One day...big difference

**WhitewaterDuck** · 10-12-2017, 05:03 PM

Last weekend in the UP...Sat. am in same spot I was in the weekend before. I realized quickly that the ducks that were in there were locals and were decoy and call shy. It had been hot and rainy since the first morning the week before...no new birds. I found where the ducks were flying into and hanging out, so I decided to go there on Sunday am with two decoys and a severely limited plan for calling. It was supposed to be sunny with the rain moving out that night, but there was not big front pushing in from the northwest and no temperature drop.

Sunday morning legal came and went and a few minutes after legal, it sounded like a war zone 500 yards behind our spot. We saw groups of ducks working that direction followed by shooting. Eventually we had three that escaped that carnage work into out faces and we killed them. As it got lighter out, we saw a pile of ducks in groups, and I began calling to them, as it was obvious that none were coming to land where I had seen them loafing for days. These were new ducks that had arrived with the passing of the rain system, and while I could get their attention and get them to take a look, I had nothing on the water that made them want to commit. I even high balled like a competition caller at some sky high ducks riding a strong westerly jet stream and had them break and turn into the wind and just maintain their position above us for a good five minutes, but they saw nothing that made them want to come down from near outer space. The eventually made their way west and sound down and back to the east and zipped over us for one last "closer" look as they high tailed it east.

So I think I learned that ducks will arrive on the back end of any system despite it not being the classic cold front and dropping temps. I know I learned that I will always put out a decent spread on any big water, as the chance of decoying new birds and shooting them >>> than shooting local birds as they land where you know they want to be.

Fun to be hunting ducks in September and early October, but this weather flat sucks! It's been 70-80 and humid and wet for the last two weeks, and I am not happy about it! Here are the three ducks that escaped the carnage of the hunters with the good spread only to decide to seek refuge in the wrong place.