Me and a buddy are thinking about going on a quick trip next weekend. We are in the Beaumont area and are looking to hunt a new place. Open to going north towards North Texas, Arkansas or Oklahoma. Or west towards el campo.
We have an aluminum boat with an outboard motor. Love to hear any ideas!

Ducks are tough to come by this year. We will be in port o conner Sunday morning for a hunt. Hoping for some ducks down there.

You might not have to go far with the next front pushing more cold weather and freezing temps up north. It looks like we got a good push of birds around El Campo but can't say first hand.

I have heard there are a ton of ducks around Baffin…

I guided a group of hunters Thursday and Friday in Rockport. Hunted morning and evening and absolutely smashed the divers down that way. All the blinds down there blew away in the last couple hurricanes. I have a duck blind boat so we hunt right out of the boat and go where the ducks want to be. We hunted in 4 different spots (morning evening each day). We stayed at Goose Island state park in their RV. Boat ramp is 2 minutes away right there at the park. And then across the bay to where the ducks are. We saw at least 30,000 birds every hunt. Let me know if you want to try to get between Galveston and Rockport thru the rest of the season.

I can tell you around Humble there are way more ducks on ponds this week than there was all season

If you have the ability I'd still head north some

All I can tell you is spend a bunch of time on OnX. If you don't have it, buy it. Look for the hardest f'in spots to get to and the biggest gray areas you can find. Go after those.

It's a toss up on where the ducks are right now. There's limits being killed in every state and place you listed and then there's guys getting skunked in the same place. Those who are doing well are having to work for it. Like drive your boat through the roughest **** then walk another 30 mins to the hole kind of work for it.

Ducks can be shot in the easy places right now that offer good habitat but you've got to hit it just right when the duck commander crowd isn't out and that seems rare anymore. There's always someone hunting somewhere these days.

I know that offers no help in what direction to head but it is literally a crap shoot. Look at a map and throw a dart, then head that way.

We've hunted with 2W in Stuttgart for 3 seasons. Couldn't make it this year. James does a good job. If you are open to Eagle Lake area, Lance at Pintail is the choice. They have thousands of acres and work year round to create habitats that hold the ducks. Isaac Gore also hunts EL and Katy area. His dad is Larry Gore who hunted the rice fields back in the glory days of goose hunting.

What are you doing guiding down in rockport? Good to hear you saw a lot of ducks. All redheads? Variety?

Customer wanted 4 hunts and fed me and had a bunk for me in one of his two campers (slide in truck camper pulling a tow behind camper). And 4 guys so made it worth it for me. It's only about a 3+ hour drive from my house in Alvin. That's where the ducks are so i was happy to get them on em. I had a place in Rockport for 30 yrs so I know the area well. I actually built my duck blind boat specifically to cross Aransas Bay from Key Allegro area and hunt anywhere down there without having to get in the blinds down there....which are all gone now anyway.

Mostly divers redheads and scaup. They shot some bufflehead, a pintail, a widgeon etc.... saw some merganser and spoonies i advised them not to shoot.

In 4 hunts over 3 days they shot 48 birds i think.....something like that. It was fun. At one point had easily 10,000 birds or so landing in our decoys and all around us. We had already limited on redheads for the day so just enjoying the show.

The problem down in Rockport right now is that the birds that are there have been there and been shot at... a lot.... so they don't want to come in. Now most of that from the airboat guides running way back in the marsh....and the dozen or so guides take turns rallying up the birds...(not accusing....just an observation). That much pressure makes the birds spooky doing fly bys at 60 plus yards. But they do push some birds out of the marsh.

Now the new birds are out on the open bay. They will work in or pull the flocks in. That's where having a mobile boat blind helps. The first hunt i figured out what was up with the airboats and the pressure. Birds were very spooky and wouldnt come look. We picked up and had to run far away from all that pressure to where noone was hunting. We found new birds and they all sailed right in perfect for the rest of our hunts.

So scout....and stay mobile. Just because you find birds doesn't mean they will work in. Gotta find the groups of unpressured/less pressured birds.

Been duck hunting in Rockport for 20 years so I know exactly what you are talking about. Also, hunt shorelines because I don't have airboat. We had blinds before Harvey but now set up where ever. Interesting you thought birds had been pressured hard by the airboat guides vs birds out on shore line. Good to hear lots of birds because I am heading down Tuesday. I have not seen a lot of birds on the open water at all yet this year so thats great. This is my annual cast and blast I do with Blake Muirhead a guide down there so I won't be doing it with my boat. He usually does very good on birds and fish. Thank you for the detailed report.

Jbob04 said:

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Ducks are tough to come by this year. We will be in port o conner Sunday morning for a hunt. Hoping for some ducks down there.

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We are in PoC right now. Tons of Redheads here right now. We smashed redheads and bluebills this morning. Saw a bunch of pintails but they were up high and not interested in coming down to the decoys. Gonna fish this afternoon and hunt again tomorrow morning.

Nice! Thanks for the report

Booked a trip with a guy in Nocona (North of Bowie) for next Saturday! Super excited and think we will find some public land out there for Sunday!

409Texag said:

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Booked a trip with a guy in Nocona (North of Bowie) for next Saturday! Super excited and think we will find some public land out there for Sunday!

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I was gonna say that, since you are on the coast/marsh, go north or west for something different.

409Texag said:

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Booked a trip with a guy in Nocona (North of Bowie) for next Saturday! Super excited and think we will find some public land out there for Sunday!

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There's definitely birds in that area right now. Take your rig but keep expectations in check for a Sunday hunt. I passed 6 mud boats between the red river and Waco on my way home today. I think the north TX lakes are more ate up with it than East Tx

That's a scary thought! Lmao

Right. A lot more lakes to choose from, but way more people.

Update: Here up in North Texas and went this morning. Group of 5 limited out…… Buttttt it was all RingNecks… Praying we get some mallards or something different tomorrow while battling the cold. Got the quantity today but looking for the quality tomorrow

Did you go with Blake E?

I hunted near Montague this morning. We killed some ringnecks and 2 Greater Canada Geese. Going again tomorrow.

Ringers are the flavor of the year up here. Anyone telling you that N Texas has ducks is right but if they are not telling you they are ringers, they are leaving something out. Our guide is a good friend and he is straight up telling us that it is ringers or bust for the most part. Some days you will get a mixed bag.

Good luck the rest of the weekend!

Wes '87

We went with his son Jacob! We were in Montage area as well! Not sure which guide Blake is putting us with tomorrow but I'm just praying we get something different than the Ringnecks! The 6 hour drive back home tomorrow will feel a lot better if we can grab a few mallards & pintails or something like that! Lol!!!

Good luck! Let us know how it goes! We will be at it tomorrow also.... Supposed to be on a pond that has gadwalls and ....... ringers! LOL!

Wes '87

Taking my 3 boys out in Abilene tomorrow. Gonna be cold, but kids are stoked.

Nice hunt. Lots of foks paying for guided hunts killing squat.

Buddy went on a 3 day hunt with goose reapers in OK. 2nd day was supposed to be a duck day. They didn't see a bird. Afterwards found out the same pond had been hunted the day before without seeing a duck. They got pissed and told the owner they weren't paying for a 3rd day.

This morning was rough. Had mallards & pintails in the decoys 90 seconds before "legal shooting time"… They didn't come back & ended up with another day of nothing but ringnecks. Feel like I got kicked in the nuts while I drive home 6 hours.

Hearing that a lot more from goose reapers last few years.

Strange season. Seems to be a trend…..

409Texag said:

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This morning was rough. Had mallards & pintails in the decoys 90 seconds before "legal shooting time"… They didn't come back & ended up with another day of nothing but ringnecks. Feel like I got kicked in the nuts while I drive home 6 hours.

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Sorry. Welcome to North Texas 2024 - 2025. I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news. We came home with a basket of ringers today also.