Throw out decoys right away or jump shoot and then throw out decoys?

[BLACKJACK]

I've always debated when hunting a pond in the early morning, you know there are ducks in there, do you wait til the first good shot at legal light and then rush out and put your decoys out or do you throw the decoys out in the dark, scaring the ducks away, and hope that they'll want to come back to the pond? What do you do?

[Seabass77]

If you jump em, and you miss, they probably won't come back. That's the problem with jumping. Kick em out, set up, and they hide. They find their way to you dinner table.

[poutpro]

i agree. especially early in the year, woodducks will probably just circle and com right back in. they aren't too smart of ducks.

[Mark Christianson]

I wouldnt risk waiting till shooting time to jump some birds and then scramble to go get set up after that.

Your first 30 to 60 minutes of shooting time are crucial. You would waste all of that and then some by jumping birds and then going out to set up a spread.

[Tyler Holm]

Not much sport in jumping birds. I personally get more pride from shooting birds over decoys. I've jumped birds several times when I was much younger and it just leads to cleaning your birds with no real good stories or memories. Let the birds leave on their own in the morning. Then setup decoys. Or spook them out, but don't let them see you. Throw a rock in the weeds, or shake some bushes at bit and let them leave. Let them think you are a deer or another animal.

Maybe hunt them in the evening. Setup shop a few hours before sundown when the birds are already gone. Then just wait. It’s a sure bet they will be coming back.

Shooting any waterfowl off the water will certainly keep them away for several days. That is there home and safety escape and if you shoot them off, they will find a new home really quick.

[BLACKJACK]

Good points guys. It is kind of fun though when you're sneaking up on the slough in the early light, hearing the ducks chattering, hearing a hen mallard quaking, waiting for shooting time, then the ambush shot on the first flight of ducks that comes out, then the fruit basket upset as the slough explodes in ducks, trying to keep the gun loaded, retieving ducks, more ducks winging by... You don't get that when you run them all out as you set up your dekes and there is no guarantee that they're coming back. I'm starting to get psyched for duck hunting just writing about it, even thought there aren't many ducks around - but thats another story.

[Willy]

I agree that it's more fun shooting them over decoys and that's the way I would rather do it too, but no sport in jumping? I wouldn't say that. Jumping is all sport. It takes a good plan and usually some belly crawling through mud and then a good shot on a bird that is high tailing to get away from you. There's nothing wrong with jumping ducks.

Evening hunting is usually worthless unless they are migtrating and shooting them when they are coming into the roost in the evening is what makes them spook out of an area. Just my opinion.

[BLACKJACK]

What I don't like about evening hunts is that it closes at sunset, just about the time the ducks start flooding in...

[Willy]

You're right, they do come in after closing. But there is a good reason it's closed past sunset. For one thing, those birds are VERY vulnerable at that time. Two, if you start shooting all these birds when they're coming back to the roost to rest at night, they would be out of the area in no time. Basically, they need a place to rest at night.

[BLACKJACK]

Willy, I don't disagree with the sunset rule, I also think the ducks need a place to rest or they'll leave, so I don't hunt evenings anymore. Plus it reduces temptation.

[cmoredrakes]

I would set up decoys for the morning shoot and go out in the early afternoon. THe ducks are usually sitting down by then. that is the way it usually goes for us

[mwktrapper]

While I confess that I view jump shooting ducks a little like I do prostitution-- something more to be pitied then censored-- this aspect of waterfowling does have its devotees.

~Norman Strung, Misty Mornings and Moonless Nights

[jegerjack]

Quote:

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it just leads to cleaning your birds with no real good stories or memories

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I 2nd that... The few times I have jumped birds, the feeling after I got one was almost a let down, not somthing I tell stories about...