Water Fowl General Area

[Bush Gorilla]

kinda new to water fowl hunting but i would like to know if any body knows of any general areas close to Calgary?

[SolidSnake]

find a pothole, ask the farmer for permission, throw out a few decoys, build a blind, you will kill ducks. It really is that easy.

[Blake]

Originally Posted by SolidSnake

find a pothole, ask the farmer for permission, throw out a few decoys, build a blind, you will kill ducks. It really is that easy.

Yep. You have time now so practice calling too. Lots.

[scrapper]

Just find some water, get permission and bingo you are a waterfowl hunter.

[ontario gunner]

Most of us consistantly succesful waterfowl hunters put ALOT of miles on trucks finding where birds are coming from,, and going too.. Sure getting permission for any willy nilly slough or pothole will possibly get you a few ducks,, putting miles down will put you into alot more!

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by Bush Gorilla

kinda new to water fowl hunting but i would like to know if any body knows of any general areas close to Calgary?

Frank Lake area ,about 10km east of high river,just south of calgary! lots of other big ponds close to frank aswell that harbour thousands of waterfowl!

[RoscoeT]

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

Frank Lake area ,about 10km east of high river,just south of calgary! lots of other big ponds close to frank aswell that harbour thousands of waterfowl!

I would stay away from big water unless you have a boat or a good dog.

Potholes, field shoots and canals are your ticket really.

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by RoscoeT

I would stay away from big water unless you have a boat or a good dog.

Potholes, field shoots and canals are your ticket really.

I disagree,I dont have a dog or a boat,I dont use decoys and I hunt big lakes and limit out On ducks everytime I go out!

[densa44]

You can go out on that "big water" a few days after opening and the dog will get you 1/2 or more of a limit. I use any thing that I don't shoot myself as a training bird, but there will be lots of them out there.

[GoneFishin']

a good pea, lentil or grain field of some sort with water close by or in the vicinity is always good too...

[RoscoeT]

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

I disagree,I dont have a dog or a boat,I dont use decoys and I hunt big lakes and limit out On ducks everytime I go out!

And I(my dog) come home with birds winged/shot by other people all the time.

It's not nice to be packing up to go with a limit you've shot and then have your dog start finding extra birds from the bush that someone else left behind. Still alive sometimes. So, then I am the one who would be in SH!T if inspected. I must now, knowingly, leave these birds behind. Very uncool feeling.


When I make a suggestion to a noob about waterfowl retrieving I suggest it because it makes sense based on my experience. You can do what you like but just because you do it does not make it correct.


Did I used to hunt ducks before I had a dog? Sure. Did I get wet lots of times and lose more birds than I should have, you bet.

If you can't get out onto Frank lake to chase down a cripple you need a dog, boat or some other retrieving tool.

[nube]

Roscoe is riht!

[scrapper]

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

I disagree,I dont have a dog or a boat,I dont use decoys and I hunt big lakes and limit out On ducks everytime I go out!

How do you get the ducks that don't make it shore after being shot, I have shot enough ducks in my day to know they don't always fall where we want them to.

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by scrapper

How do you get the ducks that don't make it shore after being shot, I have shot enough ducks in my day to know they don't always fall where we want them to.

It's Magic

[jryley]

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

I disagree,I dont have a dog or a boat,I dont use decoys and I hunt big lakes and limit out On ducks everytime I go out!

Ive gotta ask out of curiosity....how do you go about retrieving the odd cripple that makes its way out to deeper water?

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by jryley

Ive gotta ask out of curiosity....how do you go about retrieving the odd cripple that makes its way out to deeper water?

Magic!

[GooseHunter 667]

Originally Posted by jryley

Ive gotta ask out of curiosity....how do you go about retrieving the odd cripple that makes its way out to deeper water?

There are always options a fishing rod with some kind and hook device is a cheap retriver, also get a good set of hip wadders, i always hunt in places where i know i well not get wet, this pass year was a little more difficult considering the amount of rainfall.

If u down birds dipense them as quickly as possible and if the drift in a puddle for a bit they can only go one side of the pond or the other, little harder on the lake thought!