So I was thinking id like to go duck hunting for the first time and I like to take my bow. I was wondering if anyone had advice such as set up and such. I have a spot picked out on a small river where I see ducks a lot and I have 4 wood duck decoys so I'm going to give it a try.
If you have some birds around you'll definitely have fun. There is a lot more than I can mention right now but here are several tips.
1. Keep in mind that ducks will tend to land into the wind when approaching the decoys. Position yourself accordingly.
2. Conceal yourself and minimize movement when the birds are working.
3. Try to have the sun at your back. There are several benefits of this.
4. Broadheads are best, even on smaller ducks like wood ducks. Magnus Bullheads are a decent option for clipping shots but you will most likely not bag a direct hit.
5. Bring a retriever and keep him tied up. A wounded duck in a river can be almost impossible to catch without the aid of a dog. When you wound a duck that doesn't have an arrow protruding from it, send the retriever.
6. Shoot
7. Shoot
8. Shoot
9. Shoot some more...Your success rate is going to be very low. Let's assume you can hit 1 out of 20. It you wait all morning for those perfect, backpedalling, in your face opportunities and fire 3 shots, the odds are stacked against you. If you keep arrows flying, shooting every time the ducks give you a slight chance, the likelihood of success increases significantly. This is not big game hunting where misses are bad and feared. You need to miss a lot to be successful. That is one of the greatest tips for killing birds with a bow, shoot!
What he said^^^^^^^^!
Bisch
If I could add one thing it would be, don't set your decoys directly in front of you. Not only do ducks land into the wind like Oxnam said but they also usually tend to land on the outside of your spread. Set 5-10 yrds on the down wind side of your spread with an open spot for them to land. (Disclaimer- I have NOT taken a bird of any kind with trad equipment) but I Was duck hunting way before it was "cool"! :biglaugh:
Thanks for the tips guys I've got a couple of weekends to try this out I will let you know the results!
Good luck Jackson! If you're looking for fun small game hunting I also give squirrel and rabbit's a try. Fun stuff and it's not uncommon to have good success
Watch the video "Legendary Hunts of Ben Pearson" to see him pass shooting ducks with a bow. Very impressive!!
Lance,
My two hunting passions since I was about 11 - 54 years ago - have been bow hunting and waterfowl. Specifically ducks. I tried a time or two to bow hunt them, unsuccessfully. The reason I was unsuccessful was that I was trying to hunt them over decoy setups that were geared toward the shotgunner. The hardest part in duck hunting is getting the birds in range and the hardest part in bow hunting them is also getting them in the correct position to take a shot. The largest target you want to see is the duck with his feet out and wings spread and back peddling just before he lands - probably less than 6 ft. in the air. He will not only be fully exposed but he will also be going the slowest in preparation to landing. Also you want the bird at a close range, maybe 15 yds max.
The wind needs to be at your back, the decoys in front of you in two semi-tight groups with a gap in the middle right in your shooting lane. This time of year you might get some action with jut 4 decoys but I would try 6-8 in each group if you have them. Position the decoys 10 yds out from your hide. Try a gap between the two groups of 5 yds to start and watch the birds. The birds 'should' try and land just on the outside edge of that gap. If you are seeing them consistently trying to land whre you don't want them to - change your set up or your blind position. Now when they are coming in the most important thing is DO NOT MOVE. You can get away with a lot camo wise with ducks but they will spot movement immediately - think of them kind of like turkeys. Speaking of camo, make sure your face is camo'd.
Good luck and take lots of arrows. I hope you can find a spot that makes arrow retrieval easy.
Let us know how it goes.
All the above but in a big grain field so you can see your arrows when they stick in the dirt. If the fields have geese they will usually have ducks as well. It is really nice not to mess with slush ice, etc this time of year. If you have a small creek or slough try jump shooting them for different fun.