Outdoors
The BDN outdoors section brings readers into the woods, waters and wild places of Maine. It features stories on hunting, fishing, wildlife, conservation and recreation, told by people who live these experiences. This section emphasizes hands-on knowledge, field reports, issues, trends and the traditions that define life outside in Maine. Read more Outdoors stories here.
I’ve used a duck hunting tactic for decades that’s effective, exciting and possible to pull off in an hour before or after work. Jump shooting neighborhood waterways is a blast, literally and emotionally.
Sneaking the first 50 yards toward the water’s edge wasn’t too tough. Bending over and duck-walking through tall grass and brush kept us hidden. The last 25 yards through sparse cover, over rocks, roots and brambles, required slow progress on our hands and knees, followed by belly crawling.
The venture proved far more rigorous than my first outings 50 years ago, resembling a military obstacle course. But my camo-clad companions, keeping pace 25 feet to either side, and I persevered.
At my signal, everyone surged to their feet and stepped through the underbrush onto the raised bank of a remote farm pond. With a rush of wings, splashing water and raucous quacking, more than 20 ducks of several species took flight as a barrage of shotgun blasts sounded.
In the autumn hush that followed, six colorfully accented ducks floated on the rippling water.
When October arrives, so do multiple hunting opportunities. Moose, deer, grouse, woodcock and waterfowl seasons are all underway.
Duck hunting tops my to-do list because local species are still around. Many smaller varieties will head south by late November, including blue-winged and green-winged teal, wood ducks and wigeon.
Another reason to hunt ducks in the coming weeks is that other hunting seasons draw attention away from them, reducing competition and hunting pressure.
Traditional duck hunting methods include setting decoys in a field and shooting from layout blinds or placing floating decoys on a lake and hunting from a camouflaged boat or shoreline hide. Hunters can also float a canoe down a river or stream, switching between paddling and shooting as ducks flush.
These methods can be effective, but they often require multiple hunters, plenty of equipment and several hours.
For working men and women with limited time, there’s a simpler option.
Maine is dotted with thousands of waterways, many of them small and easy to overlook. Swamps, farm ponds, marshes and bogs attract puddle ducks throughout the state.
Hunters can scout gravel back roads, farm-field tracks, ATV trails and old logging roads to find these hidden spots.
Many are surrounded by trees, brush, reeds and cattails that provide cover for hunters to creep within shotgun range before suddenly appearing and flushing the ducks.
Full camouflage helps hunters stay concealed, especially a face mask and gloves. Waders can protect the knees during crawls and allow hunters to retrieve downed ducks from shallow water.
A 12-gauge shotgun is popular for duck hunting, but I’ve switched to a synthetic-stocked, camouflaged 20-gauge. It’s lighter and shorter for crawling through brush, and it works well with bismuth No. 4 shot on small ponds and streams.
Some of my most exciting and memorable hunts have involved sneaking up on streams and ponds to jump-shoot ducks.
One of the most unforgettable happened one morning when I shot four ducks from a flushed flock with four shots, and each bird was a different species. It was a rare feat, especially since a semiautomatic shotgun can legally hold only three shells while hunting.
Three of us crept through the woods to a cove and back eddy on Prestile Stream, where ducks congregate every fall. I crawled to the opposite shoreline while two friends positioned themselves 50 yards upstream and downstream, giving us a chance to shoot regardless of which direction the birds flew.
When I popped into the open, at least three dozen waterfowl exploded in every direction.
I picked a duck and fired, then selected another as the first tumbled. I swung and dropped a third bird as it headed downstream.
As I started wading out to retrieve the closest duck, my upstream hunting buddy fired a couple of shots. Then I heard ducks quacking as they came my way.
I quickly pulled a shell from my pocket, jammed it into the open breech and snapped the action closed as a pair of mallards rounded the bend.
Fourth shot, fourth bird.
I ended up with a black duck, wood duck, green-winged teal and drake mallard. To this day, I can close my eyes and see the entire scene play out in my mind.
That’s why I’m still jump-shooting ducks all these decades later.
Scouting is key to finding secluded ponds and backwaters where ducks gather. I use a mapping app on my phone or a GPS to mark dozens of productive locations.
It’s best to visit each spot only two or three times at most. Ducks quickly relocate under hunting pressure and may not return.
Jump shooting is more fun with a partner, but groups should be limited to three hunters to keep things safe and controlled along small streams and ponds.
A well-trained retrieving dog makes recovering downed ducks easier, particularly in reeds and thick brush. When I don’t have a dog, I use my 17-foot Old Town Kevlar canoe, which weighs just 57 pounds and is easy to transport and maneuver.
With a little planning, it’s possible to visit several neighborhood duck ponds before work and even more on a day off.
So far, it’s been a banner year. Despite dry weather shrinking or drying up some wetlands, a strong hatch has produced plenty of puddle ducks in a wide variety of species.
Get out before cold weather arrives. It’s time to get a “jump” on duck hunting.
