Lets talk some duck hunting for a change

[ScottyLee]

hunt almost exclusively solo, not by design or choice just haven't found a duck huntin buddy in my area. mostly public land. do hunt some private. needless to say i seem to learn more when huntin by myself but it can get to be a ton of work on some of the walk in spots. 15-20 days a year last year since i had a new job, that'll be more around 35+ this year.

[deltadukman]

Its normally three of us, 2 of us are brothers and the other might as dam well be. Try to hunt the trees more than anything. If we're hunting out of my boat it is only us three. If somewhere else, then we may ask a few others that rotate around hunting together that will group up. We get along good and everyone totes their weight and knows what to do. With 3 guys this close, we can have some difference of opinion and on top of that lots of sarcasim, lots of BS'ing, and we like to f with one another...alot. If people that didnt know us, heard us talking they would think we are about to kill each other. You cant hunt with us if your offended easily, and I have no clue how we have not gone through and discussed everything under the sun. But its all in good fun and good times are had.

We hunt every weekend after christmas for sure, and before if the water and ducks are right. The last 2 weeks in January we usually have a week long hunt and try to hunt several times during the weeks in January.

[novacaine]

I will average 30 -40 days during regular season. I always carry a few utes after season plus about 5 goose conservation days.
Usually i stick with 4 guns with at least one being my son or youngest girl(when available) along with 2 hunting buddies. The majority of my hunts will include these 2 buds. I will but rarely like to go over 4 guns wide when i carry my younguns.
About 5 of the reg. season days and teal season will be with another 2 buddies in the central delta. Then i have another 2 buds i will hunt south delta with at least another 2 outings.
Like some have mentioned earlier, some of my oldest hunting partners have lost interest and over the last 6 or so years i have been hunting with these new groups.
With my oldest youngun (son 17 yrs), this is his 10th year hunting with me and he has been hooked since day one. He is my best hunting partner i have. He has been totin his own since he was 13 and now ive got him snatching and toting for me which makes my hunts downright lazy affairs at times. I started carrying my youngest girl (10 yrs) the last 2 seasons and she likes going and is beginning to get "feathers in her eyes" as Nash Buckingham put it.
Every once and a while i get the opportunity to include a new kid or new duck hunter(old kid) in the mix. Most years i will do at least 4-5 solitary days so i can slip off and chill by myself. These may be just a few hours or all day affairs........it gives me time to think.

[hillhunter03]

This is going to be a new year for me. Two of my buddies that I hunted with almost everyday moved to south Texas for work so I want have them to go with. My 7 year old went a few times last year and killed his first duck so I am sure I want get out of the house without him this year. Which will be great because now I will have a hunting buddy for life but this is gonna make it tough since I mostly hunt hard to get to public land. So who knows how many days i will hunt this year. I will go when I can with who I can I guess.

[StraightUp]

For you guys that have solid friends to hunt with, you are very fortunate. It is hard to find people who are dedicated to the cause.

[Duck$$$]

Hunt with a core group of 3 plus me, with a couple stragglers now and then and my 2 kids when they can. Don't hunt as much as in the past but still average 20 days or so I guess. Kids into the deer hunting also so I take off for that now too. Good when you hunt with people that know one another. I have couple groups a year that come in from out of state to hunt and we just can't get on the same page in the blind. Funny how with the core group no one calls the shots or says when to call or not. It just happens. Not that way with strangers on a hunt. One of my core group will not hunt with strangers at all.

[chevy01234]

I just made a list of different people that I hunted with this past year, people I actually shared a blind with. I came up with 67 names and I know I left a few out. Those were mostly people I hunted with on my farms (and at the BDDC). I did hunt with a few friends this past year too at their places, even did something i've never done before and went on a pay hunt at Beaver Dam with three of my good friends and members on this site. The way I see it I am truly blessed to have access to the little bit of land we have, I like sharing it with friends. I would say I have a "core" group of buddies that go regularly but usually we have a couple other folks join too.

I think I hunted 48 or 49 times last season, i'll have to check the journals and see the exact number.


I love killing. I mean I really like to shoot stuff but duck hunting to me is a lot more than shooting birds. It's more effective than a therapist ever could be and WAY more expensive than one but it is what I love.

[novacaine]

I just made a list of different people that I hunted with this past year, people I actually shared a blind with. I came up with 67 names and I know I left a few out. Those were mostly people I hunted with on my farms (and at the BDDC). I did hunt with a few friends this past year too at their places, even did something i've never done before and went on a pay hunt at Beaver Dam with three of my good friends and members on this site. The way I see it I am truly blessed to have access to the little bit of land we have, I like sharing it with friends. I would say I have a "core" group of buddies that go regularly but usually we have a couple other folks join too.

I think I hunted 48 or 49 times last season, i'll have to check the journals and see the exact number.


I love killing. I mean I really like to shoot stuff but duck hunting to me is a lot more than shooting birds. It's more effective than a therapist ever could be and WAY more expensive than one but it is what I love.

Well said.....my thoughts exactly because often i have difficulties putting thought to word.

[coonman]

Being that I have lived in 4 different states in the past 10 years, I have made a lot friendships. Most all those friendships started because our interest in hunting. Since moving to Missouri it has been mainly my brother in law and I and occasionally our father in law. Last season I duck hunted with a new group of guys. 2 of us loved duck hunting, and other 2 were just their for the ride,but soon came to love it also.

I pretty much grew up duck hunting with the same 2 friends and we still try to go at least a couple times a year. I missed my annual trip last year to hunt with, but was actually planning that trip last night. Like I told one of them last night I could careless if we kill ducks I enjoy just hanging out and talking about the past. Killing is just a bonus. I go by myself on occasions, but it is not near about as much fun as when someone is there to share the experience with you. I assume my son will go more this year, last year was the first year I would let him bring a gun and actually hunt.

I go just about every chance I get, but with 2 sons playing football and basketball that time of year, it has cut into my number of days in the field..

[Hambone]

I have hunted the same two Delta clubs for over 40 years. My "core group" consists of my father, wife, two sons and several very close friends. But we often invite guests outside the core - I checked my journal from last season and found that I hunted with 56 people. One afternoon while trying to stave off deer stand boredom, I counted up and discovered that I have hosted hunters from 19 states and 3 foreign countries over the years.

[tobydawg]

I got about 5 or 6 buddies that I hunt with, some in different parts of the state and in different groups. I've averaged about 25-30 days/year for the last several years. Dunno bout this year since I've gotten transferred for work and I'm a bit further from some of my places than I have been in years past. Still shootin to maintain my # of days though.

[Don Miller]

I hunt with the same old jacka$$e$ every year with a few topwaters thrown in from time to time.

[quack_a_tack]

Same group every year of 5 or 6 in clevepatch. Been huntin and drinkin together since we were able to. I nomad a lil pickin up a hunt here and there when possible. I also hunt a club in harrisburg with a guy I have become good buddies with. We hunt prob 30 days a season together. The rest I hunt with my old crew of roughyins. Prob avg 45-50 days hunting.

[champcaller]

im a nomad in duck season...

i have my mississippi group and arkasas group that overlaps, but i have a core group of 5 or 6 guys that i regularly share the woods with.

ill have have my formula down the a "T" in the next few years between the two deltas

some of my fondest hunts, however, it's just me and my wingman, Cash.

average 40-50 days.

[chevy01234]

I just made a list of different people that I hunted with this past year, people I actually shared a blind with. I came up with 67 names and I know I left a few out. Those were mostly people I hunted with on my farms (and at the BDDC). I did hunt with a few friends this past year too at their places, even did something i've never done before and went on a pay hunt at Beaver Dam with three of my good friends and members on this site. The way I see it I am truly blessed to have access to the little bit of land we have, I like sharing it with friends. I would say I have a "core" group of buddies that go regularly but usually we have a couple other folks join too.

I think I hunted 48 or 49 times last season, i'll have to check the journals and see the exact number.


I love killing. I mean I really like to shoot stuff but duck hunting to me is a lot more than shooting birds. It's more effective than a therapist ever could be and WAY more expensive than one but it is what I love.

Well said.....my thoughts exactly because often i have difficulties putting thought to word.

Bill, I told the littlest-Shepherd that she better make her daddy take her hunting with me this year so mark it on yo calendar! You know y'all have an open invite even if I can't go! I'm building a couple blinds soon so it should be easy, easy hunting!