Roost hunt ideas?

Yall, turns out I have about 70ish wood ducks using my property to roost. Sitting in the deer stand this past week, the birds are leaving pretty much at the same time, and returning together. Both morning and evening flights are maybe 8-10 minutes max. Some evenings, maybe a group or two will show up just minutes before true sunset. Morning flights are luck of the draw, hoping they exit over your location, one shot and they scatter. 4:30 am and the property is alive with squeals, and its hard not to get pumped... Last season, every time I entered early, it always flushed the birds early. The water they are held up on is less than 2 acres. Once our house is built, ill be able to drink coffee and watch birds smash from the porch... Its a pretty awesome feeling to watch 4 and 5 groups of 10-12 flip into your own property... I've driven much further and seen much less. How do you legally, and successfully hunt a roost? Current plan, stand on the house pad and just try to clip a few.
 

gtmcwhorter

Senior Member
If you shoot that roost they will probably all be gone. Go knock on doors and figure out where they are going
 

across the river

Senior Member
How do you legally, and successfully hunt a roost?


You can successfully hunt a roost, but you don't legally hunt a roost. Once you do it the birds are gone for a while, maybe a long while. Depending on how far the house is away from it, you may be able to pick you off a few without disturbing them. I knew a older retired gentlemen that live fairly close to this huge roost pond. There were usually a pile of birds roosting here most every year. He would often get up early and kill one, two, or three birds flying over and go back in and eat breakfast. He was far enough away and there were enough using it that it didn't seem to bother the roost.
 

sadler2

Senior Member
ive got access to a corner of a huge swamp that birds roost in I usually hunt it 2-3 times a year before I go into work. I usually take my dog and stand in the over grown vegetation on the out skirts of the swamp and pick off my limit pretty easily just by pass shooting.

Also at this particular spot a lot of the birds will fly out and then swing around and come right back in to feed and loaf.
 
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BaldofPate

Member
Pick a morning it is extremely overcast, that sometimes will give you a 5 to 15 minutes cushion. They fly out a little later and it is legal time.
 
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JP536

Member
I’ve been hunting a roost for the last 5 years. Usually see anywhere from 50 to 100 birds fly out. Back off of it as far as you can. The first few usually fly out before legal shooting time. Be selective and don’t over shoot it. Only shoot maybe once every few weeks and you should be ok
 

Mark K

Banned
Start pouring the feed to it this year and through the off season and it will become a feed spot. It also helps if you can plant it during the off-season as well. Jap Millet works great. And no I’m not advocating breaking any laws, just saying by next season you’ll have a huntable duckhole.
 

MudDucker

Moderator
Staff member
Start pouring the feed to it this year and through the off season and it will become a feed spot. It also helps if you can plant it during the off-season as well. Jap Millet works great. And no I’m not advocating breaking any laws, just saying by next season you’ll have a huntable duckhole.

Yep, Mark knows supplemental feeding! :biggrin3:
 
turns out that the 70ish birds is now closer to 300. I hunted the place last Sunday morning and killed two mergansers and one wood duck pretty early. I did not shoot at any of the big groups and tried to keep it as close to one shot, one kill as possible. Terrified to over pressure the place. Then, about 8:45 I knew I better go retrieve my birds so I could make Sunday School with the wife.... I walked across the pond dam to the other side and proceed to walk to the back side to retrieve the wind blown wood duck... and I glance up to see two birds cupped up.... My first pair of Georgia Mallards! and they are coming in on my own dang place...! So I freeze, face down, and silent. The birds circle twice more and I hope they are about to smash with the 6 pack of Hooded mergansers about 30 yards to my right... instead they decoy beautifully, where I have been sitting patiently since 5am.... Now the birds are about 80+ yards<where I should be>... They proceed to swim Into the flooded timber and towards the very back... 20 minutes later the hen picks up and the drake follows and quaking off into never never land. Still made it to church on time, but distracted the whole service. I shoulda just took my chance while they were on the wing...
the picture with the blue circle is actually a snip from a video I have of the mallards swimming away...
 

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