Sea Ducks and Decoys

[birdhunter]

Okay, you get two great questions in only one pithy post. What a deal!

1. Anyone ever hunted sea ducks before? I'm talking about scoters, eiders, etc. Any tips on how/where to go about it. Not in it for the meat, more looking for a cool mount. I think brant just ended. Anyone ever hunt them before?

2. Anyone have any info on wooden duck decoys? Diagrams, tips, experience, etc. I've got some time in December and I'd like to carve some. Again, not so much to use, more because I think they look pretty cool and would like some on the shelves.

Thanks a ton for any responses!

[Zen Leecher aka Bill W]

Birdhunter,

You have too much spare time on your hands and should study more at school. High grades will gain you a good and high paying job to keep you in the custom you wish to be come accustomed to.

If you feel your grades are high enough then maybe email Dogfish as he hunts scoters up around Olympia. There's a couple of guys on the WA duckhunter page that go after divers lots.

Remarks about grades were in jest.

[ 11-20-2001: Message edited by: Zen Leecher aka Bill W ]</p>

[Dogfish]

My hunt for Scoters is real simple. Find a skinny 1.5 mile long inlet. Set up in a bottleneck with boats anchored across the bottleneck. Load three shotguns, and then fire a warning shot. Within a minute you will have wave after wave of scoters buzzing you at an altitude of 25 to 50 feet off of the water. No decoys needed. We get a bunch of goldeneyes and the occasional mallard as well. Shoots only last about an hour or two, but limits are the rule, not the exception. Mine go into the sausage bag.

Those drake scoters are one cool looking bird. The cost of an out of state license (3-day + state waterfowl) is a bit steep at over $61.00, plus another $100-$200 for the mount. If there was a way to legally transfer a few birds to you, where you cover the cost of shipping only, I might be willing to send you a pair.

Andy

[MoJet Driver]

For Dogfish,

"A Warning Shot"!?!?!?!?

Are you yanking my tail feathers? We can have only one loaded gun per person here in Orygun.

Are you sure you aren't from a long line of market hunters? :shocked: :grin: :whazzup:

[rcl187]

Can't help you out with the sea ducks as most of the ones we bag are found sitting along the beach or in nearby sloughs but I got a better question for you. What the h*ll do you do with nutria and beavers? I see alot of them (well beavers anyway) but never thought they'd be good for much. Just curious.

[Dogfish]

Warning shots are usually at some goldeneye or other seaduck, but the primary target is the scoter duck. They can eat up to 200 baby clams, think pinky nail size, per day. Now multiply times 600 birds hanging out for 120 days and you get over 14 MILLION clams.

One of my clients is a clam farmer, and between them and another neighbor, they sell over $15 million dollars of clams a year. That's a bunch of clams!

I have regularly headed out with more than one firearm when hunting. When I deer or elk hunt, I carry a loaded sidearm capable of taking game, except when muzzle loading. I have never been questioned about that by a game warden. i have also pulled up to a boat launch with my 12 and 10 gauge guns in the boat to be checked by a warden, without issue.

When scoter hunting, I use my two pumps, both plugged, and then a single shot 20 gauge for the cripples. I scour the hunting regs pretty well, and have never seen a limitation on the number of firearms one can bring into the field. I am human, though, and if someone could correct me, then I would be happy to change. I checked the RCW's and there is no mention of this that I can find. The USFWS website wasn't too helpful, but again, the information is not out in print where I can find it.

We head out there to thin the herd. Period. I make sure that I use my ducks, as well.

The clam farmers in this inlet have repeatedly requested that the WDFW issue a depredation hunt permit to get rid of the birds, but they get turned down every year. WDFW says to harrass the birds with a shotgun, but they only fly around and then go back to eating clams. They just started hunting them actively two years ago, and I started last year. They tell me to bring friends, so I do. It isn't that much different than a driven pheasant hunt.

Think of it as geese ripping up winter wheat, or crows and starlings damaging grain crops. These birds cause some serious economic damage to the industry.

Andy

[birdhunter]

Thanks for all the replies.

Yeah Zen, I do have way to much time on my hands, but I'm not to worried about grades. Besides, I don't want a high paying job. Just something to support my hunting/fishing addiction.

rcl187 - I am one of the few people licesenced in OR to sell furbearer hides. Doesn't make me rich by any means, just an aside while duck hunting and steelhead fishing. I usually make enough to break even on gas, which is very nice.

Dogfish - Thanks for the info. Sounds like some pretty cool hunts.

[Baldpate Basher]

Hey Bird,
I didn't know you went in for the crazy stuff like sea-ducks? I thaught you were into the normal, everyday, run-of-the-mill cougar and Grizzly Bear.

I hunted sea-ducks backeast but not out here yet. What we did was to get a metric-but-ton of plastic milk bottles, paint them black, string them together, and lay low in the boat. Sea-ducks ain't to smart so they don't look to closely at you or your decoys. They come right in just like Duskys.

The only problem is that I'm really a puddleducker and I've gotten into the habit of lookin' up for ducks. Sea-ducks do thier entire migration four feet off the water. So keep your eyes low or they will sneek in on you.

Have fun!

[MoJet Driver]

Dogfish,

Well I'll be dipped in snuff. :grin: Thanks for the info. Still, a warning shot, who woulda thought.

As far as Orygun goes, we can bring as many weapons in the field as we want too, but when it comes to waterfowling, we can only have one shotgun loaded at a time. I learned this from an unfortunate individual that had a run in with law enforcement. Seems the logic is, you would be defeating the three shot plug concept.

I've heard you want to use heavier shot for sea ducks too... That true?

[Hoosier Daddy]

BH, I think I still have a couple of carving books that have bird stuff in them. Not sure if they are specific to decoys. I will check, and if you want them you can borrow them or have them if they are useful. (You can see how much I use them..). Let me know and I'll check it out.

[Dogfish]

I use #1 steel for everything, but those scoters are big ducks, heavier than a mallard. If you use smaller sizes, you might want to move up to at least #2.

The first shot will usually get the birds moving around, and after the opening salvo on the first flock, they are all moving. My guess is that they have been hunted pretty hard by the time they get to us, and then once they are in the bay, they do get hunter very hard. They rarely will fly over land.

It is rare to get more than two shots on a flock because they move out pretty fast, and are flying low. I have the second gun ready for the group following up behind them. It also takes a few seconds, maybe two, to safely set one down and pick up another gun. My first trip out I only used one gun, and I wasn't accustomed to the birds. I shot 15 rounds in about two minutes, and knocked down three. That barrel was so hot I seriously burned myself when I touched it.

Andy

[Zen Leecher aka Bill W]

Andy,

Warning shots???? Not sure if I'd call them that.

Years ago when I hunted lakes local to Monroe I used to have two shotguns in the boat. One was a semi and the other my Model 37 pump. I had a few times I emptied the semi out and then picked up the pump. Fired that first shot and kept waiting for the gun to cycle itself.

I suppose I have two semi's I could use now. My new (to me) 11-87 and my 20 year old Win 1400 that only takes 2 3/4 inch shells. Just finished repairing my 1400 about 2 months ago after having it be broken for about 5 years.

So, Andy... when's the first scoter hunt.. I think I'm ready.

[Dogfish]

The Scoters are there! I just got off of the phone with Lisa. She said come on down and bring friends. I am off for the next two weeks, so give me a call, and we can head out when you want to.

I'll take my jonboat, and maybe you could bring you could bring your pram? It would provide you with a more stable platform, and don't forget an anchor. If not, I have two canoes that I can get. Bring your shells, step-son if you want, and you could bring your dog, if you want, but I think Jenna will be staying at home for this hunt.

Andy

[Zen Leecher aka Bill W]

Andy,

I already have plans for this weekend so I can't make a scoter trip then..

Now I am free on Friday, November 30th and Sunday December 2nd. Either of those days sound good?

I have an x-mas party to go to on that Saturday so it splits the weekend and makes me stay home.

So... it could be a scoter trip and maybe I could attempt to dazzle you with my pigeon shooting ability. I know I can do better the next time. Anythings better than a zero.

One question on the scoters. How deep is the water where I'd anchor and also how far is that spot from where we'd launch. Since my boat was designed for fly fishing the anchor cord is a little short. If the water's only about 20 feet or so, no problem.

[ 11-21-2001: Message edited by: Zen Leecher aka Bill W ]</p>

[Jellyhead]

You don't need to go to Wash to kill scoters. I did it last year down on Young's bay and there are a lot around Tounge point. I hunt them with a layout boat (modified marshrat) and about a 100 diver dekes on longlines. I also have a dozen SCOTER DECOYS, homemade. I too have alot of time on my hands and love to try new stuff. (I've also got a duck sculling boat, I haven't used yet. If anyone knows what that is I built it last fall) The dekes are a large crab float cut lengthwise and rough shaped then a pine head and keel are added. Cheap, tough, perfect for divers.

Do a search on "partridge creek" or Ian Fier (or Feir) on Google, his site has a wealth of info on different types of easily made decoys. Or go to www.duckboats.net and look at reader's rigs and look at Steve Suttons stuff. He has a awesome scoter spread and good pics of it.

Maybe we can hook up for a Scoter slaying. Give me an e-mail.


Aaron

[Dogfish]

Hi Bill,

20 feet of anchor line should be fine. Those dates should also be good, too. We launch right where we will be hunting, and I may bring my 6 hp kicker for the jonboat to chase down the crips (stopping all forward motion, of course, before shooting).

Andy

[Zen Leecher aka Bill W]

Andy,

Sunday looks like the best day. I have some repairmen coming on Friday so it looks like I'll be the one to stay home for them.

[Dogfish]

Sunday it is.

[Zen Leecher aka Bill W]

Can I have a "re-do" on the pigeons too?? I'll use my 20 gauge with the real loose chokes. I usually have skeet and improved cylinder screwed in.

I promise I'll hit one this time...

[Dogfish]

Maybe, but both spots are about 30 miles apart. I may do a decoy hunt in the morning with my main bud, but I have to check with him.

[Zen Leecher aka Bill W]

Let me know what time to meet you and I'll show up. That would work better for me as we have an x-mas party the night before and I don't know when it will end. So if you went out in the morning and I met you later, that would work.

Lets forget the pigeons then. I'll just bring the 12 gauge and steel shot.. large pellets too. Probably 2's.

Bill