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Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states #4805040 12/04/13 02:13 PM
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Duckhawker Offline OP
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This has happened to me many times, as I'm sure it has many people on this forum. Yesterday, I was hunting and twice over thirty minutes a group of three gadwall circled nervously, high and out of range. They wanted to be where I was, but kept seeing something. They would land on a tank about 500 yards away. The third time I saw them, they cleared the trees low, headed my way and came in on a line and I was able to shoot two of them at about twenty yards. Their behavior was totally different on the third approach. Much less cautious.

Obviously it's possible this was not the same group of birds I saw the first two times, but I'm reasonably sure it was based on the direction they came from and the total number of birds in the sky (not too many). It seemed to me that they kept going back to the same loafing tank and eventually they "forgot" about the potential danger they saw in my spread and just pitched right in. It's like their mental state totally changed and they just finally committed to the spot.

Anyone else care to share their experiences with birds like this?

Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: Duckhawker] #4805058 12/04/13 02:23 PM
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Ducks can be stupid


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Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: Cody Malone] #4805088 12/04/13 02:37 PM
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they're not looking for 1 thing right...they're looking for 1 thing wrong


They're not looking for one thing right....they're looking for one thing wrong.


Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: GigEmAggies] #4805109 12/04/13 02:43 PM
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Is there a chance the wind picked up and you finally had decent movement in your spread? That would be my guess.

Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: Leonardo] #4805137 12/04/13 02:51 PM
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Leonardo,

Not much wind, but certainly possible. Was a very calm day.

Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: GigEmAggies] #4805191 12/04/13 03:02 PM
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Originally Posted By: GigEmAggies
they're not looking for 1 thing right...they're looking for 1 thing wrong

x2


Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: ACov] #4805221 12/04/13 03:09 PM
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Originally Posted By: ACov
Originally Posted By: GigEmAggies
they're not looking for 1 thing right...they're looking for 1 thing wrong

x2


it's so true I had to add it to my sig ha!


They're not looking for one thing right....they're looking for one thing wrong.


Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: GigEmAggies] #4805397 12/04/13 04:04 PM
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Originally Posted By: GigEmAggies
Originally Posted By: ACov
Originally Posted By: GigEmAggies
they're not looking for 1 thing right...they're looking for 1 thing wrong

x2


it's so true I had to add it to my sig ha!


up


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Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: dogcatcher] #4805475 12/04/13 04:31 PM
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They were just testing the place. they get shot at so often anymore by guys shooting too high. Seen it alot out of gadwall this year.

Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: Fishhound83] #4805510 12/04/13 04:43 PM
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Maybe they just got hungry?
You're over thinking it.

Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: Fishhound83] #4805547 12/04/13 04:55 PM
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Originally Posted By: Fishhound83
They were just testing the place. they get shot at so often anymore by guys shooting too high. Seen it alot out of gadwall this year.


Yes, this is why skybusting can ruin your hunts.


Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: GigEmAggies] #4805557 12/04/13 04:59 PM
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Originally Posted By: GigEmAggies
they're not looking for 1 thing right...they're looking for 1 thing wrong


Sounds like the women i date.

Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: Duckhawker] #4805575 12/04/13 05:05 PM
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Originally Posted By: UTAhunter
This has happened to me many times, as I'm sure it has many people on this forum. Yesterday, I was hunting and twice over thirty minutes a group of three gadwall circled nervously, high and out of range. They wanted to be where I was, but kept seeing something. They would land on a tank about 500 yards away. The third time I saw them, they cleared the trees low, headed my way and came in on a line and I was able to shoot two of them at about twenty yards. Their behavior was totally different on the third approach. Much less cautious.

Obviously it's possible this was not the same group of birds I saw the first two times, but I'm reasonably sure it was based on the direction they came from and the total number of birds in the sky (not too many). It seemed to me that they kept going back to the same loafing tank and eventually they "forgot" about the potential danger they saw in my spread and just pitched right in. It's like their mental state totally changed and they just finally committed to the spot.

Anyone else care to share their experiences with birds like this?


what you describe is a cheeba duck, from time to time you come across them in the wild. They can be very forgetful and if your spot is holding food they will risk it all for just one bite of sweet goodness.

consider yourself lucky to find them in the wild like you did


Attention rickym, this is not a troll post, just a good hearted fun type of post
Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: Gacman] #4805592 12/04/13 05:11 PM
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Could also be the change in angle where they started to work. You said they were high the first times and then just barely cleared the tree tops the last time. Maybe they weren't high enough to see whatever they didn't like the first two times.


Arise.Kill.Eat -Acts 10:13
Originally Posted by Nathan Nelson
I have read a bunch of stuff on the internet about Star Wars but that does not mean I can skin a deer with a light saber.
Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: Merican Duck Hunter] #4805816 12/04/13 06:13 PM
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I was out bow hunting on my lease and was watching a group of live gaddys sitting in a creek. another group came in circled 3 or 4 times and flared. I was about 100yards away and nothing out there to flare them.

Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: Sims Custom Knives] #4806014 12/04/13 07:05 PM
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Merican duck slaya,

Yes, I thought of that. They certainly couldn't see much at the angle they came in. What was odd was the second time they came around the came off the tank, went high, circled, and said no. The third time they came around they left the tank, barely got any height, and dumped in. They certainly wanted to be where I was, but that one wrong thing...

Gacman,

Agree with you on the ladies. I talk about a "collective goodwill bank." If my girlfriend does something to piss me off, the cranky feelings go away quickly because she's built up a strong bank of goodwill with me. If I piss her off, all that good stuff I do doesn't mean much. smirk

Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: Duckhawker] #4806160 12/04/13 07:48 PM
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This happened to me this morning but they never really came back for a 3rd pass. I felt like I had a neon 'Do not land here' sign on my head or something...I did manage to get 4 to commit but missed them all. aim

Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: Noojen] #4806271 12/04/13 08:22 PM
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Gadwalls, in my opinion are just really dumb. Same thing has happened to me numerous times. Dumb birds simple as that.


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Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: Zach Attack!] #4806280 12/04/13 08:25 PM
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Zach Attack,

That's funny. I find gadwalls to be tied for the most wary birds I shoot with pintails. Mallards win. Yes, plenty of groups decoy without problems, but many circle and circle, whereas I feel I rarely have trouble decoying wigeon, teal, shovelers, divers, etc.

Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: Duckhawker] #4806333 12/04/13 08:37 PM
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I used to feel the same way about gadwalls being dumb and easy birds to fill a limit, but the last 2 seasons its seemed like the entire population got a reality check and all the sudden they're hard to get to commit. My buddy in Louisiana said the same thing a week ago.


Arise.Kill.Eat -Acts 10:13
Originally Posted by Nathan Nelson
I have read a bunch of stuff on the internet about Star Wars but that does not mean I can skin a deer with a light saber.
Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: Merican Duck Hunter] #4806439 12/04/13 09:17 PM
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Huh. I guess it's just different from place to place, but I know the ones we've been bringing down don't seem to be too cautious. Of course we do a lot of timber hunting in close quarters so they want those acorns any way they can get em!


Tarleton State Texans Class of 2017!
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Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: Zach Attack!] #4806750 12/04/13 10:49 PM
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ducks are dumb/smart and predictable/unpredictable. Thats why they're fun to hunt


Originally Posted By: aerangis
Any creature in my vicinity that possesses an explosive penis is going to be killed.
Re: Ducks "forgetting" and changing mental states [Re: TxHunter96] #4807015 12/05/13 12:08 AM
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This exact thing happened to us this past weekend. Birds were circling a different pond. We called them to us and they circled high forever then headed to the other pond. Called them back and they did the same thing. Later another group came and did the same thing. They really wanted in that smaller pond. Still scratching our heads as to what happened.

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