# 2014 Duck talk



## tips n tails (Mar 2, 2011)

So I thought it might be nice for our local community of duck hunters here in the panhandle who frequent this forum to maybe have this thread to post reports, pics, their boats, tips, dog training, decoy repainting or anything else that correlates to duck hunting. Locations are not what this is about or a place to come to ask for a scout report. Basically a place to shoot the bull concerning ducks w/o the drama. 

I'm heading out tomorrow morning so hopefully I ll have some photos of a beautiful sunrise with a report. Also if any of you PFF'ers who have children (key word) and would like to introduce them to duck hunting during this second phase or youth season they/you are welcome aboard. I started duck hunting at a very young age in Northern Ca, Oregon border, Klamath Falls in the Pacific Flyway and have been in love with hunting ducks and geese ever since.


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## tips n tails (Mar 2, 2011)

If anybody needs fast grass blind material gander mountain has a sale online for two sheets for $19.99, in store price is $34.99 but they honor the online sale add. I've been buying my ammo in AL this year for $10.00 a box, can't believe some stores have it priced at $15.99


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## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

Where are you hunting?

I'm out well before daylight many days a week, jump lots of ducks in my travels.
They look mostly like teal.


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## tips n tails (Mar 2, 2011)

Mostly the ICW. If it's BW it's most likely wood ducks, I see them cruising along the river right at day break.


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## tips n tails (Mar 2, 2011)

Redheads are starting to look a little thin


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## FreeDiver (Jun 12, 2013)

Destroy the redheads!


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## FreeDiver (Jun 12, 2013)

Any recent reports? I'm stuck offshore for 26more days. I hope to see growing numbers being taken! 


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## PorknBeans (Nov 21, 2007)

ive been blasting woodies in gainesville..shot some divers over at ft mcrae and starting to see a few redheads.....saw a flock of snowgeese i wanted to kill pretty bad lol


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## tyler0421 (Jan 10, 2008)

We shot a limit of bluebills and buffleheads on thanksgiving morning on the Choctawhatchee. Still seeing a few around but there were more before the warm up? Still haven't seen may redheads yet. Anyone else seeing any redheads?


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## FreeDiver (Jun 12, 2013)

I saw quite a few redheads on the gulf before I left. Couple small wads of bluebills as well. This was literally from just sitting on the pier chasing redfish around. 


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## Hopin4aboat (Jul 5, 2009)

Friend hunted all afternoon yesterday and didn't see one duck on escambia. I'm headed to a woodduck hole this afternoon myself.


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## k-p (Oct 7, 2009)

This is funny...not sure who would want to even try duck hunting around here anymore. See the local ******** trying to shoot them around Destin but that's a joke. This place isn't was it used to be 30 years ago. I hunted ducks up in North Dakota just a few years ago over wheat fields like doves. Never had to step in water and would have limit by 8. Not sure what the alure is trying to shoot a duck in front of a condo is... Give it up.


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## bowfisher91 (Feb 19, 2008)

k-p said:


> This is funny...not sure who would want to even try duck hunting around here anymore. See the local ******** trying to shoot them around Destin but that's a joke. This place isn't was it used to be 30 years ago. I hunted ducks up in North Dakota just a few years ago over wheat fields like doves. Never had to step in water and would have limit by 8. Not sure what the alure is trying to shoot a duck in front of a condo is... Give it up.


Poor guy


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## tips n tails (Mar 2, 2011)

k-p said:


> This is funny...not sure who would want to even try duck hunting around here anymore. See the local ******** trying to shoot them around Destin but that's a joke. This place isn't was it used to be 30 years ago. I hunted ducks up in North Dakota just a few years ago over wheat fields like doves. Never had to step in water and would have limit by 8. Not sure what the alure is trying to shoot a duck in front of a condo is... Give it up.


Yeah I saw some redheads along hwy 98 in the GINS area few days back, with some of the biggest flocks of buffleheads I've ever seen. As far as Destin goes it's the usual to have duck pursuits out there. One guy has been pounding away every morning in a particular spot on the FWB side of the bay. Sounds like WW III out there.


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## FreeDiver (Jun 12, 2013)

k-p said:


> This is funny...not sure who would want to even try duck hunting around here anymore. See the local ******** trying to shoot them around Destin but that's a joke. This place isn't was it used to be 30 years ago. I hunted ducks up in North Dakota just a few years ago over wheat fields like doves. Never had to step in water and would have limit by 8. Not sure what the alure is trying to shoot a duck in front of a condo is... Give it up.



I'm sorry someone decided to piss in your fruity pebbles..... Some of us do travel to kill birds, some us might just enjoy being home killing birds near the house. Some might not have the luxury of hitting the road and paying 300 a person a session plus all the pricing of lodging and travel to hit heavy migrating birds. I enjoy putting on waders and hitting the swamp. I enjoy my waders and busting ducks off the beach, then around 9-10 pulling a fly rod out and catching slot reds till my reel starts to get hot.... Some times it's not about the ducks. 

Next time smell your cereal bowl before you stuff your face. 


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## Brusky513 (Oct 2, 2014)

I went out this morning out past Portofino and got one measly ole bufflehead. There were a ton of ducks out there in big rafts, but not many would come closer than about 75 to 100 yards. Waiting for the next good clod front to come thru to get some fresh ducks here.


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## FreeDiver (Jun 12, 2013)

Should have a front coming soon. 


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

Someone was shooting ducks on the Yellow River Saturday morning. They must have shot 75 times. Must have been wood ducks. Trying to deer hunt around all that shooting is useless.


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## FreeDiver (Jun 12, 2013)

Yeah I couldn't stand that. I try and stay out of the WMA for ducks.... Atleast away from public deer areas. 


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## MrPhoShiz (Sep 22, 2010)

got off the water this morning around 9 with a blue bill and a a redhead. saw a nice flock of 50+ come through our blind but we could knock down one.


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I have a tree stand in Yellow River WMA that is about 40 feet up a cypress tree. Beavers have dammed the creek up and there is water everywhere. I have had some of the best knaps up there. Last year I climbed the stick ladder up and settled in about 2:30pm. At 4:45pm I was woken up by gunfire all around me. All I could see as I looked out in the swamp was muzzle blast. I hollered that I was deer hunting and let me get out of there before I got shot. I had slept all afternoon so I was not really hunting, but I didn't want them to know that. These guys had come in there with dogs and I never heard them because I was sleeping so soundly. Scared me to death. They must have shot 200 times. There is no way they found all of those ducks in that thick mess.


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## willie mckoy (Oct 20, 2010)

I'll chime in - thanks for starting this thread Tips. After a fast start my success quickly tapered off. I mostly hunt Alabama with an occassional trip to FL or LA and at least one trip to MS each year. 

I have also had some very memorable hunts in the Klamath Basin - one of my favorite places on earth. Nothing like starting off with the ice fog, only to have it clear out and give you a crystal clear view of hundreds of pintails in the air with Mt. Shasta in the background! Got my cousin hooked on this stuff out there and his wife has never forgiven me.


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## FreeDiver (Jun 12, 2013)

billyb said:


> I have a tree stand in Yellow River WMA that is about 40 feet up a cypress tree. Beavers have dammed the creek up and there is water everywhere. I have had some of the best knaps up there. Last year I climbed the stick ladder up and settled in about 2:30pm. At 4:45pm I was woken up by gunfire all around me. All I could see as I looked out in the swamp was muzzle blast. I hollered that I was deer hunting and let me get out of there before I got shot. I had slept all afternoon so I was not really hunting, but I didn't want them to know that. These guys had come in there with dogs and I never heard them because I was sleeping so soundly. Scared me to death. They must have shot 200 times. There is no way they found all of those ducks in that thick mess.



Hahaha that's a fine alarm clock. 


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

Still no ducks to speak of?


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## FreeDiver (Jun 12, 2013)

They dead. 


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## nastukey (Aug 8, 2012)

FreeDiver said:


> I'm sorry someone decided to piss in your fruity pebbles..... Some of us do travel to kill birds, some us might just enjoy being home killing birds near the house. Some might not have the luxury of hitting the road and paying 300 a person a session plus all the pricing of lodging and travel to hit heavy migrating birds. I enjoy putting on waders and hitting the swamp. I enjoy my waders and busting ducks off the beach, then around 9-10 pulling a fly rod out and catching slot reds till my reel starts to get hot.... Some times it's not about the ducks.
> 
> Next time smell your cereal bowl before you stuff your face.
> 
> ...


 Don't dignify this jokers comments by responding. If what he said is even true about his hunting adventures up north he obviously has no clue that the panhandle of Florida is slap between two major waterfowl flyways and we get a "trickle" of species from the east and west and we will likely never see the numbers that the upper Midwest experience year in and year out. I'm not even a duck hunter but I enjoy see hunters' pictures and reading their accounts of their adventures as well as simply observing these beautiful birds on my travels to and from our hunting property here in the panhandle. Be safe out there.


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## tips n tails (Mar 2, 2011)

Been seeing quite a few ringnecks, redheads and buffleheads. Ringers up in the river mouths in backwater sloughs where the salinity isn't as bad.


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## bcbz71 (Dec 22, 2008)

I used to live for duck and goose hunting having grown up with the Chesapeake Bay outside my bedroom window. Did a fair amount while stationed in New Mexico too; the Rio Grande is full of mallards and other puddle ducks. Used to hit Deer Point Lake and East Bay here for the woodies, ringnecks, redheads and bluebills, but gave it up for deer hunting. I can still picture the divers making that hook into the wind, feet outstretched and saying "take 'em". Good times. Good times.

Good place to keep up with Bay County guided duck hunting:

http://www.cyberangler.com/fishing-reports/florida/panama-city/


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## speckhunter944 (Jun 13, 2008)

Had good hunt this morning 4 of us shot 10 Woodies 6 drakes 4 hens 1 of the hens was banded 3 merganser. All this rain filled in some old spots and they were in there.


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## FreeDiver (Jun 12, 2013)

That must be a picture from up north, we don't have ducks down here .........


On a real note that's awesome! 


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## tips n tails (Mar 2, 2011)

Nice!! That FL or AL?


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## speckhunter944 (Jun 13, 2008)

It was in Fl.


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## Machinehead (Jan 2, 2015)

is anybody killing anyyhing since this cool snap?


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## willie mckoy (Oct 20, 2010)

Got a report from relatives in north Alabama and Georgia that all the ponds and beaver ponds were frozen on Thursday. I thought it would bring down some birds for sure. Friday morning I went to one of my most reliable wood duck spots and saw a total of 7 wood ducks and two grey ducks. I ended up with a grey duck. I don't know where the wood ducks are but I'm probably gonna spend most of today scouting.


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