To hunt ducks on land, what am I looking for on land that attracts the ducks to land on?
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To hunt ducks on land, what am I looking for on land that attracts the ducks to land on?
Harvested grain fields or ponds
Just what hunt machine said. haven’t seen it in Ontario, but I don’t spend too much time down south, but in Manitoba a really good field for geese and duck was a a friends millet field. Just a hop away from a lake, pond, and river. Great hunting, after it was cut, but not combined yet.
Lots of great field duck hunting in Ontario in wheat, beans and corn.
Biggest piece of advice I can give anyone when it comes to waterfowl is spend way more time scouting than hunting -- that means time behind the steering wheel and binoculars. I'll bet my ratio is somewhere around 10x more scouting than hunting. Don't just set up in a likely field; find where the birds want to be. Ducks can be tricky to scout in fields, as sometimes they feed fast and furious at first and last light. This means being out before daylight or in the late evening looking for flights of ducks as the sky brightens/darkens.
Just this past weekend I had scouted and secured permission for a bean field full of geese, but was lazy and was only scouting later in the morning when the geese were flying. Sure enough the wood ducks stole the show at first light, and we shot 8 or 10. A welcome surprise, but had I known they were in there we'd have brought a Lucky Duck or two and would have shot the 3 man limit of ducks early to go along with the 3 man limit of geese later in the morning.
It can take new waterfowl hunters a long time to understand this concept as the want to just hunt is always there, but if you're not scouting you're not going to be consistently shooting birds. The folks that take this type of advice to heart do far better in their first few seasons.
Good luck!
-N.
I'm new to hunting, fair enough I have been putting alot of miles on the car scouting areas , what sucks in ottawa and even an hour away drive from ottawa is that there are way to many private land, from fields and forestes, and once you find public land 90 percent I have been noticing you have tongo through private to get to public, so that toughens the search and have access, there's few forests we alloud to hunt in the city so everybody goes there and hard to find birds because they to preasured, and yet even in them public forests there still private land in there !! Like it's hard to scout for spots and be lucky it's public, so people go to farm lands ask permission, they get an ok then abuse what good they got piss of the farmer now he doesn't allow hunters in because of irresponsible hunters, and the bunch of other land owners could say sure come hunt but then they end up saying, sorry lad I allready have people hunting my fields, so far I have knocked in 5 doors and those were answers I got, the only permission I got was in Deep River, lucky enough and much appreciated it, hunted once there it was amazing! But it's a long drive for every time I want to yo out, it would be nice to have spots closer by the city to go more often but it is what it is, for this year I'm putting away the gun and gear and call it a season. Maybe better luck next year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sprite
I have few buddies live in Mnaitoba and they talk to highly of hunting and fishing there.Quote:
Originally Posted by hunter06
Totally agree with all of the above ! The corn is still up down here in Norfolk County but the beans are pretty well gone. My favourite fields are harvested corn with a wet area preferably a big puddle in it, seems that little bit of standing water acts like a magnet on ducks ! Problem I found that the birds hit it hard for a few days and clean it out then move on to some other field, but you will get 2 or 3 unbelievable shoots out it. The birds pour in and it's barely shooting time ! The low light level makes it hard to spot the drakes and Black ducks but what a sight to see 100 or 200 birds funneling down to your kill zone. Over the years you get to map out the fields/dates/weather conditions/crops so all those years of driving around scouting don't have to be repeated as much, you still have to but at least you've narrowed it down a lot.
Yah I drive by alot of farm and see these massive flock of ducks and geese landing to water spots on farms I can just imagine being out there seeing that up close must be amazingQuote:
Originally Posted by longpointer
Pretty hard to beat. Will be there for deer after riffle in Ontario. Was out there this fall visiting friends. One quad ride through one of the fields provided over 50 deer sightings with 8 bucks that were in the 120-160 inch range. As far as waterfowl goes also hard to beat. Went out with my buddies scouting and one field had so many geese I couldn’t begin to guess the number. Something like 200 acres of geese. Also was surprised by a good population of ruffed grouse in my buddies bush. That was a little rant lol, love it out there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bush-man
One day soon enough I'll be visiting my.budd at his cottage, hunting there sounds like a dreamQuote:
Originally Posted by hunter06
This is the game. To give up now this early in the season would be a mistake, as the best hunting hasn't even started.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bush-man
I only hunt private land, and with time and effort you will build up access to private land -- but you have to keep at it.
I have access to over 100 farms for waterfowl and turkey hunting, but that didn't happen overnight. You say you've asked for 5 farms -- I'll ask for three times that in one day depending on how the scouting's going. Takes serious time and effort over years and years to build up those relationships, as well as maintain them. We'll drive as far as two hours for a solid shoot.
One quick note of advice -- don't mention the areas you're hunting online. Even general locations (or public land) may seem innocent, but there are a lot of internet scouters out there who are just waiting for you to slip up and give away your honey hole. You're the one spending time and gas money; don't make it easier for them at your expense.
-N.
The migration has barely started, keep after it!Quote:
Originally Posted by Bush-man
Well damn.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sprite
That's some seriouse speach man, thank you. That's hard and dedication, and I thought I was grinding hard till you shared your story, appreciate you man, I didn't think it's still early for good hunt, guess I got alot to learn, I will keep at it man!
For real eh??!?! That's insane I didn't know! I thought it would be busy now and as the days go and middle, late season it dies outQuote:
Originally Posted by CorporalK
I keep reading what you said man, it actually inspired me, I will keep at it for sureQuote:
Originally Posted by Sprite
Don’t give up man, I’m the first in my family to hunt since my great grandfather, they all have guns but don’t hunt (I’m now getting my brother and dad into it). When I first started I was twelve had no land to hunt except in Iowa which is way to expensive to hunt. Now I have access to over 700 acres in Ontario, and several larder farms out west. Don’t give up make friends and stick at it.
That's amazing man, sweet amount of land to hunt. After hard work of grinding you get rewarded for sure, I will keep at it for sure, it's something I love doing, for now scouting areas for smaller birds such as pegions and Starlings and what not, then slowly move on to the bigger birds!Quote:
Originally Posted by hunter06
Hello Bush-man,
I agree with all of the advice so generously provided to you so far ... hell ... I have not even gone out once so far this season as there is not much around Long Point at the moment. I am waIting for the "divers" to arrive in November because that is when the "waterfowl" season really starts.
Two (2) more things to remember about "waterfowl" hunting ... it is not over until it is over and the term "waterfowl" includes ducks, geese and swans. Take a look at my "Ontario Tundra Swan Season" thread and if you are interested contact Mark Ryckman (Manager of Policy) at the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.
Jerome
Yah I been getting amazing devices and tips, I appreciate everything every body has told me, I actually learned a bunch from this post, it's my first year hunting with no guid so I'm going with the flow, but learned alot so far and found few good spots from scouting so I'm very pumped , and thank you for the post, I will definitely check out Mark and the thread, I didn't even know it was permitted hunting swans wow! I missed out on a nice one 2 days ago lol. But good to know now, I thought I done my home thoroughly, but again, so far I have learned bunch, I really thank everybody that posted here, good community.Quote:
Originally Posted by Buddy Boy
NO swans are not permitted. At moment just being petitioned.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bush-man
Noted. Thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers
Jerome, not sure the swan season plug was appropriate in this thread. We'd all like to see a swan season, but it can get a little much when it comes up in any waterfowl conversation on the forum.Quote:
Originally Posted by Buddy Boy
-N.
Hello Sprite,
I am sorry that you feel that way but I do not introduce this topic into "any waterfowl conversation" on the form.
Bush-man started this particular "thread" and admitted to us that he was new to this sport, requested advice from us and stated that the "waterfowl" season was essentially "over" for him.
I merely advised him that the "waterfowl" season has barely started making a reference to the "divers" that are still to come and then informed him of a future Tundra Swan season ... which in essence would not start before early November since the Tundra Swans do not usually arrive before start of November.
Bush-man did not appear to be offended by my comment and my suggestion to take a look at my Tundra Swan "thread" for further information. He advised us in fact of his recent swan encounter. I suspect however that they may have been Mute Swans.
I am perhaps overly committed to this cause but I thank you for your previous and current support for a limited (tag only) Tundra Swan season.
Jerome
Hey Jerome, no offense here what so ever, you educated me big time and got something very important to my attention ! Lucky I did not take a shot at the Swans ! I would not ever want to do anything to break any rules or laws so no thank you for your time and effort to write.Quote:
Originally Posted by Buddy Boy
It's all good man, what Jerome wrote was actually educational for me!Quote:
Originally Posted by Sprite