Bird Hunting Tactics

[Abe89]

Ok, nothing but me, some calls, and a gun. No decoys, no dog. Bout as simple and budget minded as it gets.

What some tips for ducks and geese? I know success will be limited, but what is possible? I've Had some ok success with upland bird (and rabbits tossed in too) this last season, but would like to broaden my experience this upcoming season.
Thanks!


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[Bergerboy]

If you get on a flyway you will be able to pass shoot some. Find the path between the food and the water.

[achtanelion]

Jump them on a pond. After your first couple swims, you'll learn not to shoot when they're over water. ;-).

Or sneak them in a canoe or kayak. Slow, easy movement is the name of the game. After your first couple swims, you'll learn not to shoot broadside. ;-)

J

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by achtanelion

Jump them on a pond. After your first couple swims, you'll learn not to shoot when they're over water. ;-).

Or sneak them in a canoe or kayak. Slow, easy movement is the name of the game. After your first couple swims, you'll learn not to shoot broadside. ;-)

J

HAHA! Ain't that the truth!!
Cat

[BuckCuller]

Originally Posted by achtanelion

Jump them on a pond. After your first couple swims, you'll learn not to shoot when they're over water. ;-).

Or sneak them in a canoe or kayak. Slow, easy movement is the name of the game. After your first couple swims, you'll learn not to shoot broadside. ;-)

J

You must have been watching me when I started waterfowling. HA HA.

But to the op you would be amazed how much more success you will have with just twelve avian x floating duck decoys and a fishing rod with a top water bait.

[Abe89]

Originally Posted by achtanelion

Jump them on a pond. After your first couple swims, you'll learn not to shoot when they're over water. ;-).

Or sneak them in a canoe or kayak. Slow, easy movement is the name of the game. After your first couple swims, you'll learn not to shoot broadside. ;-)

J

This is great! :P Can't beat lessons from personal experience eh? I'd love to pick up decoys at some point but right now I've got too many other expensive things on the go (cause no one else has this problem right?!). Even $100 becomes unfeasible if your priorities are elsewhere.

Thanks for the tips! Flyways between feed and water...how far will they typically go for feed? early morning and late afternoon the times to hit these flyways?

[Abe89]

I tried the canoe last season. They figured out the "big dangerous boat" thing on the water after the first shot. It was a really nice paddle. No hope at ducks.

[hal53]

Your best bet may be to post on the "looking for a hunting partner" sticky. Lots of guys have decoys ,blinds etc. that would appreciate an extra set of hands getting a field shoot set up and you can generally learn a lot from them

[Redfrog]

I was going to suggest jumpp shooting, but I see 'No Dog" so I'm going to go with Pokemon.
I can't imagine hunting birds without a dog. Retrieving or even finding downed birds makes a dog worthwhile.

[Abe89]

Thanks!


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[snowman160]

Birds take off into the wind.keep that in mind when jump shooting.lotsfun for late season pothole mallards or whatever else

[KegRiver]

I've seen Javex jugs used as decoys with some success.

Or you could maybe make a few cutout decoys from appliance boxes.

Or, you could find a hunting partner with decoys, so, do you live in the Peace River area?

[achtanelion]

Originally Posted by Abe89

I tried the canoe last season. They figured out the "big dangerous boat" thing on the water after the first shot. It was a really nice paddle. No hope at ducks.

I have a couple suggestions for you then. Pile some cut weeds, cat tails, burlap, etc at the front of your canoe. A bit of camo helps a lot. Practice your Indian stroke. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iJQAuBcd1MY It's a lot quieter and scares the birds a lot less.

J

[lds]

My first year was the same as you but no calls. I just sit on a pond that has lots of birds and when you scare all them away. Just sit and wait more will come back. I'm a terrible shot but had lots of shooting just in a couple hours. I found mornings better than evenings but both are good. Usually every half hour there are birds comin in. The only downside of not having decoys is usually you shoot at birds flying pretty fast cuz they don't ever land where you want.

[Abe89]

Originally Posted by achtanelion

I have a couple suggestions for you then. Pile some cut weeds, cat tails, burlap, etc at the front of your canoe. A bit of camo helps a lot. Practice your Indian stroke. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iJQAuBcd1MY It's a lot quieter and scares the birds a lot less.



J

This is perfect, thank you.


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[Kyle]

Originally Posted by Abe89

I'd love to pick up decoys at some point but right now I've got too many other expensive things on the go (cause no one else has this problem right?!). Even $100 becomes unfeasible if your priorities are elsewhere.

No offense but your gonna spend that money filling up your truck after 1 weekend of hunting. If you watch for sales you can pick up a dozen floater duck decoys for around $50. Just my 2 cents...

[Abe89]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I've seen Javex jugs used as decoys with some success.

Or you could maybe make a few cutout decoys from appliance boxes.

Or, you could find a hunting partner with decoys, so, do you live in the Peace River area?

Thanks for the tips! No, I'm about 7hours south of you, not in Calgary but that neck of the woods. Great offer though, thank you.


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[Abe89]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I've seen Javex jugs used as decoys with some success.

Or you could maybe make a few cutout decoys from appliance boxes.

Or, you could find a hunting partner with decoys, so, do you live in the Peace River area?

Great Idea! never even realized/thought this would work, but when you think about it...why not? Quick search on google turned up some easy cheap ideas.

[Diesel_wiesel]

I hunted for 25 years over decoys I made with tar paper , 7/8 plywood and some black and white paint
didn't have outstanding success
but did manage to fill my limit a Cpl times a year , usually that happened in the very early season,
a roll of medium weight tar paper and a sheet of 7/8 or 3/8 plywood for the necks and heads should Cpl cans of flat black spray paint and a can of flat white spray paint and a stapler full of staples
should make you a cple dozen decoys all under $75
or this https://youtu.be/TJCYSj8I2-w
its use yer imagination or find a hunting partner with a goose set up

[Pixel Shooter]

This

Originally Posted by hal53

Your best bet may be to post on the "looking for a hunting partner" sticky. Lots of guys have decoys ,blinds etc. that would appreciate an extra set of hands getting a field shoot set up and you can generally learn a lot from them

[Ithaca Dog]

If you are jump shooting water buy a pair of chest waders. It opens up your options for 80-120 dollars. A dozen floater decoys on the buy and sell can also be had cheap, but the waders should be a first purchase for jump shooting.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by Abe89

I tried the canoe last season. They figured out the "big dangerous boat" thing on the water after the first shot. It was a really nice paddle. No hope at ducks.

Shoot from shore, just keep the canoe handy to go out and recover the ducks if they land in water.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by Ithaca Dog

If you are jump shooting water buy a pair of chest waders. It opens up your options for 80-120 dollars. A dozen floater decoys on the buy and sell can also be had cheap, but the waders should be a first purchase for jump shooting.

My sons use this method in areas where the water isn't very deep when I'm not there with my dog. They take turns being "the dog"

[Abe89]

Thankfully I have a few pairs of waders I inherited from family. Also have the canoe. I primarily tried jump shooting last season and had very little success. Didn't seem like I could get up to them quiet or quick enough, and of course, once you shoot the rest become very restless and suspicious. Any tips?

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by Abe89

Thankfully I have a few pairs of waders I inherited from family. Also have the canoe. I primarily tried jump shooting last season and had very little success. Didn't seem like I could get up to them quiet or quick enough, and of course, once you shoot the rest become very restless and suspicious. Any tips?

I once read an article by a former member describing how he jump-shoots the canals in the Irrigation Districts. I've not tried that before, but it might be promising. It was an article in Alberta Outdoorsmen a couple years ago.

[IBEX]

Originally Posted by Abe89

Thankfully I have a few pairs of waders I inherited from family. Also have the canoe. I primarily tried jump shooting last season and had very little success. Didn't seem like I could get up to them quiet or quick enough, and of course, once you shoot the rest become very restless and suspicious. Any tips?

waders are great! I started out with a pair of over sized gumboots

your next purchase should be a spinning wing/robo decoy. lots of deals around. Geese don't like them but they do a good job attracting ducks.

aside from hunting big water, most potholes/ ponds are shallow enough for you to retrieve birds with your wader on. If hunting big body of water, set up 30 to 50 yds from the shore and be a little careful with your shots. You will see most action in the last 15 mins of legal.

Don't worry too much about securing permission on private land, just grab a copy of ACA conservation site guide book or look them up online. Most sites that I have visited around my area hold plenty of birds and would be perfect for someone like you.

[KegRiver]

I have gone the wader route a few times, it works if you are in the right spot.
That was before I had access to decoys, now I own my own.

I've also set up in brush along fence lines and in drainage ditches, anything that provides cover under their flight path yet close enough for them to be low enough to kill.

I would watch where they land the first night, then move in closer in the morning to see which route they took as they came over their chosen field.
If no cover was available I'd make some. A couple of arm full of willow stems cut about four feet long and poked into the soil in a circle to form an artificial bush will usually do the trick.

It also makes a decent blind if you have decoys, but becomes less effective later in the season because a lot of guys use that trick.

On a fenceline it doesn't loose it's effectiveness nearly as much.

Keep in mind I am talking about geese, ducks are much easier to fool in my experience, but there aren't many around here. We have ten geese to every duck. And a good many of the ducks we see in the fall are divers and they don't feed in the fields. At least here they don't.

[Stinky Buffalo]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

I once read an article by a former member describing how he jump-shoots the canals in the Irrigation Districts. I've not tried that before, but it might be promising. It was an article in Alberta Outdoorsmen a couple years ago.

Yup, I believe that was in an issue from last year, by TJ Schwanky.

[elkhunter11]

The approach that I don't recommend is to drive along fields before first light and watch for people setting up a decoy spread for a waterfowl shoot. It's pretty easy to recognize by the people walking around in the field wearing head lamps. Then you find a fence row or small bluff or some other cover a few hundred yards from the people setting up decoys to hide in, hide your vehicle close by, and wait for the birds to come to the other people's decoy spread. As the birds pass over you, headed for the decoys, you empty your gun hoping to kill a few birds even if they are 70 or 80 yards in the air. Then you quickly gather up the birds if there are any , jump in your vehicle, and drive away before the owners of the decoys come over to confront you for ruining their shoot. As unethical as it sounds, I have personally witnessed this stupidity on multiple occasions.

[wildside2014]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

The approach that I don't recommend is to drive along fields before first light and watch for people setting up a decoy spread for a waterfowl shoot. It's pretty easy to recognize by the people walking around in the field wearing head lamps. Then you find a fence row or small bluff or some other cover a few hundred yards from the people setting up decoys to hide in, hide your vehicle close by, and wait for the birds to come to the other people's decoy spread. As the birds pass over you, headed for the decoys, you empty your gun hoping to kill a few birds even if they are 70 or 80 yards in the air. Then you quickly gather up the birds if there are any , jump in your vehicle, and drive away before the owners of the decoys come over to confront you for ruining their shoot. As unethical as it sounds, I have personally witnessed this stupidity on multiple occasions.

Sounds like something a former member by the name of Edmhunter might do. No greasier move than fencelining