Wood ducks?

DOEKILLER

Eight Pointer
I’ve always hunted creeks Large enough to get my jon boat through and too deep to walk through. But recently in one of my favorite deer stands along a smaller creek bottom (Eastern NC)i could hear woodies alll through there in the creek bottom. Scouted it out there yesterday and heard a few woodies but didn’t see any in the afternoon. It’s so thick in there I’m not quite sure how to tackle hunting an area like this. I️ found an opening where the water deepens and opens up some maybe 20 foot wide and 60 yds long. How do y’all go about hunting areas like this where would y’all set up?... it just doesent seem like any ducks would be here but I️ can hear em.... it has cypress and mature oak trees throughout thanks!
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Slip in there and observe. They have to be feeding on something depending on what time you are hearing them. Try to figure how they are entering and set up accordingly. Just remember they are almost impossible to shoot in the evenings (legally) unless you get blessed with an overcast/rainy one. So you have to plan on an approach to get you in there.
 

DOEKILLER

Eight Pointer
Slip in there and observe. They have to be feeding on something depending on what time you are hearing them. Try to figure how they are entering and set up accordingly. Just remember they are almost impossible to shoot in the evenings (legally) unless you get blessed with an overcast/rainy one. So you have to plan on an approach to get you in there.

Sounds good! I’ll give it a try wedsday morning and see what they’re doing thanks!
 

Gus

Six Pointer
They eatin the heck outta them acorns is what they doin.
They generally use the same Flyway thru a swamp. Get in there an hour before sunrise and figure out the Flyway. Might take you a few times but you'll figure out which way they're coming from and going to. Set up facing the sun- theyre gonna fly well before sunrise and it's easier to see em in the lighter eastern sky. Few decoys in that open hole might be a start.
 

nchawkeye

Old Mossy Horns
Sounds like the area we have behind one of our farms...I used to use low power 6s and improved cylinder in my 1100 slug shotgun...I'd get in before first light, shoot a few woodies, then change to one slug, backed up with buckshot and still hunt deer...Good times...Of course this was before all the regulations on using steel shot... :(
 

Blackwater

Twelve Pointer
Gus has the right idea. Woodies love nothing better than water oak acorns and will usually land in a small pocket or slough and get out on the bank scouring for acorns under an oak. 2-3 deeks are all you need to attract them and in the low light conditions if you can rig one of them with a jerk line to make ripples on the water you're golden. What we call "flying time" doesn't last long but can be fast and furious. Ducks pay little attention to noise but work off visuals instead so make sure you're camoflaged well and keep movement to a minimum. If you're lucky enough to have someone else hunting in the general area the two groups can sometimes get the birds flip-flopping back and forth between the two areas and extend the shooting time but woodies are pretty sharp and will figure it out pretty quick before lighting out for a safer spot.
 
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