I have only duck hunted in Ohio and thankfully in areas of low population and large amounts of public land. So I got used to getting out there and setting up around 5am. Where I'm at now near Austin there ain't much public land and a lot of people. I figure the land gets a lot of pressure opening weekend. If there are already a fair amount of people at the spots I'm looking by the time I get there I'll probably just leave and wait a week. I would rather wait than risk the safety of myself or others by having too many shooters on a pond.
But I would like to get out opening weekend and try to find some birds. How early do you need to be out on public land to actually find a spot to set up? 4am? 3am?

I know alot of guys that camp out on their spot the night before. For me last year I got to my spot at 3:30am to already find someone there opening morning. This year I'll get there about the same time and hope no one is there. If so ill go to plan b.

opening weekend around this area would be a 2am kinda deal for the pick of the place. On a regular weekend 4am would be fine.

Depends on how many ducks are around. Couple years ago we scouted some places that were loaded up. Hunting with 2 other guys we split duty getting there at 1:30am for a couple weeks because there was an X and you needed to be on it. Sometimes we beat people there by a half hour, sometimes by 4 hours.

Also, opening weekend just hunt and afternoon if you don’t want to deal with people like I don’t. No one will be there and you’ll shoot a couple ducks if they are in the area.

There are a lot of variables to that I've slept on spots on opening weekend and I've pulled up at LST. Your knowledge of the area the pressure for that area comes into play how hard the birds are to get to how easy they were to scout.

Good luck

5 am for me this year! Timed it this weekend!

Couldn't tell you. The last time I hunted on public land/lake was about 1981.

Depends on location. Some spots like people have said you will have someone camping out. Other spots if you're at the ramp by 5:30 then you beat everyone. Just have to learn the pressure and when people start to show up. You'll never escape the dudes rolling up at shooting light though....

this

Too many variables at play.

If there are birds worth the trip you have to spend the night. Garrett Elliot is the reason I built this boat. 35 degrees, wind howling, drunk and sleeping on the floor of a gator trax boat. The shoot was good but that was the last time I sleep without a kitchen, a comfortable bed and a crapper.

https://youtu.be/P2mPVzI8I9k

I'd say this is a correct statement minus an important detail. There's just no D@M ducks here.

There are a lot of birds here already.

That's not a boat, that's a floating hotel!

Earliest I was getting to a spot was 2:00 A.M. and that was a small lake 3 minutes from my in-laws house - and it was well worth it. That was 10 years ago and the lake has been closed to the public for a while plus - I just ain't that mad at them anymore or I like sleep too much. Earliest I'll leave the house now is 4:15ish to be at my spot by 4:45.

Pretty sure thats the same boat used in the Rambo movies!

If you want to drive to Lake Belton , near Temple ------- the lake is 25 miles long, the western side of the lake is pristine, aka, Ft. Hood, hence no houses, only woods,,, Very few, if any duck hunters on the lake. Look on google earth and pick a spot.

Do tell!

Depends on the place... Had a few places where it was a treck to get there in a boat on Lake Waco would get to the parking lot around 4:15 and would sit in the truck til i saw headlights. Few other public locations nobody knows about around 5:45-6.

[quote=HTXdude123]I have only duck hunted in Ohio and thankfully in areas of low population and large amounts of public land. So I got used to getting out there and setting up around 5am. Where I'm at now near Austin there ain't much public land and a lot of people. I figure the land gets a lot of pressure opening weekend. If there are already a fair amount of people at the spots I'm looking by the time I get there I'll probably just leave and wait a week. I would rather wait than risk the safety of myself or others by having too many shooters on a pond.
But I would like to get out opening weekend and try to find some birds. How early do you need to be out on public land to actually find a spot to set up? 4am? 3am? [/quot)


I've slept in my boat the last 3 years on public openers. All 3 years I was sleeping on the X. 2 of those years I could have just stayed home...or better yet devise a different strategy for openers.

So many variables go into it.

This year I got to the launch late at 3 am on Sunday. I was the first one there by about 15 minutes. Launched and was the first one to my spot. In previous years 3:30 was a good time to get there. Seems like most everyone shows up at that lake at 4. It gets easier after opening weekend but also you have the experienced hunters that know where the spots are. If you're not first you might as well go to plan b.