Bufflehead 
Scaup / Bluebill 
Redhead 
Black Scoter 
Surf Scoter 
White-winged Scoter 
Canvasback 
Green-wing Teal 
Pintail 
Northern Shoveler 
Gadwall 
American Black Duck
OPEN WATER GUNNING
The wind blows steady from the north as you ride through the mouth of the creek that brings you to the Pamlico Sound. The bow of the boat sets into a rhythmic beat as she displaces the chop in the darkness, with only the stars in the sky and phosphorus in the water as light. The wind kicks salt spray back off the bow as it forms to ice along the gunnels of the skiff. Finally the Captain eases the throttle back and says, “were here boys,” as he begins deploying strings of decoys that have been tried and true on these waters before. As the saplings are set in their resting places and the boat is concealed, you look up at the Milky Way and start to hear the whistling of wings stirring about, and a feeling comes over you. It’s the anticipation of what’s to come as first light makes its appearance, but also that primal emotion to hunt that man has felt for centuries. Finally the guide announces that legal shooting light has arrived and no sooner had those words been uttered than a knot of “Blackheads” cut through the air and begin their decent into the spread.
Captain Jennings has years of experience scouting and hunting these waterfowl and has the knowledge to know what works and what doesn’t work. When you are ready for a most exciting and successful ducking hunting trip, be sure to call North State Guide at (910) 231-7741 and ask for Captain Jennings Rose.
This is how most mornings start with us at North State Guide Service, and we would love to share the blind with clients who are as passionate about hunting wildfowl as we are. It is known that even “educated birds” feel more at ease when in open water, away from shorelines where hunters may lurk. With our guides you will be primarily hunting from a float rig where we dedicate hours each day to staying “in the ducks.” Depending on the time of year and weather conditions, we will harvest a variety of diving ducks on the sound. Each year we take Scoter, Bufflehead, Bluebill, Redhead, and the occasional Canvasback. Puddle ducks are also readily shot on Pamlico Sound out of our blinds and consist primarily of Teal, Pintail, Shovler, Gadwell, and the occasional Black Duck.