Duck Hunters Thread

#1
Timbeau2

Timbeau2

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#1
I think I saw a deer hunting thread, but couldn't find one for waterfowl. Please share questions, comments, duck reports, anything! Just a place to talk about something so many of us love.
As for my area (Forked deer bottoms), this year has been kind of awful. I keep thinking each year can't be worse than the last, but it seems we've been on a 3 year downward trajectory. Opening weekend was good and since then it'll be 6 or 7 days of nothing and then 1 day where a few blinds will bang on em, but nothing of any sort of consistency. Need a blizzard around St. Louis more than anything. Here's to a better January.
 
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#4
#4
Toujours Pret said:
If you get to level 99 you can shoot the dog for laughing at you
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Is forked deer west of Jackson? Don't how how its been there the last few years, but it seems like Western KY/TN, Missouri, and Arkansas have been getting slower and slower every year. I think changing weather patterns and flyways mean I'm going to have to start taking one big duck trip a year to somewhere north and west instead trying to hunt regularly.

Edit: replied to the wrong post @Timbeau2
 
#5
#5
clarksvol00 said:
Is forked deer west of Jackson? Don't how how its been there the last few years, but it seems like Western KY/TN, Missouri, and Arkansas have been getting slower and slower every year. I think changing weather patterns and flyways mean I'm going to have to start taking one big duck trip a year to somewhere north and west instead trying to hunt regularly.

Edit: replied to the wrong post @Timbeau2
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Yes, between Jackson and the big river. It's definitely gotten worse every year. I've got some buddies that hunt Arkansas and they've been doing pretty well. Seems like more and more ducks stay west of the river each year. No bueno for sure.
 
#6
#6
I’m in the Nashville area. Numbers have been all over the place. We’ve managed to get some here and there off of Percy Priest. Family is in West Tenn. near Reelfoot it’s been slow but they’ve had some burst here and there. We need a good freeze line to the north of us to bring them down. Going to try and hit reelfoot / obion river this next weekend.
 
#7
#7
I’m in Knoxville. Never grew up duck hunting. Deer hunt, rabbit hunt, dove every once in a few years. But no duck. I have a 14 year old son that has expressed interest in duck hunting- deer hunting seems to be a bit slow for him. However I have no idea where to start or who I might call to help jump start this boy into duck hunting. Any advice would be appreciated. Prof
 
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#8
#8
Professor Nono said:
I’m in Knoxville. Never grew up duck hunting. Deer hunt, rabbit hunt, dove every once in a few years. But no duck. I have a 14 year old son that has expressed interest in duck hunting- deer hunting seems to be a bit slow for him. However I have no idea where to start or who I might call to help jump start this boy into duck hunting. Any advice would be appreciated. Prof
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I know you said Knoxville; Fort Loudon WMA I know holds some ducks. It’s public land and it’s huntable. Use the TWRA GIS Maps we have a ton of public land at our disposal. If you plan to hunt a WMA you’ll need a WMA permit. I’m with him; dad always deer hunted and it drove me crazy.

Depending on where you guys hunt; he’ll need hip or chest waders (don’t go overboard here) you can get a set from Cableas for around 119-149. If y’all don’t hunt deeper waters you could possibly get away with muck type boots. Decoys, people say you need a million of them lol I’ve killed ducks with a half dozen. Again, don’t have to go crazy here either, usually when the season ends manufactures drop the price on last years models.

You deer hunt so you know he’ll need a gun, get him a call but again nothing wild. I started with a Primos wench call from ACE hardware.
The up front cost of duck hunting can be expensive but if you search around and deal hunt it’s within reason. If you’ve got any other questions just shoot me a message, I have no problems trying to help you get him into duck hunting.
 
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#9
#9
Professor Nono said:
I’m in Knoxville. Never grew up duck hunting. Deer hunt, rabbit hunt, dove every once in a few years. But no duck. I have a 14 year old son that has expressed interest in duck hunting- deer hunting seems to be a bit slow for him. However I have no idea where to start or who I might call to help jump start this boy into duck hunting. Any advice would be appreciated. Prof
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Hi Prof,
Unfortunately you've got pretty slim pickings around Knoxville. When I was at UT, I'd head out every Thursday after class to head west to chase ducks. There's just not many ducks that make it that far east. I know some guys that kill them on the Holston and the French Broad when it gets super cold and everything else freezes except for moving water. If you know anybody with farm ponds you can go check them out every now and then and see if there's any birds using them. Try chasing some turkey as well if he's wanting something more active than deer. Next best thing!
 
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#10
#10
Timbeau2 said:
Hi Prof,
Unfortunately you've got pretty slim pickings around Knoxville. When I was at UT, I'd head out every Thursday after class to head west to chase ducks. There's just not many ducks that make it that far east. I know some guys that kill them on the Holston and the French Broad when it gets super cold and everything else freezes except for moving water. If you know anybody with farm ponds you can go check them out every now and then and see if there's any birds using them. Try chasing some turkey as well if he's wanting something more active than deer. Next best thing!
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This is exactly how it should be; people helping other people out. Props @Timbeau2
 
#11
#11
Thanks fellas. I will do more reading and looking. I will probably PM you guys if that’s ok. Good idea on the turkey - I don’t know why I wasn’t thinking about that
 
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#12
#12
It’s slowed down here quite a bit. Went this past Saturday and it was slow moving, not sure if the south winds had them flying else where or what. Any luck @Timbeau2 ?
 
#13
#13
VOL-TIL-I-DIE said:
It’s slowed down here quite a bit. Went this past Saturday and it was slow moving, not sure if the south winds had them flying else where or what. Any luck @Timbeau2 ?
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Cloudy and cold on Saturday. Killed a couple early and that was it. Saw a decent amount, but all stale birds. Afraid nothing is going to change unless there's some big winter weather up around St. Louis.
 
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#14
#14
Timbeau2 said:
Cloudy and cold on Saturday. Killed a couple early and that was it. Saw a decent amount, but all stale birds. Afraid nothing is going to change unless there's some big winter weather up around St. Louis.
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Gathered a handful; gadwall, mallard, and a blue wing today.
 
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#17
#17
VOL-TIL-I-DIE said:
Got a few in Obion bottoms; Reelfoot was slow. The past few I got were in Nashville off of Percy.
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I try to get to the Reelfoot at least once a year. The lake has been slow for a long time for me, but the last time I hunted off the Obion (Union City area probably 6 or 7 years ago) we had a good hunt.
 
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#18
#18
clarksvol00 said:
I try to get to the Reelfoot at least once a year. The lake has been slow for a long time for me, but the last time I hunted off the Obion (Union City area probably 6 or 7 years ago) we had a good hunt.
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Only got a few weeks left; was really hoping for a heavy snow or ice storm north of us so we could get one last push.
 
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#21
#21
clarksvol00 said:
Yeah. Used to hunt Dover Bottoms fairly regularly but gave up on it a few years ago.
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Ah gotcha; it’s getting to the point now you’ve gotta have an in with a land owner or scout beyond belief in order to drum up some birds. They say we have more birds now than 25-30 years ago but I really find that hard to believe.
 
#22
#22
I’ve been killing some in Lauderdale County. But we are definitely behind from where we normally are.

Weather has been bad this season. Mallards are still north of us. Good luck to everyone in this final stretch.
 
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#23
#23
VOL-TIL-I-DIE said:
I’m in the Nashville area. Numbers have been all over the place. We’ve managed to get some here and there off of Percy Priest. Family is in West Tenn. near Reelfoot it’s been slow but they’ve had some burst here and there. We need a good freeze line to the north of us to bring them down. Going to try and hit reelfoot / obion river this next weekend.
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Looks like we are going to get the freeze weather up North for this final push. God luck guys!
 
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#24
#24
I can tell y'all from the NC eastern shore the diver hunting sucks yet again! I hunt in Hyde county on Pamlico sound south of lake Mattamuskeet and the duck numbers are way down the past several years due to problems with the Roundup runoff killing all the SAV the divers eat. USFWS have about 1/3 the numbers in the pea Island sanctuary on the outer banks. We did draw our Swan Permits this year so going next weekend to at least shoot a swan. Good luck!
 
#25
#25
bag12day said:
I can tell y'all from the NC eastern shore the diver hunting sucks yet again! I hunt in Hyde county on Pamlico sound south of lake Mattamuskeet and the duck numbers are way down the past several years due to problems with the Roundup runoff killing all the SAV the divers eat. USFWS have about 1/3 the numbers in the pea Island sanctuary on the outer banks. We did draw our Swan Permits this year so going next weekend to at least shoot a swan. Good luck!
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I have one friend who hunting Avon (NC) on the coast and is killing a TON of redheads.
 
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