Duck Hunting 2019 - Finally Got My Dream Bird

On this duck hunt Jack and I headed out to a public lake to try and get on a big group of mallards that I had scouted the day prior. We setup in some marsh grass where the birds had been feeding the day prior however the flight was slow and we only had one bird come into our decoys. That bird just happened to be my first ever drake wigeon though, a bird that I've wanted to shoot since I started waterfowling. On our way out we had a crow give us a curious pass and I was able to knock it down and right before we got to our launch we can across some buffleheads that allowed us to paddle up and jump shoot them. Overall it was a weird hunt but one that was extremely rewarding. Hope y'all enjoy!
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[@dustinkile7705]

Awesome bird! I'm after the same thing in North Texas.

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks man! Good luck with your pursuit of one!

[@hardwaterfreaks1828]

Your buddy standing there like Rambo with 25 shells around his waist 🤣😂🤣

[@HokeOutdoors]

Haha I used to give him so much shit for that shell belt. Couldn't go on a hunt without it locked and loaded

[@slyflyby]

Congrats on the wall hanger Wigeon. Your observation of the amount of times after sitting forever without a duck seen and as soon as you start picking up (with no chance of shooting) here comes the ducks! The best explanation of this occurrence I read in a great book Waterfowl of North America published in the 40s. The old timers swore the ducks were attracted to any movement so they use to wave and throw their hats in the air. (most effective of course in the flat marshes of the Atlantic flyway where they hunted. As for the 150 mallard "no shows"where you set up this morning go back to all conditions observed on your scout IE : time, temp, wind, sky condition, and water level...All the pieces of the puzzle of the master Big Picture. (in any tid al area, water level is important to dabbling ducks) Sorry for the "book" reply, my attitude is always "what can the birds teach me today".Good luck in your remaining season.

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thank you! I like your approach of what can the birds teach us. I didn't elaborate enough about this in the video but my belief for why the birds didn't show back up was because I accidentally jumped them up off the spot the evening before. I've been very good this year about not bumping the birds when I scout them and thus leaving them undisturbed and until we hunt them on one of the following days. The evening prior to this hunt I was not extremely careful and the birds spooked when they saw me, leading to them either heading south or moving to another area on the lake and not returning the following morning.

[@chucksmith5002]

Nice Wigeon most definitely get it mounted .

[@brodyjump-fly-die-fry8976]

Make a video of that bird after you mount it

[@HokeOutdoors]

Will do. It'll probably be around a year since the guy I send mine to does a lot of work.

[@jdffurr3237]

Man that's my dream bird,if you can outsmart the ducks enough to get them into your decoys you've done your due diligence of sportsmanship, Congratulations 👍

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks man, totally agree!

[@kraigkaatz6858]

I had watched this previously but that is such an awesome bird.. good job Thomas.

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Kraig! I couldn't have asked for a better bird for my first drake wigeon

[@knightcustombuilds6988]

Yohahoe Thomas that is a dream bird I've killed many "rare" ducks but I can't get a widgeon to save my life buddy seems like what I seek is unavailable lol. Wrong flyway maybe, mostly Woodrow's an greenheads. I guess that's how SC timber is, never hunted coastline hbu

[@DrakeValleyOutdoors]

Congrats on the wigeon! I've shot a couple that I wish I would have gotten mounted. Now that I got myself a pintail for the wall, a wigeon will probably be the next one. I'd really like to hold out for a storm wigeon but I probably won't be able to be that patient lol

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thank you. A Pintail is next on my list, wasn't sure that I'd be able to make it happen in Virginia but saw quite a few pintails this year so I'm hopeful. I'd love to shoot a storm wigeon, a Euro is one that I'd really love to kill too.

[@BLASTER-vb5wu]

CONGRATS!!! can’t wait to see it mounted!! My Daughter shot her first Duck ever and it was a wigeon.!! Love the channel and NM support as always!!👍🏼👍🏼

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thank you! That's awesome, hopefully it'll be the first of many ducks for her!

[@MidValleyMercenaries]

Congrats on the Wigeon! One of my favorites. It’s a good thing you did shoot him on the water, saved him for the taxidermist. 1 pellet to the dome. Perfect. I got pumped for you. Love the “black duck” 😂

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thank you! I'd always thought they were beautiful birds from the pictures I'd seen but seeing that drake in person far exceeded any expectations I had for what they looked like. The black duck was the icing on the cake for this hunt, although I'm still surprised one was dumb enough to fly over like that.

[@shoreextremeoutdoors5324]

Stud of a wigeon! Way to go!

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thank you!!

[@ksoutdoorsports]

What a great hunt!

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks!

[@coopernickerson370]

I had similar situation with fully plumage drake and gave it to my cousin for wall hanger. I would stop by his house and take a look it. He has numerous mounted birds but this one stands out.

[@HokeOutdoors]

Nice! I'm really looking forward to getting mine back in a year or so...

[@jmac5009]

Got all my dream birds (wigeon, wood duck, ruddy) all within the 1st 4 days this season. Looking at my wigeon drake on the wall right now. Congrats

[@HokeOutdoors]

Nice!! What state?

[@jmac5009]

@@HokeOutdoors South Dakota but I hunt Colorado too. We have extreme variety in SD. Its pretty common to shoot 6 different species in the same day

[@bobbysanchez9852]

Congrats bro. That’s my dream bird too

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thank you! Good luck on getting yours!

[@lukelamotte1455]

Awesome hunt man. I named my pup wigeon because I like em so much.

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thank you! That's a great name. Has he/she got to retrieve any yet?

[@lukelamotte1455]

Thanks man I wanted a name nobody has used really. Yea 7 months old she was retrieving wood ducks then at 10/11 months she was retrieving ducks and geese. She has been an awesome dog. Check my instagram page out @akfinsandfeathers nothin but the huntin and fishin on it.

[@HighPrairieSportsmen]

That is a stud! Congrats man!

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks Matt. Looking forward to getting him back from the taxidermist!

[@MatthewBrown-qd4lp]

Lucky man ive never managed to get a wigeon also one of my dream birds that and a pintail ive got everything else on my list got a chance at a pintail this year and blew it never got a chance at a wigeon. One day hopefully. Beautiful bird

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thank you!! You'll get them. I missed my chance at a Pintail last year and missed one this year as well.

[@knightcustombuilds6988]

Everytime I bust birds off a roost on big water they don't return, I've scouted an returned in 12 hours to only shoot the morning flight of Woodrow's an never see a big duck. From 400 or better to none overnight. I have big water badluck lol.

[@FowlAssassinsOutdoors]

Dude that wigeon is a STUD! Congrats on your dream bird! You've had a great season! What's your next dream bird? Gotta go for that one next

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks!! It was a really fun year and had a lot of hunts that I will remember for a long time. Next on my list is a Pintail, but I'm also still in search of my first Redhead or Shoveler too.

[@FowlAssassinsOutdoors]

@@HokeOutdoors Right on! Come out to CA, pretty much a guarenteed spoony, and pintails if at the right places! Refuges can be brutal to hunt sometimes though. Lol

[@bradleykmdean]

Looked like a fun time.

[@HokeOutdoors]

It was a fun day. Not always about making a pile

[@millerstactical9702]

Way to go nice trophy

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thank you!!

[@southernsonoutdoors3868]

That is a nice wigin

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thanks!

[@cornonthecob9699]

In my christian, lovely state, the wonderful sport of duck season is goddamn over!!!!!!!!!!

[@greatestoutdoorsman]

what is your favorite kayak to hunt ducks out of? also what is your recommended length for a kayak to duck hunt in?

[@HokeOutdoors]

I really like the Old Town Discovery 119 that I use now and I'd recommend a 12 ft kayak

[@MikeClarkOutdoors]

Awesome bird! Definitely never fails when packing up they fly in. Great video. Doing any goose hunting?

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thank you!! I've been doing some scouting for geese but haven't turned up much of anything yet. I'll probably hunt for them a couple times this week and then next weekend.

[@MikeClarkOutdoors]

@@HokeOutdoors well if you can get on some good luck!

[@tylerdixon9482]

Just came from your old vid the 61 dove day pretty good our dove season here in NC went out yesterday when does Virginia go out?

[@HokeOutdoors]

Ours went out in mid January. I typically only hunt for doves in September and may shot one or two later in the season when I get an opportunity.

[@tylerdixon9482]

Yeah that’s what we do but we found a field about 3 weeks ago that had so many doves I mean there was between 400-500 we have been the past 3 Saturday’s and everyone has limited out and we went yesterday and did the same thing

[@noahyoung6336]

TYLER Dixon What part of NC are you from?

[@whackinstackin3149]

Great video! I love water swatting that’s how I kill most of my ducks 😂 congrats on your wigeon.

[@HokeOutdoors]

Thank you!

[@CJgetsracks]

I felt the same way when i shot my first Drake Widgeon this past January , going on the the wall !

[@HokeOutdoors]

Congrats man! I can't wait to get mine back next winter.

[@dawsonpeters2798]

That's my dream bird too

[@HokeOutdoors]

Pictures don't do them justice. Hope you get yours!

[@nasserkuzbari2205]

what shotgun were you using?

[@HokeOutdoors]

This was my old Stoeger M3500 in this video

[@lukebabb1480]

Has the mount came in yet?

[@HokeOutdoors]

Nope, the guy I use has a 12-14 month turn around time typically

[@jacksuhr42]

I’ve killed so many wigeon, and my friend I hunt with has killed a banded drake wigeon

[@HokeOutdoors]

Nice! Where was it banded?

[@jacksuhr42]

I can’t remember where the said it was banned but right after he shot it we had looked up the number and information online and it said it was a wood duck but it was obviously a drake wigeon and so they had messed up when they were banning but they fixed it, we had shot it in Texas, and there’s always wigeon here during duck season. And the wigeon he had shot had more of white features on its whole head than yours did.

[@mikeremillard275]

Was that a crow lol hahahaha

[@HokeOutdoors]

Haha yup! I love shooting em

[@tyduckert5570]

That’s my dream bird to I shot one yesterday but it wasn’t it didn’t have good color

[@HokeOutdoors]

Nice! I'm happy I got this one is January, he was about as plumed out as they get

[@louisianafishingandhunting26]

Got my pintail this year going to try to get my wedgion next year nice wedgion

[@HokeOutdoors]

Nice! Good luck with your wigeon!

[@wvoutdoortv7851]

Hey man what part of Virginia are you from ?

[@HokeOutdoors]

Central VA

[@wvoutdoortv7851]

Awesome man I’m from West Virginia just got into water fowl hunting this year I followed you on Instagram man sent you a msg I just have a couple questions man if you have a min to tlk thanks !

[@connorlewis7405]

Count how many time he said dude

[@HokeOutdoors]

How many times was it? I'm curious, guessing between 8-10 times

[@connorlewis7405]

Didn’t count yet. I’m in school 😂😂

[@connorlewis7405]

Virginia Outdoors Unlimited it was 9 times