New to duck hunting....

[mofro14]

I am planning to head back to North Dakota in October for pheasant season and some more small game hunting. My GSP pup did very well with his first wild bird experience out there in September on sharp-tailed grouse and we both learned a lot. The one thing I am debating is trying to get some duck hunting in too, thinking this would be good prep for some duck search training this coming summer since I plan to continue testing in NAVHDA and just good exposure for the both of us. I have been out duck hunting a few times with a brother but there wasn't much for ducks and he has a boat. Do you guys have any tips for duck hunting with a year old pup without a boat and with minimal duck calling talent. I have decoys my sister found for me at a garage sale, a few calls but my brother always did the calling when it came time for the real thing, and some warm waders. I am just having a hard time seeing my pup just stand there for an extended period of time for me, do the pups usually get the idea after you steady them a few times? I haven't taught him sit and whoaing him just to stay there doesn't seem right. Any other tricks or tips for a new hunter and a new dog would be greatly appreciated.

Martin

[Bossman27]

Duck hunting in ND can be relatively easy if you time it right and put in some work. I've been on many combo Pheasant/Duck hunts and the formula for me was pheasant hunting for the first day or two and while I'm pheasant hunting scout for duck spots. I never brought a boat because it was too much of a pain to drag around, I would just purchase a wetlands map and bring my waders and hunt "puddle" holes that were accessible that way. While you're pheasant hunting watch where the ducks are going and get there the next morning.

In those puddles you really don't need a huge spread, having a spinner helps but I remember a few times where I had some great shoots with 3-4 decoys and a spinner in a pretty small pothole.

Last year we were pheasant hunting on some public land where there was a small patch of corn, on the outside edge of that corn there was about a 30'x50' puddle of knee deep water. We set out about 10 decoys there the next morning and limited in the first 30 minutes or so. Also mid season it can be pretty easy to get permission to hunt over a puddle in a flooded bean or corn field. But there are also plenty of public waterfowl areas to go. As for calling, practice a lot; but for beginners a drake whistle is super easy to use and highly effective and they also have "shaker" calls for the feeding call which you can do simultaneously. About 5 minutes of practice and you'll be a pro at both. Put in about a day of scouting and you'll find a good spot and I'm sure you'll at least get a little action; also if you pheasant hunt the day before you'll wear your dog out a bit and he'll be easier to stead on day two!

[fishvik]

Mofro, Bossman has some good suggestions. I might add that if you can't find a mechanical wing spinner you might add movement to your dekes with a jerk cord. They are simple and cheap to make. Take 100' of decoy cord and hook it to a bungy cord attached to a 3/4 in. piece of PVC pipe painted with flat paint in a dark color. Then attached 2-4 decoys without anchors to the decoy cord. Push the PVC pipe into the bottom of the pothole 100' from the blind in the middle of the rest of your anchored dekes. As you jerk the cord from the blind it will move the dekes back and forth and add motion to your set.

You can also get some calling tips from the Ducks Unlimited website (http://www.ducks.org/hunting/). Good luck and shoot the colorfull ones and save the brown ones.

[ultracarry]

im taking my gsp out for ducks this year in southern ca. she will who till her knees buckle but she is going to be kept in her hunting kennel until released. camo burlap over the sides and top when you drop a duck just let the door open and send to fetch. over here im only using a few deks and carrying them with the burlap in the kennel.