I have a question about picking up downed ducks. Do you wait until you're ready to leave or do you pick them up as soon as they've dropped?

My first opening day went pretty well. Was able to get two BWT and a Gadwall on opening morning. Met alot of helpful hunters out there as well.

Also, any good recipe recommendations would be appreciated!

pick em up as soon as you can.

same here, unless more birds are circlein send the dog/ or pick them up

+1 on picking them up as soon as you can. When I'm hunting without a dog I just don't want to lose birds and a wounded bird can cover some water. If deep water is present you also need to be aware of the wind direction to avoid birds being pushed to where you can't retrieve them.

soon as possible. I hate losing birds.

If their stone dead and there's still circling birds I'll leave them. That's the only time

I think it is very important to get the birds as soon as you can to eliminate losing any.

Thanks for the quick responses. It was hard to find the downed ducks after we had let them sit in the water awhile, so picking them up as soon as you can makes sense. I didn't know if it ruins the hunt or us and others around us though.

Another question...Do all ducks respond to a mallard call or do you have to fit the call to the duck? I'm in South Central Tx and I've read on here that mallards are hard to come by down here but at the public lake X there were hunters using mallard calls and I bought some mallard decoys so are the ducks that smart to where they'd realize the mallard decs are out of place?

To me a ruined hunt is not finding the birds...congrats on getting into duck hunting

It seems like you can scare away more ducks with bad calling than you can draw in with good calling. You can use a mallard call to make the sounds of some other ducks but I try not to call if I don't need to.

The decoys do not matter as much.

I'd suggest a whistle. You can make widgeon, teal, and pintail sounds with one of those. I very rarely call while on the coast.

I've done both.

+1 on the whistle. most times I would take that over a call if I had to choose.

Pick up the ducks as soon as possible. It usually happens that some more will come in right when you're butt is hangin' out in the open picking up ducks or messin with decoys, but hey- that's waterfowling. as far as calling. x2 on the whistle- get one that does a mallard grunt and you're in business.

Where we go you need to get those birds asap or a gator might steal em from you.