Early Season Ducks

Top Tips for Working Early Season Ducks!
By Capt. Bill Saiff III

Calling, decoys, camouflage and the assistance of a quality retriever can all play an important role when working early season ducks. Most hunters realize that early season ducks can be less wary than birds educated by hunting pressure but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll be a push over! Populations of ducks will be more limited at the beginning of the season and the vegetation cover that ducks frequent can be thick and difficult to hunt. Early season birds are also very regimented in their daily routines and the tight pockets that hold duck can be tough to scout. Here are some things that all duck hunters should be thinking about as they pursue early season ducks.
Small water can mean big duck action! Most early season duck populations consist of resident birds. These ducks have matured locally and are now rearing their broods in the same areas. Big water presents a host of dangers to young ducks just learning the ropes so most hens prefer small potholes that are lined by dense cover for brood rearing. When this same small water offers an ample supply of submergent and emergent vegetation than a good food supply is guaranteed. Brush pockets are the final key to productive small water. When brush is present in the water, ducks have protection from avian predators. These are some of the factors that will allow family groups of ducks to survive and expand their populations in these small water areas. When scouting for these small water honey holes, look for marshes and swamps that are alive. Here's an example: when a beaver first floods a valley, all the vegetation is green. Ducks love this situation and during the first three years of flooding, ducks will continuously use these areas. Eventually if the water levels are not regulated, trees and other vegetation will begin to die and these areas will lose their appeal.

Working the Calls
The sounds uttered by a hen Mallard are the most mimicked duck vocalization in all duck calling. Consequently most hunters take to the field each year blasting forth the sounds of a raucous Suzie in hopes of attracting ducks. While a quality Mallard call will always have a place on a duck hunter's lanyard, it's not the last word in duck calling.
Most early season hunts will provide a mix of dabbling ducks. It won't be uncommon to encounter Blue Winged Teal, Green Winged Teal, Wood Ducks, Mallards and the occasional Black Duck. Variety in your calling will help your hunting set-up seem more realistic. The birds that are frequenting your area will be used to hearing these different vocalization so providing them could tip the odds in your favor. A Wood Duck whine style call can render a fine impersonation of incoming Wood Ducks. A simple referee's whistle (without the ball) can be used to simulate the peeping sounds of Green Winged Teal and can also create the droning buzz of a drake Mallard.
Early season birds will not be as vocal as their migrating bretheren. Duck hunters should call sparingly to match what's already happening with live birds. Remember, these small water ducks are frequenting these locations regularly. When they begin to arrive, the call should be used to coax them in and provide reassurance. Over-calling can be a major stumbling block when pursuing early season ducks.

Decoys
When ducks begin approaching your pothole, they will already be listening to your calling. When they look at the water's surface, it's important for them to make visual contact with decoys. Since vegetation can be thick during the early season, oversized or magnum style decoys will give incoming birds something to lock onto. Most oversized dabbling decoys will be comprised of Mallards, while Teal and Wood Ducks will be offered in life sized versions. Mix up the decoys in your hunting spread to simulate the variety of birds found in the area. Many early season veterans will rig a simple donut pattern in their pot hole. The perimeter of the hole will be sprinkled with magnum Mallard decoys and the interior of the hole will have tiny pods of Wood Duck and Teal decoys. Hunters should leave some open water within15 to 20 yards of their gunning location and all the decoys will be within 30 yards of the guns.
Spinning wing decoys are being used frequently by duck hunters across America but they are not correct for all hunting situations. If your scouting is correct, spinning wing decoys shouldn't be needed to harvest a limit of birds. A spinning wing is like a gambler's ace in the hole! You should only use the spinning wing when it's absolutely needed. Ducks can become educated by spinning wing decoys. When spinning wings are used too often, incoming birds may actually flare from a hole. There are more subtle forms of decoy enticement that can be use to commit incoming birds. Jerk strings and dunking decoys will provide a splash and ripple in the middle of your spread. This simulates movement on the water and when employed correctly can be made to resemble feeding ducks. At first light, ripples on the water will have every duck craning its neck and banking in for a closer look.

Camouflage
The single biggest key to harvesting ducks in the early season is "to be where the birds want to be". When you locate a good group of early season ducks, don't worry about elaborate blinds or set-ups. The use of quality camouflage and natural cover will help hunters get close to ducks. Two camo designs that serve hunters well in the early season are Advantage's Max-4 and Wetlands patterns. Max-4 has enough brown and gray tones to help sportsmen blend in to brushy areas. When sportsmen are faced with hunting cattails or long grass, Wetlands blends in perfectly.
The most successful waterfowlers have the ability to remain motionless when birds are approaching. The only move they make, is the move to shoot. When guns rise from the natural cover, it should be a complete surprise to the ducks. Watching ducks pitch the hole, is the magical aspect of any well run waterfowl hunt. In order to watch birds work, hunters must wear a facemask that covers the light skin tones of their face. Preferably, this facemask will match the rest of their camouflage outfit. It's also a good idea to utilize some type of front cover. A screen of vegetation between the hunter and incoming birds will help to break up the hunter's silhouette.

Retrievers
Quality dog work is more important during the early season then at any other time of year. Unfortunately, most busy sportsmen forget about Fido until its time for the ducks to start flying. Pre-conditioning of hunting retrievers during the summer months is critical for top performance in the field. Early season conditions can be very warm and exhausting on a retriever. Thick vegetation scent locks birds when they fall from the sky so consequently retrievers spend more time working out each retrieve. Since many of our early season set-ups revolve around small water, hunters should expect some birds to fall in heavy vegetation areas. It's always helpful if at least two hunters can cross mark the birds fall. This will help whoever is handling the dog to line the retriever correctly. When hunters choose to go afield without dogs in the early season, they should pick their shots more carefully. A duck harvested directly over open water is a duck that is easily recovered.
This year's early season should provide some banner hunts. The key points discussed above should add ducks to any hunter's bag. See you in the swamp!
Capt. Bill Saiff III is host of the nationally syndicated television programs "Cabin Country" and "Cabin Country Classics". You can see them on public television stations and the Outdoor Channel.