Ok, last season was all pumped up. Got a duck lease close to the house.

Day 1 - come see the tank and see if you want to do this. About 100 birds jumped up!

Opening Day - nothing
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End of season recap - fired 4 shots.

And while this spot has typically produced birds, last season just sucked.

With that said, if you were going to go out of state, where would you go?

In Texas I'm done with public. At least here in the Hill Country. Not enough duck hunting public oppertunities, and the birds flight patterns have just changed.

But don't get me wrong. If I can hunt the same tank next season, i will.

Do have ideas of what could have helped us do better. But still feel things have changed.

#stop hunting up north in flooded corn!

For out of state, are you talking like several weekend runs or one or more multi day trips? Public on your own or pay for private? Outfitted lodging, motels or cabins, or camping?

Kansas is pretty hard to beat. Ducks, geese, pheasant, quail, prairie chicken...

I road tripped up there a few years in a row on 3-4 day weekend trips.

ive always heard Arkansas and Kansas are good. Cant say first hand as ive not made the trip yet but do plan to this year.

If you only fired 4 shots last season and can’t find enough ducks to hunt in Texas as big as it is with as much public hunting property we have not sure traveling to another state is going to help you.

There is no “easy button” in duck hunting, maybe you should just hire a guide the few times you hunt each year.

You could come to Wyoming.
No special teal season, regular seasons open in Oct and we have a split in the middle.
Lots of public water to hunt, not a ton of duck hunters up here.

We've had seasons where everything froze up a day before opening, no liquid water to land in. Can be brutally cold also with wind.
I enjoy jumping ducks on the creeks and river, 3 or 4 deeks on a smaller lake work too.

Maybe you should check out SD and do a field hunt for mallards.

Ive duck hunted North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas. SD was my favorite. Hunted four days and the first two we had 6 man limits in about an hour, and the situation we were hunting in was beautiful. Second two days we were hunting the same spots again, so we only had 2-3 guys shoot at each flock to spread out the fun some (plus then you can tell who is missing lol) We hunted layout blinds in a bean field one day and sat under evergreens on the edge of a cornfield the second day. Plus we got to Walleye fish in the afternoons as a bonus. If you want to do any of those states, I've got some good guide recommendations for you

Why are you anti-flooded corn hunting? I've never hunted anywhere that intentionally flooded their fields, but I grew up hunting just off the Missouri River between SD and Nebraska or Iowa, so flooded fields are just part of life up there.

It would be more of a DIY trip one time

Right now my nephew and cousin are talking about a conservation hunt in Arkansas Feb 2023 with a guide.

Wyoming and Montana are definitely places I want to visit.

You will kill more dux with BC.

Can't help you on the guided part, but what I might do if it were me.

4-6 day. I would look at Kansas hitting the big marsh, but rather than pre planned dates, I would go when I have intel that birds were there. Mid week if possible. 8 hour drive from DFW.

7 day and longer. I would look at Kansas, both big water WMA and WIHA with small water. Pick a region with units and WMAs away from big cities or interstates. Drive a scouting route pre determined via research of WIHA book, Corps, and WMA map. and hunt your best option each morning. Be mobile and willing to move to where birds are or where locals or GWs suggest even if it is a different area of the state. It can be a phenomenal if you put the work in, but like anywhere you are at the mercy of the migration if you pre plan for set dates. There is always pheasant for backup if the Waterfowl hunting sucks.

South Dakota, never been there, but I could see myself finding an area for a DIY waterfowl hunt there. Heard great things and It will be part of a future road trip for sure.

10 days or longer, preferably at least 2 weeks, Montana. I have never been, but my dog spent a month hunting there with a friend. That group with my dog moved around a lot and killed all sorts of birds both upland and waterfowl every day. For sure a future road trip for me.

If you find unpressured field Geese on a public hunt, it is possible you could talk me into arriving with a truck load of decoys within 24 hours. Provided gas is not $10 a gallon by then.

Dont do it. The odds of actually having a good hunt are slim.

Tell me you aren't one of the flooded corn conspiracy guys!

Hunted ducks in Arkansas for ten years. Best pubic places I can say "used to be good" were the Hurricane Bottoms south of Bald Knob, Bayou Meto just east of Pine Bluff and Trusten Holder Wildlife Management Area a little northeast of Dumas. All had walk in access to flooded timber and you only needed a couple of dozen decoys. May have changed but that is where I would start looking and I would look at Trusten first.

That part is key. I've been to Kansas a few times phez hunting and never saw many ducks or geese while near water. Granted, we stayed in central and eastern parts so other regions may have been different. I had a group of buddies go last season in late Nov and they were scheduled for a week. These guys put in the work to scout and covered a lot of ground... it was so slow they left early.

Last year I went to SD around the same timeframe for phez and every pothole was loaded up. It's all about the timing. That being said, I'm going back to SD and taking a week or more off work. Will take duck gear, too, and if they're there I'll take some time doing that, too.

Lots of good info already stated. Don't let the social media highlight reels fool you into think that is how the hunting always is in what ever state its claiming. Its still hunting and alot of work and effort is required to stay in the birds.

I think hunting out of state is all about new experiences, not so much about a guaranteed limit.

As mentioned, if all your looking for is a good hunt there are several outfitters in the state that should be able to put you on a good hunt. You can save gas, time, out of state license cost by staying somewhat local.

Thx..

No matter where you go time will be your best asset. Doing a public hunt out of state when you never been is just like the eastern elk hunters who leaves on a Friday, drive 2 days to get out west, set camp up Sunday and maybe get a little Sunday eve hunt in, then hunt for 4 days , then have to pack up to get back home by Saturday night so they can rest sunday before the next work week.

Those guys screw themselves before they ever leave the house. You need TIME.

No matter where you go time will be your best asset. Doing a public hunt out of state when you never been is just like the eastern elk hunters who leaves on a Friday, drive 2 days to get out west, set camp up Sunday and maybe get a little Sunday eve hunt in, then hunt for 4 days , then have to pack up to get back home by Saturday night so they can rest sunday before the next work week.

Those guys screw themselves before they ever leave the house. You need TIME.

Black Cloud will make it rain ducks, no need to leave the state

I thought about Stuttgart AR but when I got checking it out it sounds like a walk in, shoulder to shoulder hunter all shooting at the same duck. Not the iconic image in the books.

I've taken ducks off of FS ponds up high in the mountains while archery elk hunting.
Grab a dozen decks and head on up for our opening week in Wyoming.
You can decoys over public lakes, no competition to speak of, jump shoot or set up on a river at public access. Walk the river public access here near town and jump shoot ducks too.
I like to walk the small creeks and jump shoot a well.

Since we have no dog now, jump shooting is pretty much all the duck hunting I do anymore. Some our plains lakes have great duck hunting too but it all can end with freeze up.