Sea Duck hunting questions

[seth30]

Just got my Sea Duck license and cant wait to smack some scoters and golden eyes    I have a few questions on how you go about harvesting these ducks.  can you provide photos of your decoy spreads?  Do you use a dog out in the deep water or would that be a bad thing with seals and other sea creatures?  How shy are sea ducks, can you call them in like your freshwater ducks?  Any info will be great, I plan on chasing them in a few weeks  

[h2ofowlr]

Easy to decoy.  Run gang lines.  You can bring a dog if you have a platform for the dog to get in and out.  They will shake the salt water off and you will start to see rust about 2-3 hours later on everything.

Bring lots of shells as you have to double shoot them many times.  BB's & #1 are good options.

Quick shoot in most cases given a 2 bird limit.

If your in a small boat, find a location where you can hunt them closer to shore.  The conditions can go from flat to pounders in short order.

[LndShrk]

Dumb as rocks, Taste like Crap, But fun as **ll to shoot. 

Long lines and painted old flambuea dekes always worked.

Do not send your dog until you are 100% sure the bird is dead.

They will drop from the air like a rock and resurrect from the dead like the holy man himself. Keep shooting until feet are twitching. 
I always found the incoming tides to be the best for me.

[270Shooter]

After you shoot a goldeneye you won't want to ever again. They look cool but they are tanks, you have to really smack them to kill them. And they are the hardest of all ducks to clean. They are dumb, long lines work well, never hunted sea ducks but I imagine its pretty similar for most divers on big water.

[seth30]

Dumb as rocks, Taste like Crap, But fun as **ll to shoot. 

Long lines and painted old flambuea dekes always worked.

Do not send your dog until you are 100% sure the bird is dead.

They will drop from the air like a rock and resurrect from the dead like the holy man himself. Keep shooting until feet are twitching. 
I always found the incoming tides to be the best for me.

will they mess a dog up or will they swim long distances? 

[LndShrk]

Dumb as rocks, Taste like Crap, But fun as **ll to shoot. 

Long lines and painted old flambuea dekes always worked.

Do not send your dog until you are 100% sure the bird is dead.

They will drop from the air like a rock and resurrect from the dead like the holy man himself. Keep shooting until feet are twitching. 
I always found the incoming tides to be the best for me.

will they mess a dog up or will they swim long distances?

They dive.. Not like any mallard or anyother duck you have witnessed.. They go down and don't come up. I have had them resurface 80 yards away.

They are not birds that flair and fly away when they feel threatened they hit the water and dive.  If they still have any life in them in the open water your dog will not stand a chance.  That water is cold and repeated long ass retrieves is not going to be good for the pooch.. 

All that plus if they are still swimming you should still be shooting. 

[seth30]

Thanks, sounds like I will be leaving the dog at home.  How far off do you normally sit from a spread?  I have a Jon boat but cant imagine I will be blending in too well with the open water.

[TheSkyBuster]

Your John boat is Perfect, you just have to stay low in it. 

Here is an example of a Gang Line,  I use 2 8lb anchors 1 on each end and 6-12 decoys per line. I usually run 2 lines.   I never tie one end of a line to the boat.  Less stuff to pull in if for some reason I have to move in a hurry.

[lokidog]

Many of these birds feed on the bottom in 30 - 50 feet of water, as mentioned they can DIVE.  I don't bring my dog for the sea ducks, but then again, I don't have to be anchored in San Juan county like I think you do in Skagit.

[seth30]

Thanks for the photo and the help guys.  I am starting to get a really good idea on how to approach these sea ducks.  do you use a net to get the birds after you shot them?

[TheSkyBuster]

Many of these birds feed on the bottom in 30 - 50 feet of water, as mentioned they can DIVE.  I don't bring my dog for the sea ducks, but then again, I don't have to be anchored in San Juan county like I think you do in Skagit.

I think that's Just Padilla Bay, Now I have to double check. 

[lokidog]

Could be, haven't hunted ducks anywhere over there so I don't pay much attention,  just remembered something about that a few years ago.

[TheSkyBuster]

From the Waterfowl Pamphlet:


WAC 232-16-760 Northern Puget Sound
Hunting Method Restriction. It is unlawful
to hunt waterfowl, coot, or snipe from
a moving boat or any free-floating device
that is not in a fixed position which is
either anchored or secured to shore in
Port Susan Bay, Skagit Bay, Padilla Bay,
and Samish Bay.

[seth30]

Thanks for the info on the anchor rules

[h2ofowlr]

Many of these birds feed on the bottom in 30 - 50 feet of water, as mentioned they can DIVE.  I don't bring my dog for the sea ducks, but then again, I don't have to be anchored in San Juan county like I think you do in Skagit.

I think that's Just Padilla Bay, Now I have to double check.

Padilla, Skagit and Samish bay require you to be anchored and all movement ceased in order to shoot them.

Decoy set wise, I am usually fairly close to the decoys at the top end of the spread to one side or the other.  They will fly up your string of decoys.  If their head is still up or the are not belly up, keep shooting them.

You will have to use a knife to fillet off the skin.  Not like a mallard that pulls back easy.  Very fishy CRitters.

[seth30]

so they are like a scaup or ringneck when it comes to cleaning  

[DrakeKill]

I say leave the dog; its tough work for them, without worrying about lions and seals; Rocks, tides, and cold water are enough to wear out a retriever quickly - a good outboard and a long handled net to scoop 'em up is what I use.

I don't know who said john boat, but where I run for long tails is more like deadliest catch for ducks; 100+ft of water, drifting in the wind on 3ft rollers - wont do it without a serious hull and some sides.

smack 'em, don't wait at all and shoot again immediately once they hit the water, no matter how well you think you hit them! When they dive, and they will, have all guns in the boat ready to go (except maybe the driver) move the boat to the last spot you saw him on the water and start counting and scanning. Dive times:

harlis: ~60 seconds
scoters: ~90 seconds
long tails: up to 2 minutes

once they pop up don't hesitate, repeat process until bird is bagged or you run out of shells. (Bring lots of shells).

It can be a bit of chaos but its a darned good time, as mentioned previously know the rules about shooting from a boat for your area and keep things safe!

[h2ofowlr]

so they are like a scaup or ringneck when it comes to cleaning

Nope, those are way easier.   

They are like splitting the leather grain in your boots.

[hntrspud]

  The skin is super glued to the meat. 

Skybuster- nice Cans, what brand are those?

[h2ofowlr]

The skin is super glued to the meat. 

Skybuster- nice Cans, what brand are those?

The last person I said nice cans to, just about got me slapped.     I definitely didn't ask which brand they were.  I just assumed they were real.   

[hntrspud]

  I knew I would get a response about that. 

[Patarero]

For scoters, a string of clorox bottles or crab pot floats will work.  Does not take much.  My buddy would hunt sea ducks out of a Carolina skiff, no blind.  Fun to shoot, but not very good table fare.  Golden eyes are a bit more discriminating, but don't taste much better.

[seth30]

This saturday morning is the day for my first sea duck hunt.  Thanks for the info and help

[lokidog]

This saturday morning is the day for my first sea duck hunt.  Thanks for the info and help

Good luck, I've been seeing a lot of Scoters.  Not much else besides mergansers though.

[seth30]

Today just sucked from start to finish   First thing we hit was a half mile of mud that we had to push/pull the boat through.  Got out there finally to the water soaked in sweat and covered in mud at 0630.  We set out and strung the decoys and as I am half way through the line I look back and notice there all clumped.  Okay easy fix instead of just clipping them I also tie the clip in place.  After a few hours the line would turn from straight into a P pattern.  There were large amounts of vegetation clumping  up on the scoter decoys and pushing them around.    After 4 hours of watching Scoters in the distance and countless buffleheads and wigeon bypass us we decided to call it quits.  As we were getting ready to leave a flock of ducks landed on the other side of my line.  I didn't know what they were and let them go   Turned out they were Hen Black Scoters.  Sea duck hunting is harder than I imagined but I will be out there again soon to try my luck again

[washingtonmuley]

Are you using one anchor on each end of your longline?

[seth30]

Yep, I may have to make a heavier one though.  There was at least 10 lbs of plants on each decoy.

[washingtonmuley]

The tidal exchange does make it difficult at times. You are not the only one to experience this. The joys of open water sea duck hunting. Good luck

[lokidog]

I wonder if you would get less stuff hanging on them if you let the end swing with the current??  Then just reposition your boat if they shift too much.

I saw my first Oldsquaw of the year today.

[seth30]

Went out today with ackbizzle and we did great on those scoters.  You guys werent lying they are some tough birds.  Thanks again for all the help   The drake is going to be mounted

[singleshot12]

lol are they any good eatin?

[ackbizzle]

lol are they any good eatin?

I got one I. A brine for tomorrow so I will let you know. Great hunt today Seth, thanks for letting me tag along


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[seth30]

lol are they any good eatin?

I got one I. A brine for tomorrow so I will let you know. Great hunt today Seth, thanks for letting me tag along


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  Yes it was fun, well all but the boat push through the mud

[TheSkyBuster]

Cool,   Another Bird for the Man cave        That pushing the boat through the mud part always sucks.  One of the few times in life that Smaller is Better. 

[jennyfell55]

Awesome!!! Nice birds!! 

[ackbizzle]

lol are they any good eatin?

I got one I. A brine for tomorrow so I will let you know. Great hunt today Seth, thanks for letting me tag along


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2 days in a brine and then just covered in flour and other spices and fried it up. Kinda salty but really good


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[dfowler03]

Howdy fellas,

just came across this forum, looks like quite a bit of knowledge here. Hopefully I can learn from you all. I just moved back to the area (Oak Harbor) from 10 years away (grew in in Mount Vernon, in the USN) and am trying to learn the hunting areas. I have been going to Fir Island chasing ducks and snow geese, and am always waiting for them to pick up off the water and fly over for some pass shooting. My question is, is the area out in Skagit bay all open to hunting? I've never done any hunting out of a boat, so it's all new to me. Im looking to get a 14-16 footer to take out there and try and get closer to the flocks when they're sitting out there. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

-Don

[lokidog]

Howdy fellas,

just came across this forum, looks like quite a bit of knowledge here. Hopefully I can learn from you all. I just moved back to the area (Oak Harbor) from 10 years away (grew in in Mount Vernon, in the USN) and am trying to learn the hunting areas. I have been going to Fir Island chasing ducks and snow geese, and am always waiting for them to pick up off the water and fly over for some pass shooting. My question is, is the area out in Skagit bay all open to hunting? I've never done any hunting out of a boat, so it's all new to me. Im looking to get a 14-16 footer to take out there and try and get closer to the flocks when they're sitting out there. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

-Don

There are some extra rules for boat hunting in Skagit, be sure to be aware of them.  Good luck.