WATERFOWL
Cape Cod and the Islands are in the direct path of the Eastern Flyway forMigratory Waterfowl. We jut out into the Atlantic like a bridge over a river of waterfowl. This means we have, at the least the best opportunity for gunningthat can be found on the East Coast and maybe the best gunning period. Add to that the opportunity for both self hunts and locally guided waterfowling and...well...this is the place to be!
Because of its shape and length, the Cape has both North and South shores,East and West too on the lower Cape, for the hunter to choose, depending on the winddirection.
Add to this: rivers. salt marshes, over three hundred freshwater ponds and ourmaritime climate of a warmer winter and longer fall and the duck hunter and goose callerhave untoward opportunities at hand.
Bays and coves offer even further chances to findcomfortable and legal shooting stands accessible by foot or small boat. Even moreimportant is that the waterfowl on Cape trade all day long. Forests of oak and freshwaterpondweed lure puddlers inland and shallow water mussels and other diver foods bring thebig ducks flying into and out of the estuaries along the coasts. This diversity of foods, shelter andshorelines keeps the birds moving all over the Cape.
Finally, while a retriever may bea joy to watch and a luxury for some, the firm sand footing of the Cape, shallow inshore waters,and the opportunity to pass shoot over land dividing many nearby watersheds allows thosewithout canine companionship great chances at excellent gunning and easy retrieves.
Our earliest season is the newly created EarlyGoose Season in September. This is a great opportunity for the sportsman to hunt inshirtsleeve weather and serve the Cape by diminishing the resident population of CanadaGeese. These Geese that were originally enticed to overwinter by a few "well meaning"individuals feeding a few backyard Canadas have bred to become a nuisance polluter of thewaterways and remarkably destructive of the saltmarsh. Their numbers now range in the thousandsacross the Cape. The early season is set to target these birds before any migration fromnorthern birds arrive.
As sportsmen we recognize and support the need for such controlsupon wildlife populations, just as we support wildlife directly through our licenses andstamps. The bag limit is a liberal five birds per hunter per day. These are often young of theyear birds and may not decoy as well as later fall birds do when looking for company. They are nonetheless accessible to pass shooting and particularly vulnerable to stalking on foot and by kayak. Guided early season goose hunts have a high success rate.
That was the good news. The bad news is that there will probably be no othergoose season on Cape because of the decline of one of the two Northern Atlantic flocks. Protecting breeding numbers is of course, for us sportsmen, of tantamount importance.
The next duck on the menu are the puddlers. We get our share of early Tealand certainly Woodducks on the Cape's oak lined ponds. Best chances are found along theedges of the large cranberry bogs (with permission) and in the waters of the many townforests. Check the road map and Topos, drive around to find safe and legal places withenough setback from "dwellings in use". Try canoeing or boating to undevelopedshorelines or best yet, rent an airplane for an hour or less and get a really good "birdseye" look from above. Checking out a video shot from the air can give you an important overview of the area.
Soon after the early birds the bigger freshwater and saltwater puddle duckscome down: Greenheads, Blacks, Pintails, Redheads, Ringnecks, Shovelers and Cans. These too can be found in the ponds but also in the millions of miles of saltwater estuaryon the Cape and the Islands. Typically, big sets of dekes aren't necessary. If good passshooting can't be found, and it usually takes only one morning of scouting variousprospects to find some, then a half dozen blocks and a quick blind will pull birds closeenough for a look see.
As fall progresses into October and November and while the puddlers are still inabundance, the big Sea Ducks start arriving. These have increased in popularity lately,partly because of diminished hunting opportunities elsewhere and because Sea Ducksdecoy well and limits are liberal. Eider, Scoter and Oldsquaw are remarkable birds toughingthe winter seas. Eider and Scoter arrive in flocks numbering in the thousands and at seacan still be seen to blacken the sky.
Hunting these birds usually entails finding a pass theyuse from ocean to bay or harbor in the morning. Pass shooting or decoying both workwell. Eider, at least, are always ready to drop into a friendly group of painted bleachbottles for company. They aren't very fussy about looks but will toll to the largest group ofducks around. With no competition, three decoys can be enough.
These are big birdsrequiring close shots and big steel. Most Cape Codders use #2s or #1s for Eider and limittheir range. Eider, if crippled can and will swim and dive away, to both you and your dog'sfrustration.
Scoter are not so big and tough and they decoy less readily thean Eider but are in equal abundancefor pass shooting.
The Oldsquaw is a small bird and they often travel in mated pairs with the male inthe lead. ( As I type this I look up to consider a pair of Oldsquaw tail feathers andremember the second bird circling back around to help the fallen drake. )
The hunting for Sea Ducks goes on to the end of January and offers the lateseason and foulweather hunter some stunning experiences in Nor'easters on the beach andfrozen mornings at the mouths of rivers.
Brant are the "other" geese. Brant are less cautious than their Canada relativesand decoy well. Brant are smaller, just larger than Eider and don't require the big gooseshot of "Bs" or "BBs", #2 are enough.
There is no shortage of waterfowling on Cape and if you don't want to take thetime to look around for yourself, there are a selection of guides and guided locales tochoose from. Guided hunters have the oportunity to experience the sort of hunting I and others do who live here year 'round, so it appears to be a reasonable choice for the off-Cape sportman. Butdo-it-yourself isn't hard enough to make it necessary to hire a guide and the opportunitiesfor the willing and patient hunter out on his or her own are many on Cape.
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