Greenhorn waterfowl questions

[Buddy Boy]

Hello Frogman 89,

You are not too far from Long Point Bay ... perhaps a two hour drive but it would be worth it being a controlled hunting area. Check out the Long Point Waterfowlers' Association web site for more information regarding this area.

The staff and the hunters will always help you out with where to go and what to do there. Your kayak should be fine for most of the blinds as I have taken my kayak to every blind (except for some of the "walk in" blinds).

Jerome

[line052]

I am that guy they are talking about in Ottawa. If you can get up here I will put you through the paces of pond and water hunting. Plus teach about small game and other game. The camps I run are free, and all are welcome.

Here is the link to last year posts. Only Difference, I will not have the truck camper, but some kinda walled tent. Everything will remain the same.

https://www.oodmag.com/community/sho...Hunt+mentoring

[longpointer]

As Jerome aka Buddy Boy stated the Long Point Waterfowl Unit is a good place to start. Unfortunetly this years high water on Lake Erie will make a lot of blinds in the marsh un-useable due to it. They may make them "Shooting Points" instead meaning you will need a boat/blind to shoot out of. Also the "Walk in" blinds could be a challenge. There is The Hahn Marsh just west of Port Royal on Lakeshore Road that would be kayak friendly. A few Wood Duck decoys are a must have for the beginning of the season down here as Woodies are plentiful.

[Badbuzz]

PM sent

[skeeter1]

I'm NW of Toronto and I offer up several hunts in October for new and young hunters. I have been doing this for a few years now with great success and many happy faces, keep an eye on my post.

Scott

[Gun Nut]

Sometimes the best duck decoy is a goose decoy. If you are looking to get more, I would invest in a couple nice goose floaters. Birds can see them from far away. I use mallard and a couple geese to draw all different species.

As for temperature, I think the change in temp is more important than the specific number. Scouting is the key to finding birds moving.

I agree dean f. with your idea of having a few goose decoys. I do a lot of pass shooting, so I’ve used an idea I read about call the 35 yard goose. I set one of the goose decoy out in front of the blind at about 35 yards to act as a marker to establish the range for an effective kill shoot. Any bird that is at tree top level (about 30 yards high) and inside that goose decoy is in the kill zone, goose or duck. At the full extent of the line along the hypotenuse that gives a range of about 45 yards. About the upper limits for a load of: BB, #1 or #2 steel shot.


You don’t stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting - Gun Nut

[Snowwalker]

On the subject of decoys.
Buy different decoys from not just different manufacturers, but also different styles, sizes and quality.

Birds don't just come in one size, color or shape. From the air the birds will mostly see the shape and shadow with a little of the color of your decoys. Movement is more important the the realism of the decoys. Some cheap decoys with movement will always work better then top quality decoys that just sit there like a bunch of stumps.

When I am looking at a pond when going by at 100km/h I can spot a bird in a pile of stumps because it moves.

Yes goose decoys alone will pull in ducks too.