Waterfowling North America February/March 2021
by Doug Larsen
Sometime in October of 1983, I huddled in a 16-foot Lund boat painted army green, hidden behind a screen of cattails woven through chicken wire, with my feet freezing in Hodgeman rubber waders. Two of my high school classmates were with me, and we suffered in the icy cold as the anchored boat rolled in the chop off a small point. By eight a.m., we had been there over two hours, and I had lost all interest in this “diver hunting” thing. Duck hunting, to me, was mallard hunting on farm ponds on golden October mornings, not sitting out in a sleeting gale eating cold cheese sandwiches while waiting on ghosts. My mind wandered…
The next sound I heard changed my life forever. A tearing, ripping, whooshing, jet-engine sound passed overhead, leaving nothing but chaos and goosebumps in its wake. I looked up to see the south ends of a large group of northbound ducks, and as I watched them, they snapped in the air like a bullfighter’s cape and reversed course. One of my companions announced, “Bluebills,” and I dropped my sandwich and a mitten into the bilge water as forty-something bluebills steamed over the tops of the waves before crashing into our spread of Carry-Lite decoys and painted milk jugs. Our pump guns roared and shucked as black and white ducks scattered. To my astonishment, I managed to knock down a drake off the corner of the decoys. He was black and white and sleek with a broad robin’s egg blue bill and a strong round chest like a prizefighter. I have chased diving ducks ever since that day, because there is nothing quite like them.
If this turned into a diver versus puddler debate, I would probably concede the contest. I am well aware that puddle ducks are favored across North America, and the mallard is favored the most. Frankly, I think the epitome of the duck-hunting sport is calling and finishing mallards over decoys. It doesn’t get any better, and that is a fact. But, for those who feel the pull of the tides or love the feeling of spray in their face, a case can certainly be made for diving ducks.
To hunt them successfully requires a completely different skill set – the tools are different; the boats are different; you need big guns, big ropes, and long lines; and you need to have the guile and sense of a true waterman. You need to have a working knowledge of stern lights, channel markers, charts, and GPS units. You have to be able to trailer a boat to and from and down and up an icy ramp many days, with the dual purposes of both encountering these exciting ducks and also getting home safely.
But the rewards are great – big ducks that slash across the decoys and are as tough to kill cleanly as any duck that flies. When the hunt ends, most of the divers are perfectly fit for the table, and back in the market hunting days, a brace of canvasback fetched more than a pair of mallards or pintails.
In terms of species, the king of the diving ducks is the canvasback, followed by the redhead, and then the greater and lesser scaups (broadbills and bluebills). Following those three highly desirable species, there are also ring-necked ducks (often called ringbills or blackjacks), goldeneyes, and buffleheads that many diver hunters find to be attractive birds for filling out a bag. All of the species are relatively abundant, with the exception of bluebills and canvasbacks that have faced population challenges. While their numbers are lower than they have been historically, restricted seasons remain open for both, and hunting for them is still plenty exciting.
The other particularly appealing thing about hunting divers is access. Unlike puddle ducks, which are found increasingly behind locked gates or on heavily traveled public ground, diving ducks are truly the duck for every man. With a boat that can handle it, you could hunt any of the Great Lakes and find success on divers; or on the Finger Lakes in New York; or visit large lakes in Wisconsin, Michigan, or Minnesota. Divers are found on bodies of water across the Midwest; into the South; all along the coasts from Alaska to Baja and Maine to the Carolinas; and they can streak your setup in the Prairie Pothole Region. Big river systems host divers as well, from the pools of the Mississippi and bends in the Ohio to slightly smaller systems that serve as north/south migration routes for diving ducks.
Just as there are many ways to hunt mallards, so, too, are there many ways to hunt the divers. Typically, it involves a boat or hunting a point that is long enough to intersect the flight path of ducks that prefer to fly over open water. While you can hunt divers with as few as a dozen decoys, most of the serious diver guys run larger spreads to ensure that they can be seen. One thing about divers: They decoy with total abandon. They don’t tiptoe around like mallards that circle and circle, or hang at 60 yards like finicky gadwall that just inspect your spread from on high. Divers jump under the ropes and get right into the ring, usually after one slashing pass.
The challenge in running large spreads is that these ducks will often feed in water depths of from six to over 30 feet. Imagine picking up a spread of even 50 decoys, each fitted with 25 feet of cord, and keep in mind you will probably be doing this in the cold and waves. Consider running decoys on long lines (mother lines) or decoy rafts, each of which you can learn lots about with an Internet search or time on a duck-hunting forum.
Typically, you’d scout for divers, and, finding a group of them on a body of water, you would then make a plan to launch nearby and set up where they have been rafting or feeding. Some states impose limitations on hunting open water or within submerged vegetation, so if you gear up to hunt divers, get familiar with the regulations as appropriate.
Unlike 20 or 30 years ago, the changes in boats along with advances in motors, batteries, waders, and clothing have helped to soften the edges of the harshness of diver duck hunting. Plenty of big diver rigs now not only have the ability to handle big water safely but come with a host of additions to make waiting for the ducks more comfortable, from decoy storage to propane heat. You can be pretty comfortable while sitting off a point waiting for a wedge of canvasbacks or a wad of redheads to jet over and part your hair. Like all other duck hunting, there can be pressure on the divers when the birds are “in,” but unlike puddle duck hunting, you will usually be able to find more elbow room and won’t have another boat setting up on top of you.
Lastly and perhaps most importantly, if you chase divers at all, make sure that safety is your first priority. Don’t just carry life jackets, wear them. Tell people where you are going, and boat safely after assessing the conditions. Duck hunting is fun and important, but it pales beside getting home safely to family and friends.
