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.
Less decoys
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.
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