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John N. Felsher's Waterfowl Hunting Adventures
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Getting the jump on hard to hunt
waterfowl in very small streams
waterfowl in very small streams
TOP: Daniel Felsher watches for some ducks to flush from a small
creek. BOTTOM: Daniel Felsher shows off a couple mallards he
killed while jump-shooting for waterfowl along a small creek.
creek. BOTTOM: Daniel Felsher shows off a couple mallards he
killed while jump-shooting for waterfowl along a small creek.
After duck season opens, many sportsmen head to their favorite
leases or hunting clubs, but not everyone can afford an expensive lease or
a guided trip. In addition, not everyone owns a boat they can use for
hunting on public lakes and rivers.
However, just about anyone with a good pair of boots, a shotgun,
ammunition and access to a little water may find a place to bag a few birds.
Nearly any pond, stream, ditch, creek, bayou or canal may attract a few
ducks at times. In extremely dry areas, a tiny bit of water can pull ducks
from miles away.
When shooting starts in popular hunting areas, many ducks seek
sanctuary from gunning pressure. To escape shooting pressure, many
ducks raft up on big lakes, but mallards and wood ducks prefer small
waters. They may land in a puddle containing only inches of water. Often,
ducks search for small waters to rest later in the morning, so jump shooters
don’t need to rise at first light to kill birds.
“Wood ducks typically roost in very dense wetlands,” said Robert Helm,
a waterfowl biologist. “Button brush is a very common component of their
roosting habitat. They also like to roost in beaver ponds where there is a
lot of dead timber, thick underbrush and difficult access.”
With many predators looking for them, especially hawks and other
raptors, ducks often hide under overhanging branches or behind logjams.
In streams with current, ducks might rest behind obstructions or in small
pockets of slack water. When people or predators approach, they often
explode in a startling rush of wing beats from even the smallest patches of
water.
With no other options for hunting ducks, Daniel, my son, and I explored
some ditches in a local wildlife management area. Almost like squirrel
hunting, we slowly crept along the shoreline of a ditch holding less than two
feet of water. Shallow and stumpy, it made floating any boat, even a canoe,
extremely difficult.
Repeated, we walked a few feet, paused and listened. When hunting a
creek or ditch, don’t follow the shoreline exactly. Almost like quail, ducks
sometimes rather hide than flush. They might allow people they don’t
consider threatening to approach fairly closely before bursting from cover.
Walk behind thick cover a few yards off the waterline, but occasionally
sneak up to the shoreline to peak up and down the channel. Look for
movement, such as rippling water in normally placid pools. Stay especially
alert when rounding bends.
Jump shooters frequently find more ducks by listening or spotting signs
than by actually seeing birds. Listen for whistling, splashing, quacking or
other sounds. Fresh feathers floating under cover could indicate ducks
visiting the area. A good pair of binoculars helps spot sign or birds at a
distance. Hunters don’t usually see birds until they erupt from tight cover.
Then, shooters must react quickly, almost like hunting upland birds.
That morning, two wood ducks on afterburners zoomed over us, not
presenting a shot. Then, we heard a faint quack far up the ditch.
Rounding a bend, a flock of mallards exploded from the ditch just out of
range. Fortunately, with much of the area dry, the birds had few other
places to land except in the ditch.
Daniel and I figured we lost our opportunity, but kept pressing forward.
Every now and then, we spotted floating feathers or heard a distant quack.
Then, as we rounded a bend and looked down a long straight section, we
spotted birds. A flock of 15 or so mallards bunched up in the tiny ditch a
few hundred yards upstream.
We formulated a plan. Daniel would circle around well wide of the ditch
and come out of the woods just upstream of the flock while I kept out of
sight. After he got into position, I would slowly walk about 20 yards away
from the shoreline toward the flock, hoping to jump them. After they
jumped, they might fly toward Daniel.
The plan worked, almost! Daniel came out of the woods a little short
and I started my stalk a little early. Anyway, we both arrived at the place at
about the same time, dropping two greenheads from the flock as they
erupted from the water. Later, we flushed them again, downing a wood
duck that had mixed with the mallards.
Jumping ducks can offer plenty of fun and excitement. For people
without boats or access to other hunting property, it might prove the only
way to bag ducks.
leases or hunting clubs, but not everyone can afford an expensive lease or
a guided trip. In addition, not everyone owns a boat they can use for
hunting on public lakes and rivers.
However, just about anyone with a good pair of boots, a shotgun,
ammunition and access to a little water may find a place to bag a few birds.
Nearly any pond, stream, ditch, creek, bayou or canal may attract a few
ducks at times. In extremely dry areas, a tiny bit of water can pull ducks
from miles away.
When shooting starts in popular hunting areas, many ducks seek
sanctuary from gunning pressure. To escape shooting pressure, many
ducks raft up on big lakes, but mallards and wood ducks prefer small
waters. They may land in a puddle containing only inches of water. Often,
ducks search for small waters to rest later in the morning, so jump shooters
don’t need to rise at first light to kill birds.
“Wood ducks typically roost in very dense wetlands,” said Robert Helm,
a waterfowl biologist. “Button brush is a very common component of their
roosting habitat. They also like to roost in beaver ponds where there is a
lot of dead timber, thick underbrush and difficult access.”
With many predators looking for them, especially hawks and other
raptors, ducks often hide under overhanging branches or behind logjams.
In streams with current, ducks might rest behind obstructions or in small
pockets of slack water. When people or predators approach, they often
explode in a startling rush of wing beats from even the smallest patches of
water.
With no other options for hunting ducks, Daniel, my son, and I explored
some ditches in a local wildlife management area. Almost like squirrel
hunting, we slowly crept along the shoreline of a ditch holding less than two
feet of water. Shallow and stumpy, it made floating any boat, even a canoe,
extremely difficult.
Repeated, we walked a few feet, paused and listened. When hunting a
creek or ditch, don’t follow the shoreline exactly. Almost like quail, ducks
sometimes rather hide than flush. They might allow people they don’t
consider threatening to approach fairly closely before bursting from cover.
Walk behind thick cover a few yards off the waterline, but occasionally
sneak up to the shoreline to peak up and down the channel. Look for
movement, such as rippling water in normally placid pools. Stay especially
alert when rounding bends.
Jump shooters frequently find more ducks by listening or spotting signs
than by actually seeing birds. Listen for whistling, splashing, quacking or
other sounds. Fresh feathers floating under cover could indicate ducks
visiting the area. A good pair of binoculars helps spot sign or birds at a
distance. Hunters don’t usually see birds until they erupt from tight cover.
Then, shooters must react quickly, almost like hunting upland birds.
That morning, two wood ducks on afterburners zoomed over us, not
presenting a shot. Then, we heard a faint quack far up the ditch.
Rounding a bend, a flock of mallards exploded from the ditch just out of
range. Fortunately, with much of the area dry, the birds had few other
places to land except in the ditch.
Daniel and I figured we lost our opportunity, but kept pressing forward.
Every now and then, we spotted floating feathers or heard a distant quack.
Then, as we rounded a bend and looked down a long straight section, we
spotted birds. A flock of 15 or so mallards bunched up in the tiny ditch a
few hundred yards upstream.
We formulated a plan. Daniel would circle around well wide of the ditch
and come out of the woods just upstream of the flock while I kept out of
sight. After he got into position, I would slowly walk about 20 yards away
from the shoreline toward the flock, hoping to jump them. After they
jumped, they might fly toward Daniel.
The plan worked, almost! Daniel came out of the woods a little short
and I started my stalk a little early. Anyway, we both arrived at the place at
about the same time, dropping two greenheads from the flock as they
erupted from the water. Later, we flushed them again, downing a wood
duck that had mixed with the mallards.
Jumping ducks can offer plenty of fun and excitement. For people
without boats or access to other hunting property, it might prove the only
way to bag ducks.
