Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Waterfowl => Topic started by: highside74 on December 04, 2013, 10:46:19 AM
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I am new to waterfowl hunting. (just a couple years now) Last year while speaking with a family friend about such hunting I was told by him that their family place on the beach in Tokeland has thousands of ducks that come all the time. With zero pressure. Its all private access. By beach, I mean grass flats that lead out to the beach. How would you hunt such an area? He said he notices much more ducks on the high tide and wind. I look at the tides and some highs are at 4:30 am and a low at 10:30am. Is this a good tide seeing how it doesn't get light till 7? If it has an early aftrrnoon high is that also worth the trip? Would I use decoys or just pass shoot? Any help from you guys would be great. Thanks a lot.
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I would hunt the last two hrs of the incoming tide and the first two of the out going tide. Throw some decoys and put a few in the mud for when the water gets to them. So the tide you mentioned wouldn't be a good one for a maiden voyage. You're looking for a 9 ish high tide.
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I hunt tidewater a lot and any incoming tide is good. I try and be out about 3 hours before the High tide and hunt the tide all the way in. I rig a 120' line with a weight and attach decoys with 2' droppers and longline clips. If the ducks are inside the last decoy they are in range. I sit on a bucket hunched over and I think the ducks mistake me for a stump or boulder. As the tide moves in I just pick up the bucket and drag the line of decoys in to the edge of the water again, no need to pick up decoys or adjust them. Best hunting seems to be when the water just transitions from the mud to the grass and all the time the grass is flooded. Be sure the wind isn't blowing into the area you want to hunt, the ducks don't seem to use it very much if the waves are breaking into it.
I only hunt the incoming tide and high slack as an outgoing tide can wash ducks away before you can get to them on foot.
Be careful out there , there is as much as an eleven foot tide change and a low spot that you walked through on the way out can be 5-6' deep at high tide and it can be a long wait for it to get shallow enough to get back to dryland. Also any small tidal drains that you stepped over at low tide disapear in the murky water and can make for a cold fall in the water.
I carry dry gloves and mittens in ziplock bag for the times I've lost my balance and have had to put a hand in the water to keep from doing a face plant in the water. Just wring the water out of the sleeve so it doesn't run down into the dry warm glove.
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Thank you very much.
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What kind of ducks will it generally be?
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Lots of wigeon, pintail, teal and some mallards and a few divers.