Float up a duck – Limit out on ducks on a Mississippi float trip

Two things you’ll find in abundance across Mississippi this month are ducks and flowing waterways. Throw in a stable, low-profile kayak, a 12-gauge shotgun and a box of non-toxic shot, and you’ve got the makings of a fine December outing jump-shooting ducks while floating a river.

Setting up a good float trip for ducks is a matter of doing a little homework, negotiating some arrangements with a buddy and making adequate preparation.

Float-hunting between setups offers the best of both worlds. Floating or slowly paddling down a medium-sized creek or small river in search of ducks is effective. If a hunter previously has identified a section of water that has been holding waterfowl, paddling into that area before daylight and setting up can be effective.

Both scenarios require a vessel. A small, flat-bottom, stable boat is recommended. They can vary from small johnboats to kayaks to specialized “sneak” boats. The common factor is they have to be capable of floating in shallow water.

Richard Price of Greenwood has been floating for ducks in the creeks near his home since he caught the kayak bug 15 years ago.

“Sometimes drought will cause rivers or smaller creeks to have areas that are only a few inches deep,” said Price. “These camo-colored kayaks you find in the department stores work great for this.”

Price said skinny-water areas often lie upstream of a deeper quiet pools that hold ducks.

“Few things will spook a flock of ducks quicker than having a boat grind to a halt on a shoal before the hunter can get into range,” he said. “I’d also recommend wearing a set of chest waders, because there are times when you’ll have to get out of the boat to clear an obstruction or pull the boat over a logjam.”

Not only must the craft be able to navigate shallow water, but it also will need a low-enough profile that one or two hunters can crouch behind camouflage without arousing suspicion.

Another option when ducks are spooked too far in advance of the boat is to deploy decoys and wait for the flock to regroup.

“Pull the boat up behind a point, sand bar or blowdown that will afford some camouflage and hold tight.” Price said. “Give the ducks at least 15 or 20 minutes to return to the area. Spend that time listening intently for the sound of ducks landing up or downstream of the location or a hen calling out to the flock.”

Float-hunting or setting up on moving water are effective techniques throughout the season but really shine when cold temperatures cause local ponds and holes, even impoundments, to freeze. In years past, the timing of cold weather has often coincided with migrations of ducks arriving in an area.

Chest waders are recommended when float hunting in case you need to pull the boat over an obstacle or retrieve a downed bird out of reach of the boat.

“With no still water to land in, these ducks will key at quiet pools in river stretches that don’t freeze,” said Price. “It may even be worthwhile to set up at likely looking spots and plan to extend the float to an all-day outing, giving each hole a good 20 to 30 minutes and even throwing in some hail calls after setting up if a spot looks good.”

Buck Williams of McComb has float hunted for ducks since he was a teenager. He leans toward a smaller johnboat.

“With all the stumps and log jams we have down here, a lesser boat won’t hold up to the abuse,” he said.

Floating a stream to get near ducks requires only the bow of the boat be used to conceal hunters.

Mississippi’s best float-hunting waters will be small enough that ducks winging up or down the waterway will be within range of a floating hunter. Wider rivers and creeks may not have enough water flow to keep the floater progressively moving downstream.

Streams also should have easily accessible put-in and take-out locations. A stretch of curvy water between bridges makes for an ideal float trip. Float-hunting means launching upstream location and taking out downstream. Doing this most effectively requires two hunters and two vehicles.

Mississippi hunters can expect fewer birds this fall, thanks to a decrease in the number of breeding and hatching ducks this past summer.

Hunters should allow plenty of time to complete a float. Two points on a map may only be a mile or so apart by road, but it may require more time to navigate their twists and turns, not to mention obstructions that must be portaged.

Another potential spot is the upstream stretch of a tributary emptying into a lake or reservoir. Delta areas of larger bodies of water offer some good “ducky” water, and floating into these areas later in the day can help a water wing-shooter fill his daily limit.

“The further up a river you can start, the better,” said Williams, who favors floating through flooded hardwood flats.

Williams said acorns dropping into shallow water will draw plenty of ducks, including mallards. Variations in stream flow may spell the difference some years whether a hunter should float or set up.

Float hunting Mississippi’s medium creeks and small rivers is a great way to cash in on the state’s supply of migrating waterfowl.

Waters that are navigable by boat are generally considered to be public waters. Adjacent landowners have may have ownership of the shoreline and possibly the stream bed, so hunters who stay in a boat can avoid trespassing. Check with local authorities before hunting a stretch of water to make sure passages are permitted.

With the growing use of kayaks or sneak boats for duck hunting, two hunters can also hunt from separate boats in tandem. With two boats, a leap-frog approach can be used with boats alternating “taking the point.”

Hunters interested in float-hunting need to concentrate on winding stretches of rivers or streams. Ducks rest and raft in slack waters created behind points and bars. The curvature of a stream often allows hunters to float within gun range before coming within sight of the birds.

“Hunters need to remain as quiet as possible and learn to scull a boat quietly to get into position,” Williams said. “Hunters who make noise will see a lot of ducks but will have trouble getting close enough for a shot.”

Another tactic is to have the lead boat “run-and-gun” with the trailing boat lagging back 80 to 100 yards. Many times, jumped ducks will swing back around and offer a passing shot for a hunter in a trailing boat.

Mississippi Flyway forecast

According to Ducks Unlimited, this season’s forecast along the Mississippi Flyway is mixed. The breeding grounds that mainly feed the flyway — southern and central Ontario, southern Manitoba, and the Great Lakes regions of the U.S. — suffered from below-average rainfall resulting in fewer pothole nesting areas.

The forecast is a 5-percent decrease in summer recruitment, but recruitment that’s still above the long-term average by 7 percent.

Chokes and loads should accommodate short and quick shots. Many times, ducks will be right in front of the boat.

The extended cold winter in the northern United States also led to later breeding activity for areas supplying the Mississippi Flyway. Areas of Minnesota are forecasted at a 9-percent increase and a long-term average at 9 percent above normal, while Michigan’s breeding grounds by 34-percent with a long-term decline of 28 percent below average.

Creek hunting strategies

Mississippi is blessed with an abundance of smaller rivers and creeks that wind their way across the state. These waterways provide plenty of waterfowl resting and feeding grounds to both resident populations and those making more southerly migrations.

The types of waterfowl likely to be encountered by hunters include a mixed bag of mallards, wood ducks, mergansers and a host of other puddlers and divers, depending upon the time of season and size of the streams.

In the northern portions of the state, don’t rule out the possibility of coming across a few resident Canada geese while hunting creeks. Equipment, locations and strategies differ greatly from the standard duck hunting setup, but the results, especially as the weather gets cooler, can be exceptional.

One drawback, which is also a plus, to hunting smaller rivers is a lack of traditional boat ramp access to launch a trailered boat. In these cases, a small john boat, canoe, or kayak that can fit in the bed of a pickup might be your best means of transportation.

The benefit of using decoys varies when hunting moving water. If accessing the area by a car-top boat, limited storage space is a consideration. A half-dozen decoys will be all that’s necessary if decoys are used. It’s best to equip decoys with short anchor lines and heavier than average weights.

Duck calls, like decoys, should be used sparingly in small streams. Ducks seek out smaller rivers and creeks to rest. Calling can help persuade ducks passing high overhead to swing down for a closer look but calling too much, especially with no decoys for the ducks to identify, is unnatural and can cause birds to spook.

Shot loads and choke patterns should accommodate quick and relatively close passing shots.

About Phillip Gentry 403 Articles
Phillip Gentry is a freelance outdoor writer and photographer who says that if it swims, walks, hops, flies or crawls he’s usually not too far behind.

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