Christmas vacation family trips with duck hunting?

Brandon Yuchasz

Brandon Yuchasz

Well-known member
I had my September Manitoba trip fall apart this year and my mind has started to wander to other possible trips this year. I fall into the camp of life it to short and duck season is even shorter so I try and take full advantage of the fall and enjoy every moment I can outdoors. This year I have freelance hunt planned to North Dakota but I would really like to hunt some late season birds as well since I skipped my early season hunt. I don't have much interest in guided hunts I enjoy the scouting as much as the hunt.

Anyway I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on area's that would offer a family vacation that also has some decent duck hunting that time of year. My thought was my wife does not like to get going early on vacations so if I could sneak out in the mornings and hunt with the kids and then we could go get mom and do something that would be great.

I am not looking for anyone to post up there favorite holes or anything but some general ideas would be great.

Diver hunting is by far my favorite but I am not stuck on that idea. In addition driving from the UP of michigan would be the plan.
 
Brandon,

Please call me. I would appreciate some help posting on the MDHA site. I understand you are in charge and our e-mail correspondence has not corrected the situation.

Thank you,

Rod VanZile

574-596-4012

Michigan Duck Hunters Association
Macatawa Bay Chapter

Sorry to hijack your post, and I appologize to the rest of the duckboats.net members.
 
Brandon, I'd take a look at the Chesapeake Bay area.
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The MD portion of the bay, which includes the flats, is off limits if you are freelancing since you need a local in the boat. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, of course.

If you like divers, you will love seaducks, so that is something to think about - Common Eider, Surf Scoter, White-Winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Oldsquaw should all be available in numbers along the East coast then. I won't be around then, so I can't hook you up. If you are really set on freelancing I don't know what you are have for boat other than your BBIII, but I would want more boat than that in unfamiliar coastal water.

I don't know how that would work as a family trip though - sounds pretty sucky.

T
 
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Gulf of Mexico Coast might be a good option.
Lots to see in Louisiana and usally tons of ducks.
The Texas coast, especially around Corpus Christi, usually has lots of redheads & pintails but the drought may put a damper on that. There is at least one guide over in the Destin/Panama City area of FL. Of course, the Florida Peninsula is a great option for ringers, scaup & bluewings & Disney Land.

Me personally? I would go over to Mass/Maine Coast for seaducks and stay at some quaint B&B overlooking the rocky coast.
 
For years my family and I have been going to the East Coast. Northern Virginia in fact. We usually leave the day after Christmas and stay until the following Saturday. We usually get a guide for a day, freelance the rest. And we do exactly what you describe, Son and I get up early, hunt, then usually get back for a lunch and maybe a little shopping or visiting. If we have time we may even head out for an afternoon hunt, then out to dinner with everyone. Virginia has some pretty decent public areas to try, and the rules, while stringent, allow for non-residents. There is plenty of big water as well as small creeks and sloughs depending on how big of a rig you'll be hauling. I have never done it, but am told New Jersey is pretty good along those lines too. Maryland would be great, but Like Tod says, Maryland has laws about hunting without a "resident". You can do it, but are limited as to where and when. You'll want to check the rules/regs for anywhere you go anyways. I think just about anywhere along there would be worth checking into. There are some great museums to visit along the DelMarVa penninsula. The Havre DeGrace Decoy Museum, on the Northern part of The Chesapeake Bay, The Ward Brothers Museum in Salisbury MD, and The Refuge Waterfowl Museum in Chincoteague VA are a couple you wouldn't want to miss, and all within a couple of hours of each other.

Whatever you decide, have fun and good luck!

Jon
 
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Me personally? I would go over to Mass/Maine Coast for seaducks and stay at some quaint B&B overlooking the rocky coast.
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Carl,

That's just because you are trying to suck up to the wife for a new boat! BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

But I do like your suggestion. I second it and say that is where I'd head too. Head East Brandon and do the sea duck hunt, you won't regret it. I'm sure your family will find the area very interesting.
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Have you ever thought of coming to Long Island, New York. There are over a hundred miles of coastline to explore and countless estuarys and tidal pools to hunt where you do not need a guide and it's open for all to enjoy. We have some great hunting here with everything from Sea Ducks to puddlers, large Brant populations and tons of Canada geese. Best of all, you can hunt in the morning, be back in time for breakfast and then go into NYC for the day and get back in plenty of time to do it all over again the next day. Not to mention you can also get in some offshore fishing or bow hunt for some White tail deer to change things up a bit.
Just think, your wife could never say no to that new boat if you took her to NYC's Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall for the holidays.
Let me know if I can be of any help
 
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I'd be all in for a southern Maine seaduck hunt. I went twice with a guide that was verry reasonable.
We stayed in a nice cottage,left to hunt around 6:30 and were back by 10:30 with limits of eiders 5 of 6 days.
The rest of the day could be spent any way you like and thetourists are all gone. We both loved it!!
We were just north of Freeport and it's a neat little town. My wife and my buddies wife had a great time
shopping. They both hunted one day and slept in the others. I have a friend doing his resedency in Portland who
may be able to steer you in the right direction.
Where ever you go have a great time!! John
 
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