The 2011/2012 season Looks like it is going to offer great wingshooting! The water levels are good, and there are healthy amounts of food and vegetation. There is much more habitat and food than last year, and the predictions are good. The first phase of the season was very good with big numbers and variety. We are looking forward to the rest of the season with great anticipation.
Central Florida has outstanding hunting for wintering ducks and snipe. We take great pride in our clients' success and work hard to make sure that everyone is comfortable and has a great time enjoying the wing-shooting tradition! Please look through the information below, and contact us with any questions that you may have.
Duck Hunts
2011/2012 Season: Nov. 19-27, and Dec. 10-Jan. 29, (Youth waterfowl days Feb. 6-7)
Central Florida Ducks
We hunt the St. Johns River Marsh, private ponds, lakes and the Indian River Lagoon salt marshes. Our hunts are fully guided, well planned out, and each hunt is 100% customized -. We use safe and comfortable, custom airboats as transportation to and from the blinds. The airboats allow us to get back to the little puddles holding the big flocks of un-harassed ducks. We really love duck hunting, and work hard to give our clients (better yet..."future friends") a very rewarding and successful hunt!
Central Florida's wetlands are very unique, and hold a huge variety of ducks. We hunt both puddle ducks and diver ducks. The usual puddle ducks we shoot are widgeon, green-wing teal, blue-wing teal, northern pintail, wood ducks, Florida mottled ducks, fulvous whistling ducks, black bellied whistling ducks, and mallards. Our most commonly shot divers are ring-necked ducks, greater and lesser scaup, hooded mergansers, buffleheads, and mergansers.
Of our more common ducks, four of the species are residents of Central Florida. These locally residing ducks are the mottled ducks, wood ducks, fulvous whistling ducks, and the black-bellied whistling ducks. The Florida mottled ducks are found no-where else in the world! They resemble a hen Mallard, but are larger in size, and are very vocal. The whistling ducks are very unique, in that they are a somewhat invasive, resident species that escaped from captivity in south Florida within the past 100 years.
Transportation To and From the Blind
All hunts will begin with the hunters meeting the guide/s at one of the area's safe and convenient boat ramps where the guide will be waiting with the boat and equipment ready. When the hunters are loaded up into the safe and comfortable airboats, it will be a short ride through the marsh to the duck blind.
The airboats will be driven right up to within a couple of steps of the blind. The airboats we drive are medium sized with high horsepower. These allow us to get our hunters to where the ducks are (we can drive over dry ground, vegetation, and mud) without having to make long walks from boat or buggy. We do our best to keep everyone comfortable and avoid walks through mud, soft bottom, and water.
The Hunting Blind
Our blinds are usually temporary grass blinds, as we follow the biggest groups of ducks around the marsh. Our blinds are typically built on the edge of water and on hard ground. Padded stools are what we like to set up in the blinds, but chairs with backs rests can be provided if requested in advance.
We build our blinds where the ducks are! A couple of days of shooting the same pond or puddle will thin the birds a bit, so we spend a lot of time scouting out the other ponds and puddles to stay on the best shooting areas.
How We Hunt
All hunts are fully guided. We do not drop hunters off in the marsh to fend for themselves. All hunts are done over decoys. The guides will set up all decoys and will call the ducks in for the shot.
We like to pull the ducks into the decoys and typically do not pass shoot. Hunting where the ducks want to be with a well placed spread of decoys is very important for fun and numberous shots. Because of this close range shooting, good camoflauge (face mask, gloves, and hat) is highly recommended.
The guides retrieve the downed birds and pack away the decoys and equipment from the blind. The hunters are welcomed to assist in this process - as it can be a fun part of the duck hunting experience.
After the Hunt
For a morning hunt, the hunt is over when a limit is reached or around 10am in the morning (when the ducks quit flying). Or, in the afternoon, the hunt is over when a limit is reached or at the time of official sunset. Once the hunt is over, the hunters can relax in one of the comfortable airboat seats and enjoy a ride through the marsh back to the boat ramp.
Pricing and Hunt Times
Rate: $300
(*Rates are for up to 2 hunters, $75 per hunter up to 5 total hunters per hunt.)
Morning Hunt: 5am - 10am
Afternoon Hunt: 1pm - 6pm
2011/2012 Season: Nov. 1, 2011 - Feb. 15 2012
Central Florida Snipe
Snipe are a migratory bird species that winter in the Central Florida marshes in great numbers. They inhabit very short grass fields that are near to water. They have long beaks, and feed on small insects and larvae. The flight of a snipe is very fast and erratic, making them a very challenging but fun target.
Our Hunting Techniques
Snipe are hunted on dry ground in the marshes. Snipe reside in low vegetation near water sources. The best habitat for snipe in the fall and winter are the edges of lakes and rivers.
These "snipe fields" are reached via airboat. The hunts are conducted like a quail or phesant hunt. We will line up and flush them as we walk. Snipe grunt as they flush, which will let you know they're flying! We do our best to find the areas with the highest concentration of birds before the hunt, so the hunt is fast paced and action packed!
With a typical hunt, we'll drive an airboat up onto the edge of a small field, hunt it, and then get back into the boat and move on to the next field. Snipe hunting is a great way to see Central Florida's wilderness, while experiencing a very fun hunt!
(*Rates are for up to 2 hunters, $75 per hunter up to 5 total hunters per hunt.) Morning Hunt: 7 - 11am Afternoon Hunt: 1 - 5pm
Pricing and Hunt Times
Rate: $300
Duck Snipe Combo
This is highly recommended, as throwing a snipe hunt in before or after a duck hunt makes for a well rounded day of hunting!
Rate: $450 - Total for both the duck and snipe hunt together
(*Rates are for up to 2 hunters, $75 per hunter up to 5 total hunters per hunt.)
Hunt Times: Add 2 hours to a morning or afternoon duck hunt.
Cast and Blast Combo
This is a fishing and Duck hunting combination trip. Check out our Cast and Blast page for more information.
Pricing
Rate: $475 - Total for up to three persons
