As I've mentioned before, in the next couple of years I'll be relocating (hopefully for good) to somewhere in the state. The sooner I get that sorted out and get a contact in place, the better, thus it's time to really start to narrow down the search from "somewhere in the state." My wife and I have both made a list of requirements and my major requirement is availability of ducks hunting and fishing. To me that means panhandle (if I'm willing to give up fish), east Texas, and the coast. However, I'm trying to get as specific possible, so I've come to the ob and it's combined experience. Where on the map below should I put the red line that represents where duck hunting ends in Texas? Does it go to the yellow line or red? Randomly jumping birds off of stock tanks doesn't count.

I would draw the line at the Pecos. There is great duck hunting in San Angelo for example. Fishing too. And points west of there.

I don't know if there's a geographic region as a cut off. More of a can you get access to the water issue. Some of the best hunting Ive ever had was near Carrizo Springs. We had access to all the tanks on about 5000 acres once deer season ended each year. Killed my first banded gadwall there. Never hunted Amistad or Choke Canyon but their both supposed to be good.

As far as the most public access you would want to be near the coast or northeast TX lakes. Panhandle direction is probably the best for ease of access to private property.

No personal experience but one of my fraternity brothers has family land south of Abilene between there and Buffalo Gap. They have a half dozen or so small tanks and from the pics he's shared they get covered up in ducks every fall/winter.

Puryear Playboy said:

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I would draw the line at the Pecos. There is great duck hunting in San Angelo for example. Fishing too. And points west of there.

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Yeah, the Pecos River seems like the cut off. Our place in Ballinger is usually covered up in ducks.

The Concho Valley and Big Country have great duck hunting with not much pressure from a ton of hunters like further East does.

The good thing about West Texas is that there isn't a whole lot of water for the birds to spread out on. So if you do have access to water in far west Texas, there should be ducks on it during the winter.

I've lived and hunted east Texas and the panhandle so I really familiar with those areas. West of the Colorado it seems like the strategy is to jump tanks, not really my favorite thing to do. Is that a bad assumption?

Not really. However, there are a lot of "soil conservation lakes" scattered out. You may be able to finagle your way onto a couple of those.

Yes. A very poor assumption.

But remember too that most people are duck shooters, not duck hunters, or Waterfowlers.

Knowing how to call, and all the minutiae that makes a Waterfowler is pretty uncommon knowledge.

Not sure where I fall in your definition, but as said pond jumping is not my thing. I'd much rather have a few well known areas and be able to work the birds into a spread. Watching the birds decoy into a well laid out spread is as much fun as the actual shooting. You said in another thread you guided central Texas, so in your opinion how far west can you go and reasonably be able to expect good hunting.

if youre looking for a couple good areas in west texas id imagine the competition for those is pretty high as memtioned San Angelo can have some good duck numbers but not in many spots your red and yellow lines are probably your best bet

There is actually some pretty good waterfowl hunting on the International Boundary and Water Commission property southeast of El Paso.

To visit, sure. To live...pass

It depends on your specs. If you like to eat them, i would stay more east with some opportunities in the Panhandle. The farther west (Pecos River) the ducks seem to be more fishing eating species and spoonies (that may be my luck though on the spoonies). As water goes, the farther west you get into tank hopping instead of large habitat.

I live in Lubbock currently and we have access to private playas around the area which can hold thousands and none the next day. Usually typical central flyways species with some pacific mixed in, shot some cinnamon teal a couple years ago. But by far the biggest concentrations on along the coast and in East Texas (east of the trinity river for a wider range of species). I have hunted all over the state and my favorite spots are on the Texas coast around Rockport and East Texas up near Kilgore. We have hunted some epic days around Wichita Falls more specifically Seymour that held thousands of Specklebellys with a few snows coming through but it is a semi short window for those passing through headed to the coast.

Speaking of the Texas coast, the weather is awesome except for a few months that it gets nice and muggy but you have reds and trout to chase which can be addicting as a few on this forum can attest to. Also in that area is Eagle Lake and China which share the name of the goose hunting capital of Texas, I lived in East Bernard about 5 years ago and I literally went duck hunting every single day around China and out my back door (where I actually became a waterfowler not a skyblaster)

We shot a ton of redheads last year in Ballinger. Problably the most of any ducks next to Gadwalls and Widgeon.

You lived in East Bernard and dove to China to hunt?

no i am ******ed, was talking to a customer about a job in China, I meant Egypt it was about 5 miles from my house.. Geez its the eclipse.....and monday in the oil patch

I've been able to do well in Del Rio with the ducks for years, also good fishing over on Lake Amistead.

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no i am ******ed, was talking to a customer about a job in China, I meant Egypt it was about 5 miles from my house.. Geez its the eclipse.....and monday in the oil patch

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Unless you're set on drawing a line, maybe try a different strategy. You need to just start shading in the areas in Texas that have good duck hunting. It's not really a line.

Probably makes more sense. Where else should be shaded? Mostly that's where I've hunted/know to have good hunting. I just haven't spent enough time in central and west Texas to know what to think.

Wasn't kidding about southeast of El Paso.

Redheads? Nice. I'd probably have to add to the ranch mount collection with a nice specimen. We have Widgeon, Gadwall, Pintail, Ringnecks, and Mallard... that is highest population to lowest. We are between Talpa and Ballinger on a couple farm ponds the birds like to loaf.

ursusguy said:

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Wasn't kidding about southeast of El Paso.

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Me either, but for completeness....
Any other places?

Playa lakes in Reagan, glasscock, Martin, Howard counties

I grew up duck hunting in El Paso.

Think you could go ahead and shade in that Vernon, Childress, Paducah area. Pretty good duck hunting if you have water. Much the same as the panhandle. Looks good otherwise.