Aucilla Ducks

[redbelly7]

Does anyone take a shotgun and shoots at any of the ducks flying around along the Aucilla and Ecofina? I've seen thousands and planning on bringing my shotgun on the next trip. Do you have to use steel shot in FL?

[Salty Gator]

Yes on both. Costal duck hunts can be spectacular. And you need to use steel shot ( or nonled equiv.) for waterfowl in fl. Good luck

[Salty Gator]

Spoke to a buddy duck hunting this am, and he said aucilla may be off limits for hunting. May want to check out the piney island area. Good luck

[redbelly7]

Thanks for the info. Is there a website or a phone number we could call for info? I like to abide by the law when I cross state lines. Not that I don't when close to home, just saying....

[bman]

Hickory Mound is suppose to be great hunting as in that area...
http://myfwc.com/RECREATION/Duck_Hunt_Hickory_Mound.htm

[MudDucker]

Much of Aucilla is a refuge.

Bman ... you made me spit my coffee all over my keyboard ... Hickory Mound can be good on rare morning, but I've not heard it referred to as great in a LONG time.

[bman]

Much of Aucilla is a refuge.

Bman ... you made me spit my coffee all over my keyboard ... Hickory Mound can be good on rare morning, but I've not heard it referred to as great in a LONG time.

You keep saying that

[Allnighter]

You have to use steel shot for hunting waterfowl anywhere in the USA.

[silverking]

The buffleheads and other divers are really starting to show up around Lanark. Not sure if there's anywhere you can really hunt over there, but if they're there, they should be getting thick around Piney Island and other hunt zones.

[MudDucker]

Much of Aucilla is a refuge.

Bman ... you made me spit my coffee all over my keyboard ... Hickory Mound can be good on rare morning, but I've not heard it referred to as great in a LONG time.

You keep saying that

Okay, then what morning do you want to meet up? I don't like to look silly all by myself.

[Jumptrout51]

You may not like it,but you certainly have plenty of experience.

[onefishtwofish]

Holy crap. I log on to my fishing site to see a thread about ducks.

To redbelly, you CAN hunt out of Aucilla, but you have to turn east and be past the bouys before it is legal. That line is the boundary of the St. Marks Wildlife Refuge. Carrying your gun through the refuge is kind of a gray area, so I would suggest if you plan on doing it, call and speak directly to the FWC officer for the area to get the okay. You must have a hunting license, a state waterfowl permit, a federal duck stamp and a migratory bird permit. http://www.myfwc.com/docs/RecreationAct ... t_coot.pdf.
You may only take 6 ducks, of which only 2 bluebills, 2 redheads, one canvasback, two pintail, etc. You better know your ducks before you start pulling the trigger as well. Non-toxic shot (steel, tungsten, bismuth, etc which must be approved for waterfowl hunting).

There are many more regs for duck hunting and I would suggest checking that site out to know what you may and may not do. If you plan on just shooting at passing birds, the most likely thing you will kill are buffleheads, they are not as shy as some of the others. Make sure you know what a cormorant and a loon are on the wing, cause those are big tickets as well.

[Allnighter]

You can not have a gun at the boat ramp on the Aucilla, that is a Federal Refuge which doesn't allow firearms.

[MudDucker]

You can apply for a permit from the feds to transport your gun across the refuge.

[redbelly7]

Sounds like we need to go out of Econfina, and get up in a creek and wear them out!