# Warm, Sunny Youth Hunt



## Mallardhead12 (Oct 17, 2011)

Me and a few 17 year old buddies are gonna be heading out Saturday to try and slay some ducks! What's the best plan of attack for those warm sunny windless days? We'll be in FB early with a couple dozen decoys. 

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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

My advice is to just remember that on the youth hunt, that this year, anyone 17 and under is required to be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older.


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## Mallardhead12 (Oct 17, 2011)

Obviously^ I've read the guidebook.

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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

Obviously I should have known. Please forgive my ignorance of knowing absolutely nothing about you and trying to help make sure you knew of a new regulation pertaining to your 17 year old bunch of buddies....


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Smart A$$ Tooele Kids!


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## Mallardhead12 (Oct 17, 2011)

Sorry that was a little sarcastic^... too early in the morning. Thanks for the reminder utahbigbull.

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## moabxjeeper (Dec 18, 2012)

There's honestly not a whole lot you can do on those sunny days. Hopefully some of these storms stick around, that's your best chance of them getting riled up. However, I remember having some of my best youth openers on days just like that.

All *YOU* need to do is your part, which is what you already know - being there early, having a good decoy spread out, and have plenty of cover. Also, if you have a duck call, a quick call or two is sufficient, don't try to call them all the way in. If you've done all that, you've removed your potential for error on your end. Now all that's left is for the birds to cooperate.

Edit: One thing I forgot to mention is that on those sunny, windless days, getting some movement in your decoys is crucial. If you have a Mojo-type decoy, fantastic. If not, take a two or three of your decoys and a bungee cord and make a jerk rig. Tie the bungee cord to a stake or something solid out in the marsh and make a couple loops in the water. Pull the loops tight around the keel of your decoys and bam, jerk rig. It's a little easier to watch someone do it like in this video: 




Good luck out there! Hope this helps.


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## Mallardhead12 (Oct 17, 2011)

moabxjeeper said:


> There's honestly not a whole lot you can do on those sunny days. Hopefully some of these storms stick around, that's your best chance of them getting riled up. However, I remember having some of my best youth openers on days just like that.
> 
> All *YOU* need to do is your part, which is what you already know - being there early, having a good decoy spread out, and have plenty of cover. Also, if you have a duck call, a quick call or two is sufficient, don't try to call them all the way in. If you've done all that, you've removed your potential for error on your end. Now all that's left is for the birds to cooperate.
> 
> ...


Thanks moab! I will let you all know how it goes!

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## moabxjeeper (Dec 18, 2012)

Well, how did it go?


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## 1BandMan (Nov 2, 2007)

I'm very supportive of the youth hunt however the ongoing garbage going on during the youth hunt is really past the point.

I'm glad to hear some folks read the regulations, however it seems that a hell of a lot don't. 
The last couple years that I've been out the number of adults packing guns and hunting on the youth hunt seems to be growing. 
It's a YOUTH hunt. Those 17 years and YOUNGER are those who can participate.

Of the hunters I've observed over the past couple of years the percentage of adult hunters with guns and shooting birds continues, and actually seems to increase. 
In one party of hunters I watched there appeared to be one youth and 4 adults all with guns and shooting birds. Crazy to say the least. 

Too bad there's not more enforcement regarding this.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Where did you see that taking place? I've taken my grandson for 4 years in a row and never seen an adult shooting


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## quackaddict35 (Sep 25, 2015)

I hope this isn't true. But it also wouldn't surprise me... 


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

I've never seen adults shooting on the youth hunt either, and I've been on about 9 either hunting, taking a hunter, or scouting.


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## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

I didn't see adults shooting but. I did see 4 boats of guys and only one of them had a youth age kid in it. They were set up behind us and there was more shooting then the kid could have done in his own


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

I know for a fact that one of my grandson's "girl friends" was at FB. There was 6 people in the boat but she was the only youth and she was the only one shooting. She ended up with 2 Teal and 2 Mallards.


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## Mallardhead12 (Oct 17, 2011)

We ended up with 21 ducks between the four of us (bad shooting on my part). I bagged two drake bluewing teal, a hen mallard, and a hen Pintail. Ducks flying all day made for a very fun hunt!!

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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Mallardhead12 said:


> We ended up with 21 ducks between the four of us (bad shooting on my part). I bagged two drake bluewing teal, a hen mallard, and a hen Pintail. Ducks flying all day made for a very fun hunt!!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk


Sounds like you guys had a good hunt....did you go to the spot I had recommended?


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## fish-n-fool (May 26, 2009)

Mallardhead12 said:


> We ended up with 21 ducks between the four of us (bad shooting on my part). I bagged two drake bluewing teal, a hen mallard, and a hen Pintail. Ducks flying all day made for a very fun hunt!!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk


You sure they were blue wing, cinnies have a blue wing tip, were as blue wing have a face patch like in the link. The hens are almost identical but the drakes can be identified pretty easy.

Blue wing:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue-winged_Teal/id

Cinnamon Teal:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cinnamon_Teal/id

We do get some through once in awhile though. So if you actually got one it is a mounter for sure.

fnf8)


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

fish-n-fool said:


> You sure they were blue wing, cinnies have a blue wing tip, were as blue wing have a face patch like in the link. The hens are almost identical but the drakes can be identified pretty easy.
> 
> Blue wing:
> https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue-winged_Teal/id
> ...


At this time of year they all look similar. An easy way to tell is that Cinny's also have a little green patch on the wing right behind the blue whereas blue wings don't have any green on the wings. Most likely cinny's but an outside chance they're blues. My brother sent a picture to me last week of a limit of blues he got in LA. Couldn't tell the drakes from the hens yet with the coloration.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

1BandMan said:


> I'm very supportive of the youth hunt however the ongoing garbage going on during the youth hunt is really past the point.
> 
> I'm glad to hear some folks read the regulations, however it seems that a hell of a lot don't.
> The last couple years that I've been out the number of adults packing guns and hunting on the youth hunt seems to be growing.
> ...


when you see that **** going on. call them in right then and they will watch them and bust them. i seen four game trucks watching us and the other people and they busted a group.


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## Raptor1 (Feb 1, 2015)

I haven't seen anything like is described above, but it sure was crowded compared to last year. We got in and set up and before the opening round (again someone started shooting about 10 minutes early) we were surrounded by 6 different groups-O,-, got peppered several times. Kids still got a lot of shooting and son ended up taking down a Green Wing. New pup got to do his first retrieve and the kids had fun. Next year we'll look to finding a different spot. Daughter still looking for her first, but she was just as happy looking for frogs :grin:


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## 1BandMan (Nov 2, 2007)

dkhntrdstn said:


> when you see that **** going on. call them in right then and they will watch them and bust them. i seen four game trucks watching us and the other people and they busted a group.


I did. I called the poacher hot line, got transferred around a few times and then put on hold. I talked to a conservation officer, waited 30-45 minutes for him to arrive and then gave up.
They've been great in the past, but not that day. I didn't get a call back either.


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