Wildfowl_-_September_2019

Theyflyline-abreasTtoward
a selectspot,andthenturninper-
fectformationtomakepasseswhile
scanninglandingspotsfordanger.
Theirf lightlineseemstoslightly
bounceupanddownastheyborein,
theirbelliesoccasionallyskimming
lessthana footoverthesurface.
Oncea landingspotisdeemed
secure,thefast-moverspilein.The
leadducksgenerallylandfirstand
theflockfollows.Divingducksemu-
lateseaducksinflightandlanding,
exceptfortheoccasionalcanvasback
thatmaybombyourdecoysfromon
hi gh,just likea mallard.
Diversarefascinating.Namedfor
theirabilitytodivedeepforfood,
theyhavenoproblemventuring
ontothebigwater.TheMississippi
Riveris anidealplacetohuntscaup,
ringnecks,redheads,goldeneyesand
theglamourduckofdiverfame,can-
vasbacks.Youcanalsotestyourself

onthetinyandlighting-fastbuffle-

headsandruddyducks—theyare

liketryingtoshoottherabbitin

sportingclays,onlya hundredtimes

harder.

Deeppoolsfilledwithmussels

andaquaticfoodmixedwithwide

stretchesofrivercreateidealrest-

ingandfeedingspots.Huntersare

treatedtoa goodmixofpuddle

ducksandgeeseaswell,makingthe

MississippiRivera premierwater-

fowlingdestination.

The bigriverrequiresadaptingto

shiftingwinddirectionsandever-

changingriverconditionsthatcould

rangefromcascadingcurrentto

quicklydroppingwaterlevels.All

datais consideredwhiledetermining

wheretheduckswilllandtocreatea

perfecthunt.KyleScott,a Missouri

DNRmanagerfromLaGrange,Mis-

souri.hashunteddivingducksfor

manyyearsontheMississippi.He

huntsdifferentspotsforchanging

factors.

“Onewinterwhenthetempera-

turewasfivebelowzero,wetiedup

ona bargeterminalafterarranging

thedecoysbetweenicecakes,”Scott

said.“Thatdaya hugeinfluxofgold-

eneyespushedinandwealllimited

out.Thehuntingisbestwhenwe

havea lotofice.Warmwintersare

notproductivehere.Theicepushes

ducksdownandcertainspotsstay

openontheriver.Goldeneyes,scaup

andcanvasbackshuntsaregenerally

verygoodthen.”

Scottsetsgang-riggeddecoys

weighteddownbyheavypiecesof

irononbothends,closetoisland

shorelineswherehehaspermis-

siontohunt.Manyislandsonthe

UpperMississippiRiverareprivately

owned.Someareactuallyfarmed;

tractors,combinesandotherequip-

mentbroughtinonbarges.Most

94 WILDFOWL Magazine | September 2019 wildfowlmag.com

big muddy divers