Wood ducks

[Night goat]

I've always wanted to try my luck on wood ducks, although I know nothing about them other than they prefer really wooded brushy areas... I'm starting to read more on them but was wondering if say some of the mid elevation mountain lakes or beaver ponds would be a good candidate to try? I've only seen them a handful of times but I know they exist, but definetly seems like a challenge...

[h2ofowlr]

I've always wanted to try my luck on wood ducks, although I know nothing about them other than they prefer really wooded brushy areas... I'm starting to read more on them but was wondering if say some of the mid elevation mountain lakes or beaver ponds would be a good candidate to try? I've only seen them a handful of times but I know they exist, but definetly seems like a challenge...

I see them more around low land lakes, marshes, ponds and streams.  I put up several wood duck boxes last month, so hopefully they have a good hatch.

[RC]

Have only seen a handful on this side of the mountains, but used to see quite a few in the backwater areas of the Yakima around Toppenish.

[erronulvin]

From what I have seen over the years ponds with Russian olive trees around them tend to hold birds.

[Night goat]

From what I have seen over the years ponds with Russian olive trees around them tend to hold birds.

Certainly don't see olive trees on the west side lol

[metlhead]

Second the Toppenish area. Shoot lots of them while chasing quail. One pond near White Swan roosted at least 200 of them. Getting one fully dressed is quite the reward. Oxbows and sloughs off any lowland river may hold some. I think it would be mostly a jump shoot opportunity.

[metlhead]

A fav

[Night goat]

Do they decoy well?

[TeacherMan]

They are everywhere around St. Maries. I do notice they like the smaller back waters, side river channels, field ditches, beaver ponds, etc…

[boneaddict]

[nwwanderer]

Certainly a success story for management

[trophyhunt]

I’ve always wanted a pair of those for the wall, but I’m getting soft in my age and just can’t shoot a bird so beautiful.  Guess I’ll have to buy mounts of them.

[ducks4days]

Hunt wooded beaver ponds. Get 2-6 wood duck decoys and keep them in a small group together distinct from your main spread. I only harvest them occasionally, and haven’t taken one the last 3 seasons, mainly because I haven’t targeted them.

[Night goat]

Yeah I can see why you wouldn't want to hunt these all the time, it's a bucket list duck for me, definitely wouldn't try to get a limit, one or two and the story of the adventure is enough for me

[metlhead]

Does seem odd we are restricted to very few pintails and scaup, yet allowed to shoot full limits of wooders. However, wood ducks are quite the sucess story and are very plentiful. Majority are early to migrate.