# Duck Hunting Espiritu Santo/ San Antonio Bay for the 1st Time



## austinmallet (Jul 8, 2010)

I have grown up fishing the seadrift area but have never been duck hunting before. I would really love to start this season but I had a few questions. In all the back lakes across the bay and in shoalwater and the lagoon, I always see duck blinds. Are there private property or are they open for everyone to use? Another question: I'm running a baby cat so would it be smart to try to make a blind out of the boat or is it better to park the boat and get out and then sit in the weeds? Thanks for any help, I'd really love to start duck hunting!


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## Mojo281 (Sep 7, 2006)

FYI... Getting to know some of the people on this site will serve you better then just joining and asking a bunch of questions about public access...


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## WoundedMinnow (Oct 11, 2011)

I have always sat in the weeds......from my point of view if you build a duck blind on public water and public land it makes it a public duck blind.....but people building those blinds might get a little upset when they find you sitting in them.....plus birds don't get weed shy


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## El Capitan de No Fish (Sep 20, 2007)

WoundedMinnow said:


> I have always sat in the weeds......from my point of view if you build a duck blind on public water and public land it makes it a public duck blind.....but people building those blinds might get a little upset when they find you sitting in them.....plus birds don't get weed shy


This. Find a good shoreline, drop your stuff off, then park your boat a ways away. The blinds are public property, but like he said people will give you **** if they're planning to hunt their blind and you're in it. The birds tend to get wary of the blinds anyways.


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## Southern Solutions (Aug 1, 2012)

hunt the shoreline


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## austinmallet (Jul 8, 2010)

thanks for all the help guys, I really do appreciate it. I know that it would be way more helpful to get to know people that have hunted the areas for many years, so I always try to talk to people about duck hunting when Im down there fishing. When you're picking your shoreline, do you usually just cruise around at dawn the day before you plan on hunting and looking for high concentrations of ducks or what?


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## El Capitan de No Fish (Sep 20, 2007)

Pretty much yes. It's a lot of trial and error. If you've been fishing down there for years, you know the lay of the land. Now it's time to put the leg work in. It may take a few crappy hunts before you find a good spot or two.


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## fishdoc1 (May 22, 2004)

The hardest part of hunting that area is finding somewhere no one is or thinks they own.


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## shauntexex (Dec 12, 2007)

Don't even get me started on those "public" blinds.... How big an ol boy are ya?


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## austinmallet (Jul 8, 2010)

Not big enough to try to mess with ****** off people with shotguns!! I figured the whole "public blinds" that people pay to build would be a sticky subject.

Another question... I know this isnt simple and I have started to research it but what calls do you think I should start out with so I can start practicing with and what/ how many decoys do you guys recommend?


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## aggie2015 (Dec 9, 2010)

Been hunting POC since I was four since I grew up in Calhoun county and live in College Station. Can help you if you pm me.


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## shauntexex (Dec 12, 2007)

The more the better on decoys and don't even use a call it does more harm then good


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## DuckMendenhall (Nov 5, 2007)

To the OP: Are you after a particular species? If you are in CS, why in the heck would be be coming to the coast to mess the other 98% of hunters that "own" the bay? I would be pounding on doors from Navasota North of Hearne finding a landowner that will allow you to hunt his/her property. 


Make it simple stupid here, go get a call worth maybe $20 and start with that and learn the simple quacks, comebacks, feeding call. Get a whistle while you are it. Dekes...again, where and what are you hunting. I have seen 10 dozen thrown out to 2 dozen with the same results, match the hatch so to speak.


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## Spec-Rig.006 (Nov 2, 2007)

austinmallet said:


> thanks for all the help guys, I really do appreciate it. *I know that it would be way more helpful to get to know people that have hunted the areas for many years*, so I always try to talk to people about duck hunting when Im down there fishing. When you're picking your shoreline, do you usually just cruise around at dawn the day before you plan on hunting and looking for high concentrations of ducks or what?


*I don't really see where you've crossed any boundaries.* It's not like you're naming lakes, it's not like that area is any kind of secret - just asking general questions about "how" and in my opinion, asking the right questions. Try PMing a couple of us for more specific questions. But:

Public *water* public blind. This may not apply to blinds on leased property that shoot over public water. Research your hunt area extensively ... boundaries between riparian rights/navigable bodies of water/mean tidal level are a huge gray area and a lot of times the boundaries between the WMA and the public water are even less defined.

The only other thing I'll say is that if that's the way you scout for ducks, you're already ahead of your competition.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

That whole spot squatting with a blind thing sucks, you can't go anywhere (anywhere decent anyway) in POC without having a blind within 50 yards and once there's a blind setup in a spot most peeps won't hunt there out of respect for who built it. I swear the guides out there must have whole crews of people building blinds yearly. There's like 4 of them just in the lighthouse cove alone. I don't sit in anyone else's blinds, but I've setup in the brush on a shoreline and had someone pull up and setup hunters in a blind nearby completely ignoring my flashing with my light. I would love to setup somewhere nowhere near a blind, but anywhere that's actually worth hunting there's a **** blind. What's a guy to do? /rant

Agree with the others, it's better to hide in the brush anyway and location depends on the birds and if there's a blind setup on the spot you want to sit or not.


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## panhandle_slim (Jun 1, 2012)

If youre hunting big open lakes or bayfront the more dekes the better usually. Especially early season. And forget buying a quacking call, stick with a whistle and use it sparingly. A whistle is magic on coastal wigeon and pintail


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## GunDog (Jun 6, 2006)

I have had the same thing happen to me justletmein. Found a nice little spot in the mangroves and here comes boat ready to drop off people in a blind. 

I try to stay away from blinds, but at 5 o'clock in the morning, sometimes you just can not see if they are 50 yards from you or 150.


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## C4E (Jul 9, 2008)

May I suggest finding someone to go with you to show you the ropes and culture that youre about to fall face first into......

....and as far as people pulling up on you and setting up too close. Call the GW and let him figure it out


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## Bowhntr (Aug 7, 2006)

alway a pleasure to help out future duck hunters with question (never know unless you ask), carry as many deks as you can carry (if walking shore-they get heavy), also the ducks will let you know if they want a crowd or just a few. Start with say a dozen and build from there (again depend on area you are hunting). I have place a few as 6 deks out to as many a three dz. ALL have work according to time of year and body of water you are hunting. try and set up downwind as the duck will fly into your face/lap. I like to try and setup with my back to the east(rising sun blinds ducks just as they blind you if you are facing into the rising morning sun). USE the nature WEED line and blend into the well. When duck are coming into land (feet down, you you should not have your hands on a call, but your gun-they are coming in already STOP calling and get ready to blast..


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## austinmallet (Jul 8, 2010)

wow thanks for all the helpful information guys. its really been helpful. now a question about general location: when I'm out looking for ducks are all the back lakes between contee and power lake all solid spots to check or is it better to scout the actual shore line of the bay?


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## DRDUCK (Oct 12, 2012)

back lakes 100%


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## gray gost (Jul 8, 2010)

farther south you can go the better. local poc and seadrift guides think they own the back lakes from poc to panther.


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## wing_buster87 (Sep 27, 2008)

gray gost said:


> farther south you can go the better. local poc and seadrift guides think they own the back lakes from poc to panther.


True story!


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## GunDog (Jun 6, 2006)

Just scout. You can not learn if you are not willing to go out there and put the time/miles in. Husband and I spent the whole afternoon just "checking things out" and big ducks are a couple of weeks away. If you put the time in, you will be pleasantly surprised and feel pretty darn good about the spot(s) you picked out.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

austinmallet said:


> wow thanks for all the helpful information guys. its really been helpful. now a question about general location: when I'm out looking for ducks are all the back lakes between contee and power lake all solid spots to check or is it better to scout the actual shore line of the bay?


Start with the back lakes... Contee and all those back areas are excellent.



gray gost said:


> farther south you can go the better. local poc and seadrift guides think they own the back lakes from poc to panther.


Then when you get tired of fighting with the guides and others who come setup 50 yards away from you ^^ find some spots out on the bay.


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## austinmallet (Jul 8, 2010)

so is it still worth it to scout out the back lakes and attempt to hunt them even with the pressure from all the seadrift guides that have been hunting the area their whole life? I would mainly stay in the area from contee to panther lake. When scouting out spots on the bay are you just running the south shoreline of San Antonio and Espiritu Santo Bay looking for ducks feeding?


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

Absolutely, just have a backup plan for hunt day. Opt 1, Opt 2, etc. I'm no good at scouting so can't help you there.


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## wing_buster87 (Sep 27, 2008)

austinmallet said:


> so is it still worth it to scout out the back lakes and attempt to hunt them even with the pressure from all the seadrift guides that have been hunting the area their whole life? I would mainly stay in the area from contee to panther lake. When scouting out spots on the bay are you just running the south shoreline of San Antonio and Espiritu Santo Bay looking for ducks feeding?


The pressure is not always a bad thing. We have had some of our best hunts down there when the back lakes were loaded with hunters side by side every 400 yards.. Look for pockets where the" puddlers " are concentrating and u should do just fine.. And for the sake of all of us... Please leave your mallard "hail call and feed chuckle" at the house!


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## austinmallet (Jul 8, 2010)

Haha I'll definitely be leaving all the calls at the house this season, as I would have already had to start practicing for them to have any effect I feel like. I think I'll just practice using a whistle and thats it. What brand decoys do you guys recommend and what do you think the minimum number needed is? 2 dozen?


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## Southern Solutions (Aug 1, 2012)

Don't leave your calls at hm. Now, don't use them on every flock but use them to see how the live birds react and you will learn from it. Trust me a winded 500 lb man could call in a redhead. Perfect ducks to learn with. 

Good luck hunting - if you head towards POC try the lagoon.

Decoys G&H- but expensive. We used around 8-10 dozen when we hunt down there.


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## S-3 ranch (May 26, 2004)

min 2 dozen , more the better a real pain to put out & up . but we use 4-5 dozen most times in tivolie , but some times 1 dozen will make them come in and set ? try , try and try it diffrent


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## austinmallet (Jul 8, 2010)

do you like to get a mix of species with your decoys or stick to all of one kind?


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## ak (May 6, 2012)

Blinds...... You come up to me sitting in your blind all crazy remeber I have a gun to. Just because you stuffed some palettes with grass doesnt mean you have that spot leased for the season. Ive built blinds and had people sitting in them big deal I got plenty of spots I shoulda got there earlier. 

However I do respect opening weekend and I typically just dont hunt blinds because they stick out.


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## S-3 ranch (May 26, 2004)

*mix*



austinmallet said:


> do you like to get a mix of species with your decoys or stick to all of one kind?


 me i like a mix ,but any will work good luck


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## El Capitan de No Fish (Sep 20, 2007)

austinmallet said:


> do you like to get a mix of species with your decoys or stick to all of one kind?


As far as decoys, most of the time the species doesn't matter on the coast. Just try to steer clear of greenheads. However if you're going to buy some, might as well load up on redheads, pintails, and a few wigeon too.


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## austinmallet (Jul 8, 2010)

Just got some a dozen G&H pintail and widgeon decoys. I have read about the importance of having both dark dekes and dekes that have white in them in your spread for contrast. If I was to get another dozen, do you think it would be better to get the G&H redhead dekes or the plain black duck dekes? Thanks!


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## Mojo281 (Sep 7, 2006)

Def redheads!!


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## copano_son (Dec 17, 2007)

austinmallet said:


> Just got some a dozen G&H pintail and widgeon decoys. I have read about the importance of having both dark dekes and dekes that have white in them in your spread for contrast. If I was to get another dozen, do you think it would be better to get the G&H redhead dekes or the plain black duck dekes? Thanks!


I think the more color or white you have the better. It shows up better in low light conditions.

Like others have said, not important to focus on species of decoys hunting on the bay. I hunt the bay and 80% of my decoys are pintails just because of the cost at the time I purchased them, 10-15 years ago. I shoot pintails, gadwalls, wigeons, teal, ect..., and plenty of them! Focus on getting what you can afford the most of. Nothing wrong with buying used dekes from craigslist to "fill" your spread! If your budget has no limit, then buy what you want.


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