The Worst Shot

[rgw]

With what you have I would run 3 or 4 gw teal off by them self same with mallards, I mean it all depends what is in your area though, last weekend I ran 3 blacks, one mallard and 4 teal, if area is pressured I would go down to one or two blacks , I am not a fan of mojo’s 

[mazzgolf]

1 minute ago, rgw said:

I am not a fan of mojo’s

You know, I'm starting to think the same. I have a feeling the birds are getting wise to those things. Some friends of mine have them and when I hunt with them those things never seem to do anything.. they might even be a negative.

And I say this even after I bought a Lucky Duck waterproof one this year. I like having some movement with some set ups, but other times, I don't think its needed (and may even hurt).

[archer36]

18 hours ago, KBfishing said:

Did you pattern your gun with the steel shot? I found that my guns do better with the modified chokes and steel shot. 

Yes. You always go one size choke down when using steel. If you want a "full" choke, use modified. If you want modified, use IC, etc. 

[rgw]

1 minute ago, mazzgolf said:

You know, I'm starting to think the same. I have a feeling the birds are getting wise to those things. Some friends of mine have them and when I hunt with them those things never seem to do anything.. they might even be a negative.

And I say this even after I bought a Lucky Duck waterproof one this year. I like having some movement with some set ups, but other times, I don't think its needed (and may even hurt).

I prefer the ones that swim and make motion on the water, the ones that spin their wings I find spooks puddle ducks, now they work diver hunting with a ton of decoys out

[Trophy8]

Agree, movement in the water is a better option. Always had good success with just black duck decoys, maybe GW or pintal set off to side

[NJNewbie]

So just to Clarify,

You wouldn't mix divers in your spread? 

 

The reason I'm asking is the spot I've been hunting seems to get some action from both. Divers flying in from the open bay side and puddle ducks coming from marsh and lagoons. 

[rgw]

10 minutes ago, NJNewbie said:

So just to Clarify,

You wouldn't mix divers in your spread? 

 

The reason I'm asking is the spot I've been hunting seems to get some action from both. Divers flying in from the open bay side and puddle ducks coming from marsh and lagoons. 

I never have that’s not to say you can’t put a pair off to the side or something, but you don’t mix them, buffies will land in anything, when puddle duck hunting lots of time less is more, I decided what I am hunting and bring one or the other, that’s just me

[tick trawler]

9 hours ago, Bubblehead said:

I wholeheartedly disagree with this. I’m over 100 ducks on the season already this year and 90% of them have been killed with #6 steel shot. You can absolutely get birds to commit closer than 40 yards and pattern density kills birds better than pellet size.  Lots of pellets in #6 shot means lots of brain hits which means quickly killed birds that don’t dive and swim off. Please don’t take this guys advice newbie. I think #3 and #4 shot should be the go to for most guys

If you or anyone else are shooting ducks at close range with #6, there aren't going to be any edible portions left.   It provides you with an excuse not to eat the birds,  now that eating the edible portions is required by law.   #3 and #4 fine shot are not much of an improvement over #6 in this regard.

[vdep217]

15 minutes ago, tick trawler said:

If you or anyone else are shooting ducks at close range with #6, there aren't going to be any edible portions left.   It provides you with an excuse not to eat the birds,  now that eating the edible portions is required by law.   #3 and #4 fine shot are not much of an improvement over #6 in this regard.

I shoot quail with 7.5s and 9s n plenty of edible portions.  U have no clue what you are talking about

[tick trawler]

1 minute ago, vdep217 said:

I shoot quail with 7.5s and 9s n plenty of edible portions.  U have no clue what you are talking about

That smaller bird isn't going to be hit by as many pellets as a mallard at the same range.

[vdep217]

1 minute ago, tick trawler said:

That smaller bird isn't going to be hit by as many pellets as a mallard at the same range.

Ok I shoot pheasants with the same load still plenty of edible portions again you have no clue what you are talking about.

Edited November 29, 2023 by vdep217

[tick trawler]

1 minute ago, vdep217 said:

Ok I shoot pheasants with the same load still plenty of edible portions again you have no clue what you are talking about

We are talking about steel shot in this thread.  You use steel for pheasants?  I know it is allowed but who wants to bite down on easily hidden fine shot steel when lead is more forgiving on the teeth?  I would use BB for pheasant hunting if it was allowed, at least a guy could find the pellets in the flesh.

 

[vdep217]

7 minutes ago, tick trawler said:

We are talking about steel shot in this thread.  You use steel for pheasants?  I know it is allowed but who wants to bite down on easily hidden fine shot steel when lead is more forgiving on the teeth?  I would use BB for pheasant hunting if it was allowed, at least a guy could find the pellets in the flesh.

 

Nm not wasting breath any more.  I've eaten tons of game and never once bit down on a pellet.

Edited November 29, 2023 by vdep217

[Bubblehead]

37 minutes ago, tick trawler said:

If you or anyone else are shooting ducks at close range with #6, there aren't going to be any edible portions left.   It provides you with an excuse not to eat the birds,  now that eating the edible portions is required by law.   #3 and #4 fine shot are not much of an improvement over #6 in this regard.

I shot six birds earlier this week, all with 6 shot and might have had to clean 4 pellet holes out of the meat total. If you lead them correctly and learn to care for the meat very little is wasted. I guarantee I waste less meat per bird harvested by making close ethical kills with a dense pattern than you do by crippling and losing birds regularly by taking 50 yard shots and only sinking one or 2 pellets into them

[Bubblehead]

3 hours ago, NJNewbie said:

In terms of Deocys to use and placement I have a couple questions.

 

Currently I have 1 mallard Mojo and 1 wood duck mojo(didnt use them this weekend)

a dozen mallards

5 floater geese

2 pintails

2widgeon

2gadwals

6 buffleheads

1 bluewing teal

6 green wing teal

 

How many decoys are you running? The creeks and marshes of water I'm hunting are not very wide.

 

Last weekend, I put out about 9 or 10 mallards, I set 4 of the hens all by themselves to imitate black ducks and the rest in pairs. I also put out the pintails, widgeon and gadwals and 1 goose floater. 

 

Can I mix the Buffles with the puddle ducks? Just keep the buffles further out? Should I be running all the decoys instead of just some of them? 

 

 

I’ve never had any success in this state with mojos except on mallards in fresh water with lots of trees around. I’d leave them at home. As far as the other decoys, match what you are seeing. Black ducks like to be by themselves for the most part. I’d buy a half dozen and set them in pairs by themselves. Then make a group of mallards and set a pair of pintails. Call it good

 

another thing you could try is to set for a crossing shot. Set up so the wind is goin directly across in front of you then set the decoys off to one side of you so the birds will land in front of you. This takes the focus off you and gives you a better chance of being able to get the sun at your back and get you in a shaddow