Anyone Archery Duck hunt? Need help

[RunsUpRiver]

I'm getting ready for Duck season this year, and hope to bag my first Archery Duck. I realize it will probably be unproductive, but I've got to try.

Since no one I know duck's this way, I'm leaning on this thread to help.

I've got a good 40 pound recurve and some Flu-Flus, as well as my compounds to use.

I live in California and dont really know the regs for CA Archery Waterfowl. Any help here would be greatly appreciated!

I have a wide spot on a creek in mind for ducks that gets fly-ins and float-ins that I think would be perfect for Archery. It gets very little pressure and has some good shooting positions from the reeds.

So, I can shoot them on the wing or floating on the water or on dry land with archery equipment in CA? This is where I'm a little hazy about the regs. I need help here.

Also, I'm guessing I can use decoys, right?

I asked a F+G guy about Archery Duck once and he said he had very little knowledge of the regs since it was such a tiny aspect of Waterfowl hunting.

One fellow sent me a message stating he likes to use soda bottles attached with 30 yard long lines to regular broadhead tipped arrows for recovery instead of flu-flu's.

I'm trying to decide what broadheads to use, it's hard to find info on Duck points..

Any help is appreciated, I've never done Archery Duck before.

Thanks!

Dean

[RunsUpRiver]

Here's some info on the CA Fish and Game's website and in the Waterfowl hunting regs-

2) Bow and Arrows or Crossbows. Only arrows or crossbows bolts with flu- flu fletching may be used except that conventionally fletched arrows may be used to take waterfowl sitting on the water from scullboats or similar watercraft. Archers hunting during any archery season may not possess a firearm while in the field engaged in archery hunting.


Anyone have some tips or anything to share?

Dean

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

Yep, what RunsUpRiver says, it's o.k. if you have flu-flu fletching. How that's described by law is unclear and arguably arbitrary. Do you have to go the fluffy route or will full profile feathers count? In other words, you might want to get an opinion from your local bunny cop before you go out into the field with what you and I would consider "flu-flu".

And I have nothing but respect for bunny cops if any of you happen to be one!    :D

[Paul Collins]

I thought there was also a question about whether shooting ducks on the water with arrows violates federal law, and that the answer to that question is unclear.  Somewhere on this site or on stickbow.com there is a thread about that, but it's old.

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

Oh, and be sure to post picks!

By the way, I hadn't read the part about regular fletching on sitting ducks. Seems to me your best bet is to put a watercraft in amongst your decoys and have at 'em while they're sitting, regardless of how shallow the water is...

"But officer, the boat is in a body of water. Albeit a puddle, it's still a body of water!"

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

That's pics as in pictures... sorry!

[RunsUpRiver]

Yeah, apparently they can be shot with an arrow while sitting, standing, floating or flying.

NORCALHUNTER- I see you caught some of my loophole questions    The regs are so unclear.  There can be so many definitions of similar watercraft, and flu flu arrows.

The real question is with what arrow, and does a canoe count as a "scullboat or similar watercraft"?

I've talked with local and SOCAL fishcops and most dont have a clue, or have never seen anyone bowhunt for waterfowl.

I have another thread going discussing the definition of "FLU FLU" here-     http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=079998


Dean

[lpcjon2]

A bout 15yrs ago there was a big news footage of a duck that was shot with an arrow and was alive and flying all over.People were pissed! so I wouldn't think of it but it would be fun. Let us know how it works out.

[RunsUpRiver]

I've heard about the arrow out of the bird stories before, but I've also heard that they were shot with field points. Thats not good.

I'm doing my research on FLU FLUS and finding one that works good while deciding on my hunting locations.

It should be lots of fun, and maybe a bit frustrating!

Dean

[celticknot]

Just do a 5" three fletch full hight or a 4" 4 fletch. You're gonna wanna still have speed behind them. Personally I would go with the 3 fletch ,just don't shoot in the direction of other people or houses with in reason.

[RunsUpRiver]

People and houses, no problem.

I'm leaning more towards the 3 fletch FLU FLU for a bunch of reasons. For more talk about my FLU FLU search, check out this thread-
 
  http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=079998  


And from what I've read on other threads and websites, these two gameheads seem to work-

Turkey Terrors-

   

and the G5 SGH tips

   


Dean

[oxnam]

I would absolutely not use the G5's on ducks or geese after doing some penetration tests on the real thing.  I have video of the goose test and it is quite revealing.  Haven't put it on the web yet.
With your light setup, I would use just a simple, inexpensive two blade broadhead.  They are easier to get cleaned up after sticking in the mud and dirt and they a snap to touch up with a file.

[PAPA BEAR]

'''AFLAC'''

[PAPA BEAR]

'''harrrrr'''sorry....couldnt resist.  

[RunsUpRiver]

Oxnam- I'm very interested if you ever post your testing. Good point about the mud on the heads.

About the G5's- I have read that several people have used them with compounds on ducks with good results. Wonder if the speed is a huge factor.

Would like to hear more about their use before I jump in with them though. I looked at some regular 2 bladers today.

I'm ultimately hoping to be able to use the same bow and arrow config for Turkey, that way I have one bow setup for birding. Thats another reason why I am so interested in FLU FLU tech and terminology- We can use regular deer type arrows and such for Turkeys, but can only shoot waterfowl with FLU FLUs, even if they are not flying.


This is where I read about the G5's being awesome on ducks (warning) Photos are mostly of compound hunters-

 http://forums.bowsite.com/TF/bgforums/thread.cfm?forum=9&threadid=349055&MESSAGES=93&FF=CMT


Dean

[oxnam]

RunsUpRiver - I like the G5 a lot and it destroys grounds squirrels.  If you clip a wing bone or even their neck I would be confident in the G5.  But if you look at the design, you can see how the "claws" are going to grab feathers and down, then compress it before it ever touches flesh.  The feathers and down can absorb a lot of force.  You compound that loss of force with the fact that the bird is going to get pushed by the arrow in the air and the use of the flu flu, and it is easy to see why the head my not be a good fit.  

Now if that same arrow was going 70-100 fps faster out of a compound, then I might alter my recommendations.  But the test I did was at 15 yards with my 65# Centaur.  I really thought it would do better.
 
Now with a heavier bows and close incoming (back peddaling) shots on ducks, I think the G5 could do very well, especially if you are talking the smaller species of ducks.  I like that it would be less dangerous for the dogs.  But in my experience, hunting rarely provides those perfect opportunities and I want an arrow that will perform under less than optimal conditions.  

Now, he had mentioned a 40# bow, which for me is a no brainer with the G5.

[ChuckC]

If you have the room (background for safe arrow flight),  I like to make the flu flu's using 3-4" full heigth feathers in a normal spiral fashion,  just like applying your regular fleth, but full length (height) feathers.  They allow the arrow to go fast for a little bit longer than other designs.   I have had issues with flu-flu's slowing down too fast otherwise.
ChuckC

[Gehrke145]

Use broadheads with a stick!  If you want the arrow to stay in the bird put a muzzt grasshopper behind the BH.  With my 50 lbs recurve the G5s bounced off and they flew away.

[RunsUpRiver]

The season is heating up. There's been Brant, Aleutians and Canadas flying in this whole week. I'm going to try and go out next week. Maybe Turkey and ducks in same day?

Dean

[imhntn]

If you shoot them on the water, you are a meat hunter.  I don't think there is any fed laws against shooting them on the water.  I frequently hunt with a game warden and it is not an issue.