October in Aroostook offers a kaleidoscope of fall colors. That special aroma of field and forest during harvest time and no less than four open gamebird seasons, it’s a sportsman’s paradise. The bulk of wildfowl enthusiasts ride the woods roads or traipse the trails in search of partridge, while another fair-size group hopscotches from field to pasture to pond attempting to decoy Canada geese within scattergun range. A still smaller but very elite faction of wingshooters joins forces with keen-nosed four-legged hunting companions to flush Maine’s smallest, often most elusive feathered flyer, the woodcock.’
The fourth segment of regional shotgunners, of which I’m a long-term devout follower, spends most of the month on or beside a local waterway with their attention dedicated to ducks. Just as deer camp buddies, fly fishermen, and bow hunters seem to develop a special bond with each other, duck hunters certainly fit the bill of birds of a feather, so to speak. Over the last 50 years, I’ve taken dozens of first timers out for their first duck hunt, and not a single guy or gal wasn’t anxious for the next outing.
For a few, like myself, wingshooting waterfowl became their premier October pastime, with other upland bird gunning filling in here and there. With so many rivers, lakes, ponds, beaver bogs and swales, puddle ducks abound throughout the Crown of Maine. Most regional waterfowlers have a likely gunning location within 15 minutes of their home. Most local sports also already own much of the necessary gear for hunting ducks. Some drab green or camo outer clothing and a shotgun are the mainstays. A dozen mallard or black duck decoys might be the only expenditure necessary to get started.
A lot of ducks are downed with a 20-gauge shotgun chambered for 3-inch shells or with a 16-gauge, but a 12-gauge scattergun is the most common choice. Use what you have and are most comfortable shooting. One of the biggest changes in waterfowling was the banning of lead pellets a dozen or so years ago, so non-toxic shot is a must. Steel pellets are the load used by many shooters and the most economical to buy, but these are far less lethal than lead at similar distances. A fair number of sportsmen are paying the extra money to purchase copper- or nickel-coated steel, tungsten matrix or bismuth packed shells. These hold their knock-down power at longer ranges but at a cost of two to three dollars a shot. Size #4 shot pellets are my favorite in steel, but size 5 and 6 in Hevi-Shot or bismuth work great as well.
There are four basic techniques used to hunt ducks throughout Aroostook. Pass shooting is the simplest tactic using the least gear, but in my opinion is least effective. The gunner simply hides in shoreline brush along a roost pond, or a hedgerow or rock pile island in a regularly-used feed field and takes passing shots at ducks arriving or leaving rest water or food plots. Ducks normally fly out from their roost water to feed in nearby grain fields, pastures or even harvested potato land just at dawn and again an hour or two before dusk. The hunters need to scout out these prospective feed plots, then be in place with a couple of dozen decoys set out at least a half hour before the ducks fly in for morning or afternoon meals. This second tactic of field hunting over decoys is very effective and an exciting style of gunning that draws birds right into the shooter’s face.
The third option is to set out floating decoys on rivers and ponds where the ducks return after feeding to rest, relax and sun themselves during the day. During the late afternoon, it’s often rewarding to toss out a few decoys on proven roost waters and ambush a few ducks as they return for the night as singles, pairs or small flocks. Hunters need to be very careful to not over gun such locations. Once a week is plenty, or the birds will move permanently to another roost.
The fourth style of duck hunting, and by far my favorite, is to float a neighborhood river or stream and shot from a stable canoe or Jon boat. Watching the sun rise above the shoreline trees and glow off the water as mist rises, and sneaking up on ducks that leap skyward into that scene even surpasses the great gunning. It’s a two-man endeavor, stern paddler and bow shooter, with each switching spots after a bird is downed. Float for an hour or all morning, you’ll see lots of mallards, wood ducks, teal and black duck, but seldom any other hunters afloat.
Don’t forget your federal and state duck stamps and read the regulations carefully; daily limits are generous at six ducks, but only a certain number of selected species are legal in each limit. Spend 10 bucks on a camo set of thin, non-slip gloves and a face mask. These body parts move most and flare approaching ducks away more than any other motion. In progress since last week, duck season in the north zone runs through Dec. 3, although Mother Nature seldom allows that full tenure. Ducks are a wary, challenging quarry, plentiful throughout Aroostook and certainly not overhunted or fraught with overcrowded as some upland birds spots often tend to be. Likely, your first outing will be one of many, exciting hunts.
