Understand The Type Of Birds You'll Be Hunting

The fourth key in the location element is to understand what kind of birds you are hunting.

What we're actually referring to here is quite simple, "how long have the birds you'll be hunting been in the area?"

Once again, this is a very simple concept, yet very few waterfowl hunters take this information into consideration when choosing the right spot to hunt.

In simplest terms we believe there are four types of birds that frequent any location.

In order to put yourself in the right place at the right time, you should always try and determine which of these four groups you'll be primarily hunting when you take the field.

Locals

Local birds have been in the area since at least spring and some may live in the area year round. These birds have established feeding, resting and roosting patterns typically long before the waterfowl hunting season begins.

Migrators

These birds are typically being pushed into the area by a weather front. These birds may "just be passing through" or they may become part of the next group.

New Birds To The Area

These are birds that have migrated into the area and decided to stick around for a while. New birds to the area are not familiar with the "lay of the land" so to speak, and will spend the first few days of their arrival searching for feeding, resting, and roosting areas.

Old Birds To The Area

These are the birds that have been in the area long enough to figure out the game. They have established patterns and have a good understanding of what areas to avoid. These are the birds that most typically are referred to as "wary", "decoy shy" or "call shy" birds.

Here's a quick example of how to put this information to work for you the next time you're deciding upon which spot to hunt.

Let's say you've been hunting in an area on the fringe of a large body of water. Based upon the weather forecast you believe there is a good likelihood that there will be some migrators moving through the area. Here's a question, if you believe that hunting migrators will give you the best opportunity for success, you'll set up in the same spot you've been hunting, right?

Probably not.

If you want to select the best spot to hunt migrators, you'll choose a spot that gives the birds the earliest opportunity to see your spread and gives you the most visibility. If you hunted the spot you had been hunting, there is a good chance you may never have the opportunity to harvest any of the birds that are passing through the area that day.