# Old Squaw hunting.



## charb1990 (Feb 22, 2008)

Looking for some tips on hunting Squaw this fall. Going to be around the Saginaw Bay Area. Have a ton of experience with geese in the farm fields but never done any diver hunting. Looking for some infor on decoy spreads and calling as well if you need a layout boat or if you can just use a regular boat. I have a 14 foot aluminum boat but nothing bigger. Thanks for the help I’m advance.


----------



## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

A 14' boat is a little on the small side for hunting open water.


----------



## Sofa King what? (Nov 1, 2016)

Maybe hire a charter for your 1st hunt or tag along with someone with all the right gear and experience


----------



## Big Skip (Sep 1, 2010)

You could google anything you need to know about hunting them...they are not hard to kill! Your focus should be on open water safety as the water is cold that time of year and there are yahoos from all over cruising around on plan in the dark in their big fancy duck rigs. I agree 14' is small especially for longtails as they tend to hang miles offshore.

Sent from my LM-X410(FG) using Tapatalk


----------



## OnHoPr (Jul 21, 2013)

Yea, the 14' is a bit small for that type of hunting. If it is a 14' deep V with possible 2 motors on a KNOWN nice weather permitting day you might be able to station about a mile off the north Pt of Au Gres. I am not sure if they would come in that close, maybe. Off the Tawas Pt I use to watch all kinds of divers cruising south 1/2 mi to mile off the Pt. You will need long anchor ropes and set decoys on lines. You SHOULD have some type of StoS radio. I don't know if the OSs will come in that close. Once they get down to Oscoda or Tawas they might swing towards Port Austin on their flight plan bypassing the bay all together. I know one thing, if you did shoot one and it dove their would not be any weeds around for it to clamp on to.

About 20 years ago I was hunting west of the south Pt Au Gres. I shot bufflehead, ringneck, canvasback along with the puddlers. I could see more divers cruising low out there another 1/2 mi or so with binos. The water was down back then or not like it is now with being so high. Morning and evening thermals can kick the lake up.


----------



## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

charb1990 said:


> Looking for some tips on hunting Squaw this fall. Going to be around the Saginaw Bay Area. Have a ton of experience with geese in the farm fields but never done any diver hunting. Looking for some infor on decoy spreads and calling as well if you need a layout boat or if you can just use a regular boat. I have a 14 foot aluminum boat but nothing bigger. Thanks for the help I’m advance.


For old squaw and offshore divers you can just run longlines off your boat and drift offshore on the wind. They are not difficult to decoy-in on open water.


----------



## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

OnHoPr said:


> ...I am not sure if they would come in that close, maybe. ....


We shot a couple last year right along the cattails by shore. They do come in sometimes. But the big packs are out a few miles.

Yes, a 14' boat is WAAAAAY too small. 

Seconding the suggestion to go with a guide your first time, who has all the right gear, in order to figure it out. But no, they are not hard to shoot.


----------



## sfpenn (Nov 27, 2004)

DecoySlayer said:


> A 14' boat is a little on the small side for hunting open water.


A 14' boat is WAY too small to hunt open water. Trust me. I tried and it didn't end well.


----------



## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

It is WAY too small and it could end with us talking about it's a shame you did not come back.


----------



## Hoofbeat (Aug 19, 2017)

Agreed a 14 foot is a lil small but if you are familiar with lake conditions and have a reliable motor it works, I used my to hunt Lake Huron last year for squaw with some success.


----------



## Hoofbeat (Aug 19, 2017)

You don’t have to hunt miles out stick close to shore!


----------



## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

Hoofbeat said:


> Agreed a 14 foot is a lil small but if you are familiar with lake conditions and have a reliable motor it works, I used my to hunt Lake Huron last year for squaw with some success.


Sea Nymph Deep-V 14' ?


----------



## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Hoofbeat said:


> You don’t have to hunt miles out stick close to shore!


You have to hunt where they are feeding.


----------



## smelz like wet dog (Aug 12, 2006)

I have killed lots along the edge sitting in the weeds. Most have been immature. but i get a few a year out of my 14' but I never venture offshore in my little rig. Not hard to decoy, but hard to finish a cripple lol.


----------



## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

smelz like wet dog said:


> I have killed lots along the edge sitting in the weeds. Most have been immature. but i get a few a year out of my 14' but I never venture offshore in my little rig. Not hard to decoy, but hard to finish a cripple lol.


Not hard to decoy? Shoot, they still decoy to bleach bottles!

If you want to really target Old Squaw, you have to hunt them where the bulk of them like to be, where the food is. If there is food in close, they will be in close. If it's way off shore, that is where they will be.

Yes, you will kill them in close, but, I suggest that the bulk of them tend to be further out.


----------



## Big Skip (Sep 1, 2010)

We have absolutely crushed them 2 miles out before...but mainly juvies. With 1 long line of dekes cause pack ice tangled the rest of our lines all to hell, that was an unreal trip. 

Sent from my LM-X410(FG) using Tapatalk


----------



## Tunaman (Apr 17, 2006)

If you are Mike's son we will take you out squaw hunting. We have a layout boat. I'll call your dad


----------

