nj scouting

J

john a

Active member
hi all about when do you all start scouting inland waters for the fall and how do yo go about it what should i be looking for besides ducks them self
this will be my first real year waterfowl hunting as i only went out a few days last year
also plan on going tothe seaport this fall
 
What does food look like? Well how about finding a ramp with an open donut shop on the way. Or one that has a pizza shop near by that will deliver a hot pie to the ramp for a hot lunch in the blind. I'm sure others will share their scouting secrets with you too.

Seriously get out now to learn the areas. If you hunt by boat you will be running in the dark to your spots. Once you learned the areas find an excuse to keep going back, like fishing. While fishing learn were the rocks and bars and if tidal learn how it all changes with the tides. As you get closer to the season make sure your there early and start watching where the local birds (if any) like to hang and under what conditions. I have no idea what the pressure is like in your area but once the season arives everything will change. Areas that looked good may be full of other guys hunting.

Good luck, if your trying to start up alone you have your work cut out for you.
Scott
 
Ya know guys seein stuff like this really ticks me off this guy was just askin for a tip not a map of your secret hole,when i started i got some tips from some older guys to get started then put in the time to learn the rest on my own,everybody says we need to pass on waterfowling and also keep this site going but how can you expect to do either if someone especialy a newbie cant even ask a simple question with out people jumpin in his shit for it. Just my opinion dosent make it right.



B.Miller

P.S. john pm sent
 
John why would you expect anyone to give up what they learned over many years to be put in in print on the web?
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Hey Jim, lighten up and reread his post, I'm pretty sure he was asking advise on going about doing HIS OWN scouting.

John, Scott's advise is solid, go over maps, familiarize yourself with the waters in nice weather. Keep in mind food sources and flight patterns will change. Also, familiarize yourself with the tidal charts if you aren't already.

Chuck
 
Start right know, just like the guys said. But get out early, dark thirty. No since just sitting there, bring your fishing pole and start fishing. Just start watching the little feeder creeks. Start at top of the tide out going, that way hopefully you won't hit anything. Throw a few plugs. Keep an eye for when the tides out, where the deeper water is. Most of all it will take years, but when the season comes in get out 45 minutes before everyone else does, take your time. It'll really pizz them off when your in there spot because you were early. hehehe...John Van Houten
 
Hi john
Another good way to get your feet wet is get involved with your local waterfowl organization. It can be DU or Delta or NJ waterfowlers. Duck hunters are tight knit group. If guys see your true to the sport they will open up and be alot of help. They have gone through the growing pains of starting out and in a couple years you will be and answering posts just like this.
 
John,

Check out the NJ Waterfowkers site. In the past they have held a New Waterfowlers Clinic. This should help you get started and meet some like minded people. This should help you develope a network to bounce things back and forth because one guy can't do it all.

I fully know where Jims coming from and agree with him. It's called spot burning. Lets say you do all the work find the birds then some one else posts up for all the world to see that he found them. All the knuckleheads who sit behind the computer and don't do the work show up and your twenty trailers deep at the ramp and your #21.

Feel free to PM me and I'll give you my contact information. I did'nt start on my own. You need to find a mentor. Just be willing to share in the preseason and post season work.

Phil
 
I second what Scott Farris and John Van Houten wrote. I didn't get any help whatsoever after moving here. I poured over WMA maps available online at the NJ Div of Fish and Game, compared them to road maps, and did lots of driving around and asking questions. Then, once I found places to put in, I spent many many many many many many many many many hours paddling around. Over the years, you come to recognize people and their boats and they come to recognize you. You chat briefly with them at the boat launches, or somethimes even out in the marsh. If you're nice, polite, and help them out a bit sometimes, they may just give you a tip or two of another place you can try out, or things to watch out for like mud flats :) as someone said, it can take years. I'm still learning.

Quick story of what not to do... the one WMA I hunt is heavily hunted and there were two guys in a tiny Johnboat who arrived at the end of the line of waiting vehicles at the boat launch. All of us "veterans" of the area were nice to them as we waited our turn. They explained that they had never hunted there before and did we have any advice of where to go. We all pointed to say where we going to be "generally" and told them that there were these islands "over there" to the left where it should be good and nobody should bother them. Wouldn't you know it, not more than two hours after sunrise, these guys motored all over the WMA, checked where everybody was, and it seemed they were also chasing/jump shooting ducks. They had the intelligence to leave before anyone else. I met up with two seperate guys at the launch on my way out and we all noticed the antics of these dolts. I could tell that the other were not impressed. Well, a few weeks later, they showed up again, and somehow, in the preceeding weeks, the word had passed around, and nobody said a word to them, I know I gave them some dark looks. Actually, I think someone wrote something and put it under their windshield wipers at the end of the morning hunt. I thought about saying something about chasing ducks, but I'm a firm believe in what goes around comes around and these guys will get what's coming to them in the end, the hard way.

During hunting season, as someone else wrote, it all changes. Ducks weren't where you saw them earlier in the year, and late season and nasty weather really makes things out in the marsh look very very different at dark-thirty in the morning. Bring a GPS and mark promising locations on it. Watch the birds, where they come from, and where they're going, and where they seem to be landing. Sometimes yuo can get there, and sometimes, it just isn't worth it... we've all been there, I think.

Oh yeah, going out earlier than others is a good tip. However, arguing with someone about being "in their spot" when they arrive after you has to be one of the worst experiences EVER. You just wish people would grow up.

my $0.02

Anthony
 
Wow. All I can say about the last several posts is that I am really glad I live in a big rural state with lots of water and not that many duck hunters.

We surely have our favorite spots, clueless newbies (like me not-so-many seasons ago), races to be first at the launch, and jerks with no regard for other hunters, but more often than not I'm glad to see other hunters on the water rather than upset. The way state duck stamp sales are going, I'm always happy to see somebody with a youngster or two in their party.

The best scouting advice I can give is to spend some time with Google Earth or another source of aerial photos. Understand that all the really obvious and easy to reach spots are going to already be well known, but that the ones that are just a little harder to reach will often not be. Look for spots the ducks may fly to when they get pushed off the more obvious spots by heavy hunting pressure. Pre-season, and on slow days when the ducks aren't really flying, poke around looking for spots that hold ducks. In my state there is no Sunday hunting, which makes Sundays great for scouting.

I also find that hunting from a small boat like a canoe or kayak opens up all kinds of spots that hunters who want more comfort and to haul more gear can't get to. Going light enough to portage the boat and gear even a quarter mile opens up even more.
 
All I can say is this, waterfowling is like trapping. You have to put the miles in, deal with the shut outs, other compition, having done your homework only goes so far, it's can you pass the test in the fall. But to pass the test your going to have go through a learning curve, understand you have to change like the weather and if you don't adapt to time well you'll fall behind. Kinda like what my employee says to me "at the end of the day I only have myself to blame"

As for the internet, never post a picture, never tell where you where and any jerk that posts where he was should be banned. If you have ever trapped then you know what tight lipped really means.

Best of luck.
 
John,

Lot's of good info here along with some harsh reality.

I'm not sure what you mean by inland water, if freshwater ponds and streams then certainly look for food. Look for aquatic growth and oak trees near the waters edge.

In the salt marsh I've had my best luck just looking for birds and watching patterns. This time of year it would just be good to get out and learn the water in the area you are likely to hunt.

Jersey can have some of the best and worst waterfowling experiences you could ever want. I learned a lot the hard way hunting a few years on my own. Once locals started to recognize me and my rig from previous years I could get a little help, often cryptic and required local knowledge to apply it and make sense of it.

I know I'll never forget the first big black duck I outright fooled and killed feet down and he almost hit the boat splashing down. It makes it all worthwhile.

If you want to try the salt marsh or bay in your area send me a PM. I'm still learning also but I get a few in the boat!

Gene
 
Understand that all the really obvious and easy to reach spots are going to already be well known, but that the ones that are just a little harder to reach will often not be.

I also find that hunting from a small boat like a canoe or kayak opens up all kinds of spots that hunters who want more comfort and to haul more gear can't get to. Going light enough to portage the boat and gear even a quarter mile opens up even more.
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Two very good pieces of advice :)

Another is to hunt during the week when there are fewer hunters!
 
thank you very much for the help from all that understood my ????

as for the rest of you if you feel that way then keep it to your self and dont srew up my post with your b.s
and that will be the last i will post about this i'm 41 yrs old hunted most every thing else but duck
and i asked nobody for their dam spots grow up and learn to keep it to your self and not pollute my post


thanks again to all that help and i will call in the next few weeks to those that im me
as this might be my last post on here as i also can not take the bull shit that some bitter old men spread
 
John, be cool !! you catch more flys with honey. I'm 56 and it never ends. Seems people want to tell you how to do everything, just say thanks and keep moving. I'm sure noting you don't know. If you get to Fl.or Ga. give a yell. Been hunting ducks since I was 12 with my dad. I know you all heard it before, but I'm still hunting with my dad, he's 76. By the way good post Anthony ....
 

Scouting is the key to a good hunt but few here or any other place on the net are going to tell the world how to find the spots they worked their buts off trying to find. After they check you out, you may just be amazed at what you will learn from just the folks you are talking about.
But you have to be willing to put in the miles and make a contribution to a place like this or any of the many others before guys take you in.
Just like deer camp.
No one puts the new guy on the best stand in the place till he shows how he works around camp with the chores, and gets along with the old timers.
I am sure you will like seeing your first duck set into your decoys and I think you will find a few Duck hunters you like if you put your time in.
 
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