Rapidly beating wings whistling behind us telegraphed the approach of birds. Another flock of mallards flashed past us just out of range and glided to the far side of the lagoon about 250 yards away. This repeated several times during the early morning. Finally, after seeing so many ducks avoid our spread, we grabbed a few decoys and headed to where the birds wanted to land. We didn’t have a blind, so we crouched in high native grass. Learn how to navigate this tricky situation with our duck hunting guide.

Late Season Duck Hunting

By late season, surviving waterfowl become wary, especially in the southernmost parts of the flyways. Ducks have already flown over every type of blind and decoy spread imaginable. They instantly spot anything that doesn’t look right. 

Many sportsmen hunt from comfortable permanent blinds surrounded by fleets of decoys. Unfortunately, this far into the season, many birds avoid such massive spreads. As the season progresses, waterfowl frequently seek small, hidden spots to escape hunting pressure, especially in public places. 

Late-Season Duck Hunting Guide: Get Moving 

“We move around to take advantage of the pond size and wind direction,” explained Jeff Dauzat, a guide with Fin & Feather Guide Service (504-818-2176, finandfeatherguides.com) who hunts the tidal marshes in the Mississippi River delta of Louisiana. “We try to set up on small potholes adjacent to bigger waterbodies. Late in the season, ducks raft up in the middle of the big lagoons. They only leave if a boat or something comes by to disturb them. Then they swoop around and drop into small potholes.” 

To bag more birds, sportsmen should go where the ducks already want to land and before they do. In highly pressured public waters, a secluded pothole with a few decoys can attract more birds than a big pond with 200 blocks. If birds consistently cruise overhead to land on the far side of a pond, leave most of your decoys in place, but take a few blocks and go where the ducks want to land. Use natural cover like tall grass, tangled briars, reeds or even the shadow of a tree to conceal yourself — just make sure it is within sight of the main spread. 

Late-Season Duck Hunting Guide: Decoy Tips 

Many waterfowlers use mallard decoys. Since many people prefer mallards, ducks can become wary of big green heads. Use decoys that match the dominant species in an area. In addition, decoys with whiter bodies, like pintails, wigeons, shovelers and scaup, show up better to ducks farther off. 

“I use a lot of pintail decoys,” said Larry Robinson, a guide with Coastal Wings Guide Service and Lodge (866 HUNT-TXS, www.coastalwings.com) in Bay City, Texas. “Decoys with considerable white really show up well. Later in the season, we might put a pintail hen next to four drakes to simulate a courtship ritual. Also, we might mix in a few bluebill decoys.” 

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By remaining mobile, sportsmen can take advantage of shifting winds and changing weather conditions. Setting up in a different location each day keeps birds guessing. To find hidden duck havens, scout an area before and during the season to locate where birds want to go rather than hoping they fly where you are.

Late-Season Duck Hunting Guide: Keep Hidden 

Many hunters attach commercial blinds to their boats, turning scouting craft into hunting platforms. With a pop-up blind, sportsmen can stop practically anywhere, throw out a few decoys and begin hunting in minutes. They can also easily move to another location. This allows people to potentially hunt several places in one day. 

Without a commercial pop-up blind, hunters can simply pull a small craft into high reeds and cover it with native vegetation. In timbered areas, cover the boat with brush or branches to break up the outline. Along forested shorelines or flooded timber, many waterfowlers hide behind the trees.

Sometimes Less is More

Often, no blind makes the best blind. Whenever possible, sportsmen can hide in native vegetation or other cover that birds see every day, such as tall reeds or bushes. In marshes, a section of plywood or a wooden pallet creates a stable platform. Adding a shell bucket or folding stool makes hiding in the grass more bearable. In some places, sportsmen might find log piles, shoreline debris, rock piles or other natural concealment. 

Unfortunately, the best hunting spots don’t always come equipped with handy blind materials. Camouflaged netting or woven grass mats stapled to stakes make fabulous, lightweight and easy to erect portable blinds for a few people. For larger groups, use portable blinds made of panels of woven grass that easily attach to each other. 

Mobile Considerations 

Sometimes, hunters need to go looking for birds. Federal laws prohibit hunters from shooting migratory birds from boats under power, but most states allow hunters to shoot out of human-powered craft. However, check local regulations just to make sure. Designate one shooter to sit in the bow and another person who paddles and acts as spotter. In some places, hunters without boats can jump birds by walking next to upland streams, isolated ponds ditches or sloughs. 

Late season hunting has its challenges, but sportsmen who follow these tips will put more birds in the bag. 

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