# Duck season's over up north. Now, I'm seeing so many ducks!!!



## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

This is my 4th year waterfowl hunting and it has been my best yet. Learning lots of things through experience in the field. Been out goose hunting the last 2 weekends in the bad weather on a lake. Not doing well with the geese. We only got 1 each trip. Have a ton of ducks coming into our decoys though! Set out 3 mallard decoys just to see what would show up and was amazed at how many came in low over the decoys and even had some land close and swim right in! Never had so many come in on this lake during duck season! The 1st day, I counted 16 we could have shot at. The next time it was 11. Most came in for easy to moderate level shots! Last weekend, we watched a merganser swim and dive around our decoys for 10 minutes. Then, a gadwall drake landed and swam right up to our decoys! Also saw a pair of shovelers fly by! Thought they were mallards, but saw a big white patch on the drake's neck as it was flying away. All the ducks were much less wary than during the season. Many times, they came right in without circling! 

I think I have figured out how to put decoys out on this lake. Just put out 3 in a pod on the left and 3 in a pod on the right. Don't need a big spread out there. Earlier in the season I was using 12-18 decoys spread out shallow and deep and nothing was coming in. The last week of duck season, I switched it up to the small pod system and shot 3 drake mallards! Can't wait for next season!


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

I wonder if you could get permission to hunt geese on a golf course? Seems like there are bunches when I golf and I 'm sure they wouldn't mind the flocks being thinned. I see a church in Chesterland that has about 50 milling around all winter. What a mess.


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

This year sucks for duck numbers. Wait till a year where we have a truly good north push where theirs hundred and hundreds of ducks here. Ducks and late season bow hunting are the only thing I like the frigid cold weather for and this year it's just not gonna happen till possibly after season ends even down here in the south zone


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

Here in SW we got a pretty good push of ducks over the W/E and I'm pretty excited to see what tomorrow and Sat bring. We have had a few "trickles" of birds even before Xmas. 
I had to stick to smaller waters but this certainly wasn't the worst season ever atleast in this area.
Good luck and good hunting


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

I was out sun morning for a few hours and only seen 5 ducks hunting a flooded corn field. We did locate a decent number of birds later in the morning we will be trying to kill some this weekend


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

I have shot a bunch of ducks over 1 or 2 decoys. Sometimes less is more in areas.

1 hen malard will bring in a bunch of kinds of ducks


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

fishingful said:


> I have shot a bunch of ducks over 1 or 2 decoys. Sometimes less is more in areas.
> 
> 1 hen malard will bring in a bunch of kinds of ducks


Agree I often only use 2 -6 decoys


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

I've been hunting the same spot the last 2 years and have seen the same amount of ducks as last year. In fact, the cold snap in November put a lot of ducks on the lake for the 2nd opener. Got too close to the roost and flushed a huge flock in the dark. Ended up getting one that swam in just after shooting time.


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## 3 dog Ed (Apr 25, 2014)

Love the input on what has worked for you guys. Unfortunately we have not had enough ducks to work this year for us to even evaluate spread changes. I had high expectations after a good season last year but the ice and birds never came. We are headed out Saturday with no expectations but a little hope. I’m gonna try a couple small pods and see what happens.


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

3dog I agree with you. The only reason I'm even going is because Im tagged out on deer and am hoping to maybe get a shot at a few birds. I typically don't even buy my waterfowl permits until I know we have birds here


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