We had such an awesome duck hunt with Intercoastal Safaris, defiantly if you are in the area it’s (Coastal Duck Hunting) a must! The Guide Stephen and all the boat captains and deckhands were super friendly and helpful. My husband and I were hunting duck for the first time ever and both shot and killed ducks. – Hannah deVilliers Gatlin
Coastal Duck Hunting Trip Report
“Fog in Florida” could not be a more appropriate name for this trip report. A week ago the weather was relatively clear skies with a slight wind and temps in the 40’s to 60’s, this week the temp has jumped up to 70 degrees. Compared to years past, those coastal duck hunting, all along the gulf coast have seen greater numbers of ducks on our shores during this time than ever before. Around Dec. 15th that all changed and the fog rolled in. Yesterday I actually drove HWY 98 along the coast to Panama City Beach and experienced dangerously thick fog in both the evening and morning.
January Forecast
On Monday of this week, we took two crews out of Coastal Duck Hunting. After experiencing this fog for several days we have noticed a pattern in duck behavior. The larger groups of redheads are spotted more often in the afternoons. Buffleheads are even harder to spot because they typically stay so close to the water, right where the fog sits. Our guides have seen a smaller number of bluebills. Those numbers are expected to increase as the temperature drops in near the end of this month. Cloudy skies, slight wind, and low temps are what we have to look forward to in the Orange Beach for January. The last two weeks or so typically bring great afternoon hunts. Stay tuned as we will provide trip reports as the season progresses.