Wood Ducks

I dont duck hunt much, but I ended up tagged out during our rifle season this past year so I went duck hunting instead, for the first time in many, many years. Aside from really sucking, it had me thinking how fun it was, and it was clear theres some decent wood duck areas I have easy access to. Do they decoy? Respond to calls? Whats the SOP for wood duck hunting?
 
Where I am, they aren’t traffic’d very easily. You either need to be where they want to be or it’s a pass shooting game. They’re pretty pressure sensitive around here so if they get banged around hard for a couple weeks they’ll move out. They seem to migrate out of here more due to pressure than cold fronts. I’ve shot them in sub-zero temps while it was snowing because there was a pocket late in the season that nobody hunted. But some of the local areas are void of them after the first few weeks if they get hunted hard
 
I dont duck hunt much, but I ended up tagged out during our rifle season this past year so I went duck hunting instead, for the first time in many, many years. Aside from really sucking, it had me thinking how fun it was, and it was clear theres some decent wood duck areas I have easy access to. Do they decoy? Respond to calls? Whats the SOP for wood duck hunting?

No calls, 1 - 2 decoys and prayer

I had an amazing wood duck hole, right thru a pecan orchard, they would literally splash water on you when they dive bombed in. Now it's okay since the power line came thru. Still great for 2 - 3 hunts a season instead of the 20 - 30 a season before the power line.
 
I love to hunt woodies! Only problem is the little buggers are hauling ass over you in the timber before legal shooting light. Then once it's go time, you only have about 30 minutes before they find a hole for the day.
 
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