Jump shoot or throw out decoys??

[BLACKJACK]

I'm wondering what you guys guys do when you scout out a pond in the evening and see ducks flying in for the night. Do you:

a. wait til legal shooting light and just jump the pond

b. go in there 1 hour before sunrise, throw out some decoys, scaring all the ducks off in the process, and hope that enough filter back at legal shooting time

c. wait til legal shooting light, jump the pond, then quickly throw out a 1/2 dozen decoys and sit there hoping that they'll filter back in.

Let me know what you'd do and why. Just trying to get an idea how other people hunt and what succeeds for them.

[g'eye pilot]

Good question... I would base my decision on a couple of things. If it is a small # of birds, I would probably opt for the jump. With a larger # of birds, you may want to go the decoy route - especially if it appears that the birds really want that spot. The other thing to consider is hunting pressure. If you are in a low or no pressure area, you may be able to jump and then do a quick set-up. I have used that technique often in ND. You find out where the birds want to be, and go set up in that exact spot. Usually within 30 minutes the birds will come sailing back in.

[Bushwacker]

If I were you, I would jump the pond shortly after legal shooting hours and quickly through out 6-12 dekes. It has happened to me far too often that the ducks don't do anything close to what we are thinking they will do. My philosophy is that if you have a chance to shoot, shoot. Plus I love the excitement of jumping a slough, you never know exactly how many are hanging in the lillys that you can't see.

[BLACKJACK]

Bump. Come on guys, give me your opinions. I know that not everyone hunts big water with a boat and decoys.

[mistermom]

On my Dad's property what we have always done is set up on the big pond and stick with that until it looks to be done than we go and jump shoot the 3 or 4 smaller ponds on the property. We have had varying success with this. And, of course in a dry year a lot of the smaller ponds don't have water. But it is fun to jump shoot ponds.

mm

[Guest]

I went with a friend to an elk farm. We had to walk about 100 yards through the corn. We went through the gate and there was the pond, you could sneak up to it and not be seen cause of the level of the water and the bank. We wait until THEY get up and man do they get up. They always fly over you, its sweet. What I am trying to say is that you should be patient and wait awile to see if other hunters or the ducks and geese get up at their usual time. Patience is the key. At this place I think the birds have a time that they all want to leave even if they are not scared.

[Guest]

You have found these birds' roost(bed).
I usually won't hunt a roost unless there is absolutely nothing else to hunt in the area. Why? Couple of reasons -

1)Try to find out where these birds are feeding and hunt them at their dinner table.You'll be able to shoot at the same birds 4 or 5 different days without pressuring them out of the area.
If you shoot these birds in their bedrooms,you will only get 2-3 different hunts bfore they jet!

2)Keep it as your ace in the hole! You know where they are sleeping. They will use a roost as long as they can before being froze out or pressured out.

The best way to hunt a roost is really one of the easiest ways to shoot birds. Hide under their bed!
Go to the roost site a couple hrs before sunset, hunker down, conceal yourself and wait for 'em to come back from supper.
No dekes to carry, set, or pickup. Easy!
If you wake 'em in the morning, they go straight to breakfast and usually don't come straight back for some shots at 'em.

I've had some phenominal roost shoots.It's such a sweet time having birds literally almost landing on your head and having to worry about disintegrating the meat, not whether you are going to shoot straight!

Try to hunt the birds at the dinner table first, you'll get twice as many chances at shooting them!