January second will be the end of my waterfowl hunting season for this year in my current zone for ducks, as for Canada geese it ended several days earlier. I bet for some passionate waterfowlers just as I, you push it right to the last day.
This time of year as winter sets in, my biggest obstacle is snow and ice. Open water becomes a distant hidden treasure in my waterfowl territory. If you are blessed and able to find an open body of water that flows and remains open; jump shooting may be one of the most rewarding types of hunts.
If you find yourselves a sweet spot, listen for the Mallard hens and drakes dabbling and splashing their wings around in the water, taking a crisp bath amongst the icicles. Hens give the impression they are gracefully dancing and will repeat their dive and splash four to five times. The snapping sound produced by their wings during this washing ritual is similar to that of the Common Mergansers when they come in for a landing. Generally they are neatly tucked away on the banks close to the golden wild grass, or fighting the currents in the middle and then at times tilting their bodies forward with their backside poking up. Seeking food at the bottom.
A skill to master is to spot them first before they see you, it may seem like I am stating the obvious but when your Adrenaline kicks in, I find this is when most of us trip up. Take your time and come up with an approach strategy and use the vegetation and the ground to your advantage. I often go through my shot cycle scenario based on their reactive predicted flight path to ensure they fall on land depending on when I release my shot.
If you trigger the alert call of a hen, you have just been handed milliseconds for your shots, be steady and release your shot. Your lead manoeuvre will be put to the test.
In closing as Jase quotes “The No. 1 rule in duck hunting is to go where the ducks are.
Be safe and see you in the new year! Thank you to all fellow bloggers and readers.
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