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Scouting 101


cpriest

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Alright guys I am looking for any advice. I am a fairly new duck hunter and I have been spoiled as majority of my hunts have been at a flooded timber lease in NE AR. In addition to that we have a small family farm that held some birds late season when everything froze up last year as it is spring fed. This year I would like to start looking for birds before I get an invite from a friend or when the ice comes.

I have a small boat that the previous owner used as a layout blind. I live in fayetteville and very familiar with the upper portions of the white river and somewhat beaver lake, but all as it relates to fishing. With such big bodies of water what types of areas do you look for? Or even more stay away from? I realize we are not in the duck capital, but I know there are birds here. Just looking for some advice on how to do this on my own.

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First thing don’t read anything on waterfowl hunting especially relating to decoy patterns or what birds are suppose to do it is all print for the magazines so they sell. Next don’t watch any of the waterfowl hunting shows, they do not always set-up in optimal conditions for a hunt but for filming light, again they want the video to sell and more so I cannot tell you the last time I saw a show on freelance hunting as again wanting the show to sell they seem to always get in with people with private properties and ideal hunting clubs.

So here is my suggestion, You will need 3 licenses; Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri! You are blessed to be in an area that has access to so many different habitats and terrains and within 3 hours in any direction has more birds than you can believe. Stuttgart and the MAV gets the press but this area is the sleeper of all sleepers.

Get Google Earth on your PC and go to each states DNR website and download the KMZ files ( might have to scout for it on the site ) for where to hunt! Then do the same for USFWS I think it’s already on Google Earth. When you map loads your eyes will bug out at all the places you can hunt. This is not news so im not giving a big secret away just one most people never use.

Then you will need to get out and put the gas and miles on your vehicle and go to these areas and get the maps so you know where to hunt ( some are online ) but you will need to see them.

Now if you are planning on hunting Beaver Lake my first words are BE VERY CAREFUL! She can be a killer in winter. The upper reaches are some days a mad house especially on weekends if it’s a nice day, ( Most waterfowlers today seem to like to hunt nice days ) but it’s on the ugly days she can be very good. You will want to find mudflats or areas where water is moving.

The big water requires a lot of decoys as it’s primarily a roost area and you have to compete with rafts of birds and I have seen very large rafts on the lake. It is also deep so your lines on the decoys must be designed for that.

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F&F appreciate all the info. Looks like I have plenty to keep me busy. The nice thing is I have a very shallow water boat so I can explore some of the mud shallows others may not be.

I can't believe people have rafts of decoys at beaver. Seen those for the northern guys but never thought we had that down here.

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Ok thanks, I didn't realize we had that many birds here. 14dz is still quite a few! How does the law work in regards to shooting around residential areas? Not trying to hunt in someone's backyard off the lake but I imagine you have to be some distance away?

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