[Guest]

I'm an amatuer when it comes to hunting over water...always hunted over land. I thought I'd give it a try, as my entire area has gotten locked up to the highest bidder and I'm forced to the water.

My question is, do you hunt the same as ducks? Is it just as simple as mimicking where they're roosting? I hate to hunt roosts, but it's that or not at all.

 

[Guest]

Just curious, where do you hunt? Is it really that bad that roost shooting is all that's left? That's a sad story to hear. :x

 

[Grinder]

You would probably be surprised to see how tough it is to find places to hunt in some areas of the country. My buddy and I play hell finding ANYWHERE that allows us to hunt. Many of the places that do allow hunting, have learned that renting it out to rich lawyers, doctors, etc., etc., will go a long way toward paying their property taxes.......so that leaves us out. Many times, public land is your only option.

Grinder

 

[Grinder]

Over the years, we've had some luck hunting right from our boat.

With a little work and creativity, you can make a very quick, passable blind out of a duckboat. First, make sure you do a sufficient job of camouflaging your boat. I have seen some truly hideous camo jobs on some local duckboats. These things stick out like sore thumbs. Have you ever seen green camo that is nearly fluorescent green ??? I have.

Anyway, we used a mix of brown camo, olive drab, tan camo and some flat black paint. We used REAL weeds to stencil over to do the boat. We took a lot of time and camo'd the boat inside and out. Our boat looks KILLER. It is better looking than most of the new stick-on camo decals that they sell at the store. In fact, we've had lot's of folks ask us about doing their boats.

We found (depending on the local vegetation) that the easiest and quickest way to set up a blind was to tuck into the shoreline and use some thick oak branches that we cut before the season to drape our camo over. We used a mixture of camo netting (hassle cloth) and real cat tails and other weeds mixed in. This works really well, and blends in very realistically.

I've seen other guys using boat blinds, etc., and most I've seen look very unrealistic. A flat bottom duck boat with fast grass, etc., boxed all around looks like a big square conglomeration that I believe spooks wary birds.
You have to make things look natural.

Grinder

 

[football 22]

thats sad that you cant find anywhere to hunt i have a friend whos grandpa owns alot of land along the north platte where we live in the panhandle of nebraska and leases it but we hunt on his sandpit and have better luck than the river hunters

 

[Honkers41]

i hunted and guided geese and ducks for a few years...then i retired from it..got tired of whinners and cry babies...i started hunting over water a few a years ago...and found it to be alota more enjoyable then.. field hunting....there's many places you can go..mostly your public waterways will let you..i've had great success on public land...sometimes better the private...but you have to get out there and do your homework...when i'm not hunting...i'm either on the phone or looking for new spots then i take that early mornign drive out and find where i wanna go...get excesss...........permission.....then go for it....imporant part of this lesson...do your homework!!!ohh...i live in Penna too...state of a million hunters....!!!Honkers41...by the way i hunt outta of Wrangler 15 duckboat...i would'nt have it any other way now..and i don't have to pick up 600 deks...so i'm a happy camper...

 

[Brett Beinke]

Most of the lakes I duck hunt in have very good goose numbers near. Some days you see lots of em, some you do not. I always try to set up in areas that have a good amount of open water. After they get pooped at, they do not like to be boxed in! Give them open water to work your spread and hope there is enough room that they wont pass over other hunters! My favorite water goose spread is a large "U" shape single file. I will usually put a lone goose or mallard drake on the spot I want the birds to land. Leave plenty of room in the middle of the "U" so larger flocks can work in without passing over decoys. With this spread they seldom land short and that is also where most of the mallard action will be as well!

 

[goosechaser]

Oh for petes sake...
This is a water-hunting forum. This is where you discuss water hunting tactics. It's not illegal or immoral. Most of the state WMA's include or are built around water. Public land is public land. The farms are tied up with leases or owned by persons opposed to hunting.
Hunting over water is enjoyable and fun from a boat or blind. The birds will decoy just as they do in a field. Many times you can take a duck as well...not as easy in a bean field I would argue. I have permission to hunt hundreds of acres of fields and still like being in my boat.