February 21, 2007, 03:43 PM | #1 |
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scouting out a duck pond
when scouting for spots in the spring / summer when birds arent flying, what do you look for when trying to find a pond suitable for duck hunting..
is there a certain type of vegetation / soils necessary? that sort of stuff...
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February 21, 2007, 11:48 PM | #2 |
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It's really kind of tough to do any real scouting when there aren't ducks in the area. One spot may look like it has all the attributes of a good duck hole but the ducks don't use it. Another spot a mile away may be loaded with ducks all the time. water conditions also vary from year to year. your scouting needs to be done just before season when ducks are present and you know your water conditions.
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March 11, 2007, 09:42 PM | #3 |
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Agree with what was said. Also, you want to be where the ducks are. This means occasionally traveling to a flyway. Also, it is useful to find areas that are not under water year round. This lets foliage grow up on the land and once it floods all the food stuffs float to the surface. Ducks love it.
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March 12, 2007, 05:08 PM | #4 |
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You can start with topo maps, google earth, aerial photographs or if you have access to a small plane...
Look for backwoods swamps, shallow sloughs, ponds, etc. If the water is more than 18" deep during the migration, the birds are only going to be there for loafing. Look for an area that has cover, food, etc. Once you find an area that looks promising, you have to see if it's on public land or if you can get permission to hunt on it. (actually, you might want to start by looking at public land) If the area is easily accessible, you can bet that someone else is already hunting it. Walk the property and look for shotgun hulls. The more trouble it is to get in to, the more likely it is that you will have the place to yourself. |
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