Waterfowl Hunt Results for California Refuges January 9th, 2022

Now is the time to throw the ducks a "Change Up". Instead of throwing out the same old decoy set put out something more enticing! Most ducks start looking to pair up right around the first of the year and by mid-January are pairing up for spring breeding. This is why you see so many pairs and triples buzzing around and darting through the trees in late January. What I like to do is change up my decoy spread and remove as many drakes as I can and in their place add a bunch of hens. I dig out all my old hen decoys that I have been picking up from yard sales and such. And I leave only enough drakes to add some color and I will place two drakes with one hen to the left and right of my spread and a big thick gob of hens right in the middle as close as I can get them without touching. When I hunt the refuges, I will use 2 or 3 dozen decoys of just hens, but if I have the room and don't have to pack them as far, I will put out as many as I can, and don't worry about color those drakes can spot those hens a long way out.

Here are your refuge results for California Refuges Curtesy of California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Use these results to determine what decoys to take with you to the refuges and other areas near where these refuges are, to increase your success rate.

Waterfowl Codes:

AGWT = American Green Wing Teal

AMWI = American Wigeon

BUFF= Bufflehead

GADW= Gadwall

GOLD= Goldeneye

GWFG= Greater White Fronted Goose (Speck)

LSGO= Lessor Snow Goose

MALL= Mallard

NOPI= Northern Pintail

NSHO= Northern Shoveler

RNDU= Ringneck Duck

SCAU= Scaup (or Bluebill)

WODU= Wood Duck

ROGO= Ross Goose