A graduate of Slippery Rock State College, where he majored in psychology and sociology, Patrick Stoup currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of SAI in Gaithersburg, Maryland. When he is not at the office, Pat enjoys hunting game animals and waterfowl.
Although it varies by region and state, the waterfowl hunting season is generally two months long and falls in the late fall and winter months. During that time, hunters of every experience level, from weekend enthusiasts to serious, life-long hunters, do their best to bag their limit of top-quality birds. Whatever their experience level, however, there are several things to remember for effective waterfowl hunting, in addition to well-maintained and smartly deployed decoys.
- Use the duck call sparingly. When the paddling of ducks is on the water, pay close attention to the noises they make and resist constantly using a five-cadence greeting call in an effort to draw them closer. Instead, wait until they are about to leave the area and use a five-cadence call at that point. Doing so has a better chance of drawing them closer, even if the call only draws one at first.
- Make the water more enticing. There are several ways to lure a flock of ducks to the water. For instance, muddying the water on slow days may give passing ducks the impression that other ducks have been feeding in that spot. Alternately, irregularly-cut sheets of plastic splashed with water and laid across a depression in a field can mimic the appearance of an unfrozen shallow pond.
