I have a secret duck spot. It’s not a place hidden way back in the backcountry or some private pond I simply don’t talk about. In fact, it’s on a sizeable chunk of public land that you can see right from the main road. It’s a spot surrounded by a small tunnel of trees with a slow-moving, sandy-bottomed creek flowing through it that connects to a popular reservoir. Every autumn, the reservoir gets packed with waterfowl hunters of all shapes and sizes, but no one ever hunts in those trees, which is what makes it such a good secret—because it’s completely overlooked.
Every year, I go into that spot and come out with a limit of ducks, because it’s a travel route for birds moving from a nearby cornfield to the reservoir. A veritable highway for everything from mallards and wood ducks to geese and redheads, it’s a spot I always have to myself because very few hunters bother with traffic ducks or even think of them as an option. However, when you know how to hunt in these transition zones, they can get you a limit of birds every time you visit them.
Find The Right Spot
Hunting traffic ducks, or ducks flying from feeding to roosting areas, is all about finding the right spot. You need an area that’s the right distance between ducks’ feeding and roosting areas, with enough water to get traveling birds to stop and take a break. Because ducks generally follow the waterline as they move between areas, overhead cover like trees or even tall brush hanging over the water can help, as it makes ducks fly low as they move.
The first thing you need when looking for a traffic duck spot is a good map or mapping app. Look for small water bodies like creeks, streams, or even swampy potholes between well-known roosting and feeding areas. Concentrate your efforts around areas between larger lakes and ponds and agricultural fields or wetlands where ducks gather to feed.
Once you find a good spot, scout it out on foot. Hike in and look for blind locations within shotgun range of the water, focusing on wider, more open portions that passing birds can easily see from the air. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket; scout two or three likely areas, then sit in each one for a few hours and keep your eyes on the sky.
Some traffic areas will have a few birds flying through them in the early morning and evening, while others are complete duck thoroughfares. The best locations are small chunks of water with lots of overhead cover that ducks fly back and forth through almost continuously, giving you an excellent opportunity for all-day hunting.
Be Precise With Your Decoys And Call With Purpose
The key to hunting traffic zones is getting ducks to stop—or at least tap the brakes a little. Ducks moving through these areas are usually focused on getting somewhere, so you have to both break their focus and spark a bit of curiosity to bring them into range. While this can take a bit of finessing, once you have your technique down, you can get passing ducks to play every single time.
Decoys are an important part of hunting duck thruways, and you don’t need a lot of them. I usually bring three to five standard decoys and maybe one to two rippling or churning decoys to draw some extra attention. Set the decoys up in a “U” or a “J” shape with both your blind and any moving decoys on the inside curve of the setup. This offers passing ducks both a focal point as well as plenty of open water to come in for a landing.
Calling in transition zones needs to be both loud and sparse. You’re not trying to imitate a giant flock of feeding mallards but rather a small group of ducks that have found something of interest. When you see ducks passing by or circling in on the decoys, let out a few loud quacks or a quick staccato feeding call and then shut up as soon as you see any birds drop low or begin to circle the decoys. If you have ducks flying a bit higher and not slowing down, send out a single, loud greeting call to try and draw their attention and then go silent.
Remember, when hunting traffic ducks, you’re not trying to call them in to land. Rather, you’re trying to get the birds curious about what’s happening below them so they will fly into range.
Shoot Your Shot
Hunting traffic areas means getting good at pass shooting. Birds will rarely land in traffic spots, but they will slow down and circle in range to check out what’s going on. If you’re constantly waiting for the perfect shot, you’re sure to go home with an empty game bag, so you must take any and every opportunity you get.
Pass shooting is all about recognizing when a bird is in range, taking a long lead, and then shooting and shooting again. The easiest way to practice this is with sporting clays thrown at a crossing angle in front of you so that you have to swing the gun to hit them. However, if you don’t have clays (or buddies willing to throw for you) you can still get better at pass shooting with a simple dry fire drill.
Make sure your shotgun is completely empty and then pick a high corner of a room where the wall meets the ceiling. Start with the shotgun at a high ready position and then smoothly mount the gun to your shoulder and track an imaginary crossing duck along the line of the wall. Keep the muzzle moving smoothly, with the bead following the top of the wall, and then squeeze the trigger just before you get to the corner without stopping your swing (use snap caps if you can to save your firing pin). Repeat this motion as often until it becomes muscle memory.
If you don’t have time for a lot of practice, you can still hit crossing ducks by using the body length method. Generally, you want to lead crossing ducks by one to three duck body lengths, with longer, 40-yard+ shots requiring a longer lead. When you have ducks in range, don’t rush your shot; simply put the bead of your shotgun right on the bird and then follow it as it flies, swinging your barrel out ahead of it and pulling the trigger as soon as you’re approximately one to three body lengths ahead of it. Keep your lead short on close birds and longer on distant birds, and as long as you take your time and keep swinging the gun as you pull the trigger, you’re sure to connect.
Getting Stuck In Traffic
Traffic ducks are a lot of fun to hunt for a lot of different reasons. Not only do these transition zones not get a lot of hunting pressure, meaning that you’ll have them to yourself, but they’re also fairly easy to hunt. You don’t need to lug around a ton of decoys to draw ducks in, and you don’t need to be an expert duck caller to get birds to play. In short, when you hunt traffic ducks, not only will you find some reliable places to get your limit without a lot of hassle, but you’ll also get a lot better at keeping a secret.