Hitting the alarm ‘stop’ button on my phone at 4:45 a.m., it was time to go duck hunting. But before getting up, I opened the Moultrie Mobile app on my phone. Seconds later, I was wide awake. There was a decision to make.
One thumbnail revealed hundreds of wigeon grazing on freshly sprouted grass. Another image showed a dozen wood ducks tucked on shore, tight against the brush. A third image showed a pond stuffed with over 1,000 ducks, mostly pintails. The fact the wood ducks had been roosting under the brush much of the night eliminated that option. And because our pintail limit was only one, the decision as to where to hunt that morning was easy. I texted my buddy, Austin Crowson, telling him when and where to meet.
By 6:00, we are carrying one-man blinds and some decoys to the wigeon spot. In fact, we jumped the birds. With over an hour until shooting light, there was plenty of time to toss out a dozen Final Approach Live floating wigeon decoys and stake down three dozen Big Al’s wigeon decoys. Before shooting light, wigeon began dropping in. Twenty minutes after the first shot was fired, we were done.
Why Run Trail Cameras for Ducks?
For years, I ran trail cameras for ducks. I did it to learn about the birds and their seasonal behaviors. Then, I got my hands on a cellular trail camera. The rest is history. As serious waterfowl hunters know, we spend more time scouting than hunting. Cellular trail cameras are the best scouting tool I’ve invested in. They offer timely data that helps you decide not only where to hunt but when. By monitoring the weather, they’ll even help guide you to the best spot to set up based on wind speed and direction, even a projected daily change in conditions.
I currently have over 50 Moultrie Mobile cellular trail cameras set out; this time of year, most are for ducks. All cameras are set on high-definition video mode because a video reveals much more than a still photo. I can’t count the number of times I’ve captured one or two ducks on video only to crank up the volume and hear thousands of birds off-screen. When a thumbnail image that interests me pops up, I request the video to be downloaded. Sometimes, it’s only one or two clips a day. Other times, it’s over a dozen.
Where to Place Cameras:
Since switching to cellular trail cameras for ducks, I’ve increased the number of hunts I go on each year and thus have killed more birds. All cameras are set in places where I can be ready to hunt in a given moment. Food sources are an obvious place to set trail cameras. In the case of wigeon, late-season, green grass in the valley where I live is a cotton top magnet. Once this food source is found, it’s nothing for 5,000 wigeon to descend upon it–I’ve often seen twice that many birds in one spot. These food sources can be eaten to the dirt in two nights, so get on them fast.
Rising creeks, sloughs and ponds increase access to new food for ducks. Find this food as water rises, and get ready to hunt it when birds show up. High winds can also expose and move food across entire bodies of water. If there’s a two day storm with high winds hitting your area, put trail cameras on the downwind side of the pond, where food collects.
Last January we got hammered by an ice storm followed by lots of rain. The melting ice and fresh rain shot up water levels, then two days of intense wind congregated food in specific places. Knowing the storm was coming, I set trail cameras on the downwind side of creeks, sloughs, and ponds. I lost four cameras due to flooding but came away with multiple hunts where ducks flocked in by the thousands.
Think Quick
Currently, I have three places where decoys are stashed all season long. I have multiple trail cameras set in these locations, monitoring water levels and duck activity. When birds build to huntable numbers, I hop in the truck or boat, grab the decoys, and set them where the trail camera revealed.
I’m also set up to be mobile when I awaken to ducks on trail cameras in an area where I need to hunt fast. In my truck are a few dozen floating decoys, over 10 dozen silhouette duck decoys, a one-man blind, a 12 gauge and 20 gauge shotgun, and a selection of shotgun shells. No matter where birds show up, I’m ready to hunt.
Earlier this season, Crowson phoned me at 5:00 a.m. We live an hour from one another and were heading to a pond to hunt wigeon. “There are a lot of mallards at the long slough,” he said, referring to a Moultrie Mobile trail camera he had set there. “And with this big front pushing in from the southwest, I think we should hit it instead. Whatchya think?” I agreed. We needed to get on the mallards while the conditions were favorable. The wigeon could wait since they were on a roosting pond. Soon, we were pulling the Marsh Rats from Crowson’s truck and paddling across the river. We came home with limits of ducks that morning, mostly mallards. The next morning, we shot limits of wigeon from the pond. Thanks to trail cameras, we had two great hunts in two days.
Final Thoughts
Cellular trail cameras are our eyes in the field, always scouting when we’re not there. They eliminate guesswork and provide valued insight in order to develop a plan. By having gear ready to roll and going where trail cameras tell you to, count on more hunts and more shots fired all season long. While trail cameras are legal where I hunt, make sure to check your local regulations before setting up your own cameras.
Note: Scott Haugen is a full-time freelance writer and photographer. Follow his adventures on Instagram and Facebook.