Where do you set up on a windless day?

B

brian ziegler

Member
My father and I are religious believers of playing the wind, and we've had the results to back it up (as i'm sure all of you have) but the problem I've had on the last couple days is that the wind is so calm that the regular rules don't seem to apply. This time of year we hunt mostly on the river and I just don't know where to set up on a calm day. When there is no wind to hide from, the ducks really seem to go where ever the heck they want. So how do you guys set up on a windless day on the river or where it is you hunt?
Thanks in advance,
Brian
 
Phil I would have never thought to look there. Thanks a million smarty pants. On windless days i will be hunting inside the refuges
 
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Phil said it all. Need to be where the ducks want to be. I assume that the river you hunt has some good currents to help make your spread come alive. Do you use jerk string or motion wing decoys? Sometimes it is far more effective to use jerk strings than motion wings just because you are giving the ducks a look that most don't see. Do you vary the number of decoys used when hunting the rio? Do you have an island or some shallow areas where resters/sleepers can be used? How do you change your calling when it is dead calm? What are you reading when you see the ducks on calm days?

Al
 
Over the last decade I have almost become a non believer in wind... well to a certain point.
I have seen way too many ducks sit in the middle of lakes with white caps. I think the biggest thing is to have it so the ducks can swing into your decoys without going over land. So the wind ends up being someplace from your back but not necessarily in the calm spot on the windless side of the lake. Points with a cross wind can be very good.

OK back to what you asked. On calm days ducks will go to the best spots. Spots they can feed or rest without being very exposed. They don't have to settle so you better be where they want to be. Each flock may have a different idea of "the spot". I also like the sun to my back so would look at that also. Better hide good on those days to cause they have an easier time seeing blinds and hunter in my opinion. Might even want to cut down on decoys since they don't seem to bunch up as much on calm days.

Tim
 
Brian,
Do your scouting. Run the river and see where the birds fly out of or where they're sitting. That's where they either rest or feed and then........hunt where the ducks want to be and get there before they do. ;)
Lou
 
thanks all for your replies. i was hoping there was a simple answer, but it looks like ill have to put forth the effort and scout the areas. Common sense wins again damn it. Thanks again for yuor input guys
 
Actually on Michigan, I love it calm... with clear skies... I have my best hunts....

Brian, just find the backwaters that are holding birds... maybe don't go out before sun up so you can see where the birds are....
 
Most calm days i end up deer hunting because the ducks around here head for the middle of the bay for the day if it is to calm. If i dont deer hunt i usually set up right between the fireplace and an end table in a place i call my recliner.
 
Actually, he's right.
On a windless day, you have to be right on the X or you just arent going to get much action.
Personally, I like being on big open water on "windless" days. At least out there, if there is just a little bit of a breeze, it will make a ripple on the water.
 
almost worse than a windless day is a south wind......that is the dreaded forcast. Just seems like nothing likes to fly in those.

Dead calm, mill pond like days are tough if you are not on the X spot as mentioned. Just enjoy the time outdoors....
 
Actaully got off of work early to go out today. Not even a slight breeze until almost closing time. Man what a slow day. I think I'll just skip the windless days from now on. But we didnt get skunked, came home with 1 mallard. still better than being at work i suppose.
 
Spent 3 days this past week hunting the Mississippi River backwaters of Wisconsin. Not only has the weather been unseasonably warm but we faced blue skies and little to no wind Any wind that decided to show up was a slight S. West wind. Of all the guys set up on the river only 2 guys seemed to have the magic touch. So I took some time to view their set from a distance. They were set up on a grass bank that stretched from the West bank out into the river. Their decoys were a mixture of puddle ducks and geese mixed together in a tight group. The decoys went from the shore area straight out about 50 feet and the spread was no wider than 10 feet. At the end of the spread was two swan decoys. No motion decoys were being used at all. Although there were very few ducks flying, the ones that were flying passed every other setup by and sucked into this setup like metal to magnets. My guess is the confidence decoys really helped pull the ducks in.
 
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