Mallard Behavior - Cannot Attach to Need Zone

[Lenny Rat]

I am at lake near Mt. Kraken. When I join the game, there are literally dozens of them on the water. By the time I move from my tent to my stand, they usually fly off...as if it were a timed function.

But my primary complaint is if I do get a chance to spot them, they show up in my spotter as Resting; however, they never get added as a NZ of their own. There are several NZ's for other species around the lake. I have decoys out but I never find feathers floating in the water...just lots of duck ♥♥♥♥.

What am I missing? How can I get these ducks to fly back into the lake and my blinds?

[BONITE]

Originally posted by Lenny Rat:

I am at lake near Mt. Kraken. When I join the game, there are literally dozens of them on the water. By the time I move from my tent to my stand, they usually fly off...as if it were a timed function.

But my primary complaint is if I do get a chance to spot them, they show up in my spotter as Resting; however, they never get added as a NZ of their own. There are several NZ's for other species around the lake. I have decoys out but I never find feathers floating in the water...just lots of duck ♥♥♥♥.

What am I missing? How can I get these ducks to fly back into the lake and my blinds?

I have the same problem in Parque Fernando, I've been around the lakes several times (it cost me days) and I don't find any areas of need, I only find droppings.
I can't get close to the shores of the lake without the present ducks flying away and I can't even pull them out, they are too far away.
Also the caller doesn't seem to work, no ducks come on the caller.
At hirschfeld like this, no areas of need and the geese do not react on the caller.
The only map where I can properly hunt ducks is the Yukon Valley map.
So for me Layton lake, Hirschfeld and Parque Fernando are worthless for hunting ducks and geese (hirschfeld).

[Lenny Rat]

Originally posted by YukonTrapper:

Originally posted by Lenny Rat:

I am at lake near Mt. Kraken. When I join the game, there are literally dozens of them on the water. By the time I move from my tent to my stand, they usually fly off...as if it were a timed function.

But my primary complaint is if I do get a chance to spot them, they show up in my spotter as Resting; however, they never get added as a NZ of their own. There are several NZ's for other species around the lake. I have decoys out but I never find feathers floating in the water...just lots of duck ♥♥♥♥.

What am I missing? How can I get these ducks to fly back into the lake and my blinds?

I have the same problem in Parque Fernando, I've been around the lakes several times (it cost me days) and I don't find any areas of need, I only find droppings.
I can't get close to the shores of the lake without the present ducks flying away and I can't even pull them out, they are too far away.
Also the caller doesn't seem to work, no ducks come on the caller.
At hirschfeld like this, no areas of need and the geese do not react on the caller.
The only map where I can properly hunt ducks is the Yukon Valley map.
So for me Layton lake, Hirschfeld and Parque Fernando are worthless for hunting ducks and geese (hirschfeld).

Just confirmed this a second time, In Roonachee. Fast travel to the outpost, lots of ducks on the lake, lots of poop around, but when I spot the ducks, even though they are "resting" they don't get added to a need zone.

This is really annoying as I spent several days setting up duck decoys and blinds at lakes that DO have NZ's. It worked fine the first few days; I had flights going over that I successfully called into my blinds in every location. But now, the ducks don't fly over any longer even though I have NZ's there. It is as if they have gone to these other lakes that I cannot mark them on.

[Lenny Rat]

I read somewhere that there is a maximum number of blinds or decoys that you can setup in a region. Not sure if there is any truth to it.

Now I wonder if I perhaps have exceeded that limit and that is why no new NZ's (feathers) show up at other lakes?

Guess I'll have to knock one down and see if that changes anything.

[Nightwalker]

Try hitting them with the spot while they are airborne instead of while they are floating on the lake. That should add the nearest need zone to their travel pathway (even one you might not have discovered). Animals rotate between need zones thus what works for a while in some places/lakes for a few days may experience periods of neglect. There is no limit to how many decoys or set up you can have per region, only per map. When you max out the game will not allow you to exceed that limit. There is no advantage (no increased chance of luring them in) to setting out more than 20 decoys per setup. It is impossible to call ducks sitting out in the middle of the lake closer to you and yes, they can be quite hard to sneak up on. The days of being able to harvest 25 ducks a day are long gone.

[Lenny Rat]

Thank you for that info on decoys.

I have spotted them both in the air and on the lake. Still doesn't add them to, or establish, a NZ at the lake.

[Nightwalker]

It seems the devs tend to go from one extreme to another while trying to figure out the right mix of numbers and behavior of a species.

[Lenny Rat]

After a few days, I fast traveled back to one of the 2 lakes where I could not establish a zone. Again, ducks are there, again, most spook as I move from my tent to the tripod, but a number remained.

Lo and behold; a zone! A few feathers floating near my decoys. Once highlighted a big NZ for Mallards is now in the middle of my lake. Finally!

Unfortunately the mallard behavior is clearly broken. I sat on my tripod and picked off several with the .22 and none spooked. That was at about 75yds. A few wandered within 55yds, so I hit one with my shotgun and the others around it STILL did not spook. At other lakes, one shot from the .20 gauge was enough to send the entire pack flying. Not this time. They are all just spotting as "Traveling - Defensive". None are leaving at all.

On a hilarious note, when you shoot one on the water, there will still be a secondary splash from your duck hitting the water (even though it wasn't in the air). C'mon Devs...lazy.

[AldoAZApache]

Hmm reminds me...

I had the same problem on the Roonachee lakes...

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1973973549

got a diamond on the northern lake here but since its been slow and no NZ's agree..

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1973974213

Had a good area with ducks and a need zone then I ruined it with pressure.
Ever since it has not been the same. I have not got the need zone back in a while,


So... Kind of giving up on the isolated lakes and trying the main river system instead.

The spawns seem more natural and frequent along the main river vs the lakes

[AldoAZApache]

Also, try moving your tent farther away.
Seems to spook ducks within like 150-200m
(not sure if thats placing down a tent or spawning or both)

[AldoAZApache]

I saw a older youtube video on sniping ducks with the .22LR

I think it said the noise spooks most ducks after like 150-175 maybe closer to 200m

So.. do Go to the shooting range on Hirch and practice the .22 at 150m and 200m

trust me it helps big time to get your aiming right on the scope

then go snipe em' from out of spooking range

[Lenny Rat]

First of all do NOT use the duck blinds.

I exclusively use Tripods or Tree stands. They allow for many more harvests since the Duck Blinds are ground based and will drive your pressure through the roof really fast.

I've tested the tents from 85yds away and found no significant difference in spooking then when I place them right next to the tripod. At 85yds, I cannot crawl to the tripod before they spook and fly away. With it right next to the tripod, I can literally walk to it upright, with my shotgun ready, and climb the tripod in time to nail a few as they fly away. Sometimes they even stay put.

Many times several will not spook that are more than 50yds away. For those, sniping from range is an option, but better to do it from the tripod to keep your pressure from running away.

It also seems as though the opportunity to "call in" a flock flying overhead only occurs during the earliest part of the NZ time frame.

[AldoAZApache]

Originally posted by Lenny Rat:

First of all do NOT use the duck blinds.

I exclusively use Tripods or Tree stands. They allow for many more harvests since the Duck Blinds are ground based and will drive your pressure through the roof really fast.

I've tested the tents from 85yds away and found no significant difference in spooking then when I place them right next to the tripod. At 85yds, I cannot crawl to the tripod before they spook and fly away. With it right next to the tripod, I can literally walk to it upright, with my shotgun ready, and climb the tripod in time to nail a few as they fly away. Sometimes they even stay put.

Many times several will not spook that are more than 50yds away. For those, sniping from range is an option, but better to do it from the tripod to keep your pressure from running away.

It also seems as though the opportunity to "call in" a flock flying overhead only occurs during the earliest part of the NZ time frame.

Will try this stuff. I hate having to crawl forever not to spook the duck their hearing is amazing.

[CaptainNebulous]

Actually IMO the way need zones work for ducks is how they should work for all the animals. And how well the ducks hear is pretty much how well all the animals should hear, see, and smell.

That being said the instanced nature of the ducks needs to go and the ducks need to become persistent like everything else.

[Lenny Rat]

Originally posted by AldoAZApache:

Originally posted by Lenny Rat:

First of all do NOT use the duck blinds.

I exclusively use Tripods or Tree stands. They allow for many more harvests since the Duck Blinds are ground based and will drive your pressure through the roof really fast.

I've tested the tents from 85yds away and found no significant difference in spooking then when I place them right next to the tripod. At 85yds, I cannot crawl to the tripod before they spook and fly away. With it right next to the tripod, I can literally walk to it upright, with my shotgun ready, and climb the tripod in time to nail a few as they fly away. Sometimes they even stay put.

Many times several will not spook that are more than 50yds away. For those, sniping from range is an option, but better to do it from the tripod to keep your pressure from running away.

It also seems as though the opportunity to "call in" a flock flying overhead only occurs during the earliest part of the NZ time frame.

Will try this stuff. I hate having to crawl forever not to spook the duck their hearing is amazing.

~
I set up 4 different decoy / tripod / tent locations in different areas. When I fast travel between, I can usually hit 3 - 5 ducks per location which wipes out the pressure from the last location. If you set up where there are other wildlife tracks, it works really well since other animals come around after a bit.

Are you actually an AZ Apache? I have fished on Apache lake here in AZ.