A sensible information to decoying, calling, and scouting for one of the crucial forgiving puddle duck species
Over the past decade. I can’t rely the variety of instances {that a} couple flights of American wigeon have saved an in any other case boring morning of flaring mallards that appear to land in all places however my decoy unfold. They also have a knack for exhibiting up proper after I’m on the brink of name it a day, too. It’s one thing that not solely makes me smile when these cotton-top angels descend from the clouds, but additionally earns them a top-ranking spot in my invisible e-book of favorite species of waterfowl to hunt.
Looking American wigeon has so much going for it. Whereas wigeon may not be probably the most extremely technical puddle duck a prospecting waterfowler can goal, wigeon may also help us put together for extra superior looking alternatives for species like mallards.
In my space, American wigeon are an early to mid-season duck. They arrive in exceptionally massive numbers and sticking round for weeks on finish, which is one thing I can actually get behind. Relying on how November goes weather-wise, they may stick round. Nevertheless, most years, I can normally guess cash on our wigeon having left for hotter climes by Thanksgiving.
Should you’re chasing wigeon in the course of the waterfowl migration, listed below are a number of suggestions with regards to decoying, calling, scouting, and looking American wigeon.
Wigeon Decoy Spreads
Wigeon are very beneficiant with regards to what sort of decoy unfold you will have. In my assortment of dekes, there are roughly eighteen full physique floater wigeon decoys that include me on each puddle duck hunt, virtually all of which occur on the water. Positive, it’s fully attainable, and infrequently frequent, to run a ramification of mallard decoys and have a pair wigeon drop into them out of the blue. Nevertheless, to essentially money in on the mid-morning flights, I like to recommend including a minimum of a dozen wigeon decoys to your unfold.
When establishing a ramification that’s heavy on wigeon decoys, a easy tactic that works very properly is leaving extra space than you may in any other case have between different decoys like pintails or mallards. A take a look at primary wigeon behaviour will clarify why that is: wigeon may be pretty aggressive feeders. They usually drive different geese from an space or, in some excessive instances, steal meals proper out of the payments of different geese. Impolite, proper?
After I arrange my wigeon decoys, I’ve the tendency to make use of their imply behaviour to my benefit. I depart a minimum of twelve to fifteen ft between my decoys and set my mallards on the outer edges or tight to shoreline. Basically all that open water between the wigeon decoys turns into one large “X” the place different geese will find yourself touchdown. It would sound unusual, however you wouldn’t imagine how properly this works.
Like most geese, a little bit of movement usually goes a good distance towards placing geese in entrance of our spreads. American wigeon are not any exception, although I’ve discovered that this puddle duck may be way more forgiving when situations lack the right breeze that always makes decoys come alive. Nonetheless although, as a result of the prospect of getting some mallards dip into the decoys remains to be tantalizing, I normally have a half dozen decoys linked to a jerk rig, three of that are mallards and the opposite three are wigeon. I’m unsure how a lot distinction the movement makes, but when I hear wigeon coming, you higher imagine that these decoys will likely be shifting, a technique or one other. Having stated that, there have been a number of events after I haven’t been paying consideration and had a number of wigeon drop into my unfold when the water was smoother than glass.
Suggestions for Calling Wigeon
Wigeon are exceptionally vocal little geese. They use a collection of whistles that don’t sound all that completely different from the whistle {that a} wooden duck may make. In actual fact, it kind of feels like a referee’s whistle being blown twice in fast succession. There are a number of firms that promote wigeon/pintail calls, and I’ve but to make use of one which didn’t do the job properly. For probably the most half, wigeon don’t take all that a lot convincing with regards to calling. When looking wigeon, my normal calling method is to attend till I hear the wigeon calling, give them a few “peep-peeps” in response so that they have an correct concept of the spreads’ whereabouts, and let the decoys do the remaining.
Scouting for American Wigeon
When particularly focusing on wigeon, scouting performs an enormous position find the place and when birds are utilizing a particular space. These mid-morning birds I talked about earlier may have been coming from a number of completely different places. However the one frequent denominator was that they wished to be within the milfoil after the solar had risen and the early morning flight of mallards had come and gone. On large water like the place I hunt, the birds have loads of locations they will go. Determining the place the large numbers wish to be is crucial—I would even go as far as to say it’s the primary issue—to get into these geese. Discover the place they wish to be, and also you’ll discover that you simply’ve already received half the battle.
READ: The best way to E-Scout for Geese
As a result of wigeon aren’t as wanted as different species of puddle geese like pintails and mallards, I’ve discovered that asking round if anybody has been seeing large flocks of wigeon is normally met with correct experiences from firsthand encounters. These experiences normally repay, particularly in case you’re looking wigeon in lower agricultural fields.
Wigeon, after all, can throw a curve ball at a hunter each from time to time. The one factor that stumps me each single yr is how generally it appears your complete migration merely ups and leaves in a single day. Should you’re critical about wigeon, that is one thing you need to put together for. They don’t appear to linger in small numbers like mallards or teal. My expertise has taught me that when they’re gone, they’re gone for good. When it occurs, it’ll look like it happens all of sudden.
Chokes and Shot Measurement for Wigeon Looking
Usually I run the identical actual setup that I’d use for mallards, geese, and pintails. Three-inch shells loaded with No. 2 shot are greater than sufficient, and I can’t consider any state of affairs that I’ve discovered myself in when an prolonged modified choke wasn’t sufficient to get the job finished. Most of the time, wigeon circle in very tightly to a ramification after which financial institution straight in for a touchdown (not practically as fairly as a mallard will, but it surely’s nonetheless a sight to behold, nonetheless).
The Backside Line About Wigeon Looking
The beauty of wigeon, so far as I’m involved, is that there are many days afield when the birds don’t actually appear to care what your setup seems like, what decoys are in it, or how unhealthy your calling is. On these days, it’s essential to provide a nod of approval to a duck like this. These are the kind of geese that may get a brand new hunter, younger or previous, into waterfowling for all times. For that reason alone, I really like these geese. By no means thoughts the truth that they’re scrumptious.
All in all, I sincerely encourage you to provide looking wigeon some critical contemplation this season. Looking wigeon is like consuming pizza. When it’s good, it’s nice. And when it’s unhealthy, it’s nonetheless fairly good!
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