Preparing for the Late Season Duck Migration

Preparing for the Late Season Duck Migration

By Steve Weisman

As we move into late October and early November, diehard waterfowlers are chomping at the bit to get into the fall migration. According to Orrin Jones Waterfowl Research Biologist for the Iowa DNR, the potential is there for a great waterfowl migration. “The count for the mallard breeding population is one of the highest in record. The birds are there.

The report, which is based on surveys conducted in May and early June by the USFWS and Canadian Wildlife Service in partnership with state and provincial agencies and private conservation organizations, shows that duck numbers were statistically similar to last year and remain high. Total populations were estimated at 49.5 million breeding ducks in the traditional survey area.

So, the birds are there to make their migration south. Another plus for Iowa hunters, says Jones, is “we have a lot of water, wetlands for migrating birds to use.”

While these are positive factors, there are still several pieces of the puzzle that need to come together to make for a good fall waterfowl migration. First off, hunters need to remember that most of the birds are produced and stage in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta and Manitoba, along with North and South Dakota. The weather that here in Iowa is not the key; rather hunters need to look at what is happening in the Prairie Provinces and the Dakotas and what their extended forecast is.

In other words, what an Iowa duck hunter wants is for freezing temperatures, some snow and a strong west or northwest wind to push the ducks south out of the Dakotas and southern Canada. Then, and here is a big key, what is needed for Iowa hunters is for a frontal boundary to set up just south of Iowa with a warm front and a southerly wind to make the flight stop over here in Iowa.

So, we need to have an eye on the weather up north and try to plan when the front will be here and what day(s) to be on the marsh or in the field (for those taking a duck hunting vacation from work). As we plan for the big push, we need to spend a lot of time scouting potential marshes and fields for hunting. “Scouting is huge. Hunters need to do their homework and be flexible. Scout several areas. Your chances are better if you have several options rather than just going to the same familiar slough or area every time,” says Jones.

Jones also encourages hunters to be willing to hunt water or fields. Be ready to do either, whichever gives the potential for a better hunt. Jones, who is an avid duck hunter himself, looks for out-of-the-way areas, especially those that require more effort to reach.

Hunters often ask why certain sloughs/marshes look good, but they never seem to hold many ducks. Jones says it’s really about the vegetation. When it comes to hunting divers, especially, their focus and that of hunters should be on submerged aquatic vegetation. That is what makes Pool 9 and 19 on the Mississippi River key diver haunts.

Sloughs or shallow lakes that have poor water clarity and little to no aquatic vegetation will most likely be void of waterfowl, too. Recently renovated shallow lakes and marshes regain their aquatic vegetation and water clarity, and the waterfowl also return.

When waterfowl migrate through Iowa, three areas that will hold a build-up of waterfowl include Riverton Wildlife Management area in southwest Iowa; Red Rock Reservoir in central Iowa; Lake Odessa in southeast Iowa. About half of Riverton is marsh with the north end including cropland to offer migrating waterfowl forage. Riverton is flooded in the spring after the northern migration, allowed to dry during the summer and then flooded again heading into fall. Several public hunting areas and wetlands are also in the area. The DNR works in conjunction with the Corp of Engineers to raise pool levels in the fall for duck hunting. Located near Wapello, the Odessa Complex is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers but management of the area has been out-granted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.  =Odessa is divided into the 2,326 acre Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge (Louisa Division), managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the 4,139 acre Odessa Wildlife Management Area.

Most importantly, all three areas feature a refuge to protect and keep the birds in the area, good feeding opportunities and areas that can be flooded to appeal to waterfowl.

The hunt: tip the odds in your favor
Once the scouting is done and you know when and where you are going to hunt, it’s important to tip the odds in your favor. First of all, don’t wait to get out in the slough or field until just before shooting time. If you are on a public area, arriving late means not getting the prime spots and also means having other hunters really upset with your late arrival. Nothing is worse than splashing around in the water and throwing out decoys right before or at shooting time! That first half hour can mean awesome shooting, so be there early and ready. Also, do not, and I repeat do not set up right beside or across the bay within shooting range of other hunters. It’s discourteous and dangerous. Make room for others.

A big key to a successful hunt is knowing the wind and making sure that you are set up so that the wind is at your back. Now, if there is no wind, it doesn’t matter, but if the wind is to come up while you are on the water, allow for that to happen and have the wind behind you. When the ducks are really spooky, I will set up just to the side of my decoys so that the wary eyes don’t catch a movement or something suspicious. From their vantage point, ducks can detect anything that is not normal. After all, they have been going through this process since duck season opened in Canada.

If possible, try to set up so you are not looking into the sun. There is nothing worse than fighting the sun and trying to see flock movements. To help avoid detection, get settled into the cattails and make sure the boat and hunters are well concealed. Even then, I always make sure everybody in my hunting party is wearing a camouflaged mask. I’ve watched hunters from a distance and been able to detect their faces, so if I can, the ducks from above most certainly will.

A lot of hunters use robo or mojo (spinning) decoys. We do, too. However, I like the decoys with a remote control because I can turn it off if I want. I try to let the ducks tell me what they want. On some days, the spinning decoys make a huge difference and help bring the ducks in. At other times, whether it is because the ducks have seen them too many times on their way south or they just don’t want that movement, they will not come in. Instead, they will slide off to the side and leave the area.

Duck calls can be a great advantage but in the wrong hands a detriment. In the hands of s skilled caller, the call comes alive with “duck talk” that will turn a flock, bring a flock back and entice them to enter the decoy spread. On the other hand, an unskilled caller will send the birds packing in a hurry. Plus, their awful noise may even send the ducks away from the slough and not give other hunters a chance at bringing them in.

The best thing to do here is to get a good duck calling tape and listen and practice and try to mimic the sounds. However, do this well in advance of the season. Don’t practice during the hunt! Not sure about it? Tape record it. The tape will not lie! Let your hunting buddies listen. Their assessment might not be what you want to hear, but they will be honest about it. Another way is to head to a refuge and listen to the various sounds that the ducks make in the air, as they descend, as they land and when they are on the water. A good rule of thumb is less is always better than too much!

Next, don’t be a sky blaster. It is one of the most common complaints of other duck hunters. Know what 30-40 yards really means, and then abide by it. I put my last decoy at no more than 40 yards and that is my guide. Plus, I also know exactly how far my front decoys are from the blind. For the one scratched duck winged from a sky blast, many others just fly away or take in enough shot to eventually kill them later. Plus, sky blasting affects all of the hunting parties on the slough. If a flock of ducks is working another party, let them work. Don’t take a shot at them if they happen to swing within your shooting distance as they prepare to head into the other party’s spread.

Finally, many of us utilize hunting dogs. Nothing better than a well-trained retriever. At the same time, there is nothing worse than listening to the shouting and swearing as the dog takes off early from the blind or heads out away from the downed bird. Yelling and screaming only makes everybody’s blood pressure rise. This is not the time to be training your dog. That should have been done well before the season arrived.

Bottom line? Have fun and enjoy the experience. Nothing is ever guaranteed, but there is just something about being out on the slough or in the field when new birds arrive ahead of a front bearing down out of the north and west. For the diehard waterfowler, nothing beats this experience!