Sound Waterfowling: Abundant Public Hunting Opportunities Await Just Offshore
By: John N. Felsher
The sun rises over Mississippi Sound near Moss Point, Miss. as the decoys wait for action. Photo by John N. Felsher
Scattered black clouds, broken in places by hints of pink, obscured the eastern horizon, but speedy black specters already rocketed over our position.
As the sky lightened a bit, we could see the Gulf of Mexico stretching unceasingly beyond the southern horizon. Behind us, a low marshy island, barely more than a weedy sandbar, rose from the shallows. From beyond the marshy island to the east, gunfire echoed over the waters, proclaiming that shooting hours had begun. Someone spotted birds. Alerted, we scanned the dark horizon and the big water in front of us for any movement.
“Here they come,” whispered Steven Ladner. “Five redheads. Flying low. Heading for the outer line of decoys.”
About 40 yards away, five ducks flying barely a foot over the waves attempted to land as we opened fire. Two gorgeous crimson-capped drakes and two hens dropped into the brine. We wouldn’t go home empty-handed this day.
When sportsmen think of duck hunting in the Magnolia State, most envision standing amid flooded timbers in a backwater off the Mississippi River, sitting in a rice field pit blind or hiding next to an old catfish pond. Many people lease marshes or flooded croplands for big dollars. As hunting leases grow more expensive and public lands more crowded, southern Mississippi sportsmen can enjoy hunting thousands of square miles of public territory for free with little competition.
We hunted Mississippi Sound about two miles from mainland Mississippi southeast of Pascagoula. An arm of the Gulf of Mexico fed by several rivers, Mississippi Sound runs along the entire Mississippi coastline. Several barrier islands separate the sound from the gulf.
Steven Ladner shows off a redhead drake he bagged during a hunt in Mississippi Sound south of Moss Point, Miss. Photo by John N. Felsher
Since natural, navigable waterways, such as Mississippi Sound, belong to the public, waterfowlers can set up blinds just about anywhere they can shoot safely. However, local regulations could prohibit hunting in certain areas deemed too close to places where people live, work or play. In addition, some public properties might establish waterfowl sanctuary zones or varied hours so always check before hunting anywhere.
“Areas where rivers flow into the sound are typically good travel corridors for waterfowl,” explained Houston Havens, a Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks biologist. “Scouting for large numbers of feeding ducks is a good way to find areas where ducks may return regularly. State waters are open to the public, but hunters should be sure they are in a public hunting area and compliant with all boating requirements.”
The bottom of Mississippi Sound slopes gently so boaters might encounter shallow water some distance from the mainland. These shallows, sandbars and grassy islands, particularly near the Pascagoula River delta, make excellent places to hunt ducks. Waterfowlers can also hunt marshy shorelines between Waveland and the Louisiana state line.
“Scouting is important when hunting Mississippi Sound,” confirmed Robert Brodie of Team Brodie Charters (teambrodiecharters.com) who grew up in Biloxi, Miss. “We usually hunt about a quarter mile off the east end of Deer Island or south of Cumbest Bayou.”
Kevin Toncrey, John N. Felsher and Daniel Felsher show off the redhead drake and scaup they killed while hunting with Robert Brodie of Team Brodie Charters in Mississippi Sound near Moss Point, Miss. Photo by John N. Felsher
Without cover in open water, many sportsmen hunt from boats equipped with folding pop-up blinds. When placed near a grassy island, the boat resembles part of the land or looks like an island itself. With such a blind, sportsmen can set up anywhere quickly or move to new locations easily.
“We go to the ducks,” Brodie advised. “With the boat blind, we can easily pick up the decoys and move to another spot. At times, we’ll make a hunt and see birds flying to another area. We’ll pick up the decoys and move. Sometimes we tow long lines of decoys to the new spot. I normally hunt with about 150 decoys in a mix of species.”
Slightly larger, with more white and a greenish head than a lesser scaup, a greater scaup makes a prized trophy for any waterfowler. Photo by John N. Felsher
Mississippi Sound waterfowlers mostly bag diving ducks, but could come home with practically anything that winters in the southern Mississippi Flyway. Redheads and scaup often comprise a major portion of the bag, but sportsmen might also shoot canvasbacks and other species.
“We mostly shoot redheads,” Brodie said. “We also shoot buffleheads and both greater and lesser scaup. We shoot an occasional canvasback. It’s possible to take a sea duck like an oldsquaw or scoter. Every now and then, we’ll get pintails, teal, a mallard or other puddle ducks. Over the years, we’ve also killed gadwalls, shovelers, wigeons, even wood ducks. We’ve even knocked down a few blue, snow and Ross geese.”
Before hunting anywhere in Mississippi Sound, check with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources to make sure that the spot is legal for hunting. Also, when hunting Mississippi Sound or any other big waters, pay attention to the weather. A large expanse of open water like Mississippi Sound, the front porch of hurricanes, can turn extremely rough – and deadly -- quickly. If weather turns sour, head to shore immediately. Live to hunt another day.
Originally from Louisiana, John N. Felsher is a professional freelance writer who lives in Semmes, Ala. An avid sportsman, he’s written more than 2,900 articles for more than 157 different magazines on a wide variety of outdoors topics. Follow him on the internet. He also hosts an outdoors tips show for WAVH FM Talk 106.5 radio station in Mobile, Ala. Contact him at j.felsher@hotmail.com or through Facebook.
