Early-Season Alaska Waterfowl: How To Hunt The Top End Of The Flyway

The following appears in the October issue of Alaska Sporting Journal:

BY SCOTT HAUGEN

Aflock of pintails circled wide of the decoys that bobbed in a little slough on the Alaska Peninsula. I figured the ducks were gone, and then my buddy hit a high note on a mallard call that turned the lead bird. The rest of the flock followed.

The birds headed into the wind, set their wings and coasted into our spread. “Take ‘em!” my buddy shouted. We dropped four from the flock, rounding out a stellar morning of waterfowl hunting in Southwest Alaska.

Soon we were gathering decoys and reflecting on the previous two hours. It didn’t take long to pile our little string of a dozen floating goose decoys and a half-dozen puddle duck decoys into the boat. On top of those were our limits of ducks, Pacific black brant and cacklers, all taken from that spot. It was September 1. Alaska’s waterfowl season was off to a great start.

EARLY-SEASON CHOICES

In the early weeks of waterfowl season, Alaska has many opportunities for hunters. In September, many puddle duck species are still in family units. They can be tucked away on tiny ponds, living on rivers or occupying creeks and estuaries. As the waning daylight hours advance, ducks will start flocking together. This is the beginning of the annual fall migration.

Brant are among the first of Alaska’s waterfowl to start their early flight south from the Arctic and Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta to staging grounds on Izembek Lagoon. Pintail and green-winged teal are also among the early-season migrators on the menu.

If you love fishing for late-season coho in October and are traveling to remote rivers in search of them, bring a shotgun. Cacklers and puddle ducks frequent a lot of rivers, ponds and tundra potholes in coho territory, creating memorable cast-and-blast opportunities.

One fall I filled a brown bear tag early in the hunt. Rather than leave the coastal zone, I hiked into the marsh each day and shot cacklers, pintails, mallards and teal. I didn’t have any decoys, only my shotgun, a duck call and goose call. That was all I needed.

THE HUNTING EXPERIENCE

Ducks and geese are gullible early in the season. Two of Alaska’s greatest strengths are its vastness and low human population. Hunting where ducks and geese have seen few, if any, humans is common. The fact that many of the birds are young also means that they’re inexperienced and will respond well to decoys and calls. For these reasons, the hunting can be simple and straightforward.

It’s ideal if you can scout an area before hunting it. If you don’t have time or you’re traveling to hunt, the first thing to look for is birds. Find where ducks and geese are and watch them as they come and go. See if they’re feeding or relaxing. If feeding, that’s the place you want to be. Duck hunters refer to this as the X. If you’re on the X, the hunting can be fast-paced action. A lot of early-season puddle ducks are shot on the X throughout Alaska, with very minimal gear.

You don’t need the best, most expensive, biggest spread of decoys to fool early-season ducks. This time of year, ducks have yet to gain their prime plumage. Most ducks are brown, even the drakes that have yet to color up. Tossing out a half-dozen ld duck decoys will often do the trick.

Rarely will you need more than a dozen decoys to fool early-season ducks. If in areas where fellow hunters are near, a bigger spread of decoys will help pull in birds. Having a decoy or two on a jerk cord to create movement on the water will help catch the attention of ducks and swing them your way.

MAKE THE CALL

A call is also a good tool to have. One mallard call that creates a crisp, clean quack is all you need. Mallards, pintail, teal, wigeon, shovelers – all puddle ducks – will respond to a basic mallard quack. You can’t count on distant ducks seeing your decoy spread, but having a call to get their attention can make the difference.

For geese – be it brant, cacklers or other subspecies of Canada geese – I like going with six to 12 floating decoys and a few-dozen silhouette decoys set along a shoreline. Silhouette decoys are great because they’re easy to pack, are affordable and it’s simple to put out a lot man population. Hunting where ducks old duck decoys will often do the trick. of them to create the feel of a big flock.

Brant usually fly low to the water, so making a line of silhouette decoys is a great way to catch their attention. Often, all we use for brant are Big Al’s silhouette decoys. A lot of times we’re just hiking beaches, setting out lines of silhouettes at low tide, then moving them up the beach as the tide comes in.

Silhouette decoys and windsock goose decoys are a good combination when hunting cacklers on the tundra. Cacklers, Taverner’s and lesser Canada geese respond well to this decoy combination. When blueberries and low-bush cranberries are thriving, hunting geese on the tundra can be very productive.

GEAR CHECK

Don’t feel like you have to spend $1,200 on waders, twice that on a gun, $75 on a box of shells and $300 for a dozen decoys just to shoot a duck. You don’t.

Start with an inexpensive set of breathable waders. You can even use your fishing waders. Waders don’t have to be camouflaged because you’ll be hiding in grass, brush or in a blind. A lightweight rain jacket will keep you dry. Layer underneath the waders and rain jacket to attain the desired comfort level for your early-season hunt. If hunting from a boat, you might dress warmer than if hiking in.

As for a shotgun, you might already have one of those too. If not, a basic 12-gauge with a full or modified choke is all you need. You can get carried away with specialized waterfowl shotguns that cost a lot of money, but I’d suggest starting with something economical to see if you like waterfowl hunting, then upgrade as you gain experience.

Nontoxic shot is a federal requirement for hunting waterfowl. Steel shot is good and will get the job done. For the price and performance, Kent Fasteel is hard to beat. Kent’s quality of steel, the wad and the powder charge all deliver the perfect speed and pattern for consistently killing ducks and geese. Size 4 shot is great for duck hunting, whereas the larger number 2 shot is fitting for geese.

There are other nontoxic loads out there, with bismuth and tungsten being most popular. Don’t get caught up in thinking you need to spend big dollars on a box of shells to kill ducks and geese. Be patient, let the birds work the decoys, shoot only when they’re in range – 40 yards or less – and you’ll kill more birds and save a lot of money on shotgun shells.

I’ve used a lot of duck and goose calls over the years. If I had one brand of call to use in Alaska, it would be Slayer Calls. Their acrylic bodies are tough and produce loud sounds, which are great for reaching across the tundra, carrying over big water and penetrating high winds and rainy conditions.

Slayer’s Tar Belly goose call works great for cacklers, white-fronted and snow geese. It’s a fantastic, all-around call I’ve had exceptional success with. Their Ranger duck call is my top pick when it comes to calling in ducks. This single-reed call is simple to blow, very loud and it’s easy to create a range of sounds with. Calls are one thing I won’t skimp on when it comes to hunting in Alaska because the habitat is so vast and the conditions can be harsh. A loud call can make the difference between going home with a fresh dinner or not.

As for puddle duck decoys, grabbing some from a local garage sale is all you need for early-season waterfowl hunting in Alaska. I prefer having a mix of colors, even brands of decoys, for hunting early in the season. This is because the real ducks that make up an early-season flock can vary in size and color.

If you want to maximize decoy movement on calm days, a Decoy Spreader System from Motion Ducks is worth every penny. The four-decoy spreader system is perfect for small, early-season spreads. I’ve been using them for years and they’ve been the reason behind a lot of successful hunts. They have them for goose decoys also.

There are many different geese to hunt in Alaska, from brant to whitefronts, snow geese to six different subspecies of Canada geese. Having species-specific decoys will help fool the birds you’re targeting.

When hunting coastal habitats and estuaries where brant and Canada goose populations overlap, having a line of six to 12 floating Canada goose decoys will help capture the attention of wary honkers. If targeting Canadas on dry land, shell decoys will do the job. Shell decoys are visible from all angles. Still, adding silhouettes or wind sock decoys in with your shells will increase the size and visibility of the spread.

AREAS OF CONCERN

As with any hunting in Alaska, safety is top priority. It’s no different with waterfowling. If you’re not an experienced boater, go with someone who is and learn from them. Not only is safe navigation a must, but being able to repair a motor should it break down is essential, for rarely will you be in a place where you can call for help. An emergency locating device is a good investment too.

Among the biggest dangers of waterfowl hunting in Alaska is the tide. Alaska’s vast coastlines have some of the biggest tide swings on the planet. Getting stuck on dry ground and having to wait for the tide to come rolling back in is one thing, but it’s the big mud flats that can be dangerous. Avoid hiking into mud flats unless other hunters are present and the bottom has been proven solid. Mud and heavy tides can be deadly in Alaska, so hunt with caution.

If new to waterfowl hunting or you’ve recently moved to Alaska, learning to hunt with a licensed guide will greatly expedite the process. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has a listing of licensed waterfowl guides throughout the state, as well as other valuable information on waterfowl hunting. Their Alaska Wildlife Notebook Series is packed with great information, something I used back in my days of teaching high school biology in Point Lay and Anaktuvuk Pass.

LEARN TO LOVE THE HUNT

With some basic gear and a desire to learn, you’re on the way to discovering just how fun early-season waterfowl hunting can be in Alaska. As with any hunting, the more you’re out there, the more you’ll learn and the more proficient you’ll become.

Once you experience flocks of ducks and geese committing to your decoys, you’ll be looking for every opportunity to hunt them before they head south for the winter. ASJ

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott and Tiffany Haugen’s best-selling cookbook, Cooking Game Birds, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott’s adventures on Instagram and Facebook.