Barack Obama must not be a hunter. What was he thinking coming to Alaska on opening day of duck season? Did he really think duck hunters were going to forgo their evening hunt to listen to some dude from Chicago tell them about Alaska? We can tape President Obama's remarks, but those pintails aren't going to stick around very long with these low fall temperatures.
These heavy frosts are a couple of weeks early. The ducks don't like it, and some of the early migrants such as widgeons and pintails already are moving from ponds to river bars, preparing to leave the Interior. Mallards will hang in there as long as there is open water. There are more mallards than usual near the Denali Highway this season due to the excellent berry crop.
Mallards will forage in the willows in search of blueberries and lingonberries. I have jumped them while hunting ptarmigan. Waterfowl of all types had a good hatch and are plentiful.
There has been a dearth of duck hunters along the Denali Highway in the last decade. An entire generation of really dumb ducks are swimming very close to the road system on both Monahan Flats (on the west side of the Upper Susitna River), and on the Maclaren River. I was able to get my 6-year-old daughter up on some mallards – and you know how much little girls talk.
When hunting with small children, I have better success with pass shooting than trying to jump ponds. Patience is a learned virtue. Fidgeting and talking – even singing – is okay while sitting at the end of a lake waiting for ducks to return for the evening feeding. Water is lower on most area ponds and lakes than it has been for years. Shallow water combined with the warm summer made for excellent feed conditions on a few larger lakes.
Ducks and kids are a great mix. There is almost always enough action to keep the interest up. Plus, if one's shooting is a bit suspect (like mine), the kid wants to take over, figuring they can do better.
It's also nice to have a dog along. I am short a good bird dog this year. My half-breed shepherd-husky won't retrieve from water, only on land. She gets to come along, but I also need to carry a fishing pole to reach the ones that drop in the pond.
Widgeons will drop in on decoys or even on a dog that paces the shoreline. Green-wing teal will sneak in and land among decoys and in some cases sit while you shoot over them. Shovelers will do the same. I tend to leave the shovelers alone; they have almost no meat on them and their taste is reminiscent of the bottom of the pond.
Correct shot size is as important as the right pond. When jump shooting puddle ducks, I like to mix shot sizes. Try beginning with a couple No. 4's and follow with a No. 2. The same shot mix holds true sitting over decoys. No. 2's work for pass shooting, especially if there are pintails and mallards overhead.
There are a lot of teal on the Denali Highway this fall. They never get smart and are among the easiest of all ducks to jump shoot. I have seen a couple family groups of blue-wing teal this fall. They are slightly larger and smarter than their cousins and very rare in Alaska. Both green and blue-wing teal are among the tastiest ducks.
Some folks tell me that wild ducks taste gamey. It's all in the cooking. Ease off on the cooking temperature to 325 and roast them longer. If you skin them because of excessive pinfeathers, put a slice of uncooked bacon over the breast and wrap them in several layers of damp paper towels. All ducks should be wrapped in tin foil to hold in the moisture.
Some people clean them, but leave the feathers on. Try it. You can roast the bird at near 400 degrees and then peel the skin and feathers off when the duck is done. Cleanup is a snap too.
However they are hunted and however they are cooked, ducks are among the most satisfying hunts. Come to the Denali Highway, but don't forget hip boots, steel shot and your state and federal duck stamps.
John Schandelmeier is a lifelong Alaskan who lives with his family near Paxson. He is a Bristol Bay commercial fisherman and two-time winner of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.