the bad thing about going" out there" is that everything around here will be a let down. If he`s serious after 11 years and has the means to go out there to get his "fix" regularly then good ...go for it.
If not and is regular joe like most of us...I`d start out here and make Arkansas trip a treat every so often.
The hunting around here can be good at times and non existent at times . We`re dependant on the weather elsewhere to push the bigger masses of ducks this way. I`ve hunted ducks here since I was 10 year old and have seen some good years. 35-40 years ago you go to Douglas or Cherokee and see literally thousands of birds on the migration trail a day. 95% were half a mile high but enough came down to rest and give us a good shoot most days. Haven`t seen that since the late 80`s... Weather patterns have changed as well as migration routes. Managed to have some good days on Watts Bar in the 90`s when there was still some grass in the river system. Since then has been a bust for me most of the time.
I have always been a big water Hunter though...put out as many decoys as you haul ( 100 Plus when I could) and hope the weather pushes some our way. Never did get into small river, creeks,pond stuff. Takes a whole different set up. I know some people do well this way.But I got addicted to that calling the flock in to your spread and watching them wings set...nothing like it.
Best time for big water hunting around here requires really fridgid conditions up north and west of here, to push them here and really if all the ponds are frozen around here you can have some really good days here.
It can be worth the effort and trouble around here if you have a really good hunting buddy or 2 and can put up with the bad days everynow and then. Unfortuantly..my best hunting buddy passed away a few years ago...and finding one willing to put in the work is hard to find.
