I finally got my first green head! Started hunting ducks 3 years ago and have only shot some green wings, a buffle head and a ruddie. Been hoping to get one since I started and finally got one yesterday morning while hunting the Snake River out here in Idaho.
The Snake is only about 30 min from where I live. There is also a lake that you can hunt ducks not far from me but it was frozen over the last 2 weeks. Did some scouting along the river and found a spot that a buddy from work and I decided we would come back and set some decoys out. The river can get deep and flow quickly and most hunt it in boats or with kayaks to help retrieve downed birds but we found a slew between the bank and an island that was about waist deep and not flowing as fast as the main channel. Got there early and set up 2 dozen decoys and the wait was on. There are lots of golden eyes on the snake and we could hear them flying around. It was 10min or so after shooting light and we had a single mallard drake land in the water about 60yds to the right of me..I was doing some calling and he jumped up and headed straight to our decoys as he started to cup and land I took my first shot. Looked like I missed..he started back peddling and I followed up with another and down he went. The action slowed way down after that..had a golden eye land and I told my friend it was his shot but he was hoping more would come in but that one flew off shortly after and no other birds even got close.
We could hear quail in the bushes around us so we decided to try and flush some. My buddy took the lead and flushed a big covey of them as they tried to fly across the river to the island he managed to drop one.
We had a fun time even tho it was a slow morning. We're both learning and trying to figure out the area. We've got til the end of the month so will be getting after it again.
The Snake is only about 30 min from where I live. There is also a lake that you can hunt ducks not far from me but it was frozen over the last 2 weeks. Did some scouting along the river and found a spot that a buddy from work and I decided we would come back and set some decoys out. The river can get deep and flow quickly and most hunt it in boats or with kayaks to help retrieve downed birds but we found a slew between the bank and an island that was about waist deep and not flowing as fast as the main channel. Got there early and set up 2 dozen decoys and the wait was on. There are lots of golden eyes on the snake and we could hear them flying around. It was 10min or so after shooting light and we had a single mallard drake land in the water about 60yds to the right of me..I was doing some calling and he jumped up and headed straight to our decoys as he started to cup and land I took my first shot. Looked like I missed..he started back peddling and I followed up with another and down he went. The action slowed way down after that..had a golden eye land and I told my friend it was his shot but he was hoping more would come in but that one flew off shortly after and no other birds even got close.
We could hear quail in the bushes around us so we decided to try and flush some. My buddy took the lead and flushed a big covey of them as they tried to fly across the river to the island he managed to drop one.
We had a fun time even tho it was a slow morning. We're both learning and trying to figure out the area. We've got til the end of the month so will be getting after it again.
