Waterfowl Reports

[strait-meat]

2 man limit out in western MN. Teal (blues and greens) and mallards made up the limits. The ducks were a little shy to decoy but worked well considering. Passed on some real nice canvasbacks. Also saw a decent amount of grey ducks. Going out again tomorrow locally--expecting a scratch but taking the kids so it will be fun!

[creepworm]

We are definitely welcoming some fresh faces here in east central SoDak. Mallards, Gadwall, Ringers, and Geese seem to be more numerous while the Woodies and Teal seem to have left for the most part. Wouldn't call it a big push of birds, but nice to see some new birds in the area.

[Gordie]

Got a report from a friend that lives on the west side of Devils Lake.. he said that the divers are really starting to make an appearance around the area. 2 more days and I hope to be sending you guys my own reports of the DL area.

Friday I was talking with an electrican and he had just got back from Canada Sunday and he said that they shot lots of geese and few ducks because of all the water this year. The Mallards would go where there was no buddy hunting. He also stated that they'er group has been going up there for 20 some years and have never shot Blue wing teal until this year and he said it wasnt just 1 or 2 it was limits of them. They were hunting in 85 degree weather and swating mosquitos too.

[RumRiverRat]

Divers starting to show up in the N and W metro.

Killed the first Can of the season yesterday and the first 2 redheads today.

[Cheetah]

Craptastic morning for me. Set up in my canoe across the bay with my decoys out plus one mojo. Only one wood duck buzzed me and landed about 40yd out and swam away. I could hear others squealing from in front of the neighbor's house. I took down the mojo a bit after sunrise, wasn't helping, ducks I did see just kept going wherever they had in mind. Finally had two geese come in from behind me really low, and I couldn't turn enough to get the gun pointed right at them. Going with the wind they were way in front of me before I could get the gun on them again properly, I didn't bother shooting... One more goose came by after I went back to my usual shore spot, came over up pretty high, I let it go.

Shooting in the area was much less than on Saturday morning, maybe the birds got smart and moved on, I dunno.

[jparrucci]

Been slow in the south metro, a few birds each time out but nothing great. Did get my first band today on a goose. Banded in 2008 in Stearns county

[Stringerless!]

Passed on a bunch of woodies at first light cause they usually fly right back over my head at 9.Was gonna pick drakes only. Not to be today. Never came back. Gotta get the big boat out. Getting sick of these little ponds.Still no sign of migration for me.

[ducksnbucks]

Hunted a little pond Sunday morning in the middle of a bean field around Ortonville. Ended up with 5 ducks mix of Gadwall and Mallards. Had some teal swimming in the pond 15 minutes before shooting time and 2 divers come in and land as we were taking down the decoys. Not a lot of small groups of birds, but quite a few very large flocks way up in the sky.

[Maxxed Out]

Saw big groups of mallards leaving the lac qui parle refuge yesterday.

[dan z]

just geeting started shot 16 ducks over the weekend. mixed bag gwt,bwt,gadwall,mallards,redheads,ringers,pintails and wood ducks. ducks were willing to work if there wasnt a guy blowing a kaaazooo around the corner

[carpshooterdeluxe]

lots of small flocks of migrating honkers going over on saturday morning...mallard action was ridiculous from 8:45 to 9:15 on my slough; migrators coming down for a drink. Saw migrators while pheasant hunting until the wind switched more to the west. Same thing yesterday morning; birds moving south in small flocks. West Central MN. I talked to a bunch of guys sunday at a bar around noon, many skipped pheasants and hunted into mid-morning with good success on ducks and medium sized geese. Now is the time to get out. The calendar birds are moving in. Field action is starting to heat up here in SD...my buddies picked on wigeon and greenheads all weekend out of cut corn.

[Farley]

Went out saturday morning for an hour more or less just to see what was around and if the wind blew any new birds in and i think it did. 60 geese, 20 mallards and 30 woodies in that pond that had nothing in it after last weekend. Hope they stick around.

[Musky Buck]

Done reporting, heard little to no shooting and we never fired a shell, had 1 immature drake mallard we identified as a hen coming in then it was too late and had no other action this wkd. Geese are flying a mile high now and dropping straight down to where they want to be, will keep an eye open for ducks, but you don't even realize the season is open in the 3 counties I hunt. Everyone is just waiting for deer season now.

[TylerS]

Nodak update:

Hunted Saturday with a decent wind from the WNW (20 mph) and bluebird skies. Drove by the slough in the wee hours of the morning and a few hundred ducks got up.

Hmm...not good.

Pop and I figured we'd try and hunt it anyway, and only scratched two teal, two drake mallards and a 15 pound goose (big bugger). Heard a bunch of shooting around us from the bigger water (I felt like I was in Minnesota again!) Scouted a bit afterward and were very disappointed with the lack of birds. Lots of vacant water. Seemed odd.

Given that, we decided to hunt the same slough again on Sunday morning. Again, as we drove by all the birds got up. They sure are getting skittish! I'm guess the puddle jumpers may be behind that. Anyway, set up on the north side of the water in the same spot as the day before. Wind really cranked up out of the West, and I think that was a deciding factor. We were covered in mallards, and many didn't have to think twice about committing. We had a spinner out and I only had a chance to put out 6 decoys before we had to hide. First group in I doubled as dad was still making his way out to our spot. By day's end, should have shot a limit, but we came home with two hens, five drakes and a gadwall. Sailed two that the pup didn't find, but with that wind I really couldn't blame him. All-in all, great weekend with the old man! Was really happy to finally get him on some good duck hunting.

One of the hens had a craw full of corn, so you know where they're feeding!

Looks like evening temps are edging closer and closer to freezing. If the northerly winds keep up, I predict more migrators moving in sooner than later... I'm going to miss this weekend, but you can bet I'll be out the weekend of Halloween. Bring on the SNOW!!!

[dan z]

went out yesterday and was plesently greeted with a lone honker, group of mallards and some cansvasbacks. came home with 3 ducks and the honker. was away from the other guys on the lake and never heard another shot on the lake after 900. I fired six times and picked up at 1230 with a smile on my face because of the hunt. did see other divers and puddle ducks as I left the spot.

[Stringerless!]

Cornfield in Scandia this afternoon. Saw 2 crows a handful of robins and a couple bluebirds. No waterfowl seen or heard. No shots heard.

[Stringerless!]

As others have said ,Divers are in North Metro. Bad scene this morning! Motor plugged up with weeds. Recoil broke next. Oars. Not far from access. Ppl set up within range of us with a silver boat and purple hats ! Saw plenty of Cans,Bills, Mallards. Hardly any geese. Divers were all in corner of lake where nobody was.guessing about 3-4 hundred. Nothing came in range. No shots fired. Silver boat boy sealed our fate !

[Stringerless!]

Back to cornfield. Nothing ! Not a bird seen.

[123fish]

Still a lot of woodies on the creeks down here in the southwest corner. Been doing a rooster/duck hunt along our streams with a lot more success on the wood ducks than on roosters.

[Deet]

Still a lot of woodies on the creeks down here in the southwest corner. Been doing a rooster/duck hunt along our streams with a lot more success on the wood ducks than on roosters.

Now that sounds like fun.

[Cheetah]

I went out for a bit this morning, SE of Hugo. Plenty of ducks flying in the first half hour before sunrise, nothing would decoy of course... Half wood ducks still and half mallards. I was surprised at how many woodies I saw and heard. Went quiet til about 9am. I was cold and the dogs were misbehaving so I started packing it up. Of course two huge flocks of geese came through as I was in the canoe pulling decoys... No shots for me all morning, again.

I heard a couple rounds of shooting in the area from different groups, nothing consistent though.

A few miles down the road I saw three big gobblers feeding on the side of the road. Didn't have my camera though.

[Stringerless!]

Working in the yard tonight . I live close enough to Carlos Avery that I can hear shots from there. Heard 4. Ringnecks should be in there by the thousands. Not much rice in there this year. A couple years now they have not shown up. Lack of rice ? Putting blinds in refuge and allowing shooting in there twice a week ? Flyway moving west ?

[joekleinjr]

Found a new spot yesterday for woodies, and alot of them, got there this morning and there where trucks everywhere. I got so mad i came home, i guess i'll pound some bacon and eggs, and try later

[carpshooterdeluxe]

some big mallard feeds where we hunt in SD...unfortunately they are flying out after shooting time. I scouted some honkers this morning, buddies thumped out a 3 man limit of gadwalls in 20 minutes. Brown duck beat down!

[Stringerless!]

West Rush this morning. 1 Gad drake. Couple small flocks of mallards seen. 3 or 4 small groups of woodies. One pair of teal. 3 trucks at landing. Heard a few shots around. Left at 10:00. Look like we should be fishing ! Man were there boats out there !