Waterfowl hunting exception at Kirch, Key Pittman wildlife management areas

Waterfowl season got off to a great start last month, with hunters at the Kirch and Key Pittman wildlife management areas bagging their share of ducks. Though both locations were productive on the opener, it looks as if Key Pittman was the place to be, with most hunters reporting full or nearly full bag limits.

"Opening day was the most unbelievable hunt I've been on in my life, hands down," Henderson resident Brock Perry said of his opening-day hunt at Key Pittman. "I've been on probably 2,000 hunts, and that's the most unbelievable hunt I've ever been on."

Perry has spent his life hunting waterfowl in Nevada and also serves as a pro staffer for a list of companies that includes Buck Gardner Calls and Dakota Decoys. In describing his opening-day adventure, Perry said he and the 35 other hunters nearby had bagged about 100 birds within an hour of legal shooting time. Birds were so plentiful that "guys were able to pick their shots," he said. And though the season is nearly a month old in most of the state, Perry believes a lot of good hunting is yet to come.

For those of you who never have been to Key Pittman, the management area boasts two lakes -- Frenchy on the south and Nesbitt on the north. The water level at Nesbitt is low, and that has exposed mud flats and created new hunting opportunities.

"With water down the way it is, it's not the same old hunt," Perry said. "This year's got a lot of changes to it. We're going to see a lot of variety."

To take advantage of Nesbitt's low water, Perry recommends using a small decoy spread comprised of one to two dozen decoys representing a variety of duck species -- four or five diving ducks, two or three gadwalls, a pair of teal and a dozen mallards. With that mix, you "could really have a good shoot," he said. "Guys with a variety of decoys in their spread are going to have as good a hunt as they usually do along the east shoreline and the north end."

Another option hunters have with the low water is a walk-in hunt on Nesbitt's west side. From the middle and upper parking areas, you can work your way through the tules and find open pockets of water. This is an arduous adventure because the footing can be difficult and the tules are tough to get through.

"Once they get through there, they'll find a real good hole that's open," Perry said. "If they can find those little pockets in there, all they have to do is go in and stand there on a windy day. If there are shooters on the other side, they'll knock (the ducks) dead."

While the water at Nesbitt is low, just the opposite is true at Frenchy. Some hunters might consider the water level to be perfect for the birds and hunters. Hunters looking to put a goose next to the turkey on Thanksgiving Day might be able to decoy that goose along Frenchy's southern shoreline.

"Guys with a few full-body geese and a few full-body ducks can go into the south end of Frenchy and do really well," Perry said. "The key is to mix your decoy spread up and show the birds something different."

Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His "In the Outdoors" column, published Thursday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions he states in his column are his own. He can be reached at intheoutdoorslv@gmail.com.