Species

Ducks

Migratory; a hard cold front and wind push new birds in. Here’s the behavior the score is built on.

How it behaves

Fresh birds ride in on northern cold fronts, and the freeze pushes them south.

A sharp temperature drop and a falling barometer trigger hard movement.

A breeze keeps birds flying and decoys alive; dead calm is slow.

Marshes, managed impoundments, and reservoir bays: the waterfowl areas.

Cold-weather game. It moves through the cold half of the season, and a hard front only sharpens the movement.

Cold fronts. Each hard northern front pushes a new wave of birds down; hunt the day of and the day after.
Freeze-up. When northern water locks up, birds pile into whatever stays open.
Wind and grey skies. Nasty weather keeps birds flying all day and finishing into the decoys.