How long do you hunt?

[BoxMN]

The breakfast thread got me thinking... I don't think we ever stay out long enough to really eat breakfast in the blind, we just don't stay long enough, but I know some folks stay out all day. How long do most people hunt in an outing?

We sometimes eat before we leave, or stop at restaurant, but usually we only hunt until about 10:30 or 11 at the latest and then let the birds rest the rest of the day (when on private areas, i.e. buddy's farm). In the old days, the groups on the lake we hunted had a gentleman's agreement to hunt only until 10:30 and then let the ducks (divers) alone for the rest of the day. It worked great, as the rafts would increase without people busting them off all day long. That went away when some new folks bought and hunted all day long - boy could you see the difference, and that was before the whole "lack of ducks in MN" came to be. No place to rest for ducks, and no ducks around.

Or when in ND we go out for the am hunt, and then usually out of there and back to home base about 10ish or so at latest, and eat then. Then maybe do a bit of scouting or jump shooting in the afternoon, and then sit on pothole or in blind and watch the sun go down - but we rarely ever (or never) sit one place all day or even morning into afternoon.

I guess I don't hit too many spots where I have to be there like at 3 or 4 am to get a spot, so that may be a factor.

Do you all hunt all day, or just the mornings?

[erikwells]

I will get out of the field around 9:00 a.m. especially with the heat this weekend. I also bowhunt and there is still some work I need to do on blinds. Breakfast in the blind is not necessary for me but I like to eat and a meal in the blind tastes better than a meal indoors.

[leechlake]

about 9am for me. Best part of leaving early is having some ducks come in while you're picking up decoys, gives you a break even though they normally/always spot you.

[booger]

I'd say most times I'm out until 10am or so. There was one time where birds seemed to be flying all morning and I stayed out until 2pm. But most times ducks are done flying after the first hour of light, geese another hour after and then it is dead.

Afternoon hunts are just a tease IMO, I've done it twice on water and both times the most action was right after legal shooting.

I normally don't have breakfast at all while hunting. I'm not a big fan of having to do my business in the marsh/swamp.

[Gardiner14]

For geese over in ND here, iv left as late at 2pm and as early as 8am. All depends on the birds. if we get our limit early we leave early if we thing we could pull a few more on there way back to the roost we stay alot longer.

[CANOPY SAM]

I typically hunt till I'm reasonably confident the birds are done flying, or I'm content with a few birds in the bag. I really never hunt to fill a limit of birds. A couple fat geese, and a couple fat ducks is all I need. I enjoy just watching them fly, or come gliding into the call.

As for eating in the blind, or the field, I'm more than happy with a big thermos full of hot coffee. I try to eat a little something before I head out the door in the morning, but bringing food along just gets to be too much for me.

In a sport that's already so equipment and labor intensive I really try to minimize all the extras. I firmly believe a hungry hunter or fishermen is always more successful than one that's stuffed with carbs. Ha ha ha....

Gotta admit though, the food ideas folks are sharing in the neighboring thread sure do sound good! Late fall walleye fishing on the Rainy is always made better with a grilled brat and some hot beans in the boat!

[dan z]

Usually stay out till 11am and and the ducky days stay till mid afternoon. I'll pack a power bar to Increase energy and have a shot of fluid nearby.

[TylerS]

It depends, frankly. Early in the season the ducks and geese pretty much quit flying around 10-10:30, especially in a field situation. Water can pick up around noon, however, if you're on a transition slough that the birds are returning to after they've finished feeding. Some of my best hunts ever occurred between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. as ducks came back to loaf for the day. I always figure that if I have the time, I might as well spend it out hunting. Even if we're not seeing much, I have a better time being outside than working on my honey-do list back home.

[Markula]

Most days i'm done by sunrise.

[fishuhalik]

Depends on the weather. Bluebird days, out by 9. Ducky days, especially late in the year when the birds havent come down yet and a good wind from the north, I'm out sun up to sundown. Nothing better than catching the nose of the migration. Only timed it right once and it was a quick 4 limits of dumb-as-rocks fat mallards!

[magnum mike]

9:00 does it for us. One way or another, it's over by then. We are either tagged out or they aren't flying.

[BoxMN]

Depends on the weather. Bluebird days, out by 9. Ducky days, especially late in the year when the birds havent come down yet and a good wind from the north, I'm out sun up to sundown. Nothing better than catching the nose of the migration. Only timed it right once and it was a quick 4 limits of dumb-as-rocks fat mallards!

Yeah, you make a good point One time many moons ago, we were about done, it was 10 or 11 but a nice day, so we just sort of sat out on an island enjoying the day... when all of a sudden we saw a HUGE flock of bluebills. We were always taught to not shoot the big flocks, so we let them swing... and then another came.... and another... and so on for honestly about 30 minutes. Hundreds.... Thousands... too many to even guesstimate. They landed in our decoys, on the lake, circled and buzzed, and just kept coming. It was the most awesome thing I had ever seen. Our old mentor said "Just watch them boys, you will never see this again..."

So we watched them and never took a shot. Never did see that again, but glad we caught that show! After about half an hour, they ALL, and I mean ALL, got up and took off somewhere else. I have seen those numbers once more in one place, right at sunset in NoDak from mallards returning from feeding. Hehe, that got my duck blood pumping this am

[Finlander]

Depends if the divers are down and the mallards are new from the north.

Usually 10am-12pm is the latest we'll stay depending if we cooked breakfast in the boat earlier.

Go back to the cabin to clean ducks after lunch, take a nap, then head to the woods for the last 3-4 hours for bowhunting!

[Feathers Rainin]

Like others have said it depends. I have started a hunt as late as 9 in the morning when hunting loafing spots for geese. I will also base it on weather and the amount of bird movement. There are not absolutes when dealing with critters. A few years ago my bro and I went out with my Grandpa on a lake about 3 pm. It was a warm bluebird sky day, almost no wind, and on our motor out to our spot we kicked 0 ducks off the lake. We all figured we wouldn't fire our guns but we had nothing better to do. About a half hour after being set up I looked up and could see tiny specks of ducks so high you could hardly make them out. All of a sudden they started to drop and drop fast. Flock after flock ranging from 5-50 ringers came out of the heavens (we assumed off the refuge) and we had a three man limit in less than 30 minutes. I have experienced similar hunts with Mallards. The ducks don't always follow the rules.

[HNTNBUX]

Where I have typically hunted I get up between 230 and 300 to make it to the lake at a time to get a good spot. I don't like to be the one sitting next to someone else by my choice. I will usually stay until about 11 or 12 if I need to. Like others have said I need to make the woods for an afternoon bow hunt. With days like that I need more than just coffee.

[fishhound2013]

Hunting WMAs down in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas we usually stay till whatever time the place closes. Some of the best groups we have come in get pushed by guys leaving. Kind of unique to those places but the way I see it I came to hunt. No use being at the camp.

[otterman91105]

10.30am for me. Normally it starts getting hot and have to much stuff to get done around home to stay out all day.

[TonkaBass]

Totally depends... On water there can be an early afternoon flurry even when the weather is nice I've found. I normally stay out as long as I can

[water rat]

I love the late season all day hunts,we usually plan ahead for those days with good food and refreshments,can't beat those mid day new arrivals!

Early season we hunt til the birds quit flying..

[Gordie]

I let the ducks decide for me on how long I stay out. When I'm in Nodak on Devils Lake I'm on my vacation so I have stayed out from daylight to dark and enjoyed the spectacle of the migration.

Box I get out earlier than I probably need to, at least early in the season, so I make breakfast before the shoot most times.

[skee0025]

It depends on the Ducks. For the most part we stay out until 11 or 12 then head in for lunch.