Picking a Blind

​Public Land Duck Hunting Part 2
By Chase Galley
 
Sorry it has been a while! I have been super busy starting a new job and finishing up school. Also researching big game areas for this fall. Right now, I am 100% focused on what I am about to tell everyone. It is a little hard to have my mind on ducks when I am in prep for elk and deer seasons. But here we go.
 
This last year picking a spot to hunt was really tricky. We had a bunch of snow here in southwest Wyoming making access to some of our spots difficult and even impossible. In December we were facing temps in the negatives and about a foot of snow and drifts up to the bumper of my truck.
 
With spots limited this past season I am really looking further into the past and how I chose spots because we were only able to hunt two or three this last season. 
 
The first thing I look for that I am sure everyone looks for is how many ducks are in the area. I try and pick a location where there are a lot of ducks around. Sometimes where I hunt that is not always possible because there are roads that are not passable. Depending on the year I could be held down to one spot. When that happens, I dig into the memory bank and pick a spot that I have had a lot of past success on maybe somewhere where the ducks like to roost at night or hangout during the day at. If I can get to multiple different sections of the river, I will hunt a spot around the majority of the ducks. 
 
Once I am at the spot, I usually look for feathers on the shoreline and how much feed is in the water. If it is an easier spot to get to that is overlooked and I don’t see ducks, there or sign of ducks being there I will move on. I do my best to avoid the “community blinds”­­­­­­­- Very poplar blinds everyone wants to hunt- but if I do decide to hunt one I will hunt it on a Wednesday or Thursday after everyone has been back to work for a couple of days and the ducks have had a couple days rest at that spot.
 
What I suggest for you to have late season duck hunting success on public ground is pick a location that are more difficult to get to that has a lot of ducks traveling by or seeking refuge from the hunting pressure. Look at spots that also have extremely easy access as a lot of time those spots do not get hunted because the access is easy. I have hunted plenty of locations where I drop all my stuff off put out decoys then go park my truck. 
 
Another tip that I like a lot is look for other people. If you can be around other people but hunt a spot the ducks, go to get away from them that is perfect as you will most likely have action all day long even on those blue bird days. People are constantly fishing the river I hunt, and other jump hunters are around and on nice days it makes the hunting better than it should be because ducks are always getting jumped off the water.
 
My second to last tip is look for an area that has a lot of feed late in the year. Make this a priority if you are hunting ducks in really cold temps like we do in Wyoming. The colder the temps the ducks are going to need to feed to stay warm. So, if you find a great feeding location you have found what some of us call the X. Also drop me a pin on OnX so I know where I’m going to be hunting the next day.
 
Lastly, don’t be afraid to hunt a spot no one else has hunted. More than likely this is going to be the jackpot even if you have to build a blind or hide under a bush on the bank. A lot of times those are the types of hunts us waterfowl hunters remember. Those hunts that we completely wing and try a spot that we have never tried or heard of anyone trying. Somethings that we all need to make sure we do before we hunt to. Check the water out and make sure getting your ducks and decoys is possible and realistic. MAKE SURE IT’S A SAFE PLACE TO HUNT!!!! Don’t just start hunting. 
 
If you guys have any questions you would like me to answer, please comment or go to our contact page and send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as possible! Stay safe and good hunting!