Some of the larger tributaries that stand out for duck or goose hunting include Aquia Creek, Potomac Creek, Upper Machodoc Creek, Mattox Creek, Popes Creek, Nomini Creek, Lower Machodoc Creek, the Yeocomico River, and the Coan River. These tributaries are all fairly wide and choppy on windy days. Hunters should keep that in mind when venturing out in a duck boat. Upriver, hunters will see more mallards and blacks, with some widgeons, teal and gadwalls; farther downriver the shooting turns more to diving ducks such as canvasbacks, ruddy, bluebills and buffleheads. Geese are spread evenly up and down the river.

Jump-shooting for ducks on such waters is very productive and offers a hunter a second chance to fill out his or her bag after the morning flight in the blind.

The best technique for jump-shooting the larger waters is simple. Venture out into any of the Virginia tributaries of the Potomac with a patterned shotgun, shells, warm clothes, a boat and a good pair of binoculars. A field guide to ducks is a good idea, as many unique birds such as ringnecks or goldeneyes may be seen too. Using the binoculars, scan the waters as you motor or paddle along. Be sure to creep up to bends in the creeks to peer around them as stealthily as possible.

Once you spot a flock of birds, whether it be ducks or geese, position the boat upwind or uptide, cut the motor, raise it if possible and let the wind and tide push the boat or canoe toward the birds. Hunker down in the boat, moving as little as possible, until the birds are in range. Then, having a bird picked out, pop up and begin shooting as the birds clear the water.

Jump-shooting in this manner is good strategy for hunting all species of ducks but seems to be particularly effective for diving ducks such as buffleheads, bluebills, ruddy ducks. Geese can be taken effectively in this manner, but it is important that hunters not alarm one bird because that one bird will alert the whole flock and the birds will take off before the hunter is in shooting range.

The diving ducks will often take off after being shot at only to land a few hundred yards away. Hunters should note their location and move on to the next flock. If necessary the flock can be jump-shot later when they have calmed down. Windy days are noticeably better than calm days for jump-shooting. The wind creates choppy water, which masks movement and noise. The wind also helps drive the boat towards the birds. Plan your boat position accordingly.

Because many of the shots can be on the long side it is a good idea to use magnum loads or heavy loads. Steel shot is not the best bet for such shooting. Try Remington's Hevishot or Kent's Tungsten Impact: both pack a punch at longer ranges and will down birds humanely. Geese can be tough to bring down, thus BB or even BBB shot is not a bad idea.

Once the shots are made, be careful to note where the birds fell. Unload the gun and motor or paddle over to retrieve your birds if you are not using a dog. The nice thing about jump-shooting is that it can be repeated again and again and the equipment needs (assuming you have a boat that is safe for the conditions) are pretty simple.

Blind hunting on the Potomac tributaries can be very effective as well. The tributaries of the Potomac are slow moving and, partly because of that, there are certain tactics you'll want to try that can improve your chances of getting into some fine shooting.

Ice will built up on the tidal tributaries of the Potomac more rapidly than it will on the faster-flowing Rappahannock, for example. Sometimes ice builds up faster on the decoys, making it necessary to cut a big hole in the ice in front of the blind. Shove as much of the broken ice downtide of the blind as possible. The hole in the ice will function like a magnet for passing geese and ducks.

A few decoys are all that is needed to convince the birds on an icy and windy day. Take care to keep decoy lines below the waterline and put movement in the spread as much as possible.

All of the larger tributaries of the Potomac tend to hold geese in January. The mouths of the creeks are better locations for hunting geese and diving ducks, while the headwaters and heavily vegetated portions of the creeks are better for gadwalls, mallards, blacks and widgeons.

While the beginning portion of the waterfowl season can be hit or miss, the last few weeks are often cold and icy, creating a duck hunter's dream in terms of waterfowling conditions. Get out on the Rappahannock or Potomac River tributaries before the season ends and enjoy the best time to hunt, as well as some good eating.