My son want to try duck hunting

gma1320

I like a Useles Billy Thread
I am clueless about duck hunting. I need to get a federal regulation book if I understand what I am reading correctly. Any advice would be appreciated.
 

hrstille

Senior Member
Go with someone who has experience hunting ducks. Read the regs & be able to identify the type of bird before you shoot it.
 

gma1320

I like a Useles Billy Thread
Go with someone who has experience hunting ducks. Read the regs & be able to identify the type of bird before you shoot it.
That would be a problem i actually don't know anyone who hunts them.
 

mizzippi jb

Welcome back.
If you have a spot I'll gladly go and share my experience. I basically only hunt out west now so nothing much in the way of spots here. But have dog and decoys so holler if you do
 

gma1320

I like a Useles Billy Thread
If you have a spot I'll gladly go and share my experience. I basically only hunt out west now so nothing much in the way of spots here. But have dog and decoys so holler if you do
I've got some property in Troup County on yellowjacket creek, hear a lot of them flying overhead. Don't know if they use the creek or not.
 

across the river

Senior Member
You need a Georgia hunting license, a Georgia Migratory Bird Stamp ($5 and a survey), and a Federal Duck Stamp that you can buy at the Post Office or Online now, but if you get the actual stamp, stick it on your license and sign it in pen. I have seen $250 tickets written for not signing a duck stamp, even though they had it. Make sure your shotgun has a modified or imp. cyl. choke, as the factory full won't take steel well if it is in there, and it can mess your gun up if you shot steel through it. Make sure the shotgun is plugged, and will only hold three shells. Go to academy, or bass pro, or your local shop and buy a couple of boxes of steel shotgun shells, as you can't shoot lead. (#2s or #4s are usually most readily available, but it really won't matter). Buy a mojo teal or even a mojo dove, while you are there. I'm not a big mojo fan, but they can help you with wood ducks, especially being new to it. You don't need any other decoys or any calls, so don't worry about it. A 6 foot long piece of inch square tubing from Lowes or Home Depot is a big help if the creek is fairly deep where you are going to hunt, because the stake that comes with the mojo is pretty short. Any one end to drive in the ground and the flat end will hold the mojo. Go to the widest, deepest part of your creek, and preferably you want it somewhat open in the canopy. If it cross a pipeline or power line, those are usually pretty go spots, especially if it is pretty wide. Go well before it starts to crack daylight. You will be shooting wood ducks, so they will be there early. Stick the mojo in the middle of the creek right where you are going to hunt and turn it on. You can legally shoot 30 minutes before sunrise, so check you table. They are typically going to fly the creek. If they are lighting in the creek on your place, they will often go right to the mojo. If they are just flying the creek, you are just going to have to pass shoot them when they fly by. If they are too high, lay of. Skybusitng only messes them up for later. It will be over in 30 minutes, so if you haven't killed any once the sun comes up, you likely won't unless the creek is way bigger than you make it sound and you have some other ducks using it. I hope that helps. Killed a pile of woodducks doing that over the years, so if they are there you will get an opportunity.
 

gma1320

I like a Useles Billy Thread
You need a Georgia hunting license, a Georgia Migratory Bird Stamp ($5 and a survey), and a Federal Duck Stamp that you can buy at the Post Office or Online now, but if you get the actual stamp, stick it on your license and sign it in pen. I have seen $250 tickets written for not signing a duck stamp, even though they had it. Make sure your shotgun has a modified or imp. cyl. choke, as the factory full won't take steel well if it is in there, and it can mess your gun up if you shot steel through it. Make sure the shotgun is plugged, and will only hold three shells. Go to academy, or bass pro, or your local shop and buy a couple of boxes of steel shotgun shells, as you can't shoot lead. (#2s or #4s are usually most readily available, but it really won't matter). Buy a mojo teal or even a mojo dove, while you are there. I'm not a big mojo fan, but they can help you with wood ducks, especially being new to it. You don't need any other decoys or any calls, so don't worry about it. A 6 foot long piece of inch square tubing from Lowes or Home Depot is a big help if the creek is fairly deep where you are going to hunt, because the stake that comes with the mojo is pretty short. Any one end to drive in the ground and the flat end will hold the mojo. Go to the widest, deepest part of your creek, and preferably you want it somewhat open in the canopy. If it cross a pipeline or power line, those are usually pretty go spots, especially if it is pretty wide. Go well before it starts to crack daylight. You will be shooting wood ducks, so they will be there early. Stick the mojo in the middle of the creek right where you are going to hunt and turn it on. You can legally shoot 30 minutes before sunrise, so check you table. They are typically going to fly the creek. If they are lighting in the creek on your place, they will often go right to the mojo. If they are just flying the creek, you are just going to have to pass shoot them when they fly by. If they are too high, lay of. Skybusitng only messes them up for later. It will be over in 30 minutes, so if you haven't killed any once the sun comes up, you likely won't unless the creek is way bigger than you make it sound and you have some other ducks using it. I hope that helps. Killed a pile of woodducks doing that over the years, so if they are there you will get an opportunity.
Thank you for the info, it is purdy big creek some places as wide as 80-100 foot. It is a major tributary to west point lake. There are also some sloughs that flood with a lot of rain, don't know if that helps or not. It is fairly deep in a lot of spots and most of the banks are purdy steep.
 

across the river

Senior Member
Thank you for the info, it is purdy big creek some places as wide as 80-100 foot. It is a major tributary to west point lake. There are also some sloughs that flood with a lot of rain, don't know if that helps or not. It is fairly deep in a lot of spots and most of the banks are purdy steep.
I’m sure there are some ducks using it. You’ve got a couple of options. You can just go one morning. They are likely going to fly right down it, so you could just pass shoot them. Then use what you learn the next week. I wouldn’t shoot it more than once a week, or you will burn it out. You can go one morning and just watch. You can get a feel for where they are landing or how they are flying down it and go back the next day using that information, since you didn’t shoot. Then set up where they landed or if there is one open spot they all flew threw low cutting a corner or something, they will likely use that again. We used to hunt this creek and it had a big u bend with a clear spot in the bend, and they would alway fly right over it as they flew down the creek. It was a real good spot to pass shoot them. Other option is scout it during the day. If you can ease up along the bank, you can often see them or even hear them, especially with deep sides like you mentioned. Crawl up to the edge, look down, back up, then ease down and do it again. They will swim up the creek, so where you see them isn’t always where they land, but if everything is in one area, you can narrow it down pretty quickly to where you need to be. Just try not to spoke them if you go that route, because while they will often come back, they don’t always. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any additional questions.
 

gma1320

I like a Useles Billy Thread
I’m sure there are some ducks using it. You’ve got a couple of options. You can just go one morning. They are likely going to fly right down it, so you could just pass shoot them. You can go one morning and just watch. You can get a feel for where they are landing or how they are flying down it and go back using that information. Then set up where they landed or if there is one open spot they all flew threw low cutting a corner or something, they will likely use that again. We used to hunt this creek and it had a big u bend with a clear spot in the bend, and they would alway y right over it as they flew down the creek. It was a real good spot to pass shoot them. Other option is scout it during the day. If you can ease up the bank and you can often see them or even here them. They will swim up the creek, so where you see them isn’t always where they land, but if everything is in one area, you can narrow it down pretty quickly to where you need to be. Just try not to spoke them if you go that route, because while they will often come back, they don’t always. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any additional questions.
I decided earlier I am going to deer hunt close to the creek in the morning. There is a good little bluff where I can see down the creek a ways and I believe I can get an idea of what they do. I am generally in the pines up above the creek bottom so I hear them but don't see them. Thank you again for your help. I am sure I will have other questions as well
 

across the river

Senior Member
I decided earlier I am going to deer hunt close to the creek in the morning. There is a good little bluff where I can see down the creek a ways and I believe I can get an idea of what they do. I am generally in the pines up above the creek bottom so I hear them but don't see them. Thank you again for your help. I am sure I will have other questions as well
Feel free to shoot me a PM.
 

antharper

“Well Rounded Outdoorsman MOD “
Staff member
Good luck to y’all , I’ve been seeing quite a few wood ducks in some of the creeks on West Point while deer hunting , the one area I’ve seen the most has some water oaks falling good
 

mizzippi jb

Welcome back.
Good luck to y’all , I’ve been seeing quite a few wood ducks in some of the creeks on West Point while deer hunting , the one area I’ve seen the most has some water oaks falling good
They absolutely love them little urnge acorns. They look like they would taste so good when you break em open lol
 
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