The quest continues

Jay K

Jay K

Active member
4 years in and still a very "new hunter." This is my first year hunting out of a BBSB. I started with a 14' Jon boat and it just didn't cut it for those puddle ducks. Had birds flaring left and right.

Figured I had the cure all with the BBSB. Nope. They are still flaring. Went out last Saturday. Had every puddle duck flare at the last second. Had a pair of black ducks make a hard U-turn when they saw my spread all cupped to come in. At the last second they bailed and pitched hard away.

A fellow member on here (Craig F) pointed out that I need a cockpit cover. So next time let's see if that is the ticket I need to start getting some birds to commit.

None the less, it was a beautiful day on the water.

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Jay~


Sweet rig! I'm sure you'll do well with it.


I am presuming you have learned THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE OF DUCKSHOOTING: DON'T MOVE!!!!



I agree that the cockpit needs to be hidden. I use a "lap cover" that's all thatched up. Do you wear a face mask? (This photo was "pre-facemask - back in the last century....) I also always wear fingerless gloves - to hide my hands.



View attachment Sneakbox - SJS on Thatch ca 1990 - shortened.jpg



Two other thoughts:


1. If your days have been as bluebirdy as the photos show, it's generally tough to get birds to tend perfectly when they can afford to be careful. Stiff winds and dropping mercury mean for hungry - and so less careful - birds.


2. When gunning by myself, I typically have the rig a bit to my left. Not only does this make for easy shooting (for righthanders) - but it gives the birds an "all clear" view right ahead of the decoys.


All the best,


SJS

 
I agree with all that Steve wrote, except, that is a B. E. A. UTIFUL rig!

I too agree with having the rig slightly to the left, (I'm a right handed shooter). I was taught very early on, whenever possible, to have a clear view directly in front of the spread, puddlers for caution sake, and divers too, for they do not like to land into a shoreline.

Second the gloves, face mask and lap cover too.

What about a little motion. I do not advocate electric spinny thingys, (I personally believe anything electric should be outlawed), but it's hard to beat a jerk cord. Your pictures show dead, smooth water. Ripples on the water look very much like active, real birds.

I'm sure there is more.

Jon
 
Very hard to fool south jersey black ducks on a still, relatively warm day like Friday. I've seen plenty flare at live birds, let alone decoys and a boat. Sometimes there's not much you can do, but there's some great tips in the answers above. Here's one I've learned over the years... have your black ducks downwind. That is to say if they are going to finish into the wind as ducks do, have their first option be their own kind. They don't like having to go over other species of ducks to get to the black ducks. I always keep my black duck decoys as the wild bird's first option.
 
Good morning, Craig et al~


Great point! One bit of old lore from Great South Bay gunners: Black Ducks do not like to fly over "white birds" - which in this instance means other puddle ducks such as Mallards or Pintails or Wigeon. I always give Blacks a clear approach to the Black Duck decoys from downwind, with my other puddlers at the head of the rig. (If I have any divers or Brant or Geese, they are separate and off to one side and not in the flight path of incoming Black Ducks).


All the best,


SJS

 
Again, I agree with the Blacks being somewhat separate. ( although, in real life around here, they tend to mingle with Mallards), when hunting, as I do Buffleheads , I usually segregate them.


Of an interesting note here, there's no doubt in my mind, I have seen more Blak Ducks so far this season, here in N E Ohio, than I've ever seen before. I've taken 5 this year, where I many years, I hardly even see any. All appear to be healthy purebreds too.

Jon
 
Could be something other than the rig. How much calling do you do? I have a buddy who keeps on calling away even after the. It?s committ. This scares them off every time. He also absolutely insists upon setting up his decoy in a ?J? pattern or funnel or some other non natural pattern. I think this tends to scare away birds as well.

Just saying it may not be your boat or camp on it. I don?t have a cover on my boat and don?t tend to flare any birds.

Mark
 
Thanks for all the input guys.

Steve:

I actually refer to your site for a lot of ideas. You have a ton of info on there and it's been super helpful to me. I actually started using a mask. No gloves unless it's really cold. I tuck them in my hand warmer. I actually did just as you and Craig said. I made basically a lap cover out of 1x2's tied to camo netting thatched with raffia and salt hay. Going to test it out tomorrow. That's a good point about the rig. I always struggle to find different decoy placement ideas.

Ben:

I use a camo burlap cover bungee corded to the motor with grass tied to it. Sometimes I stuff some natural grass in as well.

Jon:

Thank you my friend. I put a ton of work into the boat. Reinforced a cracked transom, completely stripped and repainted, filled dings and re-did all the grass attachments. I've often thought about adding a jerk rig. Even if it's just a pair in my spread. This day was particularly tough as Craig said: not a puff of wind. Great day on the water though.

Craig:

I appreciate all the help man. Really do. I can honestly say that about 99% of what I've learned has come from you. I always struggle with where to put the black ducks. I run pretty much mallards, blacks and will occasionally throw a widgeon pair in for color. I'm going to move the black ducks downwind next hunt. Hopefully that day I actually get some wind!

Mark:

I typically only give them a couple quacks if they turn away. With the pair of black ducks, it actually worked (somewhat). They flew over head. I gave them a quick comeback call. They banked a hard U-turn when they heard. When they turned they were cupped up good. I was actually pretty impressed with myself up to the that point. I'm a "decent" caller. I'm not winning any contests but I can hail them decent or throw a good "comeback." That's typically it though. For me, here in NJ, it seems that calling them all the way through the descent doesn't bode well.

As for decoys. I try to run my spread really natural. This particular spot, when I see birds feeding, it's typically maybe 6-10 birds max. For this spot I usually run a spread of 8-10. You're right. I've never had luck with the J pattern. Usually what I'll do is run a pair upwind as if they are straying away from the group. What I should have done was run a pair maybe 3 mallards upwind and put my blacks with the balance of mallards down wind. The others I usually put slightly off the bank.
 
Good advice in the previous posts. Your boat looks great. From the photos it looks like the decoys are pretty close, though. How far away do you set them?

Mike
 
Minimal calling for black ducks, especially on the coast. 90% of the time I just use a mallard drake whistle as a confidence call. Of course it depends on the day and the bird as well, singles are typically easier to convince to pay a visit to the spread than pairs and groups, less eyes to spot something amiss.
 
Michael,

Let me see if I can try and describe what my goal was there (and maybe you guys can point out some improvements I could make).

- That creek in particular, ducks seem to use as a mini highway.
- I was set up perpendicular to the bank. To my left was a sedge hiding me from ducks coming low down the creek.
- To my right is a small feeder creek.
- I had the pair of blacks in front of me about maybe 20-30'
- The rest of my decoys were set to the right of me in the mouth of the feeder creek near the bank in a "feed pattern"

Goal was to have birds shopping down the creek and land between the pair of black ducks and the bulk to my right along the bank.

I actually had a pair of mallards and a single duck (believe it was a mallard) come down exactly how I planned. However, I guess they saw me because they pitched out as well.
 
With what you just described I would guess the no movement in decoys is what had them extra cautious if wind was as calm as you mentioned earlier. I prefer my decoys at about a minimum of 15 yds from me especially if the set up is that's the hole. That will help keep the eyes off you & boat if your still and well concealed. Sounds like birds liked what they saw flying by ,but just overly cautious, which blk. ducks are known to be on occasion. If possible get sun to your back also helps. Learn to mouth call those blacks especially after you,ve turned them with your call. Few soft guttural quacks will usually seal the deal if done at the right time.
 
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As others noted, if your are right handed, it?s best to have your decoys off to the left so the birds are looking at the decoys and not the boat.
Also 20-30? is way to close, IMO. I?d 15-20 yards is much better.
 
Thanks guys. I'm going to get them away from the boat a little. I guess that's the way to go to make sure they are not seeing me with the decoys.
 
Jay K said:
Thanks guys. I'm going to get them away from the boat a little. I guess that's the way to go to make sure they are not seeing me with the decoys.
Click to expand...

Having the birds in your face is great, but there is a limit. Put them way out there and see how the birds work and move closer as you get the results you want. I'm happy to have the decoys a good ways (20 yards plus) if the birds will work.
 
I'd add that my experience suggests Maine black ducks respond better to a carefully placed spread of a few (3-7--and superstition says it MUST be an odd number) decoys rather than a larger spread. And mallards are not shy at all about dropping into black duck decoys, but black ducks can be shy about the opposite.

The Maine saltwater standard is 3-5 oversized black duck decoys. This is where those LL Bean magnum decoys were developed, and they still work.

Also, other than the dawn flurry, by far our most effective technique is to note where ducks get up when disturbed, and quickly set up on EXACTLY that spot. I don't know if it's the same ducks coming back, or just that birds are up and moving and favor the same spots, but it's amazing how often blacks are back in the decoys within 15-20 minutes. This is much more true of small groups of birds than of big flocks. When I am seeing big flocks bunched together, the hunting is always tough. I much prefer scattered small groups here and there and on the move.
 
Jay, I use a small rig, 6-8 puddle ducks at the most. Have one standing bird I put out on a bank for motion, keeps them from seeing the boat.
I do a lot of scouting and see mostly 3-4 birds resting or feeding together. Not large 10-12 bird groups.
I use flaps to cover the cockpit, works well for me. Steves spray shield for the Southbay is great, factory one is a little low. As for the motor, the ol potato sack is my go to camo. Drop it in the water and it holds to the motor.
Love the decoys in close, 15-20 yards. Use a IC choke. Old friend gave advice, shoot them in the peeper, not the pooper.
 
Capt Rich Geminski said:
Jay, I use a small rig, 6-8 puddle ducks at the most. Have one standing bird I put out on a bank for motion, keeps them from seeing the boat.
I do a lot of scouting and see mostly 3-4 birds resting or feeding together. Not large 10-12 bird groups.
I use flaps to cover the cockpit, works well for me. Steves spray shield for the Southbay is great, factory one is a little low. As for the motor, the ol potato sack is my go to camo. Drop it in the water and it holds to the motor.
Love the decoys in close, 15-20 yards. Use a IC choke. Old friend gave advice, shoot them in the peeper, not the pooper.
Click to expand...

Agree 100%, except that an even number of decoys is the duck hunting equivalent of a banana on a boat, stepping on a sidewalk crack, or a hat on a bed. LOL!
 
Looks like I have my work cut out for me tomorrow morning. Thanks again gentlemen. Tomorrow I am going to push my decoys out a little. Also set the black ducks on their own in front of my mallard sets. Also going to try putting my set to the left of my view. will update with how it goes.
 
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