feeding habits of mallard

snipe02

just a quick question do mallard feed on stubbles over night and what are their general feeding habits be gratefull for any info

Eddie B

snipe02 wrote: »

just a quick question do mallard feed on stubbles over night and what are their general feeding habits be gratefull for any info

Mallard feed in stubble early morning (first light) so you have to be up early!
It can be very difficult to find stubble where duck feed, but if your lucky enough to stumble across them, or find a spot full of mallard feathers, then you've hit the jackpot!:D
A camo net, a few decoys, and a good call and your sorted!
You can get some really good shooting and not a drop of water in sight!:D

snipe02

Eddie B wrote: »

Mallard feed in stubble early morning (first light) so you have to be up early!
It can be very difficult to find stubble where duck feed, but if your lucky enough to stumble across them, or find a spot full of mallard feathers, then you've hit the jackpot!:D
A camo net, a few decoys, and a good call and your sorted!
You can get some really good shooting and not a drop of water in sight!:D

thank you as it goes i found a flock feeding on stubble but i was waiting on a nearby pond at dusk getting a few got four last night my best night ever my friend has a caller and four decoys im going to try the stubble first thing sat morn thanks again been trying for mallard for years never had any luck but meeting them everywhere this year anyone know why

kieran1141

snipe02 wrote: »

thank you as it goes i found a flock feeding on stubble but i was waiting on a nearby pond at dusk getting a few got four last night my best night ever my friend has a caller and four decoys im going to try the stubble first thing sat morn thanks again been trying for mallard for years never had any luck but meeting them everywhere this year anyone know why

most of my ducks are shot on stubble, will wait just before dark in the evening and just before light in the morning,2 of us shot 27 or 8 mallard in 4 evenings in 1 field this year, but we use a motorized mallard with wings spinning and a doz decoys and a double and single reed call, best duck shooting of the lot when they come right, best of luck.

snipe02

kieran1141 wrote: »

most of my ducks are shot on stubble, will wait just before dark in the evening and just before light in the morning,2 of us shot 27 or 8 mallard in 4 evenings in 1 field this year, but we use a motorized mallard with wings spinning and a doz decoys and a double and single reed call, best duck shooting of the lot when they come right, best of luck.

thats some shooting how do ya choose your fields do you just look out for stubble with mallard or does location come into play like close to a river or big pond etc

kieran1141

snipe02 wrote: »

thats some shooting how do ya choose your fields do you just look out for stubble with mallard or does location come into play like close to a river or big pond etc

well we would watch ducks leaving and returning to lough derg or other pond and usually if there are stubble fields in the flight path we will set up spinner and decoys and even if there are not feeding in that field with callers going will always get a pair or mabey the lot to swing in for a look , shot 17 mallard in 5 nights last year in a field ducks never feed in, but we knew they were passing within 1/4 of a mile and once we would see them get the callers going and they would swing in around in 1's and 2's, that is the way we always got them, we shot 103 mallard last year not including widgeon or teal and would think 60 to 70 of them that way on stubble. we have 3 motorized mallard decoys and they love them, would think these help us a lot, they are called mojo spinners.

snipe02

kieran1141 wrote: »

well we would watch ducks leaving and returning to lough derg or other pond and usually if there are stubble fields in the flight path we will set up spinner and decoys and even if there are not feeding in that field with callers going will always get a pair or mabey the lot to swing in for a look , shot 17 mallard in 5 nights last year in a field ducks never feed in, but we knew they were passing within 1/4 of a mile and once we would see them get the callers going and they would swing in around in 1's and 2's, that is the way we always got them, we shot 103 mallard last year not including widgeon or teal and would think 60 to 70 of them that way on stubble. we have 3 motorized mallard decoys and they love them, would think these help us a lot, they are called mojo spinners.

my mouth is watering here im in kilkenny no big body of water for miles have to make do with small flight ponds never got a teal yet so fingers crossed for this year and never even seen a widgeon are you allowed to shoot on the lough

kieran1141

snipe02 wrote: »

my mouth is watering here im in kilkenny no big body of water for miles have to make do with small flight ponds never got a teal yet so fingers crossed for this year and never even seen a widgeon are you allowed to shoot on the lough

yes you can shoot the lough with a inshore licence witch is free and 90% around here dont bother with them, the club if your in 1 can apply for 1 for all members, i shoot a lot of ducks 15 mile from lough over stubble just watch for the flight line, and always found where a river close to stubbles usually pick up a duck or 2, thats just my 2 cent, and if they do come into a stubble field watch where they are flying to and find where they are going and then setup close to that line, have given many's the evening and morning with no shot and sometimes for instance 3 week ago counted 93 mallard came into stubble field all landed out in the middle never go a shot, ha ha in the wrong place, we got 5 next morning but thats the way it goes.

Steyr243Hunter

theres field not too far from the uncles house, it was flooded during summer and dried up over last few weeks, he said he has heard them few times, i ave heard them while out foxing, didnt actually see them do, didnt see feathers either (last weekend), thinking when it floods again that should be back- but he did reseed and just patch in middle where it was too damp didnt really take, that was early sept, do ya reckon they will be back? would late evening be time or first light? anything else to recommended?
thanks

kieran1141

Steyr243Hunter wrote: »

theres field not too far from the uncles house, it was flooded during summer and dried up over last few weeks, he said he has heard them few times, i ave heard them while out foxing, didnt actually see them do, didnt see feathers either (last weekend), thinking when it floods again that should be back- but he did reseed and just patch in middle where it was too damp didnt really take, that was early sept, do ya reckon they will be back? would late evening be time or first light? anything else to recommended?
thanks

its a matter of being patient and go before light in the morn and again in the evening just before dark, funny thing lamping myself last year seen must have been 200 mallard get up from ploughed field a few nights, as i said ducks dont have to be coming to the field just passing will do and get decoys out and caller going, as far as iam conserned any nigth or morning you get a pair of mallard is a good one any after that is a good bonus.

snipe02

thats great advice thanks def going to give the stubbles a lot more attention and the river i do a lot of fishing and always see ducks on the river for me getting out with the dog is good enough anything else is a bonus i feel really lucky to live in a country with so much fishing and shooting availible at virtually no cost long may it last and long may we all enjoy it .