Walk In Duck Hunting Trip

[bigbassin]

Tentatively thinking of planning a trip somewhere within say a 12 hour drive of Atlanta for a solo duck hunting trip the week of Christmas. All of my duck hunting to this point has been in Florida out of a boat (used to have a little John boat, but currently boatless). I honestly don’t believe walk-in hunting is even a realistic option anywhere in Florida on public, however there is plenty of it on private.

My questions are:

- Do people actually hunt public walk in and have success? Or is the boat just hiding behind the camera in the videos folks post?

-Anything different you’d do walking in vs a boat? First thought would be number of decoys needs to be cut down a good bit

My biggest concern by far is that I drive 6-12 hours one way and then find out that without a boat duck hunting really isn’t possible (which would be the case everywhere I’ve ever seen in Florida). I do understand the amount of ground I could cover would be significantly reduced vs a boat, that doesn’t bother me but if I can’t even walk in the marsh it would be an issue.

I’ve also considered buying a canoe off of Facebook marketplace for the week then just reselling it at the end of the week, so that would be an option.

 

[BigDuckHunter]

I’m not real familiar with your neck of the woods, but I think you’d likely be disappointed. There certainly are places you can duck hunt without a boat, but one of the unfortunate truths about duck hunting is the more accessible the spot is, the worse the hunting generally is because it gets more pressure. Walk-in public gets more pressure than easy boat in which gets more pressure than shallow marshes that require special boats which gets more pressure than big, scary water.

There are some places that you can find some birds if you’re willing to work (I’m talking wading an hour in thick mud to find a spot) but more spots like that will be a bust than won’t and you still might run into a bunch of pressure when you get there. It seems the young unemployed/semiemployed have all the free time in the world to scout and hunt.

I think your best bet at having a good hunt or two is to spend 5 days of your week off working and then go on a guided hunt for two days.

 

[DuckDawg22]

Walk-on refuge hunting is a staple of California duck hunting. Guys get super creative with their pack rigs but a good rule of thumb is if you can't fit it in a jet sled, it doesn't come. Half dozen decoys is all you need if you're in the right spot, but I have no idea what sort of access you'd have in GA. You don't need a massive spread to kill ducks

 

[Clovis]

I have thought about doing the same thing buying a canoe on craigslist for a week in Florida fishing the everglades and the selling it back-haven't done it yet. There was a really good Fur Fish & Game article about minimalistic walk-in duck hunting without a dog a few years ago. The author used a jet sled to move decoys and gear and a fishing rod with a big treble hook to snag ducks he couldn't reach wading. He seemed like he had it figured out. How about a packraft or belly boat? It seems like a long walk to water that can't be accessed any other way should get you some decent opportunities if the water is good.

 

[Macintosh]

No idea the access there, but there’s something to be said for “in between” spots, ie too wet to get there on foot, too dry to get there in a “boat”. You can get an inexpensive 10 or 12’ sit on top kayak and paddle from tractor supply or similar for $350. It’ll carry about as much as you’d pack in, but its easy to throw in the back of a truck, doesnt require a trailer, can be dragged across fields and shorelines without damage, and allows access to places that only a very small boat can possibly reach. Most canoes are a pain to deal with in a pickup by yourself, pain in the wind if solo, but a small one (14’ or less) would be maybe even better. You can tow a jet sled behind a kayak if you need a bit more room.

 

[as.ks.ak]

No idea the access there, but there’s something to be said for “in between” spots, ie too wet to get there on foot, too dry to get there in a “boat”. You can get an inexpensive 10 or 12’ sit on top kayak and paddle from tractor supply or similar for $350. It’ll carry about as much as you’d pack in, but its easy to throw in the back of a truck, doesnt require a trailer, can be dragged across fields and shorelines without damage, and allows access to places that only a very small boat can possibly reach. Most canoes are a pain to deal with in a pickup by yourself, pain in the wind if solo, but a small one (14’ or less) would be maybe even better. You can tow a jet sled behind a kayak if you need a bit more room.

This. I spent my youth hunting ducks and geese in KS…as a poor college kid, I’d be more successful than the boat guys by finding pockets of birds on refuge borders, or fringes. If you scout properly, and there’s a huntable number of birds in the area, you can find great success thinking outside the box when it comes to access.

I can’t count the number of times we walked 1-2 miles on dikes with 6 decs and 2 boxes of shells. We’d shoot our limit in 1/4 the time it took us to walk in and out. A jet sled and a stubborn will for success will kill many birds.


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[Fowl Play]

Wood duck hunting is almost exclusively walk in, and doesn’t require decoys. Just scout out some holes. There are plenty of places to walk in hunt within that radius you have, just requires boot leather. Search out places that are long hauls by boat, but maybe only a mile or two by foot. Or places so shallow it requires more specialized boats to get to, etc.

 

[DuckDawg22]

The author used a jet sled to move decoys and gear and a fishing rod with a big treble hook to snag ducks he couldn't reach wading.

I hunt from a Jon boat with no dog and keep a 9 ft surf spinning set up with a tennis ball on the end for this exact purpose. Treble hooks grab everything but the duck, but I saw some guys using the tennis ball method to retrieve RC boats at a park lake one time and the light bulb went off. The braid is thin enough to work its way into the feathers and will grab it no problem.

 

[Clovis]

s

I hunt from a Jon boat with no dog and keep a 9 ft surf spinning set up with a tennis ball on the end for this exact purpose. Treble hooks grab everything but the duck, but I saw some guys using the tennis ball method to retrieve RC boats at a park lake one time and the light bulb went off. The braid is thin enough to work its way into the feathers and will grab it no problem.

Can you say a little more about how this works? Do you just cast over the duck and reel back and it grips the bird?

 

[DuckDawg22]

s

Can you say a little more about how this works? Do you just cast over the duck and reel back and it grips the bird?

Yep, cast beyond the duck and then you can work the ball back to grab it. Once the ball gets wet it gains some weight and you can really launch it. Drill small holes and shove a coffee straw through the ball to feed the braid, and then I run the tag end back up to the top of the ball and knot it there.

I fish a tidal delta with a ton of subsurface vegetation, so depending on conditions, you can't let them sit out there long or they'll get swept away. Used to drop the blind and go get them with the boat but inevitably another flight would come in while we were doing so. With the tennis ball, you can just drop the rod and grab your gun

 

[Clovis]

Yep, cast beyond the duck and then you can work the ball back to grab it. Once the ball gets wet it gains some weight and you can really launch it. Drill small holes and shove a coffee straw through the ball to feed the braid, and then I run the tag end back up to the top of the ball and knot it there.

I fish a tidal delta with a ton of subsurface vegetation, so depending on conditions, you can't let them sit out there long or they'll get swept away. Used to drop the blind and go get them with the boat but inevitably another flight would come in while we were doing so. With the tennis ball, you can just drop the rod and grab your gun

Thanks, that is a good idea. I may end up using it this fall depending on how things go.

 

[WoodDuck]

Don’t have experience in the south, but IME good walk in spots on public are generally smaller, out of the way holes that don’t get much attention. Use satellite imagery to find holes that don’t have trails/paths/dikes directly to them. It doesn’t necessarily have to be far, just overlooked.

 

[dtrkyman]

I walk in almost all of my spots, otherwise a Kayak. Conditions dictate success generally!

 

[MTtrout]

I like your excitement about driving 12 hours one way to get a duck but I’m sure there’s lots of ducks between you and there!

Most of the geese I’ve killed have been on strangers fields that I got permission on but 90+ percent of ducks I’ve killed has been on public lands, state and federal.

If you do travel to hunt give yourself a day to scout, even if it’s hunting season. Make a blind where you find your best option is and kill ducks the next day.

Timing will be everything, early season probably resident birds. Later will come the migration per weather and timing. It all depends on the weather and bird movement

 

[bigbassin]

Wood duck hunting is almost exclusively walk in, and doesn’t require decoys. Just scout out some holes. There are plenty of places to walk in hunt within that radius you have, just requires boot leather. Search out places that are long hauls by boat, but maybe only a mile or two by foot. Or places so shallow it requires more specialized boats to get to, etc.

I’m sure with some time walking I could get into wood ducks within in an hour and a half of me, been meaning to do it for the last 3 years but end up going deer hunting instead.

I like your excitement about driving 12 hours one way to get a duck but I’m sure there’s lots of ducks between you and there!

Most of the geese I’ve killed have been on strangers fields that I got permission on but 90+ percent of ducks I’ve killed has been on public lands, state and federal.

If you do travel to hunt give yourself a day to scout, even if it’s hunting season. Make a blind where you find your best option is and kill ducks the next day.

Timing will be everything, early season probably resident birds. Later will come the migration per weather and timing. It all depends on the weather and bird movement

Probably the most famous state for duck hunting would only be 6 hours for me so I’m sure I’d be driving past ducks, but I think part of it is I’ve got a week off and wanting to try something I couldn’t swing on a 3 day weekend. Plus the experience of going somewhere I’ve never seen before.

I’d figured if I got half way there Friday night, I could be wherever by lunchtime Saturday, scout that afternoon then hunt Sunday/Tuesday, drive back Christmas Eve.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

s

Can you say a little more about how this works? Do you just cast over the duck and reel back and it grips the bird?

I’ve gotten some out of places exactly like that.

 

[dtrkyman]

Tennis ball trick sounds interesting!

 

[Rich M]

Research jump shooting ducks & geese. You need public land w rivers and streams and ponds/potholes. Go and glass to see where they land…then put the sneak on them. It is fun.

If you are gonna drive a long distance, spend the $400 on a guided duck hunt. That way you can get some ducks and pick guide’s brain about other opportunities.

Check out chincoteague duck hunting. I went s few years ago for brant. Shot the brant and some buffleheads. Fun hunt. Brought wife and stayed at B&B. That place will not have jp shooting opportunities, just a neat marsh w lots of birds.