Jump-shooting is generally seen as a when-all-else-fails method by most waterfowlers, or as an easy way for the young or inexperienced to go out without much gear and bag themselves a duck or two. After all, you just find some ducks, walk up on them and shoot them after you flush them off the water - right?

Well . . . it can be that easy - but as in most sorts of hunting, you'll be more successful and have more fun if you know some simple tips and tricks. There's also a bonus in knowing your jump-shooting areas well. When, in the season's last weeks, most ponds and conservation area waters, and even bays of reservoirs, freeze solid, the ducks will be concentrated on smaller creeks and rivers, and during the ice and cold, those familiar with these areas are often treated to some of the most rewarding action of the year. The best way that I know of for probing these smaller waterways is the jump-shooting approach.

Small ponds can keep ducks on them until ice-up, and some spring fed ponds stay ice-free throughout the season. The jump-shooter's approach to a pond provides a perfect illustration of the Sneak: You spot ducks on a pond and then plan a route on which to walk up - usually from the dam side - without the ducks seeing you.

If there's no cover that you can easily sidle up to, try this: Have a partner hide downwind on the side to which you'll flush the ducks to when you walk up. If garbed in good camo, your accomplice should get a chance for a passing shot. Ducks sometimes prefer one pond to another for no apparent reason, so if you can find several ponds near each other, you can hop from one to the other, thus bettering your odds of success; if you like, switch roles at every pond. You can fill a day this way.

Small creeks are best for the Milk Run. Simply walk the banks, carefully scanning the water ahead. Ducks favor slack pools out of the wind; a little sun on the water, and it's the perfect duck hangout. Sometimes you'll see ducks, sometimes just the ripples made by their swimming. Walk wide of a pool and come up at the right spot, and you'll often get close shots.

Jump-shooting isn't for everyone, but it can be a great alternative technique when long hours in the blind aren't paying off. Photo by Mike Marsh

One trick I've used when hunting at smaller creeks involves positioning a buddy a half-mile downstream of me; that done, we slowly walk toward each other. If I get a shot, and ducks that I flush but don't shoot are headed his way, I signal this to him with one loud blast on a coach's whistle; if I jump ducks ahead of me and have no shot, I signal with another blast on the whistle; if I get a shot, but the ducks flare back and fly away from us, no signal is given. This is easy to remember: no whistle, no ducks.

This type of hunting gets intense when you have shots not only at ducks that you jump but also at ducks your partner flushes down the stream corridor toward you. I've used this method with a buddy who loves to hunt ducks but gets bored in a blind. He loves it!

Jump-shooting from a johnboat, canoe, kayak, or poke boat is a great way to cover a lot of water. Smaller creeks do run low in the winter, however, and dragging a loaded boat over downed trees and gravel all day is no fun, so to make sure that there's enough water, scout ahead.

If you have enough water to float, some basic rules apply. If you use a two-person boat, the one in the front hunts and the one in the back controls the craft. You may be able to sneak up on ducks using only the current, but some paddling is usually needed. When you float into a pool in which ducks are present, you simply try to get as close as possible before the birds realize that something is wrong. Stay close to the inside bend of the creek, and try to paddle as little as possible. Agree ahead of time on how you'll alternate positions in the boat - every duck bagged, every 45 minutes, etc. Some hunters attach some camouflage material to the front of the boat to help disguise it, but sitting very still works just as well, and doesn't interfere with shooting.

In case you get dunked, carry a dry bag with a change of clothes. Mid-December's 10-degree weather is no time to be four miles from a vehicle and sopping wet. If you float alone, always tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back.

Your shots at birds jumped off the water will be a lot like the fast shots common to upland hunting for pheasants and quail. You'll find that shooting sporting clays in the off season will increase your ratio of shots to ducks bagged.

To decide if you need to take your trusty retriever with you on your jump-shooting trips, think about these things: Are you careful enough to shoot at ducks so that they don't land in a pond or deep section of river that's out of wading reach? Do you float and jump-shoot where you can retrieve every duck from your boat, or do you hunt only small creeks from which it's easy to retrieve your own ducks? If you answered "yes" to all of the above, you can probably get by without a dog.

But do you hunt along bigger streams? Do you jump-shoot ponds, and take any shot that presents itself? Most important, does your retriever mind well, and not run ahead, scaring ducks off before you get a shot? If your answers here are "yes," take the retriever along.

I don't think that any dog does well out of smaller duck boats, except on still water. I don't take mine float-hunting, because I can easily retrieve my own ducks by simply paddling over to them. Nor would I take my yellow Lab with me if I wanted to jump-shoot on public land during firearms deer season. I don't think she looks like a deer - but I'm not too sure of anyone else's eyesight!

A small daypack is helpful for toting your lunch, map, shells, compass, and first-aid kit, and for carrying ducks out. Make sure the straps don't interfere with a proper gun mount on your shoulder.

I like hip waders for hunting my favorite small creeks and for getting in and out of a canoe when I'm floating, but chest-high waders are better if you aren't sure of the water's depth, and for retrieving your ducks. I always wear chest waders when I scout a new area. In the case of either hip or chest waders, canvas or rubber will hold up better to rigors of jump-shooting. Neoprene, though more comfortable, tears easily when you crash through thorns and brush.

But if you aren't afraid of bucking convention and want to avoid chaining yourself all day to an unproductive blind or fighting the crowds and hassle of the "poor line" at the big CAs, give jump-shooting a try. Just don't tell the purists how you got your limit!