Hunting Square Blog

Getting Through the ICE

Posted on 07. Jan, 2010 by admin in Hunting Tips, Photos, Uncategorized

Tips to break the ice before it freezes

Some “so called” duck hunters are actually trying to come up with reasons not to go hunting – Why?  Cause of the ICE!

Top Excuses of the year:

1.  “my hole will be locked up.”

2. “The ice will be so thick we will be able to drive across it.”

3. “The birds will be too far south.”

4. “The birds wont land on the ice.”

Now if you are an actual “hard core” duck hunter, you will be smiling when you hear these excuses! I have been hunting ducks for 24 years and I know that this is the best time to get your limit if you are willing to work for it.

Here are a couple ways to move the ice or keep it out of your hole that I use to help me continue hunting, even in the extreme cold situations:
Tip # 1: Built 2 stands out of 2×4’s that will support a trolling motor and battery. I have 2 older minkota 35 trolling motors that I use 2 marine batteries. The evening before we want to hunt we go out around 8:00pm and set these 2 mounts up in our hole before it freezes up. You can turn the motors on medium and have the props half way in the water facing each other around 40 yards apart. Turn them on and go home and get a some sleep. When you return to your hole in the morning you will find out that your hole is open with water. It is a little noisy while they are running, but it is well worth it! If you have the open water at daylight you will have the ducks! We have done this for years and have had some AMAZING hunts due to doing this. It is a little work, but well worth it.

Tip # 2: Usually there are 3 of us hunting, and we all go out with water proof gloves, usually with the long decoy gloves and a small hatchet. Get on the ice and start chopping it loose in one big circle breaking the ice around you while you are walking.  After you have the 2 big pieces of ice get on one side and pick one of the ice pieces up and slide it under the rest of the ice that you have not broken. Repeat this on the second piece then we always start putting our decoys out immediately. If we get them out and still have time we just start walking circles around the hole until right before shooting time. Then get ready!!!

The main problem with hunting the coldest of days is the refreezing of holes. I have learned if you can get your decoys out and it lightly freezes back over the ducks will come close enough to shoot and I have seen many land on that ice!

Loren says. “I have hunted in areas in Tennessee, Missouri, and all over our great State of Arkansas for ducks. I am an avid duck hunter and I hope these tips help you out in this frigid weather.”

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Special thanks to Loren Walker for writing this article! “Stay Long, Hunt Hard”

If you can read this, “Thank a teacher”
If you can read this in English, “Thank a soldier”

Tags: arkansas hunting, duck hunting, freezing, freezing duck hunting, hunting in cold, hunting tips, ice, Tips