The past couple weeks we had to do a lot of scouting to try to find a good number of birds to set up on. Over that period of time we ended up seeing a lot of guys set up in areas that we would have potentially hunted. Most of the time there was always something about their set up that stood out. Whether it was the lack of movement, odd decoy placement, poor hide, ect...
So when you guys see other groups out hunting, what stands out to you most often? what is the one thing that you would change if you were to get in the blind with them?

A lot of the time its the calling that flares the most birds. I see birds working around sombodies spread and then I hear what sounds like a kazoo and the birds flare away; man there are somepretty pathetic callers out there. Other times its usually a bad blind and they are staring at the birds with white faces, glasses, or shiny blued shotguns. Some times its too many blocks without motion. Lots of factors but sometimes it dosent seem to matter. I have seen some piss poor set ups in the "right spot" and seen limits pulled out. Just one of those depends type scenarios.

Myself I have had troubles since I got new decoys. Birds have really flared since I got them. Not sure what they are seeing but they dont like them. Another problem I have noticed with myself is hiding the dogs. Two dogs is a pain in the ass; especially when one is white and wont sit still. Latley I was leaving the white one at home but I got the sad eyes all the time. He was injured so it made it a little easier.

I would say not being on the "x". We found this year by watching and really paying attention to the first few birds that would come in would give you an indication if you were there or not. Sometimes seemingly minor adjustments in the blind location or decoy placement made big differences in how well birds would commit. After hunting some of the same spots for several weeks, birds get used to it and like to see something different.

Also I had to put a headnet on my son in the beginning of the season, he simply couldnt get through that if you look straight up at birds circling straight overhead, they would flare never to be seen again. He got much better towards the end of the season and definitely gets it now.

Also agree with what you guys said, lots of poor callers out there, and other than a few soft quacks is about all I do. Poor hide saves many lives as well.

being off the "X" can be tough but for ducks I feel like as long as i am on the flyway i should be able to kill birds.

May I ask what you are doing to get them to you? Knotty/Flutter, jerk string, good calling, or just knowing where they want to be?

depends on the situation and reading the birds. It seemed like late season the birds didnt want to see a flutter-wing/knotty duck. we went to subtle calling and a jerk string. Dual jerk strings really helped with one on either side of the spread.
Last friday of the season it was all about calling. they wanted more and more and more of it. Lots of single drakes made my calling look really good.
vary rarely where we hunt are we ever where the birds want to be. when we are lucky enough to have this situation present itself, its time to spot some bands.

Thanks for that. Where we hunt, the birds see the mojo alot, and although we dont use one they definitely seem wise to it after the first month or so. Funny you say that about the calling, the weekend before closer we had an awesome hunt and could seemingly do no wrong. Birds were very vocal, and even with our skills we were turning and calling them in consistently. The last weekend was the complete opposite, they wanted nothing to do with us. We should have done what you did and keep driving south, there were a ton on dudes in the valley.

Are you hunting the yakima valley a lot? if so i am sure i have seen your rig driving around, or you have seen mine. chevy blazer or a white dodge

I would say that the one thing that seperates the successfull hunter and the other guy, is the time spent adapting. Especially as the season drags on. To me its all about the AZZ time. We spend countless hours and miles scouting to find the "X". Regardless if we are hunting ducks or geese, finding the birds, and then paying attention to what they are doing makes all the difference. If you set up the same spread day in and day out regardless of where you are, birds will wise up to it. There are days we may only take out 8 to 10 duck decoys and be back to the truck with our limits by 8:30. There are also other times were we drag almost every decoy we have out of the loft and throw them out on the river.

There was one hunt this year that really makes my point clear. We had been watching a field that had some where between 4 and 5 thousand geese in it for a couple of days before we actually hunted it. Saturday morning roled around and we got all set up right where the birds were. The first few flights came, looked and left. We started talking about what "we" were doing wrong. After a bit of discussion, I remembered the afternoon before watching the birds poor into this field and saying to myself, "wow, they sure are quite tonight". This was out of the ordinary for this area as geese are usually VERY vocal as the settle into a field. So, for the next flight we just decided to not call, and just use our jerk goose decoys. It only took our 4 man party 5 more flights of geese to limit out.

Paying attention to all the Subtlies of what birds are doing when they are comfortable and then adapting to that will make you more succesfull day in and day out.

So it seems that doing the homework and adapting to the situation is what gets results. Maybe there is a conection of who has the time, money, and drive to do the homework and how they interpret the information. I sure dont have the energy anymore to drive to central washington by myself and scout the situation like I used to when I lived there. Now its on a whim that I'll go to the refuge and set up in a spot I used to know and get what I get. Sometimes I get skunked and somtimes I bring home a limit. Its gets harder and harder every year to travel 3 to 4 hours on a maybe. So it boils down to who can get the homework done and be flexible enough to adjust.

j7. Next season you maybe we can work something out for when you are in the area. I mostly hunt the Tri-Cities area, well at least that is where most of the fields we have permission to hunt are.

I don't always have the time to scout like I want to. That work thing gets in the way. But, more times than not, things work out. We almost always have an extra blind. You just have to ask.

being able to scout and know where the birds are is HUGE but for ducks you should be able to hunt traditional areas at traditional times and have good luck. Just watch the weather and plan accordingly.

Alright ProG thanks, sounds good, I like to head down that way in December and January.

I wasnt really trying to produce a sob story about my recent crappy seasons. I guess my point was............What if I'm not the only one that cant really do good homework on the birds. Maybe, to really answer the question, its the preperation or experience of the guy next to you that stands out the most.

the guy who scouts will always be a step ahead. that is for sure.