Classic Duck Hunting Destinations

Eric Patterson

Eric Patterson

Moderator
Staff member
My son's friends and I have been discussing "classic" waterfowl hunts that can still be had this day and age. For example a hunt from a curtain blind off the North Carolina coast, and sinkbox hunting in Canada. Others include Canada prairie hunt for puddlers, and New Jersey coastal marshes for black ducks. Hit me up with ones you can think of. I'd like to pass them on to the boys as food for thought. Might as well dream big, because some might just come true.

Eric
 
Last edited:
divers - especially cans - on Chesapeake Bay

or the Susquehanna Flats

a few spots on Lake Erie would also fit the list
 
Last edited:
Chesapeake Bay/Eastern Shore of Maryland, late season Bluebills and Canvasbacks. My brother and I used to do this every year and always enjoyed it. Historically, life there centered on the water and for many people it still does. Crabbing, Fishing, Oysters, and duck hunting/market hunting are still peoples livelihoods only now the "market hunting" is in guiding.


I always wanted to do a flooded timber hunt in Arkansas or Louisiana.
 
Eric Patterson said:
My son's friends and I have been discussing "classic" waterfowl hunts that can still be had this day and age. For example a hunt from a curtain blind off the North Carolina coast, and sinkbox hunting in Canada. Others include Canada prairie hunt for puddlers, and New Jersey coastal marshes for black ducks. Hit me up with ones you can think of. I'd like to pass them on to the boys as food for thought. Might as well dream big, because some might just come true.

Eric
Click to expand...

Jersey Brant and black ducks for sure.
Eastern Shore MD Cans and redheads.

Texas Sandhills

Illinois or Iowa Field mallards.

Just a few I?ve done, or want to do
 
Saskatchewan, for sandhills, specks; lac st. pierre, I quebec, where you can still book hunts in sinkboxes; Argentina, isles of shoals, for eidah.
Get up with a copy of Van Campen Heilner's A Book on Duck Shooting. Try to follow it! I think there is another called gunning the flyways, which should keep you occupied, should you follow that trek.
 
South Central Florida for mature bluewings, whistling ducks and mottled ducks.

Coastal Texas for pintails and redheads.
 
Salt marshes on the east coast
Lake St Clair / Long point
And maybe somewhere a little warmer where you don?t have to chainsaw the ice to get out
 
Would like to do a timber hunt for mallards and hunt sand hill cranes

Other than that, I'm living the dream on the coast of Maine (when the seas allow).
 
Texas - Sandhill Cranes
Jersey - Black Ducks and Brant (even though I live here, has to be on the list)
Alaska - King Eiders and Harlequins
Arkansas - Timber Mallard hunts.
Finger Lakes/Upstate NY - Redheads and Goldeneye.
Maryland - Eiders/Scoters and Broadbill
California - Canvasback
Texas/Rio Grande/Mexico - Teal and some Whistlers
 
New Jersey black ducks is a unique opportunity. Also ample opportunities for an out of state freelance hunter especially if they can trailer a boat up here. I know there are some others here that have more expertise and experience than I but I?d gladly either hunt alongside anyone on this site or point them in the right direction. I wouldn?t have any issues pointing out some holes to long distance out of staters. In state guys not so much. Also while in the north east reds and cans on the Chesapeake (apparently far harder for freelance guys) black ducks and broadbill on the south shore of Long Island, eiders in New England, and a layout hunt on the Great Lakes. Obviously some options are more equipment intensive than others but all great north east duck hunting destinations
 
You need two Maine trips.

One early season to hunt Merrymeeting Bay during the brief period when the late part of the Sora rail season overlaps with the early part of puddle duck season. You want to get a guide who built his own MMB sculling boat and also like to pole for rails. (There may not be any left.) Look for the biggest tide in late September or early October, and plan to hunt ducks at dawn and dusk, then pole for rails on the mid-day high tides.

Then when you come up for your eider hunt, do it in mid-late December, so you are also here for the best of the coastal black duck hunting. Its a different game in Maine's rocky bays and inlets than it is down on the Jersey salt marshes. You'll have opportunities for geese, too, while chasing the black ducks.

In between, it can be a long empty season up here, but early and late are special.
 
Get a copy of Connett?s book on shooting the Atlantic coast and pick a couple hunt?s. I would suggest Broadbill shooting from a layout boat on Long Island?s Great South Bay.
 
Tom Whitehurst said:
Get a copy of Connett?s book on shooting the Atlantic coast and pick a couple hunt?s. I would suggest Broadbill shooting from a layout boat on Long Island?s Great South Bay.
Click to expand...

It dawned on me that I didn't see a Great South Bay Broadbill hunt. I agree completely. Lots of heritage in that area.
 

Northwest for Black Brant and Emperor Goose.

The last two birds on my life To Do list.



Dream Hunt - To hunt the Long Point Company Club.

Years ago my gunning partner and I spoke with a member of the club, while tending our sneakboxes at the dock at Port Rowan.

He arrived in a limo. His man took his gear, and cased shotguns to the pier to await the club boat.

We had enjoyable conversation, and once the boat docked he said. "I must be off, a martini awaits me onboard."

If yer gonna dream, dream BIG.
 
Vince,

I look at places like that and I sometimes wonder. How would I feel if I hunted there? My first duck hunt ever was wading through 3' deep mud into a beaver slough in NW New Jersey. From there, hasn't been much luxury. I see guys in the mid-west posting pictures on social media of hot eggs and bacon in the blind. Meanwhile, I'm still trying to find a good place to fit a bottle of water in my BBSB and homemade goose jerky is the main course.

I have to admit though, it might be nice for a day going somewhere that the decoys are already set. Having a place to sit in a heated blind. Having someone or someone else's dogs get the birds. Maybe for day.

I googled the place you mentioned because I never heard of it before. Looks exclusive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top