10 Tips To Scout For Ducks

 Do you hunt ducks? Do you scout ducks before the duck hunting season begins? In this article, we share tips to help you scout ducks.

1. Roosting Areas

When you are scouting for ducks, look for their roosting sites. You can research public lands on the internet to find areas where you can find ducks. The department of natural resources provides locations of public land on its website. 

You can also go scouting early morning or late evening to find areas where ducks roost. Google Earth can also be used to find areas where they may be living. Additionally, you can use apps like onX, BaseMap, and HuntStand to find possible roost sites.

2. Shorelines

Ducks like the shorelines and calm waters. Try to scout for them near the shoreline and calm waters if there is a way you can get there without being detected. Bays and coves are other places you can find ducks.

3. Decoys

Use decoys when you scout ducks. Ducks will fly down to decoys when they spot them. They are curious birds and always want to check out the decoys. Use their curiosity to your advantage. 

4. Make Calls

Call out when you have the decoys in place. Ducks will hear the calls and might respond by flying towards the calls. After seeing the decoys, they might fly down to the decoys thinking they are the ones making the calls and need attention.

5. Binoculars or Spotting Scopes

Use binoculars or a spotting scope when scouting for ducks. You can glass waterways and other areas for ducks with binoculars or spotting scopes. They allow you to remain at a good distance and scout an area. If you want to learn more about how to scout for ducks, then click this link.

6. Food Sources

When scouting ducks, you need to look for possible food areas where ducks may find food. Ducks eat small fish, aquatic plants, seeds, insects, crustaceans, amphibians, etc. These things that ducks eat can be found in marshes and streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. Therefore, look for these areas and glass for ducks.

7. Best Time For Scouting

The best time to scout for ducks is from March to June. This is the mating season and they will be actively searching for a mating partner. Look for ducks during this mating season in areas with a lot of vegetation.

8. Hidden Areas

Look for inaccessible or hidden areas that can harbor ducks. This is difficult to find but that also means not many duck hunters will be in those areas and the hunting pressure may be little to none. Use Google Earth to find possible inaccessible or hidden areas that could be a gold mine for duck hunting.

9. Waterfowl Migration Reports

Get a copy of the waterfowl migration reports from your state wildlife agencies and from apps like Ducks Unlimited. You will get the migration information that you can use to plan and watch out for waterfowl migration into the area.

10. Local Folks

Chat with the local people residing near the area you want to scout for ducks. If there are farms nearby, meet the farmers and get to know them. Get as much information as possible from them about the behaviors of ducks in the area. Find out when they will harvest their crops and when they will replant.

Conclusion

Scouting for ducks is a good investment before the duck season begins. With the knowledge fro duck scouting, you can know which areas to target to hunt ducks. In this article, we share duck scouting tips to help you scout ducks before the hunting season. If you would like to learn more about duck hunting, then visit thehuntingterrain.com.