Braxton Taylor
When I first started duck hunting, I had no idea what I was doing. I had never used a duck call, didn’t have any decoys, and really had no idea how or where to hunt. But after only a few weeks of hunting, I filled my freezer with dozens of different duck species. It didn’t happen because I somehow mastered duck calling in a few short days or had built the perfect blind in the perfect spot—it happened because I got good at jump-shooting.
Jump shooting ducks is similar to still hunting for whitetail in that you sneak up on the birds on their home turf, trying to spot them before they spot you so you can get a shot off before they get away. It’s a challenging yet satisfying way to hunt, especially if you prefer a mobile and aggressive hunting style where you go after game rather than waiting for it to come to you.
However, jump-shooting also has its own set of challenges, namely, where and how to find the ducks. If you can pull it off in the right places with the right strategies, it can be a seriously effective duck-hunting tactic.
The Field Crawl
Ducks and geese stacked up and feeding in agricultural fields are prime jump-shooting targets. While the birds are hesitant and cagey when flying into the open terrain, once they’re down, settled, and feeding, the birds can be oblivious to your approach. You can’t simply march out into the middle of the field and open up on them because they’ll see you coming a mile away, so to be successful at jump-shooting birds in open fields, you’ve got to do a bit of scouting.
When you’re trying to jump-shoot a bunch of ducks in the middle of a field, you’ve got to concentrate your efforts in certain areas. Look over the field with a good pair of binoculars and use onX to pick out areas to enter and exit the field and areas where you can move in on the birds without being seen. Take note of any tall brush, corn rows, ditches, or hills and depressions in the land that will keep you out of the feeding waterfowl’s line of sight while you move in on them. The more carefully and meticulously you plan your approach, the better—because you’re only going to get one (or three) shots.
Once you’ve got your line picked out, the next step is to make sure you’re moving low and slow. Hunker down, get on your hands and knees, or even belly crawl slowly, moving towards the birds. While creeping along, do your best to avoid any sticks, brush, or other obstacles that will make a bunch of noise and alert the ducks to your presence. Once you’re in shotgun range, take a quick peak to acquire your targets so you’re not shooting blind, then pop up in one quick, smooth motion, shoulder your shotgun, and knock the birds down as they take off.
Bush Bouncing
Some of the best places to find ducks are on small ponds, shallow, meandering creeks, and patches of flooded timber. All these spots are fantastic for hunting ducks with decoy spreads and traditional calling. However, they can also be fantastic places to jump-shoot birds so long as you know how and where to approach them—the best way to do it is by bush bouncing.
Bush bouncing doesn’t necessarily have to involve bushes and will work with any high brush or thick patches of trees you find around some ducky-looking water. As with jump-shooting on fields, you’re going to want to plan your approach before getting too close and spooking birds. Try to find a series of high brush that brings you within range of the water, such as several bushes or patches of trees growing right along the edges of the water, preferably near where you’ve previously seen ducks landing and feeding.
Wearing a good set of camouflage clothing, move into the first area of cover before daylight and hunker down before the sun comes up. If you’re lucky, you’ll have ducks flying in at the first spot you choose. If they don’t show up or if you don’t get your limit, you can still whack a few more birds by moving to the next area of cover. When you do move, don’t go in a direct line along the water but rather back slowly out of the area and then replan your next approach.
Ducks feeding close to the banks are going to be extremely wary of any predators approaching, and just walking slowly along the bank will send them flying for the hills. So try and move away from your first spot, preferably up a hill or knoll where you can still see the water and then move appropriately so that your next hunting cover is directly in line with your body and will block your approach. Then slowly move to your next spot, stalking in the same manner as you would approach a deer, with no quick movements and a lot of pauses until you get undercover and hopefully on top of some cruising ducks.
Floating the Corners
Floating is perhaps the most efficient way to jump-shoot ducks, but it can also be the most complicated as it requires a boat. You can use a rowboat, canoe, kayak, raft, or any other type of watercraft that will allow you to navigate narrow rivers, beaver ponds, or small lakes where ducks like to gather. I even know a couple of hunters that jump-shoot birds using nothing but a pair of diving flippers and an inner tube. Before you go floating for ducks in anything, be sure to check your local game laws to make sure that it’s legal to shoot birds from a moving boat in your area.
Once you’ve got your watercraft, you’re going to want to try to camouflage it. You don’t have to go whole hog with this, as the ducks ideally shouldn’t see the boat until it’s too late. But covering your boat with a sheet of camo material or using some brown or green spray paint to cover the especially shiny spots can be helpful. You should also soundproof your vessel by covering any louder parts, such as the oar locks, with some sort of cushioning material that will allow you to run as silently as possible.
When you’re jump-shooting ducks from a boat, you never want to approach them directly. Ducks have extremely accurate vision and will see you coming from hundreds of yards away. Instead, you’re going to want to use the terrain around the lake, pond, or river you’re hunting to your advantage by sticking to corners. These can include any inside bends in the river, points, islands, or peninsulas, or even sharp turns into the mouth of bays that, like the terrain for field hunting, will keep you out of the birds’ line of sight until you’re in shooting range.
When you’re jump-shooting from a boat, you have to be ready. The ducks can come from anywhere, so it does no good to have your gun sitting at the bottom of the boat where you can’t get to it quickly. You’re going to want to keep it prepared, loaded, and within reach for the short windows of time that the ducks will be in the air. It’s best to practice as much as you can on the skeet range before hunting this way, so when you’ve suddenly got ducks flying, getting them in your sights is second nature.
A Hunter’s Got to Do What a Hunter’s Got to Do
Being a good hunter is about being able to adapt to find success and not just sitting at home when you haven’t learned how to do something. Not knowing or understanding a hunting method doesn’t mean you can’t get out in the field and try a new or different way to hunt while you learn.
Having the ability and know-how to jump-shoot ducks is a great way to introduce yourself to the world of waterfowl hunting while learning to call and use decoys. In a pinch, jump shooting can also be a great way to get some birds on the ground when other methods just aren’t working. As long as you know how to get close and are ready to shoot quickly, you can always find ducks that are willing to jump up and play the game.
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