Best Time of Day to Hunt Ducks

[Nathan F.]

Hey Guys,

So this is my first hunting season and I'm loving it so far! My buddy (also first season) and I have been out a couple times since the waterfowl season opened. So far all we've done is hunting over water. We'll get to our spot, hide in the reeds and wait for the ducks to come. We generally get there are about 4:30 or 5. We've been getting some ducks but not too many. There are plenty of ducks when we get there but only a couple stragglers show up after we've set up. We have camo and are well hidden so I don't think that's the issue. Are we getting out there too late? I'm curious as to the daily routine of the ducks? What's the best time to hunt them over water? Any other general tips would be much appreciated as well. Oh and how long till the waterfowl leaves the edmonton area for warmer climates? Thanks!
-Nathan

[catnthehat]

We set up before dawn, and hunt until they quit flying, then jump puddles for the afternoon, and set up and again for the evening.
I find them flying just before dark and just after dawn normally, but the last few days they have been flying in the middle of the day!
Cat

[338Bluff]

If you are shooting over big water (ie lakes). Get there an hour before dawn and set out your decoys. If it is a cool overcast day you will get action almost to noon. Usually the afternoon/evening flights are very slow with fewer birds flying.

If you are shooting little potholes in grainfields then scout it out and see if they are using it for a roost or a watering hole. If it is a watering hole be set up right after they leave to feed and they can be back and forth all morning. Usually the big grassy sloughs with little or no visible water are used as roosts. Best to shoot in the evening, but you will need a good dog or you will lose nearly every bird you shoot.

[ontario gunner]

Dont know enough about the water you are hunting to give suggestions on what is wrong. If I were to guess, it is a day roost.

10 percent of waterfowl hunters kill 90% of the birds, the other 90% of waterfowlers kill 10% of the birds...

And I gaurantee you the 10% of us who kill 90% of the birds consistantly,,, spend 5 times as many hours spotting as we ever do hunting.

[338Bluff]

If I was to guess from the OP's locale they may be hunting on some fairly big shallow lakes. There is usually a good bunch of gadwall's, widgeon, and some mallards later on. Lots of divers if you want them.

My experience is that the morning shoots always panned out better for us. Set up on the west side of a point near shallow water (hopefully in a reasonable sheltered bay) so that the sun is rising behind you.

These birds are not always leaving for grain they are dabbling for vegetation, snails, etc.

[winged1]

Originally Posted by Nathan F.

Hey Guys,

So this is my first hunting season and I'm loving it so far! My buddy (also first season) and I have been out a couple times since the waterfowl season opened. So far all we've done is hunting over water. We'll get to our spot, hide in the reeds and wait for the ducks to come. We generally get there are about 4:30 or 5. We've been getting some ducks but not too many. There are plenty of ducks when we get there but only a couple stragglers show up after we've set up. We have camo and are well hidden so I don't think that's the issue. Are we getting out there too late? I'm curious as to the daily routine of the ducks? What's the best time to hunt them over water? Any other general tips would be much appreciated as well. Oh and how long till the waterfowl leaves the edmonton area for warmer climates? Thanks!
-Nathan

What's your target species?

How mobile are you? Take a large step backwards and view the entire watershed you are targeting. Choose some high ground and be there prior to daybreak to view where the birds are coming off. It's still a bit early, but with swath and stubble beginning to appear, they'll be developing that appetite for grains. Warm sunny days will produce quick action during breaking light, but slow during the day, at least until the frosts are heavy.
Teal often prefer wooded cover and you'll stand a good chance at these fast paced targets in smaller adjacent ponds surrounding by trees. Divers in larger bodies of water are often targeted with a 'punt' pushed out to the waters edge of weed beds.
Freeze up signals the departure of waterfowl, but don't overlook those late holdouts where field shoots are your only options.
Best of luck and welcome to the great sport of shotgunning.

[Nathan F.]

Thanks for all the responses guys!! Ok so it sounds like morning is the time to do it. I might just have to skip classes on of these days and get out there before day break! Ya we are hunting on a large lake but in a shallow area as all our retrievals are done via chest waders. I've never hunted fields but I'm assuming the basics are the same? Set out decoys and hide? Or do they only go to fields at certain times in the day?

[Mountain Guy]

Hows the duck populations these days?
Maybe there's not enough ducks to expect lots over a long period of time.
The days of ''waves'' of ducks flying by are all but over.

[Jadham]

Originally Posted by Mountain Guy

Hows the duck populations these days?
Maybe there's not enough ducks to expect lots over a long period of time.
The days of ''waves'' of ducks flying by are all but over.

Populations are close to all time highs.

Results of duck population survey this year are posted on the major waterfowl sites (Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, etc.)

Granted the data only goes back about 70 years.

[winged1]

Is that a toronado, or are those feeding ducks. Hard to believe they'd rebound anywhere near what we'd hit back then, but I'll be looking just in case.

[Mountain Guy]

Originally Posted by Jadham

Populations are close to all time highs.

Results of duck population survey this year are posted on the major waterfowl sites (Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, etc.)

Granted the data only goes back about 70 years.

Really?
Well..I'm not anywhere near 70 years old, but there's no way that we have the ducks we did back in the 70's and early 80's.
Unless they moved and I don't know where to look anymore

[pikeslayer22]

IMO...it's not the time as day as much as the day itself the more crappy the weather outside is the better the hunting is! When it's to tough outside for everyone else it's just right for me!

[ontario gunner]

Originally Posted by Mountain Guy

Really?
Well..I'm not anywhere near 70 years old, but there's no way that we have the ducks we did back in the 70's and early 80's.
Unless they moved and I don't know where to look anymore

It is near all time high. You must not know where to look anymore.

Its not time of day, its not the weather... its someone NOT putting the time and miles in to find where the birds want to be and when they want to be there.. you can make all the excuses in the world.. If you dont scout scout scout you will not be consistantly succesful with waterfowl.

[Jadham]

Originally Posted by Mountain Guy

Really?
Well..I'm not anywhere near 70 years old, but there's no way that we have the ducks we did back in the 70's and early 80's.
Unless they moved and I don't know where to look anymore

The data is hard to refute. The caveat is that it is data for North America, so local regional populations may be different. If your neighborhood sloughes/ponds have been drained and converted to pasture/canola over the last few decades then obviously local populations will be low. There was another thread that touched on this recently... a number of posters from various parts of the province reported low to great populations.

But generally speaking, overall populations are doing very well.

[Mountain Guy]

Originally Posted by ontario gunner

It is near all time high. You must not know where to look anymore.

Its not time of day, its not the weather... its someone NOT putting the time and miles in to find where the birds want to be and when they want to be there.. you can make all the excuses in the world.. If you dont scout scout scout you will not be consistantly succesful with waterfowl.

Maybe Ontario is a good place to look.... too far for me though

[Mountain Guy]

Originally Posted by Jadham

The data is hard to refute. The caveat is that it is data for North America, so local regional populations may be different. If your neighborhood sloughes/ponds have been drained and converted to pasture/canola over the last few decades then obviously local populations will be low. There was another thread that touched on this recently... a number of posters from various parts of the province reported low to great populations.

But generally speaking, overall populations are doing very well.

Makes sense.
And i am referring to central Alberta going east and south. Back when we were kids there were loads of ducks and few geese. And for sure the sloughs drying up had a detrimental affect on duck pop's. Probably reduced breeding success and birds changing flyway patterns also.
I'm guessing the OP is referring to the same area as I am and not Ontario or area's where habitat deterioration have had an impact like Alberta.

[Jadham]

Originally Posted by Mountain Guy

Makes sense.
And i am referring to central Alberta going east and south. Back when we were kids there were loads of ducks and few geese. And for sure the sloughs drying up had a detrimental affect on duck pop's. Probably reduced breeding success and birds changing flyway patterns also.
I'm guessing the OP is referring to the same area as I am and not Ontario or area's where habitat deterioration have had an impact like Alberta.

I am curious as to how the central flyway numbers will be this year. With the Canadian prairie having a low pond/pothole count this year, the Annual Nesting Survey suggests that a lot birds pushed north into the boreal forest and arctic, which had good nesting conditions. This could mean a potentially banner year once the migrators show up, especially for the main flyways in Saskatchewan/Manitoba.

When I was out last weekend in south central Alberta is seemed to be resident birds... even for blue winged teal and with another week of good weather I guess it will be a few more weeks before we get any reports.

A banner year could lead me to Saskatchewan in October.