Strike 2!

[KRS62]

Hello all:

I met one of the members at a local store and he turned me on to this site. I am a newbie to the game...and have the bug...and I haven't even bagged any ducks yet! I thought I would post up a question or two to see if you pros can help out a greenhorn. I will keep it as short and sweet as possible.

First weekend: Went out with the buds early the first morning, maybe a little on the late side (30-45min late) but got set up okay. Parking lot was JAM PACKED! We saw ducks flying early and often. Seemed like tons of them. The boat (bass boat) was in a fairly obvious spot and it wasn't 100% covered. I am sure ducks LOVE sparkling gray things! :tongue5: Anyway, we missed some shots on 6-7 flybys and had some other groups (some called in) get close to us....but not within range before bugging out. Perceived problem? Boat not in cover...and not covered enough. ????

During the week: Built blind to fit on top of boat. Flat painted PVD with plenty of cover material.

Second weekend: Got to the ramp earlier. There was only 1 other truck/trailer there at the ramp. Weather was very overcast/foggy in our area. I thought that was definately strange. Got out and set up the blind. Set up the cover material (advantage max 4) with palm frons mixed in to break it up. I wouldn't call it perfect, but the boat was covered and "looked" 1000% better than it did the first weekend. I thought it looked good. Okay, we were all dressed up and ready! Where are the ducks?????? We probably saw 5% of what we saw in the first weekend. Came home empty handed again!

So here are my newbie questions:

1.) There seemed to be a coincidence between no one at the ramp...and not seeing ducks. Do you think people just moved to other areas? Was the weather involved? Should I have not gone out during that "weather?"
2.) I am assuming that there are still plenty of birds out there? Do they just get ultra skittish and not fly as much after being hammered the first weekend?

I tried to research as best I can before posting, but I was unable to trun up anything. Any help would be appreciated! My own family is starting to tease me everytime we come home empty handed!!!!!

KRS

[N. Cook]

What part of the state are you hunting in? You definitly are on the right track with good camo on everything and getting out early....whereever you are, look for topped out hydrilla with lots of coots sitting on it and get as close as you can.....get the boat up into or against cattails....put decoys on the hydrilla about 20 to 30 yards out....put sun and/or wind at your back....

Of course...scouting is the key to success...find the ducks today and they will usually be there the next am unless they are shot at. Shoot at the ducks only when they are in a reasonable range...30 to 40 yards or less.

Be sure your face, guns or boat has no "shine or flash". Keep still.

[pepi]

Your #1 tactic SCOUTING!!!!!!!!!! You must put in your time if you really want to bag birds every time out. I usually scout after my hunts, and it usually pays off.

[Converted]

Welcome to the forum. If you are a UW-F member you may get some more detail over on the members side.

Often times more hunters = more pressure and the ducks will be moving better. Also on the opener the ducks have been sitting, not getting shot at and usually grouped in greater numbers. Each weekend into the season will see smaller and smaller groups. Adjust your decoy spread accordingly. Ducks will flare off a boat/blind and they will also flare off a spread that does not look like what they have been seeing.

I usually put several miles on the rig after the hunt scouting for the next hunt. I don't care what an area "looks" like. Plan to set up in the spots where you spook up good numbers of ducks. They like how it "looks" for whatever reason. Be where the ducks want to be and they will be landing on you while you are trying to reload from the last flight.:occasion14

[Randy Clark]

sounds like your the guy i was talking to at gander the other night these guys are right and at this end of town some times the weather will change and our ducks will fly scouting and not seeing ducks sometimes are part of central florida hunts.

[KRS62]

sounds like your the guy i was talking to at gander the other night these guys are right and at this end of town some times the weather will change and our ducks will fly scouting and not seeing ducks sometimes are part of central florida hunts.

Yeah Randy, that was me. How's it going? Thanks for all the info the other night. The scouting thing is something that we have not done, but will do now. I think we are going to try and evening hunt this Friday (with plenty of scouting time during the day.)

We are hunting in Lake Poinsett in the Saint Johns River. I know a lot of guys are going down to Lake Winder, but we intially wanted to stay away from the crowd until we sharpened up our game. We make take a spin down there this Friday.

Thanks for all the help guys! I will report back after this weekend and hope to become a member soon!

KRS

[Keith Yates]

That part of the river is very difficult to hunt without a MM or airboat especially with the low water conditions we have currently. Give the Winder area a try and you might just find some ducks. Scout scout and then scout.

[Randy Clark]

hey become a member best 25 bucks you have ever spent and these guys wont steer you wrong

[Cracker Country]

hey become a member best 25 bucks you have ever spent and these guys wont steer you wrong
I'll second that. I became a member and have been looking for newbie pointers in the "members only" section and they have been very helpfull.

[Randy Clark]

i keep telling people that but they have to learn on their own

[KRS62]

I am happy to report that there was NO strike 3!

Found a spot Friday afternoon where we could ditch the boat and got my first duck! As best as I can tell she was a blue winged teal. We got 2 mallard hens yesterday (one had to be saved from the jaws of a 3ft gator!) We are slowly sharpening our game and getting better each time out. I can't wait until next weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for all your help.

KRS

[Champ]

I know you meant to say that you got a Blue Wing Teal and you and your buddy each got a Female Mallard. Right. Yea thats what I thought you meant. My biggest pet Peeve when I go out and have someone new is to have head gear. Ya gotta cover that face and hands. I bring extra for Friends that don't have any. And Like the others said. Scout and be where the Ducks want to be. They will tell ya if ya just watch and wait.
Congrats on the hunt.

[KRS62]

I know you meant to say that you got a Blue Wing Teal and you and your buddy each got a Female Mallard. Right. Yea thats what I thought you meant. My biggest pet Peeve when I go out and have someone new is to have head gear. Ya gotta cover that face and hands. I bring extra for Friends that don't have any. And Like the others said. Scout and be where the Ducks want to be. They will tell ya if ya just watch and wait.
Congrats on the hunt.

Yeah, typo sorry....we. I was so happy that ducks came to the boat...I took all the credit!

[Randy Clark]

remember you have to keep yours separte from his or you can get a ticket if you cant say these are mine and those are his. congrats on the ducks now you are another dduck addict

[KRS62]

remember you have to keep yours separte from his or you can get a ticket if you cant say these are mine and those are his. congrats on the ducks now you are another dduck addict

Thanks Randy....you gave me the tip to get out of the boat and that has made a world of difference. Thanks for your help!

KRS

[Randy Clark]

hey any time espechially now that your a member. membership has its privileges. glad it worked out

[Dead Ringer]

Also to make sure that you don't get a ticket:

Most of the "mallards" that we shoot in FL are actually Mottled ducks (aka the Florida mallard). These are not true mallards and you are only allowed 1 per person. For this species, both the hen and drake are all brown as opposed to the true mallards which have drakes with green heads. To tell a mottled hen, from a mottled drake, the best indicator is bill color. The drakes have flat orange, while the hens have orange blotched with black or brown. Check out www.myfwc.com and maybe google some bird ID's online to make sure you don't shoot something you shouldn't be shooting.

[duckmanJR]

I'm going to call the drakes bill YELLOW the hens bill is ORANGE with black spots. :love4:

[N. Cook]

The July UW-F Newsletter has a good picture of a pair of male and female mottles. Larger drake has yellowish bill, hen, orange splotchy.

[Dead Ringer]

Are you sure Joe, figured that you would call it thunflower :color:

I'm colorblind anyway, so I just look for the patterned vs flat color

[duckmanJR]

I'm colorblind anyway,

That must be handy.. " Officer, are you sure the light was red?? No matter, I'm colorblind anyway...Can you give me a warning??" :icon_smil

[Dead Ringer]

From this morning:

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f378/pretenderfishing/newyears007.jpg

Gonadal evidence revealed that this was in fact a drake, with a _________ colored bill :tongue11:

[KRS62]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like we might have got a few Mottleds then. I did my best at the time to research it...but as you know, it's pretty hard to ID when you are a newbie. I have since bought a field guide that get's REALLY specific and helps me ID birds properly.

KRS

[duckmanJR]

Better to show us the 'nads...since that is a drakes bill. John, I see you have a pretty girlfiend..and at 23 years old I'm reasonably certain you have a working knowledge of the "vive 'la differance".... best look again.... :tongue11:

[Dead Ringer]

The "corkscrew" was in plain view. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I was taught that the presence of such would mean that it was a drake.

"The penis of breeding birds is a very prominent, tapering, spiralled (corkscrew-like) structure"

-- Johnson, O. 1961. Reproductive cycle of the mallard duck. The Condor 63:5.

Either this bird extruded her ovaducts (I've never seen them to compare), or he was very confused about bill color. Maybe he is colorblind too. :color:

I also found a picture of the largest penis known to birds, the Argentine lake duck, measuring in at 42.5cm, but I don't want to give anyone a complex :tongue11:

[RutnNStrutn]

KRS62, are you a member yet? If so, go to the members forum, and look at the sticky on the top of the page about duck ID's. If not, I'll post you some of the info off of that page.

Distinguishing a mottled duck from a female mallard can be more difficult, however. The neck and head of a mottled duck is lighter colored than its body feathers, whereas the female mallard does not have this color pattern. Also, the female mallard has a broad, white wing bar above and below the colored portion of her wing (called the speculum). The female mottled duck lacks the upper wing bar but may have a faint lower bar.

On mottled ducks the males are generally bigger, but the main thing is the female has an orange to brown blotchy colored bill, while the male has olive to yellow solid colored bill.

As the boys have told you, scouting is the key. Places can be hot one day and dead the next. The birds adjust according to hunting pressure, food sources, water level, and weather. You should have a Plan B, and C, and D.... :D