# North Dakota Hunting Tips - Great Night of Hunting



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Last night was a sweet way to round out our duck hunting week, so I thought I'd share on how it came together for those of you looking for some more insight on how to approach duck hunting in North Dakota.

Myself, deltaboy and Madison have been scouting quite a bit this week, reiterating some of our previous scouting missions throughout our favorite areas. We found a pea field and a transition slough next to it that was loaded with ducks and geese, and they've been using it all week. The birds were roosting in a large WPA about 1 mile east of this field. Every afternoon and into the evening, they would take flight off the roost and head towards the half section that contained both the field and the transition slough (they also did this early in the morning). This diagram below explains exactly what was taking place:










Earlier in the afternoon, the birds were only interested in the transition slough and only fed later in the day. When the weather is warmer and the wind is light to non-existant...expect the ducks to feed mostly in the last half hour of the evening (the colder/windier the conditions, the earlier they take off to feed). With that being said, we wanted more than a half hour of action so we settled on the transition slough and not the field. Not only that, but we didn't want to disturb the geese feeding in the field.

We got out around 5:30 and when we came to the transition slough there was about 50 mallards in it. We came down to the water and pushed those ducks off. When I say push, I mean we don't shoot so they will return. With a west wind, we setup along the west shore as that was where the birds were settling out of the wind. When in doubt, set up where the ducks were. We set up about 2 dozen duck floaters, a couple spinners and set up the blinds along shore. I setup my blind behind them with the video camera...we were all well hidden.

Not more than a couple minutes after we were ready, the birds started coming. They came in singles, pairs, small flocks and flocks as large as 300 birds. About 95% of the birds coming last night were mallards, with a handful of pintails, gadwalls and teal mixed in. ALL of the birds came from the roost, about a couple minutes apart in terms of the flocks. It was perfect. Each flock would lock up, come down to the water and land 10 yards in front of the blinds. This allowed for easy harvest of the choice drakes, typically only shooting one at a time. Judging by the birds reactions, there was no hurry.

[siteimg]2487[/siteimg]

We ended up filling out our mallards and shot a bonus pintail and teal. The ducks only targeted the pea field for the last 20 minutes or so and if you're familiar with a pea field you know it doesn't take long for them to feed up for the evening. (deltaboy in the picture)

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Right at dusk, all of the birds pulled out of the pea field and headed back to the roost. This is what's important about how we hunt. We had a great hunt while the birds still remained in their feeding pattern. I can guarantee the next morning the birds returned to the same field, and probably stopped in the same transition slough. And I bet this evening some lucky hunting party will come across that field and that slough, and will have wonderful wing shooting opportunties awaiting them tomorrow.

If we had hunted the readily accessible WPA that was serving as the roost, there's no telling what or where the birds would be up to this evening. Waterfowl need the roost, a place where they can feel safe if they're going to remain in an area.

I hope everyone enjoys the fall, however you choose to hunt. I'm writing this as a friendly gesture to remind you that you don't have to hunt where all the ducks are during the day...it's where they are in the early morning and late evening that presents the best wingshooting in the state. Good luck!

This is a small segment of a past article on North Dakota Duck Hunting Tips.


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## Madison (Mar 1, 2002)

Great Article..

I like the picture of Deltaboy aka. Slim Shady.. :lol:


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

We had the exact same scenario on tuesday.


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## fox412 (Mar 18, 2005)

AMEN BROTHER HUSTAD PREACH ON!!!!!!!
Congrats on the good shoot. Hopefully some "hunters" can learn from your post


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## apeterson (Aug 3, 2005)

great artical...


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## Springer (Dec 21, 2004)

I've got a question.

After being shot at will these ducks still use the transition slough or will they find a different place.

I'm new to the decoying of ducks and geese before it was run and gun for two weeks and then upland hunt, but with so many ducks and geese alot closer and my boys liking to duck hunt I have bought some decoys.

I've found a group of canadians that are roosting on posted land which will not get hunted and are going to two different fields, now if I hunt these field will they find new fields after one hunt two or ?


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## Trigger (Jun 21, 2004)

Great post Chris! I wish everyone could figure that concept out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had a frustrationg day today as at 6:33 am (27 minutes before legal hunting time today) six nonresident hunters snuck the posted roost and ground pounded at nearly 500 mallards and at least that many honkers. Obviously our hunt was ruined and the birds went straight south and I bet never to be seen in ND this fall. Unfortunately NOBODY had a cell phone with to call the warden to right this situation and we where over 2 miles away waiting for the birds to come. SAD Situation, which easily could have happened by residents too although in this case it was not and totally frustrates me as a hunter and more so a sportsman of ND.


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## Zeboy (Aug 21, 2003)

OK - Please excuse my ignorant question. How can I tell if the water I am hunting is what you consider a roost???

I am getting ready to come to ND for our annual upland / waterfowl hunting trip. We are primarily upland hunters but we usually spend a couple mornings with a dozen dekes for ducks. We shore hunt with a lab to retrieve.

The water we normally hunt is pretty good size. There are ducks that spend the night on the lake, but usually there are more coming to the lake in the morning than going away. Often there are geese that use the lake as a roost.

I certainly wouldn't want to be considered a roost buster. Just looking to learn.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Springer said:


> I've got a question.
> 
> After being shot at will these ducks still use the transition slough or will they find a different place.
> 
> I've found a group of canadians that are roosting on posted land which will not get hunted and are going to two different fields, now if I hunt these field will they find new fields after one hunt two or ?


The birds were scouted the night after and the birds were still on the roost, and came out right at dusk to feed. There were a few birds in the transition slough but not as many...I think the warm weather kept them on late again.

If you hunt the field for geese, they will more than likely feed in another feed....but since I don't know the area I don't know what all of their options are.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

The roost is typically where the birds rest at night and during the afternoon. Sometimes ducks will rest in a different slough during the day then at night...or move to different sloughs altogther, but it appears to me they're usually patterned (and I'm mostly a puddler duck hunter, not divers).

Personally, the safest play is to find where the birds flying off that body of water to feed. Look and see if those same birds are going into any shallow potholes around it. I'm assuming the water you're referring to is deep and they really like the stuff around a foot deep.

Again, I'm talking about puddlers as I only like to hunt big water for divers real late when stuff starts freezing.



Zeboy said:


> OK - Please excuse my ignorant question. How can I tell if the water I am hunting is what you consider a roost???
> 
> I am getting ready to come to ND for our annual upland / waterfowl hunting trip. We are primarily upland hunters but we usually spend a couple mornings with a dozen dekes for ducks. We shore hunt with a lab to retrieve.
> 
> ...


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## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

So Sexy for my hat... Good times with Hustad and Madison! The birds kept coming right in that night and the best part it was a very relaxed hunt. :wink:


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Delta... here is how we used to sing it, I'm to sexy for a snow goose, I'm to sexy for a blue goose..... :lol:

we might know some of the same people.... :lol:


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## sdgr8wthnter (Oct 4, 2005)

Chris, does one of those ducks have a band. Because it sure looks like it.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

There was no bands, but if there was deltaboy is fired. :lol:


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## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

If you look at the bird in the center... It looks like there is a band.

No bands, just a shiz load of fun!

RC - Your not missing anything in NC, the rain is coming down hard!


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

I wish i was there!


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