunters. This has been a record year for duck production, the best since 1955, and mallards alone are up 22 percent from the long term average. So, this season will be a golden chance to put some waterfowl in the freezer, and there are several ways to do it, just one being jump shooting them on small waters. But the classic way to hunt ducks is from a blind along the shores of a good sized lake, and that's the way most of us think of waterfowl hunting.
It's easy to picture sitting in a blind with dark clouds scudding across the sky and maybe sleet ratting on the roof. Suddenly, a flock of bluebills comes racing out of nowhere, spots the decoys, turns on the seductive call of a handheld, and pitches dipping and jinking into the blocks. Then a blast of gunfire, the sharp scent of gun powder, and a couple of birds floating out there. Classic.
Many of Ohio's big lakes offer waterfowl blind sites, usually by lottery, and these are certainly taken by now. But any private lake of at least several acres will work, and once permission is given to hunt there, building a blind of local materials such as cattails or corn stalks is the work of a few hours. Do remember not to try your luck on an ordinary little farm pond. There are so many of these around that a flock can choose from dozens, and the chances that birds will drop into one where you're patiently waiting are slight.
Once your blind is built, remember a few basic facts. One is the more decoys the better. Even on a 4- to 5-acre lake several dozen aren't too many, and the big magnum blocks will draw more attention that those of ordinary size. And you don't just toss some out there at random. Veteran waterfowlers have discovered several patterns for decoys, the fish hook and others, and you can pick up a book at most libraries or Google information from the web and see several kinds.
Whatever pattern you choose, remember to leave a fair sized open space within good shooting range so the birds will have an obvious spot to pitch in. It doesn't hurt to have several kinds of decoys either, each segregated with its own kind, like maybe some mallards along with a few divers like redheads or scaup, and a couple of Canada geese along one side. You needn't pull the blocks at the end of each day. Over the years that I blind hunted we left our decoys in until season's end. We rarely lost any.
You'll need to be handy with a duck call, too, but that's not hard. Visit any sizable sporting goods store and they'll have some for sale along with recordings that will help you practice. I was never better than average though I called in plenty of birds, but a hunting partner was so eloquent that I several times saw him call in a flock a second time that we'd already shot up once.
And here's a final point to remember — good weather is bad weather in the world of blind hunting. On a sunny, warm, pleasant bluebird day the birds will fly little after maybe the first hour after dawn or so. You're better off mowing the grass. But a nasty day with a front moving in, strong winds and maybe a few snow flakes will see flocks and singles or pairs moving all day seeking food and shelter. On days like that, be out there and ready with plenty of shells and hot coffee. You'll probably need both.
Dick Martin is a retired biology teacher who has been writing outdoor columns for 30 years. You can reach him at richmart@neo.rr.com.
