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Post by Collegehunter00 on Aug 30, 2024 1:25:04 GMT -5
Hey all, been a long time since I last posted. Been busy with college and work and honestly haven’t been hunting much. I went waterfowl hunting with a buddy last season and I loved it. Sadly he moved away for work and we can’t hunt together anymore. I was wondering if you guys had any advice for someone who knows nothing about waterfowl hunting. Where should I begin? What are some essentials? Anything you guys wish you would’ve known when you first started? I live down by Evansville for context. If anyone is willing to mentor me I’d really appreciate that. Happy to chip in for gas or whatever… I should note I always bring homemade breakfast burritos for the guys
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Post by genesis273 on Aug 30, 2024 6:46:30 GMT -5
Good luck in your endeavor to find mentors! I hope it all works out for you down there.
I'm just getting into waterfowl myself. I have yet to go in my first duck hunt but, I got to hunt geese a few times at the end of last season.
The folks on this site have been great at getting advice and information to me.
YouTube has a plethora of information and tutorials as well. Try to find videos that are close to your region.
Roger's Sporting Goods and Facebook marketplace are great places to find deals on gear, decoys, etc.
For me, the guys that had introduced me to waterfowl more about having fun and were not taking things too seriously. That's one of the things that made the experience so enticing to me.
Best of luck! Hunt safe and God bless!
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Post by wadwinger22 on Aug 30, 2024 13:20:11 GMT -5
I sent you a pm
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Post by joebuck on Aug 31, 2024 6:27:10 GMT -5
Teenhunter, i'm in pretty much the same spot as you, except you at least have 1 season under your belt! Been doing my research, making a plan, and unless something goes drastically sideways i'm gonna be at Lasalle fwa early on monday. I'm sure i'm gonna make a ton of mistakes and get things completely backwards, and i'll be lucky to even SEE a canadian much less take a shot; but the point is i'll finally get out there. Good luck to all this season!🤞🍀🙏
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Post by genesis273 on Aug 31, 2024 8:07:22 GMT -5
Teenhunter, i'm in pretty much the same spot as you, except you at least have 1 season under your belt! Been doing my research, making a plan, and unless something goes drastically sideways i'm gonna be at Lasalle fwa early on monday. I'm sure i'm gonna make a ton of mistakes and get things completely backwards, and i'll be lucky to even SEE a canadian much less take a shot; but the point is i'll finally get out there. Good luck to all this season!🤞🍀🙏 Don't be afraid to make mistakes! That how we learn. Best of luck to you and I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes! |
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Post by duff on Aug 31, 2024 20:22:46 GMT -5
Focus on areas you can keep an eye on them. If you have access to land with birds the rest is easy. I have wasted a ton of time and energy on birdless hunts.
Learn to hunt where they eat and not where they sleep. It will help sustain your area.
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Post by joebuck on Sept 2, 2024 18:00:14 GMT -5
Alright, so heres how my day went:
Packed the car last night so i wouldnt have to rush; wound up waking up at 2 anyway, so i decided what the heck, gives me extra time to get concious. Spent all that "extra time" looking for and packing all the things i forgot yesterday.
Rolled out at 0315, got a block away, then returned home because i thought it would be a good idea to take a spare pair of glasses in case i dropped my new glasses in the swamp. Rolled out again, only to return from the end of the block after realizing i left my phone next to my wife.
Made it to lasalle in record time, only to find the unit i spent the last 3 weeks looking up sattelite photos of was filled up. My job has changed my schedule practically every other day, hence the internet scouting as opposed to in person.
So i went with choice #2, but because i was completely unfamiliar with it, i wound up having to cop a squat on a dry patch in a swamp for 45 mins until it was light enough to navigate.
Picked my spot and started unpacking; all i got to say is thank God my wife found those waders at the thrift store, because without those or the jet sled it woulda been a done deal.
My popup blind was absolutely useless in the mud. This was my first time at waterfowling, so i overprepared by packing EVERYTHING just in case;turns out i didnt need half of it. So i wound up sitting on a log under some cover and in the shadows, watching the world wake up.
Got completely skunked. Saw 1 goose all day, flying well out of range; the only ones i heard were the guys in the next unit calling.
I DID see plenty of wood ducks and green wing teal, as well as hawks,kingfishers, herons, woodpeckers; a doe walked 10 feet behind me- i heard some leaves rustle so i turned slowly; she froze for a second and bounded off into the bush.
So...to sum up, i spent 6 hours in a swamp, sitting on a log while my ass fell asleep, up to my knees in water and only saw 1 goose - and i had a blast. I havent been in the field for 2 years (life stuff), so it was great to get out there again. I'd do it again tommorrow, but theres other stuff i need to take care of. But for sure my next off day, i'll be out there again...my one question to the group, where the geese at?!?
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Post by whitetaildave24 on Sept 2, 2024 19:06:15 GMT -5
Glad you took it all in stride and enjoyed your day out there. You will become better as you get out there more.
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Post by mossberg500 on Sept 3, 2024 19:38:26 GMT -5
Alright, so heres how my day went: Packed the car last night so i wouldnt have to rush; wound up waking up at 2 anyway, so i decided what the heck, gives me extra time to get concious. Spent all that "extra time" looking for and packing all the things i forgot yesterday. Rolled out at 0315, got a block away, then returned home because i thought it would be a good idea to take a spare pair of glasses in case i dropped my new glasses in the swamp. Rolled out again, only to return from the end of the block after realizing i left my phone next to my wife. Made it to lasalle in record time, only to find the unit i spent the last 3 weeks looking up sattelite photos of was filled up. My job has changed my schedule practically every other day, hence the internet scouting as opposed to in person. So i went with choice #2, but because i was completely unfamiliar with it, i wound up having to cop a squat on a dry patch in a swamp for 45 mins until it was light enough to navigate. Picked my spot and started unpacking; all i got to say is thank God my wife found those waders at the thrift store, because without those or the jet sled it woulda been a done deal. My popup blind was absolutely useless in the mud. This was my first time at waterfowling, so i overprepared by packing EVERYTHING just in case;turns out i didnt need half of it. So i wound up sitting on a log under some cover and in the shadows, watching the world wake up. Got completely skunked. Saw 1 goose all day, flying well out of range; the only ones i heard were the guys in the next unit calling. I DID see plenty of wood ducks and green wing teal, as well as hawks,kingfishers, herons, woodpeckers; a doe walked 10 feet behind me- i heard some leaves rustle so i turned slowly; she froze for a second and bounded off into the bush. So...to sum up, i spent 6 hours in a swamp, sitting on a log while my ass fell asleep, up to my knees in water and only saw 1 goose - and i had a blast. I havent been in the field for 2 years (life stuff), so it was great to get out there again. I'd do it again tommorrow, but theres other stuff i need to take care of. But for sure my next off day, i'll be out there again...my one question to the group, where the geese at?!? What Area did you go hunting at when you went to LaSalle ? |
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Post by joebuck on Sept 3, 2024 22:23:30 GMT -5
I originally wanted to hunt white oak bayou, but they were full so i went to lilypad bayou next door. Wood ducks and teal were hanging around at the southeast end of the bayou, i was about the middle of the south shore.
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Post by mossberg500 on Sept 5, 2024 2:29:49 GMT -5
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Post by joebuck on Sept 5, 2024 4:14:27 GMT -5
Cool pics! Were those at lilypad? Kinda look like the area.
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Post by mossberg500 on Sept 5, 2024 4:43:52 GMT -5
Cool pics! Were those at lilypad? Kinda look like the area. This was taken in Area 5 . We couldn’t set the Decoys any further than where they were because of a drop off according to the DNR person in the building. |
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Post by mossberg500 on Sept 5, 2024 4:46:11 GMT -5
Cool pics! Were those at lilypad? Kinda look like the area. This was taken in Area 5 . We couldn’t set the Decoys any further than where they were because of a drop off according to the DNR person in the building. And this was the middle pond . The only pond that looked like there were Birds in there because the first and third pond had green moss on them that didn’t look like it was disturbed . |
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