Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Waterfowl => Topic started by: hornhunter on August 24, 2009, 08:57:51 AM

Title: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: hornhunter on August 24, 2009, 08:57:51 AM
Ive never shot a woody.  If anyone has a private ditch where I could jumpshoot a pair that would be pretty cool.  Really that would be the only waterfowling I would even want to do this whole winter.  (well maybe a goose hunt or a Sea Duck hunt)  Looking for some taxidermy birds!

Im sure we could come up with a fair trade.

Thanks

Mike
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: Dustin07 on August 24, 2009, 09:19:38 AM
Ive never shot a woody.  If anyone has a private ditch where I could jumpshoot a pair that would be pretty cool.  Really that would be the only waterfowling I would even want to do this whole winter.  (well maybe a goose hunt or a Sea Duck hunt)  Looking for some taxidermy birds!

Im sure we could come up with a fair trade.

Thanks

Mike

where are you located?
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: h2ofowlr on August 25, 2009, 05:00:11 PM
I would get into some marsh lands, they usually hold a few wood ducks.  Used to shoot a bunch.  There are a lot to shoot if you are located in SW Washington.
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: boneaddict on August 25, 2009, 05:06:18 PM
Satus unit is your best bet. 
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: Dustin07 on August 26, 2009, 09:10:12 AM
I would get into some marsh lands, they usually hold a few wood ducks.  Used to shoot a bunch.  There are a lot to shoot if you are located in SW Washington.
that's why I was wondering where he was located. I was looking at a migration pattern of the wood duck and it looks like they centralize in the south-central WA area and head southwest to the west coast of Cali (typically). The only wood ducks I've seen in WA were at Kapowsin. Just a pair, and since we don't see them often, we opted not to shoot them. I would like to get into a heavier wood duck population myself though, what a great mount!
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: General Disarray on August 26, 2009, 10:04:58 AM
We've got some spots that produce pretty regulary around here.  Water + Russian Olive trees = Wood ducks....
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: teal101 on August 26, 2009, 10:52:51 AM
We've got some spots that produce pretty regulary around here.  Water + Russian Olive trees = Wood ducks....

This.  I shot one on my last youth hunt.  my brother has shot one to on a youth hunt.  Seen plenty during the opener.  On the Eastside they're here for a short time before booking it south.  Yakima has some.  Find water and thick trees.  They will be there.
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on August 26, 2009, 11:05:07 AM
Water + Russian Olive trees = Wood ducks....

That is 100% correct.  
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: Coho on September 03, 2009, 11:19:41 AM
Try and find a spot for mid season so you get full color and minimal pinfeathers.
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: WCTaxidermy on September 04, 2009, 08:49:37 AM
Coho hit the nail on the head.  Early season birds are loaded with pin feathers.  Most bird Taxidermists won't even touch an early season bird because of that reason.  If your putting all your effort into a Wood Duck hunt for mounting purposes, try to plan the hunt around late October on.  Wood Ducks are fun to hunt and they sure do make a beautiful mount!!!!!! :)  Good luck on the hunt ;)  John   
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: alecvg on September 06, 2009, 01:30:21 PM
My second duck ever was a Drake Woodie!  I am luckey!  Up here though, it seems to be luck to find them, we happened to jump one spot in the creek that had 4 or 5 of them mixed in with the mallards.   :dunno:
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: hornhunter on September 06, 2009, 09:53:31 PM
Coho hit the nail on the head.  Early season birds are loaded with pin feathers.  Most bird Taxidermists won't even touch an early season bird because of that reason.  If your putting all your effort into a Wood Duck hunt for mounting purposes, try to plan the hunt around late October on.  Wood Ducks are fun to hunt and they sure do make a beautiful mount!!!!!! :)  Good luck on the hunt ;)  John   

WOW! Thanks for the replys guys! :)  I havnt checked back in this post for a bit.......Ive been a little pre occupied with Renting our house out, finding and moving to temporary housing and finally looking at 50+ houses over the last 6 weeks.  We found a house made a offer and it was accepted!  So other than keeping up with the meat and potato forums Elk Deer and Genral Diss.  I havnt been back here to waterfowl.  I am for sure interested in a late season bird or pair.  The plumage is ideal on all waterfowl later in the season. 
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: Whitenuckles on September 09, 2009, 04:19:08 PM
Coho knows whats up!!!

Heres what they look like in mid November..
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi440.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fqq126%2FJETWhitenuckles%2Fjoes044.jpg&hash=f4e5e1ec582f3309142ad10d1b23561184b5000e)
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: teal101 on September 10, 2009, 08:27:59 AM
I took mine on Sep 25th during the youth hunt.  It was surprisingly 90-95% plumage.  THe Taxi didn't mention anything about pin feathers either.  I think it depends on age of bird as well.
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: Gobble on September 10, 2009, 08:31:47 AM
I shot one quite a few years ago in Enumclaw. Got it mounted
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: hornhunter on September 14, 2009, 01:35:20 PM
Whiteknuckles,

Thats what Im talking about!!  I need one of those bad boys to ad to the wall!
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: corktex on September 14, 2009, 04:19:53 PM
 I live in Texas and have shot 6 woody's in my day,the most beautiful bird on the plant IMO. I have a book from S.Dakota that says wood ducks only hang out with other wood ducks and they mate for life.So I have a pair of woody decoys in my mallard spread!They never land,but will come in and check them out,like teal..They also like ponds and creeks,tasty bird with great tastes!....Good Luck!
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: adam.WI on September 14, 2009, 10:25:30 PM
They decoys well if you just have woodies out, but they are finicky. We get a lot of them back in WI and you just need to find that back water butting up against the wooded areas and even in the woods if you can find a spot like that. Maybe I missed it but where are you from in the state. My group tends to get a few every season and could get more if we went for them, but the area they are in is a lot of work.
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: lokidog on September 15, 2009, 09:09:13 PM
Hornhunter,

PM me, I can get you into the woodies through October and into November.  We even got a drake Mandarin about 8 years ago. 
Title: Re: Ive always wanted a Wood Duck
Post by: KwackWacker on September 21, 2009, 05:16:45 PM
There's tons of em around here all season long in the Yak river drainage....walk up to any slough and there's some around....I'll kill probably 15-30 in a season
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