WATERFOWLERS READY FOR SEASON OPENERSA FEATURE ARTICLE FROM October, 2001
BY MIKE THOMPSON It's really hard to imagine after 29 years of hunting ducks I would be so reckless in the way I put up my equipment after the closure of duck season. Every year when I go to get out the conglomeration of decoys I have acquired, resembling the Pacific Fleet, I find the strings and weights tangled to the point that a knife is required to sort them out.
Even though it is a daunting task, it's one I look forward to as much as the turning of the leaves in fall. Other pieces of equipment, such as push-poles, portable blinds and waterproof boots, are in need of attention as well. These are chores I do with a smile. After all, another duck season is almost here!
The yearly ritual of getting ready for the duck season is shared by thousands of duck hunters on the Gulf Coast. Painting the boat, stringing up decoys, sprucing up the blind and searching out the best spots to hunt on opening day is as much a part of the experience as the actual hunting itself.
Like children anticipating Christmas, waterfowlers are giddy with excitement of the upcoming season. Why wouldn't they be? For the last several seasons, the annual migration of ducks has been at or near all time highs. Unfortunately, that won't be the case this season.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
With duck numbers being down slightly, hunters will have to do everything possible to improve their hunting techniques. Attention to details will be more critical than ever to achieve waterfowling success.
Louisiana waterfowl guide Steve Himel hunts primarily the marshes of southeast Louisiana. The highly stressful job of putting his clients on ducks has helped the outfitter develop tactics that produce success.
He has enjoyed hunting ducks through both the lean times and the rich times over the past 30 years. Himel stresses that paying attention to details could make the difference between success and just another hunt.
"Hunting ducks during tough times is a serious game. The little things can make or break your hunt. My first attention is to my blind. It must be constantly brushed up to keep you hidden from the ducks. You should also pay attention to the camouflage pattern you wear. Try to match your camo to your area. If you hunt the marsh, dead grass colors like Shadowgrass work best. If you hunt the timber, a more gray/brown color will be better," Himel said.
Himel believes another area of concern for hunters should be making adjustments as the season progresses. What works early in the season probably won't be as effective late in the season after the birds have been hunted hard.
"Early in the year the majority of ducks you take are first-of-the-year juveniles. These ducks are easy. Calling aggressively works great early in the season. Later in the season ducks can become extremely call-shy. When this happens, we tone down our calling a lot. We call just enough to get the ducks' attention, and then allow the decoys to do the work," he said. "And speaking of decoys, we try to have the species that are most common to our marsh in the spread. Wigeons, teal and gadwalls make up the bulk of our decoys. You should always have the species of birds that are most common to your area."
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Himel said another good tactic to take ducks and recuperate from beating the sun's rise so many days in a row is to hunt later in the morning.
"Ducks that reach the Gulf Coast are usually here to spend the winter. They make adjustments to their habits because they are forced to do so by hunting pressure. We have learned that by staying in the blinds later, we can take advantage of this. Some of our best hunting last year occurred between 9 and 11 a.m. I suggest you try this, especially if you are seeing ducks in the area in the afternoon, but they are not there the next morning when you try to hunt them," Himel said. The final bit of advice Himel was able to dispense turns out to be a simple, but often overlooked part of hunting organization. "One of the smartest things you can do to be a more successful duck hunter is to be organized. Having your equipment prepared before a hunt is critical. The last thing you want to be doing at sunrise is untangling decoys or trying to assemble a robo-duck. Be sure you know where your ammo is. Fumbling around in the dark searching for shells is the recipe for a duck disaster. Although I believe some of the best hunting occurs later in the day, I still don't want to miss that first flurry in the morning. That might be the only chance you have to harvest that mallard or pintail. You don't want to miss out on that opportunity," Himel said. CONCLUSION Even though the duck numbers are slightly down, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic. We are still on an overall high wave of duck populations and the opportunity to hunt them is there. After all, where else would you rather be on a cold, frosty Gulf Coast morning than in the duck blind, watching the sun come up with Mother Nature sharing all of her magnificent splendor? Gosh, it's great to be a duck hunter! To book a great duck hunt with Captain Steve Himel of Marshland Adventures call 504-682-4396.  |