looking now for a duck lease in the se texas ; sw lousiana area for next year. i cant take hunting public much longer.. , if anyone knows of ANYTHING coming available please let me know,,,thanks

you and 50000 others hate it. i have noticed its a influx of young hunters that parents just cut them loose with a boat. they set up right ontop of you and skyblast the hole hunt. best thing to do is educate them yourself by walking up to them when they set up to close and talk to them and let them know how close they are and that they need to back up. most kids cant judge distance very well yet thets why they skyblast cause they thing a shotgun can kill ducks 100 yards off.

x2 ^^ .. going to talk to ppl hunting close is always a good idea, to explain your not gonna skyblast and ask that they be respectful also.

IF NOT
1) they sky blast in fear of you sky blasting
2) you sky blast in return , then no one kills ducks

If you are looking for a private duck lease, sure hope you have a few thousand to spend. I know of a couple places and there yearly membership is $5k.

There is a lease by me that is $800/year, but I think that will be a bit far for you to travel.

I've been hunting Public ever since Ike.

I can only get out on the weekends to enjoy hunting. I have found a spot where I can get a good 2-3 hour hunt in before the waders & poling skiffs enter to chase the redfish.

Areas around me are now littered with hunters the pressure has definitely increased & it's a challenge to continue to find new areas where birds are holding. A challenge but not an impossible one. I have found many good spots away from other hunters where I nail quick limits.

my biggest bitch is putting in the time and work of scouting in, only to have some body else in the same spot at 4 am come the weekend, i have a 10 yr old son who is really starting to enjoy bird hunting, and i would like to find a spot where we can go enjoy a father son hunt, shoot, and not worry about ALL the crap that goes with hunting public lands

Bro it's all about the mighty $$!! You willing to pay their are plenty of places to get on a lease. You want to half ass it and be cheap you will be hunting public land the rest of your life!!

thats why i posted that i was looking for a lease

I have found the key is to find a way out of work on the weekdays and work the weekends, then the weekend warriors are no where to be found......got to be comfortable hunting alone though.

Hunted public all my life and like many have posted, during the week is key. I stay away from hunting Friday through Sunday. Working shift work helps me also. Been doing so well in public that I am in the debate of getting a boat to stay in the rules of WMA or go big and change locations. There is a small lease near Dayton, not sure where you are located at??

That's all I hunt is public land never had any trouble ...an kill just as many ducks as anyone....

I kill more birds on public than any of the guys that hunt private around here. Including the guys on the properties that cost 150k a share.

I've found that the best way to gain advantage over the cOmpetition on the public lakes Is working your frkn ass off. I spent literally weeks scouting spots that actually had water in Texas and found spots others had no idea was there. Me ad my buddy use a canoe also, so on the spots most people get stuck with their big boats we paddle right over or carry. We also usually get to the "ramp" by about 3, and just sleep in the blind till shooting hours. If we weren't doing so well this year I would say it wouldent be worth it but our hard work has paid off and we've dOne decent for the first split. I'd still take the leases my family and family friends have over public any day though... So much easier, and usually a limit no matter how many people you bring.

Actually Brasso has some good points. Also I don't see duck hunter numbers declining; not around here anyway. They seem to increase every year.

It just depends on how you want to go about things. Theres a saying which in general holds true. There are leases which are cheap; but they are cheap for a resson(not too good). Then there is convenince (which u will usually pay dearly for). Convenient and good is usually expensive.

I think in the South anyway; there are plenty of good public opprtunities; but you will work your tail off.

For a long time I hunted ducks only; then took a few years away and got into deer hunting. Then retunred to duck hunting and still deer hunted. It was then that I realized how much work duck hunting was when I had something to compare to. ANd deer hunting in SOuth LA sawmp is not easy by any stretch.

In regards to hunting public land there are some ways to beat the crowds. No matter what you do; opening weekends are tough and crowded and open you up to plenty frustration. AFter that things are a little more manageable;especailly if you can get out there during the week. Midday hunts are often overlooked and can be productive even on weekends; especailly if you are dealing with tidal conditions.

This season so far has been a gift. I'm shooting wood ducks in spots with no water. Hunting in tennis shoes and camo.

There are ducks to be had on public but often you can't just show up and find a tree and expect to do good. By nature I've always been a loner. I'm just not generally what most would call a people person. And that carries over into my hunting. I usually hunt alone (partly because nobody I ever hunt with can keep their mouth shut). If you're willing to walk a mile in to kill a duck...you will find me at mile 2. You just have to want it more than the other guy.

im near orange, so anything within a 100 miles would be awesome,,, i know you will pay for convenience and a good lease, im not rich by no means, but like i stated its mainly for my son at this point. so i will do what i can... walking a mile with gear is not an option for him..

It don't matter if you hunt public or private. If you throw out enough corn you will shoot plenty birds.

I've heard sweet potatoes in a pvc tube with holes drilled in it will work too

Lol

Man, I can hunt public land all day and never hear another shot or see another boat. Guess I will stay where I'm at. Duckdon

You right willett. If I can make it to the ramp and launch...I'm there. I don't care what's the weather is. (Besides lightning. ..that's a nogo for me.)

X2 sat out in the rain in nothing but a little thrown up blind with no roof a few weeks ago an killed a 3 man limit within an hour and half of sunrise. There was only one other guy out there that morning and from the sounds of it he did decent also.