Duck season gets hunter’s stamp of approval
September 29th, 2005 by Administrator
Duck season gets hunter’s stamp of approval - If you are a person that gets prickle hair when you experience the combination of a cool, foggy morning and the sound of ducks flying nearby, you are the kind of person I’m writing to this week.
Those who have never duck hunted might not understand the pure joy of hearing ducks through fog-shrouded skies while sitting in a swamp, but I assure you, it is a magical moment.
On Oct 6, the general duck season will open throughout much of Virginia. Waterfowlers will have through Oct. 10 to romp in the swamps and marshes around the commonwealth, looking and listening for their quarry.
Just about every water hole big enough to float a canoe or allow wading is worth checking. Be prepared, though, with the current dry spell much of the state is experiencing, the old duck swamp might be a bit smaller than it was last season.
From the marshes of Virginia’s “necks” and tidal rivers to the leaf-stained beaver ponds of the Piedmont and creeks of the mountains, this early season will mostly feature wood duck hunting. Sought after as one of the most beautiful and tastiest of ducks, the wood duck or “woodie” is a challenging option.
Known for nesting in hollow trees (thus the name), wood ducks fly at speeds pushing 60 mph and prefer to inhabit the thickest section of forest they can find. They are small, fast and colorful — a perfect challenge for the wingshooter.
“A common beginner mistake when hunting wood ducks is to set up on the edge of the swamp,” veteran Virginia waterfowler and friend Vick Einarsson told me recently. This Mechanicsville hunter knows to set up right in the middle of the stuff in order to even get a shot. Hip waders and a canoe are often necessary bits of gear.
Decoys, too, are a good idea when hunting the early duck season. Einarsson’s proven system includes no more than six decoys — two to four wood ducks and two mallards. It is a general rule to set your farthest decoy at the limit of your effective killing range. A 12-gauge shotgun with No. 6 steel shot in a 22¼3-inch cartridge is fine for wood ducks.
Vick, like many of us, has his favorite duck-hunting areas, but he always scouts two to three days prior to opening day to ensure he’s on an active flock. This preseason work will pay off because Einarsson will know if ducks are using his area and where they fly. Then, when he hunts, he picks two high-percentage shooting holes in the forest and tries to only aim through them at passing wood ducks.
His final bit of advice: “If you are lucky enough to knock down a bird, be sure and mark it visually and retrieve it as soon as possible.” This is because of one hunt last year that Einarsson noted ended in frustration when a raccoon ate the only bird he shot before he could get to it.
One more bit of information worth noting if you plan on hunting Oct. 6, be sure and purchase not only your federal duck stamp and general hunting license, but also the new and mandatory Virginia duck or Migratory Waterfowl Conservation stamp.
These stamps can be purchased for $9.75 (resident or nonresident) at license agents or clerks that sell Virginia hunting licenses. You must then sign and carry this stamp with you when hunting.
The monies generated from all sales of the Virginia Migratory Waterfowl Conservation stamp will be placed in the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ (VDGIF) Game Protection Fund and accounted for under a separate fund designated as the Virginia Migratory Waterfowl Conservation Stamp Fund.
The VDGIF will first utilize these monies to cover administrative costs associated with production, issuance of and accounting for the stamp. Half of the remaining funds will go to appropriate nonprofit organizations working on cooperative waterfowl habitat improvement projects. The remainder of the monies in the Stamp Fund shall be used by the department to protect, preserve, restore, enhance and develop waterfowl habitat in Virginia.
The remainder of duck season includes the Youth Waterfowl Hunting Day on Oct. 22, the middle segment from Nov. 19 through Dec. 3 and the late season from Dec. 10 through Jan. 28.
For complete seasons, bag limits and zones, go to www. dgif.virginia.gov/hunting/regulations/waterfowl/waterfowl
Until next time, remember to cherish, protect and conserve the outdoors, while sharing it with others.
C. C. McCotter
Virginia Afield