Kodiak Island Duck

Kodiak Island should be on every waterfowler’s bucket list for a destination hunt. Whether you are trying to mark a few birds off your list, looking for the perfect bird to mount, looking for a scenic place to hunt ducks, or all the above, Kodiak Island is the answer. Duck hunting starts in November and runs until the end of January. The best hunting is in the months of December and January.

In our area we target multiple different species including:

Harlequin
Old Squaw
Surf Scoter
Common Scoter
White Wing Scoter
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
Greater/Lesser Scaup
Common Merganser
Red Breasted Merganser
Bufflehead
Common/King Eider (rare)
Miscellaneous Puddle Ducks

These birds can help you get closer to finishing your North American Waterfowl slam and provide some of the best taxidermy mounts you’ve ever seen. Not to mention the beautiful and breath-taking scenery you’ll encounter on your hunt. Kodiak Island’s landscape and wildlife never disappoints. Along with multiple different waterfowl species, you can see Kodiak brown bears, Sitka Blacktail deer, Fox, Orcas, Fin whales and America’s favorite bird, the Bald Eagle. There will never be a dull moment on your hunt of a lifetime.

THE HUNTING

The weather and tides predict what and where you will hunt from day to day. This lodge is one of the only lodges that offer 6 full days of hunting, mainly because weather can throw a wrench in the plan and keep you from hunting where you should hunt.

On a good weather day with the right tide, you will be asked what species you would like to target for that day. Doing this makes collecting birds easy and organized.

Depending on the species you go after that day, you will either be hunting off of a rocky shoreline with a chase boat picking up downed birds or hunting out of a 25 foot Bankes duck boat. All the hunting is done over top of the line, detailed, and species-specific decoys rigged on long lines. Shots are usually within 30 yards and your guide will call out prime drakes as they come into the decoy spread, so there is no doubt that you are taking the best bird possible. Weather can be unpredictable, which is normal for Alaska. Some days can be around 40 degrees, while others can be in the single digits, so come prepared for the worst.