On frozen pond: Hunting ducks over ice perilous, rewarding
Hunting ducks over ice perilous, rewarding

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By Hal McKnight

Published: January 13, 2008

What is a duck hunter to do when his favorite water holes are frozen over?

That is the question I faced recently when a couple of my hunting buddies had traveled from the warmth of Lake Charles, La., to duck hunt in icy Oklahoma.

Our hunting destination was a 10-acre flood control lake in Kiowa County that was frozen as solid as cement.

Snow covered the ground and the gray, overcast sky matched the muted colors which reflected from the sheet of ice that once was a pond.

Our game plan was to break a large expanse of ice and toss out a couple of dozen duck decoys.Clad in chest waders, it was imperative for us to find places in shallow water to break the ice.

Tree limbs and sharpshooter shovels were used to cut the ice into large blocks the size of pool tables. With considerable effort, each block was pushed under the ice cap.

The end result was an open area of water full of ice that appeared to have naturally melted.

Decoys were placed, the guns were loaded and the only thing missing were the ducks.

Snow and ice will often force the birds to change their patterns, which means a waiting game for duck hunters.

Hours passed and we had not seen a single duck. We feared the inclement weather had pushed the waterfowl south.

The passage of time allowed us to blind up with thenatural surroundings and discuss shooting disciplines — the safe gunning parameters and range restrictions that would be needed to drop the birds inside our open water.

We had two Labrador retrievers ready for action, both wearing heavy neoprene vests for warmth. For their safety, it was our responsibility to prevent downed birds from falling too far out on the ice.

A retriever should not be put in a position to travel farther than you can wade in case the dog gets into trouble. The risk of hunting over ice is that a dog might swim into ice so thick that it cannot penetrate it.

A dog will then pull itself onto the ice and run to the downed bird. If the dog then comes across thin ice that breaks, it may lack the strength to pull itself back on top

We had been on the pond since shortly after daybreak, and by noon no birds had arrived. Suddenly, a group of 30 mallards passed overhead.My Cajun buddies began quacking invitingly on their calls.

The birds silently circled four times while closely inspecting our decoy spread. In unison, they cupped their wings and dropped like paratroopers into our hole.

My black Lab, Will, along with their chocolate Lab, Rebel, retrieved six huge greenheads from the chilly water. Group after group of mallards spiraled into our spread as if pulled down by a giant magnet.

Most of our shots were taken at close range and each of us took a limit of five mallards in the next 90 minutes.

A great deal of work went into our preparation, but the manner in which the ducks decoyed in right in front of us made it all worthwhile.

Icy conditions present hazards for hunters and their retrievers, but if a hunter uses caution and common sense, the waterfowling can be magically successful.

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