Jump shoot or throw out decoys??

[BLACKJACK]

I found a pond on private property that has quite a few ducks sitting on it, been there for the past couple of days. I plan on hitting it in the morning and maybe again Friday (out of town this weekend ) , so I want to disturb them as little as possible. I could

a) go out tonight about 6 PM tonight and quickly set up a blind and throw out half a dozen decoys, would take about 1/2 hour, how much will that disturb them? Then sneak back to the blind in the morning

Go out in the morning, sneak up with my gun, chair, and dog, take the first good shot I see, then pass shoot for awhile as they come back in, hunkering down in the reed canary (no catttails in this slough)

c) about 6:15 AM go out and throw out my decoys and blind, scaring all the ducks off, and shoot them as they filter back.

What would you do?

[HugoBox]

C

[JJensen]

I would go scare them out in the morning and wait for them to come back. I think if you did this the ducks would come back in smaller groups.

[dan z]

I would pull a C on them. Why spook them twice?

[TruthWalleyes]

I used to do this all the time on private property. I'd sneak up (NO DOG) and shoot your limit...If'n you can't water swat your limit (Kidding), either toss out your dekes or wait it out in the cattails for flyovers.

If its a bigger wetland area, then i'd prowl around and keep jump shooting as well as taking advantage of flyovers in the process.

[BoxMN]

Ditto on C, but go in fairly quietly and let them just spook off lightly. They will come back. One shot though, and none will come back. Good luck, that is a fun hunt when they return in small groups!

[shortfatguy]

The ducks are staying on the pond 24 hours a day? Or are they over nighting somewhere else? I would get there really early and sit in the tall grass. One of two things will happen. Either the sun will start to come up and you will see them on the water and can pick out the ones you want to shoot then stand up and start shooting or the sun will start coming up and you wont see any there yet and you can quick toss out a couple of decoys and sit and wait.

[Gordie]

If the ducks are going there on they'er own I would go in the morning No decoys and let the ducks do the work get some good shooting in and then as fast as you went in, leave and let it settle down for the next time.

The ducks that dont get shot at should stick around as they have had no pressure to speak of but don't be disappointed if they are not there next time you go as its almost impossible to predict what they will do.

[Quackaddict9]

C, love watching birds work right in the decoys and you will have more fun that way than just jump shooting 3 shots and they are gone for a while or they are dumb enough to come back.

[BLACKJACK]

Wimped out, had to work I WILL be taking Friday off though and going after them. Thinking we'll just do the sneak up, shoot at dawn at the first good shot - always like to drop one with the first shot!!! - then ambush them when they try to filter back.

Now the other variable, take the nine year old dog or the 12 month old pup? If I took the pup I really should put my shotgun aside, do the dog handling, and let my buddy shoot the ducks. But would like to do some shooting too!!! May just take the old dog, have the pup in the truck, and take her out later for some jump shooting.

[Shane Z]

I highly doubt they are sitting there all day. If you can find a time most of them are out of the pond, that would be the time to set up. Put 3-4 decoys out with a jerk rig, so that you can work them (Wind will still be factor). Motionless decoys will not be in your favor. Another effective way, is lightly clapping. If the ducks don't want to move, this should be enough to flush them out for a bit so that you can set up and should filter back into the pond. Let us know how it goes!

[CANOPY SAM]

Definately C! I'd be willing to wager, if you SHOOT them out in the morning, they ain't comin' back.

Quietly walk in, they'll jump and fly, throw out your dekes on the upwind side of the pond and settle into a nice comfy spot in the grass. They'll come back, and you'll give em' a little chatter, then teach em' a lesson!

Works almost every time!

[Roosterslayer05]

Like Shane said, I doubt they are roosting in the pond and staying there the entire day. If you jump it at dawn your shooting yourself in the foot. You can milk this spot for a month if you play it right. Jumping it at dawn will burn it out in a day. You have two options really. A. Get in there early, flush them out, and throw out a couple dekes on a jerk rig. B. If they are only roosting on the pond you can get in there after most of the birds have left, throw out your decoys and wait. The birds will slowly filter back in, usually in small groups. Shoot your limit and get out of there asap. B. is the best option for longevity. You dont disturb the main group of birds at all, and the birds that come back are usually singles/pairs/small flocks. Therefor you educate very few birds, and they come right into your decoys. Option B, if done correctly, will leave you with a honeyhole till freezeup.

[BLACKJACK]

So you guys theory is that if you 'shoot them off the swamp' they'll never be back but if you scare them off, they'll come back in smaller groups?

That jerk string seems like a nice idea but I could see my dog snagging it every time they went after a duck....

[Finlander]

I would send the dog into the pond to get them off the pond so they don't see a hunter there. A dog is less threatening than a hunter and they would come back slowly. Set up after the dog shags them out then wait!

[Gordie]

Most times but not always if you push birds off a spot without gun fire they will come back little by little and they may take up to a hour to return.

I know late season when floating the river if we jump birds we do not shoot instead we pull up to shore toss a few decoys out and wait usually 25-45 min before they filter back.

[dan z]

So you guys theory is that if you 'shoot them off the swamp' they'll never be back but if you scare them off, they'll come back in smaller groups?

That jerk string seems like a nice idea but I could see my dog snagging it every time they went after a

duck....

Put droppers on the decoys so the cord is below the surface.

[BoxMN]

Run the string straight out, and the dog will likely never even come close to going across it, as he will be going OUT then coming back IN, parallel to the string. Good luck, it helps 100% on those still days.

[Quackaddict9]

So you guys theory is that if you 'shoot them off the swamp' they'll never be back but if you scare them off, they'll come back in smaller groups?

Yes...I've experienced both and learned from it. I now do the "c" option every time. Good luck.