Least favorite weather and/or time to hunt ducks?

KThompson

KThompson

Active member
Ok, first of all, I know that sounds like blasphemy or an "April Fools!" question but in all seriousness I will hunt in any type of weather that work and family allows. I have found there are two types that crank down my excite-o-meter:

(1) heavy fog - I have just very rarely had any luck in the fog. I know guys that have had good success but other than jump-shooting swimmers I have found no way for consistent success in the fog. Also, with so many folks in our area starting to use skulls, kayaks, etc. I have a slight overly-cautious-back-of-my-mind fear that someone could be just outside where I'm sitting and get peppered (or worse) if I shoot at a low flying passer... something that would never happen in any other weather condition.

(2) continuous rain - I've hunted heavy continuous, heavy downpours, light rain, continuous light rain, stop-n-go, tornadic weather (swirling wind and rain), etc. and while I can still "handle" all of it, I have as bad luck on the non-stop rain hunts as I do fog. This is probably my least favorite as compared with fog (which I know will eventually lift), this can screw up a full day's worth of hunting.

Relative to time-of-day to hunt, I prefer morning all the way to 3PMish in the areas I hunt. I have rarely had success with the last 1.5hrs of LEGAL shooting time. In my younger days, I did some shoots later than I should have and see the attraction to outlaws for those just-before-dark hours but it's off the table for this question.

I'd like to hear your thoughts...
 
i hunted a pea soup fog ONCE-
it was like trying to pass shoot from the bottom of a well
 
I agree with you on the rain. I hate it and the ducks seem to hate it. I'll sit through a short shower but that's about it. At least now days with smart phones a hunter can check and see what the radar looks like.

Midseason sunny calm days are right up there with rain. Ducks just seem to sit in the middle of lakes around here. Its almost more frustrating when it's nice out and no ducks are moving.

Fog and mist have went both ways for me. I've had some good hunts on big water in the fog. I had a blast one morning with Goldeneyes and Blue Bills coming in out of the fog. I've also sat bored for hours on small ponds only being able to see 100 yards.

Tim
 
1. Bright sun and anything other than a South or East wind. I despise looking into the sun.
2. No wind. These days are usually no good after the first 30 to 40 minutes, if that.
3. Bright sun and no wind.
 
Last edited:
I hate being out in the fog, makes it flat out dangerous at times. But I have had some absolutely fantastic hunts on foggy days, seemed like any duck that saw the decoys crashed right in.

Steady rain sucks.

A strong south wind with high temps and humidity right before a cold front makes for miserable hunting here: birds don't want to fly and I don't blame them. Flat calm and sunny (which normally means is like 65-70 degrees here too) ain't much fun either.

Favorite day is when a front comes through the evening before and we wake up clear cold skies and a screaming north wind.
 
When there us a flood tide that covers the marsh and you have to navigate electronically, or too much sun and no wind.
 
Steady rain or bright sunny days with flat, calm water are my least favorite. During or the morning after a cold front with strong NW winds and a big drop in the temperature always seem to provide good shooting with lots of new, anxious birds that will drop in even if you are wading around knocking ice off the decoys. Throw in snow squalls and its even better.
 
I don't hunt steady or heavy rain. I also dislike warm sunny days without wind. I have had my best hunts from half an hour before sunrise till 11 am and in the last hour before sunset on cloudy days especially with a NW wind.

If I know the little waterholes ducks are using I will hunt the fog with good success. Field hunting geese in the fog can be a blast. Just make a hail call every so often and listen for a response. Then when they work, don't shoot them on the first pass, call them back around and finish them in the decoys. They will really key in on the call.
 
I will hunt in pretty much any weather but I draw the line at sitting in a swamp with swarms of mosquitoes. A warm day with a few bugs is fine but not going crazy covered in bugs.

I have had great hunts in pretty much all weather. I have had amazing shoots at the moment the fog lifts. Sunny calm days are ok if you find the right spot. Rain doesn't really slow me down much unless it is a heavy downpour but I will wait it out. Snow is fine. Swarms of bugs and I'm going home.
 
If it pours I go to a blind with a roof.

If It is sunny "blue bird day" I hunt the morning flight then get the seacoast out to find the loafing birds.

Fog makes driving to the spot a royal pain, but makes the shooting sporty

Wicked cold(single digits-negative temps) usually means lots of clothes and lighting a fire.

Blizzards are the best I know a few spots that funnel the birds.

I have hunted in hurricanes too a 300 yard ride took 20 minutes with 6-8ft waves.
If the season is open and I want to hunt, I'm going too. It's too short not to be out there.
 
Last edited:
My favorite spot hunts best on a northeast wind, so I hunt in a bunch of equinoctial storms. The ducks fly better and it's more pleasant just at the tail end as the rain ends and the wind starts shifting N, then NW, but by the time it's cleared out and blowing hard NW, the ducks want to be elsewhere. The key is getting the timing right--to be there at the tail end of the misery, just as it starts to clear out.

I hate hunting warm--which means 60 at dawn now, and gets gradually colder as the season goes on. By Thanksgiving, I don't want to hunt if it's much above freezing--and the colder the better, down to about 15 F, below which hunting can be great, but miserable.
 
Agree.

1. Will not hunt in a steady rain other than the first couple hours of opening day.

2. Use to prefer the afternoons on the salt marsh; upstate New York, not generally productive.

3. Favorite weather: a cold front with a Northwester--preferably in November. (Damn, just love the way that cold dry wind sounds in the Norwegian spruces in my front yard.)
 
My least favorite weather to hunt in is on/off rain shower. You know the type. You get to your spot and get everything ready and it tarts to pour. You sit in it for awhile and say to yourself that if it doesn't stop in 10 minutes you are calling it a day. 9 minutes later it stops. 20 minutes later it starts up. Rinse and repeat a dozen or so times. Hate this weather as if it is raining when I get up, I don't go.

Mark W
 
Full sun, very little wind, full moon phase, and high temperatures. Oh, right, that's the forecast for this opening weekend!
 
I loved reading your answers. I assumed I'd get a lot of "steady rain" responses as well as that's typical with my circle of hunting friends as well. One thing I didn't mention, which many of you have, is those warm bluebird days. The ONLY reason I didn't mention that is because when the weather is that nice, it still makes for a great day outside (on a solo hunt specifically). It's hard to fight off a nap when it's 62deg, sun on the side of your face, leaned up against a tree on the TN River/Guntersville Lake and watching the coots swim by in the thousands :)

(with that said, I get really frustrated when I'm taking other ppl out on those days because I want to provide them with a good opportunity to shoot.... so yea, it's #3 on my list)
 
Any time it rains or snows down here the ducks do not fly. So after finding that out, I no longer hunt those days.

My most successful hunting days are "severe clear" days, with bright sun and no wind. That by the way is what 90% of the days are like.
Al
 
Any time it rains or snows down here the ducks do not fly. So after finding that out, I no longer hunt those days.

My most successful hunting days are "severe clear" days, with bright sun and no wind. That by the way is what 90% of the days are like.
Al
Click to expand...

Al - That is really amazing as in my experience hunting ducks in MS and AL, that is definitely the worst time for duck activity... seems they like to sit still or loaf around. Maybe our birds are just lazier? :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top