As of this writing, the last session of the Arkansas duck season opens in two days. Water conditions range from good to excellent statewide and we’ve avoided any heavy floods. There have been several cold fronts move through, dipping temperatures well below freezing at times, pushing a large percentage of the birds to the wintering grounds.
Late season, January hunts, always differ from the early hunts in the wintering grounds. During the early season we play host to a wider variety of species and the flocks are normally larger. The birds aren’t as wary in the early season and they’re not going through their courting rituals, like they are now.
As it usually is, the ducks dietary needs have started changing as the hens prepare themselves for the spring hatch, while looking for the perfect mate … or mates. Drakes on the prowl make for interesting hunts to say the least. For example, I can’t even begin to tell you the number times, in the past week; I’ve heard people comment, “The birds are call shy.” While I’m sure some are, I don’t feel like that’s the problem with the birds right now. I'll admit, most of the birds have been called to time and time again, providing an education for them on their migration trip south, but for now the problem is more basic. The birds are either paired or looking to pair and there’s no doubt in my mind … hormones change everything!
In the past I have written several manuscripts dealing with ducks looking for love and apparently it’s a topic that will always fascinate and confuse me. More than a decade ago I let myself get so frustrated on a hunt, I put my duck calls up and told my clients; “let’s see if they’ll come in on their own.” I remember it like it was yesterday. It was one of those days when I’d hit the call, the birds would respond at a distance, but I could not manage them as they closed in on the decoys. I was furious and embarrassed, thus my decision not to call. As we sat, watching the birds and hoping they would come in, one of the young men with me started playing with his pintail whistle and the mallards responded. While they didn’t respond like they often do to a mallard call, it was obvious the pintail whistle wasn’t spooking the birds. From there we adjusted our calling strategy and hit the birds at the distance with the mallard call and finished them with the whistle.
Since that particular hunt I’ve made a conscious effort to watch the birds and consider the life cycle season they’re in while hunting. While all birds won’t cycle at the same time, I’m a firm believer that paying attention to their life cycle seasons, within the hunting, can make a difference in a hunter’s success. For example; last week one of my staff and I were working on a walk leading to one of our timber holes. The Log Hole, as we call it, happens to be one of my favorite timber holes, but it has a tough stretch of fluff mud you have to walk through to get to it. Since everyone had finished up their hunts for the day and since we were entering the last spilt, I thought it would be a good time to work on the trail to the hole. As we laid the panels down for the walk, a dozen or so mallards started to work the hole. We both grabbed a tree and watched them circle and talk to each other. In a few minutes, here came another group, then another group and then another. I finally said; “let’s go and let them sit for the next opener” and we headed back across Duck Island to where we had parked the boat. As we unloaded our gear on the dock, it finally hit me. Out of all the talking those ducks were doing, not one of them ever quacked. Only the drakes were talking and they were very talkative. So what were they trying to tell me? What were they talking about to each other?
Having thought little more about the events of last Sunday, I headed out this morning for an early scouting run. As I waited for the sun to break the horizon, I could hear ducks in the woods and the marsh area next to the woods. In fact, the wind was just right and I could even hear them landing and fluttering around on the water and once again, they were a talkative bunch. As I cupped my ears toward them, I finally heard one hen let out a call and that’s when I connected this morning’s scouting activities to the sounds I heard last Sunday. Other than that one hen, the drakes were doing all the talking.
I’ve never thought a lot about the drake grunt calls/whistles. I know a lot of people that carry them and on occasion I’ll use my whistle to create what I’m calling the drake grunt, but starting this weekend that’s going to change. I’ve already called all my staff and discussed what the ducks are saying with them and you can bet we’ll all have our drake whistles with us this weekend. While I still can’t understand what they’re saying, this old boy still has enough testosterone left to realize one thing. Those greenheads must realize that love is in the air and you can bet my staff and I are going to be … “Talking Drake” this weekend!
Charles “HammerTime” Snapp,
www.arkansaswaterfowl.com or snapp1@sbcglobal.net |
