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Dry field hunting
#5271075
08/25/14 05:28 PM
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 105
GoBears870
OP
Woodsman
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OP
Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 105 |
After a few years in Maryland I've returned home to N. Texas and am more than ready for this coming season. I've only duck hunted on small bodies of water around here, but after doing some goose and duck hunting up north I'm wondering how much success folks have down here hunting ducks in dry fields. I am on a lease outside of Dallas that has a couple thousand acres in cultivation with a few decent ponds. My hope is we can have the option of hunting ducks in those fields when they are full of winter oats. Obviously this would require a fair amount scouting but before burning all that gasoline I thought I would ask the audience if dry field hunting is a proven strategy in these parts. Thanks for your thoughts and opinions.
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Re: Dry field hunting
[Re: GoBears870]
#5271097
08/25/14 05:51 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,386
john paul
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,386 |
I don't think you're gonna have much luck dry field hunting around there.
I'm with GK because I like salty old dudes.
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Re: Dry field hunting
[Re: GoBears870]
#5271112
08/25/14 06:01 PM
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Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 8,162
whitewing maniac
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 8,162 |
I'm no duck expert by any means but in my experience;
water=ducks no water=a bad hunt
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Re: Dry field hunting
[Re: GoBears870]
#5271131
08/25/14 06:10 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 5,573
Leonardo
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 5,573 |
I am going to have to go the other way. The last two years we have been on some late season geese(duck season closed) and had plenty of ducks work our spread. It is hard to give up a day of hunting not really knowing what the results are going to be but we are planning on giving it a whirl a few times this coming year.
Granted we aren't picking a field at random and there were birds already in the area but I think it is going to work out. My experience has always been late in the season so I don't know if it would be worth the effort early in the year. Only one way to find out.
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Re: Dry field hunting
[Re: GoBears870]
#5271140
08/25/14 06:15 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 492
RiverRunner
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 492 |
Scouting will be key. Not worth setting up unless there are birds going to the field. I have a winter rye/wheat field that can get loaded up with wigeon. Put a little sheet water on that field and it is really ON, but the water isn't necessary as we have killed a lot of ducks when the field is dry.
Keep your eye on the fields during season, but later in season when the wheat is up good is generally been best in my experience.
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Re: Dry field hunting
[Re: GoBears870]
#5271156
08/25/14 06:27 PM
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 105
GoBears870
OP
Woodsman
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OP
Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 105 |
Good stuff to know - thanks for sharing. Hopefully there will be a good amount of food on the ground through the winter to pull some in. I'm planning on doing a lot of driving for this as our acreage is spread out over several parcels. In your fields, what time of day are you seeing the best numbers?
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Re: Dry field hunting
[Re: GoBears870]
#5271252
08/25/14 07:15 PM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 762
Duck Buster
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 762 |
I have also seen/ hunted ducks over dry field.
Just gotta make sure they want to be in that field.
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Re: Dry field hunting
[Re: Duck Buster]
#5271273
08/25/14 07:30 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,636
Gdogg
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,636 |
I've hunted over peanut fields in the panhandle and had great success with mallards. It's all about the timing. In one day and gone the next. I've never seen that many huge groups of mallards in all my life.
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Re: Dry field hunting
[Re: Gdogg]
#5271300
08/25/14 07:51 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,386
john paul
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,386 |
If it is not at least extremely cold or overcast, one or the other, you might as well not even try. If it isn't overcast or extremely cold, the ducks will go out to feed right before shooting light in the morning and right after shooting light in the afternoon. This has been my experience 9/10.
Last edited by john paul; 08/25/14 07:52 PM.
I'm with GK because I like salty old dudes.
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Re: Dry field hunting
[Re: GoBears870]
#5271771
08/25/14 11:57 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 5,594
Featherduster
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 5,594 |
We would sometimes get ducks in the rice fields.
Mainly pintails, and if you had a mojo the teal would buzz it.
Don't see it too much in these parts, but it does happen.
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Re: Dry field hunting
[Re: GoBears870]
#5272042
08/26/14 02:18 AM
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Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 629
Astater
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 629 |
I hunt a large ranch that is planted in winter wheat every year. After a good rain it's darn near impossible to get through the field but it's worth every second if there is a little standing water. We literally had hundreds of wigeon and pintail last year.
The things we do for ducks... NRA Life Member Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Lifetime License/Member
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Re: Dry field hunting
[Re: GoBears870]
#5272056
08/26/14 02:22 AM
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,450
Aggieduck
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,450 |
Dry cut fields in N tex are good 1/100 hunts now. Maybe back when some peanuts were planted up by the big lake
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