Duck movement in salt marshes

DanD

DanD

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For those of you with experience hunting coastal salt marshes: Which do you believe has a stronger effect on waterfowl movement, time of day or tide cycle? Is there a combination of both that you find particularly effective? Maybe there is another factor I should consider? I'm located in the Mid-Atlantic region and I'm particularly interested in these effects on puddle ducks rather than divers. I appreciate any tips or insight you can offer. Thanks!
 
Good morning, Dan~


In my experience - based on those tidal waters around Long Island - the tides probably play the largest role in determining the movements of waterfowl. The "normal" daily tide ranges vary from about 2 feet to about 7 feet around the Island.



The natural relationship is between water depth and availability of food, both vegetable and animal. On a normal tide cycle, most waterfowl feed on the falling tide because the food is once again within reach after the flood tide. Of course, this is more important to puddle ducks - and Geese and Brant.



Time of day gains importance during the hunting season because of gunner pressure. Waterfowl often adopt a feeding schedule that allows them to loaf away from hunters and feed only during the darker hours. So, birds may leave feeding areas at first light and return only after quitting time.


Daily weather affects the patterns, especially with stressful conditions like cold and strong winds. Birds may alter their daily rituals because they need the energy to keep warm/survive.


Big flood tides - driven by wind and or the moon - can also "open up" great feeding areas, such as the High Marsh (salt hay meadows). When inundated, ducks flock here to get at the Salt Marsh Snails (Melampus) and other invertebrates that are normally on "dry" land.


When I lived on LI - before the interwebs - I kept a copy of the tide tables in my glove compartment - and planned my hunts around the falling tides, especially if they were in the afternoons. And, I soon learned that these tables are predictions - not guarantees. Strong winds can and do change the magnitude and time of tides.



This, of course, is just a very brief overview of a complex and fascinating topic.


All the best,


SJS





 
Tides, time of day and weather conditions are all a factor.
Some days its hard to figure out which one is the most important.
But over all, I'd say tide:
No matter what time of day or the weather, if there is no water or even too much water on any given spot, either you cant hunt it or the birds wont be there.
The trick is to learn which spots tend hold birds under the combination of all 3 factors.
 
Those are our best weather conditions except change to a rising tide!
 
Fist off i love this question because i have been asking this question to local guys and no one had an answer. I often hunt non tidal ponds would that be a area to hunt on high tide ? My method of scouting these has been to place a 6 foot ladder in my boat climb up and glass the ponds till i find ducks. I enjoy hunting these ponds because no one else wants to walk and drag their box 400-500 yards to hunt and there is little competition.
 
tide is important and absolutely makes a difference on where as does ice, but first legal shooting is always best and slows down within an hour unless there is real weather to change things up then its about shelter and food. Oh and I am usually in the coastal bays of Delaware & Maryland.
 
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Dan,

I hunt almost exclusively tidal bay shore and marshes in Southern NJ and can only go off of my observations. I'd say that tide is the largest factor, but mostly due to food source access as Steve mentioned. After that position yourself based upon wind and cover. I hunt a shallow bay and what I observe is puddle ducks out on the mud flats at low tide and then heading onto the marsh as the tides force them off. Nothing is 100% and I've jumped lots of puddle ducks off marshes at dead low tide. I also find black ducks are looking for protein sources like snails on the mud flats and along creek banks at low tide. Any more my hunts are based upon when I can get out. Then I figure what location gives me the best chance based upon tide and wind. Best of luck with your season! Remember everyone is still learning.

Bob
 
Hi Josh,

I've had a good bit of success on those marsh ponds, but most of these ponds are over night roosts or a place to loaf in the afternoon. It's not uncommon to jump 20 off these before sunrise, or the middle of the afternoon or have them pile in after sunset. If birds are flying you can definitely pull some in on any tide if you're hidden and have a convincing spread of decoys. Calling helps if your good at it. Don't if you're not. I tend not to call much and stay under cover. Good luck!

Bob
 
I am with SJS and Craig!!!!! Grew up on the North Shore of Long Island and loved those first NWsters in November on a falling or low tide.
 
Thank you guys for the replies one more if you don't mind. I was told ducks have to drink fresh water every day and thats why they would roost in the ponds any truth to this?
 
Good morning, Josh~


I do not believe fresh water is a physiological requirement per se, but there is no question that it has a strong appeal to puddle ducks. Fresh water near a salt marsh is a great combination. On Long Island, many - but not all - of our puddle ducks feed on the salt marshes but rest and drink on freshwater ponds and creeks.



All living things regulate the salt levels in their bodily fluids. While the kidneys do most of this job in birds, many (most) ducks and geese - especially sea ducks and other pelagic (open ocean) birds - also have salt glands that can remove a higher concentration of salts from their blood than can their kidneys. These glands are located within their "foreheads" and the salt solution weeps out onto the bill.


All the best,


SJS






 
I believe Steve is correct in that they dont have to have freshwater but its much less energy intensive physiologically if they have access to freshwater daily.
I do know that for waterfowl that winter on the lagoons of the lower Texas Coast and Mexico, access to freshwater is very important. Redheads and pintails down there make daily movements between the sea grass beds and freshwater sources.
 
Love this topic and love reading everyone?s opinions. I?d like to hijack the thread for a moment though. What do you guys like to do when the tides are against you? What do you like to look for when conditions are less than ideal?
 
The one thing that seems to stick out for me is that above all, the water needs to be moving either up or down. I have very little success at slack tides and generally don't see many ducks flying at that time. Some days they come off Delaware Bay when it is rising, some days when it is dropping.It seems to me they will do one or the other for a period of time, then it switches, I don't know why. As was mentioned before, the lower the water the easier it is to tip and feed, although there are places at high tide that flood and are shallow. The problem with them is you don't have much time in those spots, and if you get stuck there, you might not get out for 6 hours-or worse. Hunting through low tide on a mud flat can be productive if you don't mind not being able to get out for a while, or if the bottom is fairly hard and there is an adjacent creek to leave your boat in and some tall grass for cover. The worst hunting weather we get is mild temperatures and a low ceiling. My best hunting weather is sunny with a light wind, 5-10 mph.I will hunt a hard nor'wester the first day, but won't go in the marsh after that until it settles down again, we lose too much water. Any wind over 20 I don't like, I never did a lot of shooting in these marshes when it has been like that.
 
All great answers. I will just add from what I see in the northwest.

I only target puddle ducks and hammer them early season in the bays BEFORE the heavy rains. After that I move up river and right back in business. I think someone mentioned something similar to this in regards to what feed sources are opened up after any tide/weather event.

The advice given on here is all great.
 
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