# Sea Ducks



## Sboyd (Jan 24, 2011)

Hey guys im new to this forum and duck hunting in GA.  I live in the Savannah area very close to the water and see sea ducks all day every day!!  If anyone ever hunts them in Wassaw or Ossaba sounds hit me up I have the boats and all if someone has the experience.


----------



## FOD (Jan 25, 2011)

Little late in the season,but I'm pretty close to you,had some buddies say there were tons of divers out there.


----------



## Sboyd (Jan 25, 2011)

I know its late and yes they are everywhere!!  You can pretty much float with the tide and blast 'em if you wanted..


----------



## GABASSMAN (Jan 25, 2011)

wish i was closer


----------



## mcarge (Jan 25, 2011)

PM sent


----------



## jerry russell (Jan 25, 2011)

Sboyd said:


> I know its late and yes they are everywhere!!  You can pretty much float with the tide and blast 'em if you wanted..



Dang...where were you two weeks ago?  Look me up next year man. I have everything needed for that type of hunt. Boat, long lines, dozens of decoys etc. I have always


----------



## Skyjacker (Jan 25, 2011)

When you say "Sea Ducks" what do you mean?  Eiders?  Because I don't consider Scaup Sea Ducks and many people do.


----------



## JimDraper (Jan 25, 2011)

I am busy the rest of this year but would deff. like to keep in touch for next year.


----------



## gb1075 (Jan 25, 2011)

i hunt that area a good bit.  The ducks that you are seeing everyday are more than likely buffleheads, scaup, and mergansers.  Fun hunting but got to really watch the tides and the weather for sure.


----------



## Skyjacker (Jan 25, 2011)

gb1075 said:


> i hunt that area a good bit.  The ducks that you are seeing everyday are more than likely buffleheads, scaup, and mergansers.  Fun hunting but got to really watch the tides and the weather for sure.




none of those are sea ducks.


----------



## gb1075 (Jan 25, 2011)

i never said they were.  i hunt and fish the saltwater areas around ossabaw island and when we kill ducks down there we kill buffleheads, scaup and mergansers (diver ducks).  I was only letting him know that those were the ducks he was seeing daily


----------



## Skyjacker (Jan 25, 2011)

gb1075 said:


> i never said they were.  i hunt and fish the saltwater areas around ossabaw island and when we kill ducks down there we kill buffleheads, scaup and mergansers (diver ducks).  I was only letting him know that those were the ducks he was seeing daily



We agree.  If he was seeing Eiders and Scoters every hunter in the State would be down there in spades.  Only place I've been able to hunt Eiders and Scoters this time of year is Eastern Shore Maryland.  Is there even a place in GA to hunt Eiders and Scoters?

I know an occasional Golden Eye is killed around here, but that is a rarity.


----------



## thompsonsz71 (Jan 26, 2011)

I would like a hunt on the coast...... still tryin to find somewhere around statesboro or within an hour to hunt.....


----------



## joctaylor (Jan 26, 2011)

maybe gb1075 and myself can post some pics of the buffleheads, scaup, and mergansers we get tomorrow morning, so the fellow from savannah can possibly put a positive ID on what he is seeing around sav. and put this little obvious sea duck misunderstanding to bed.


----------



## thompsonsz71 (Jan 26, 2011)

Hey im not baton on y'all..... ill killall of em in a heartbeat!  Just gotta find someone to go with this weekend.....


----------



## FireDoc (Jan 26, 2011)

thompsonsz71 said:


> Hey im not baton on y'all..... ill killall of em in a heartbeat!  Just gotta find someone to go with this weekend.....



I've got a hole on the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. I ain't stingy either, I'll share a spot with anybody as long as I can go also. Just don't have a boat, I usually go with family that has a boat. My avatar pic was taken in this hole.


----------



## thompsonsz71 (Jan 26, 2011)

I wish I was draggin my boat with me......


----------



## FireDoc (Jan 26, 2011)

well, maybe next year. keep in touch.


----------



## gb1075 (Jan 26, 2011)

Three years ago we shot a surf scoter while hunting with a guide just above sapelo island.  He said that was pretty rare for the intracostal waterways, but that most of the eiders and scoters that are killed along the georgia coast were shot further out into the ocean.  The migratory bird regs actually have sea ducks defined seperate from the daily 6 bird limit if you are hunting greater than 1 mile offshore.  We fish for sheephead at some of the nearshore reefs(3 to 7 miles out) in late january and early february and see eiders out there from time to time.  They are some interesting looking birds.  I don't think i will be taking my 16ft modified v hull out that far anytime soon just to shoot a bird. Skyjacker, did you hunt with a guide up in maryland when you hunted the eiders and scoters.  I always wanted to go on a hunt like that for sea ducks.  Heard that they decoyed really well and were a lot bigger duck than you think they are.


----------



## gb1075 (Jan 26, 2011)

thompsonsz71 if you are interested in duck hunting the coast one day next year just hit me up next duck season.  I got the boat, blind, decoys etc....  I don't always kill limits but usually scratch out a pretty good morning.  There were several days this year (last sunday included) that I made the trip by myself.  It is easier to handle the boat, decoys, and anchors with two people.


----------



## Skyjacker (Jan 26, 2011)

gb1075 said:


> Three years ago we shot a surf scoter while hunting with a guide just above sapelo island.  He said that was pretty rare for the intracostal waterways, but that most of the eiders and scoters that are killed along the georgia coast were shot further out into the ocean.  The migratory bird regs actually have sea ducks defined seperate from the daily 6 bird limit if you are hunting greater than 1 mile offshore.  We fish for sheephead at some of the nearshore reefs(3 to 7 miles out) in late january and early february and see eiders out there from time to time.  They are some interesting looking birds.  I don't think i will be taking my 16ft modified v hull out that far anytime soon just to shoot a bird. Skyjacker, did you hunt with a guide up in maryland when you hunted the eiders and scoters.  I always wanted to go on a hunt like that for sea ducks.  Heard that they decoyed really well and were a lot bigger duck than you think they are.



Yeah I did.  I went with this guy.
http://www.marylandwaterfowl.com/

Its not what you expect but its a lot of fun.  They do decoy well.  Almost stupidly.  I did a goose hunt with him one year where the wind was so bad he had to cancel any sea duck hunts, and the goose hunt was awesome.  I shot my first banded goose. 

I have family in Northern VA so whenever I am up there during Christmas I set up a hunt somewhere.  A couple of years my set up fell through, so I tagged along with Captain Matt as an extra (1 man) and both times did real well.


----------



## Sboyd (Jan 26, 2011)

Thanks for the awsome replies!!  I will certainly post this again next year.  I have duck hunted very little when I lived in VA and SC but this is the first year in GA.  I am not the best with the duck ID but will do my best the ducks I can positively ID are hooded mergansers.  As far as getting around the waters down here I make my living on them and under them and know just about every creek and river out here from DC to St Augustine LOL, so if anyone has any questions about the waterways hit me up I would be glad to help.  I can even email you an area specific chart if you need one if your visiting.  Thanks again


----------



## Skyjacker (Jan 26, 2011)

Sboyd said:


> Thanks for the awsome replies!!  I will certainly post this again next year.  I have duck hunted very little when I lived in VA and SC but this is the first year in GA.  I am not the best with the duck ID but will do my best the ducks I can positively ID are hooded mergansers.  As far as getting around the waters down here I make my living on them and under them and know just about every creek and river out here from DC to St Augustine LOL, so if anyone has any questions about the waterways hit me up I would be glad to help.  I can even email you an area specific chart if you need one if your visiting.  Thanks again



You will get about as much excitement on here about a hooded merganser as you would about gay porn.


----------



## thompsonsz71 (Jan 26, 2011)

Sounds good fellas!


----------

