Oct 2025 Maine Sportsman VT Column: Hunting Mallards on the Move

          I’m really a half assed duck hunter, at least in terms of the typical approach. Given my lack of desire to sit for any length of time, I end up paddling in my beloved Old Town Acadia a lot for ducks, which is spectacular when it goes well. Unfortunately, that gets to be truck and person dependent. Thankfully, there are ways to duck hunt that don’t require anything more than some non-toxic ammo and a duck stamp.  

          I love still hunting along woods ponds to jump shoot flushing ducks. I’ll sneak along edges, looking and listening, and try to get the drop on small groups of mallards or wood ducks. I usually find these spots while grouse hunting and plan to come back with a duck focus. The date, weather pattern and even time of day all matter because the ducks are often passing through, so may not be there for long. If it seems like the ducks may hang out for a few days, predicted a little by stable weather patterns and early season timing, I adjust my spot and stalk approach to one where I run a spectacularly small decoy spread and set up to call.

Loafing Spots

          There can be debate about whether or not a fella should hunt duck loafing and roosting locations. I find it hard to clearly define a roosting location from a loafing location in my woods hunting locations. I think they are often the same site and, in my observations, ducks are in and out of these spots regularly. On the anti-roost hunting side, gunning these areas can interrupt duck patterns if someone is trying to decoy in larger spots nearby, especially if there is a lot of field hunting. I think this primarily impacts more agricultural and bigger flyway areas where ducks may hang around over longer periods of time.

On the pro side of roost hunting, I think different ducks come and go from these spots more regularly than is thought, and if you bump a few one day, some others will find their way to good cover. I also might be in a particular location for two hours on two days, then not back in there for a week, so I’m not overly concerned about the pressure I’m applying.

          I think of loafing and roosting locations as akin to the couch in my house. A comfy place to hang out when my belly is full, sometimes to nap, and spend the night. I might have a snack there. I’m on and off the couch for a variety of reasons, just like the ducks are in and out of their loafing spots.       

Hunting

These loafing spots are often flooded timber, which in my area means beaver ponds, oxbows, or large back eddies on rivers. They can be active at any time of day. I have one location that has a chain of more than 10 small beaver ponds. If I’m jump shooting, I like to hunt with the wind at my back, since ducks prefer to take off into the wind and hopefully toward me, though in my experience, they go any which way they want. I’ll listen for the sound of ducks as I approach out of sight, then ease into view to glass. I’ll sneak into those ducks and try to get in range and then flush them, shooting as that neck and head get extended, but before they get up to speed. Picking one bird is key to successful shooting here.

          Once I flush and shoot, I gather any birds I’ve hit and follow up on any I might have wounded. Waders can be helpful, but aren’t necessary on small water. I’ve gone as far as tossing sticks into the pond to get the wave action to bring a duck to shore.

After flushing ducks, I may pull out the three decoys I carry in my backpack and set them up, possibly I’ll even start calling. Or I might decide to wait. I note the time and then plan to be there an hour ahead of that the next day if I can, though I’ve had luck timing it even three or four days later. I toss those decoys out with a jerk cord and maybe make a pitiful call or two. Camo, including a facemask, helps with these quick setups. If ducks do come in to my set up, it happens so quickly that I often flush them to shoot them. I give it about an hour, then move along to another short term set up or proceed to spot and stalk.    

Like many pursuits, the tried-and-true traditional techniques might be most effective, but there can often be ways of hunting that are more engaging and fun. I didn’t grow up a duck hunter and from the stories I read, I thought every hunt needed to be a production. Turns out, that isn’t the case. Learn to ID your local ducks, buy your duck stamp and some non-toxic shot, and go shoot yourself some tasty dabbling ducks!