Waterfowl Reports

[Matt Breuer]

Seems to be a mix of migrants and locals around. We shot/saw a bunch of teal and woodies today. Also some scaup and ringers, as well as a few fat mallards. Geese were thick...

[certified jumbo]

There are many more mallards around here in central mn than there was. I checked 10 ponds tonight and most had mallards in them. They weren't there the past 2 weeks and now they are. So some moved down.

[WalleyeJeff]

Tryed some back water spots on the Miss in central MN, tough tough. No rice on the river or backwaters. Very few birds. Did see a few woodies, and a couple malards. But nothing close.

[booger]

seeing tons of geese in the north metro, but they have been shot at about 80 yards in the air so they fly up and around the lakes now. Seeing a few mallards and other ducks but not many, especially in comparison to the geese.

Went by myself Sat & Sun and only got 1 gadwall. Lots of other people out shooting before and after shooting hours.

[BoxMN]

Hunted up by Remer (south of Big Rice) on Saturday morn, and with the perfect weather we expected at least decent shooting. Only saw a handful of small flocks of mallards, and few ringbill flocks, and only had one shot at some in the dekes. Slower than expected, and with perfect conditions. Oh well, hope you all up there have better shooting coming up.

[CANOPY SAM]

Monday afternoon, NW Minnesota. Hopped a few lakes and sloughs up here in the afternoon. Rest assured those of you who haven't seen woodies or Teal in the last few days, they're still around.

I watched many, many groups of Wood Ducks, Teal, Widgeon, and Mallards today. Even saw a few Redheads, and a couple Bluebill. Also large numbers of Canadian Geese.

I'm still not seeing what I would consider much of any push out of Canada, despite the strong north winds, and cold snowy weather over the weekend.

Many of the same groups of Greater Canadians, Cacklers, and even a large group of Snows and Blues that were here around TRF before the storm, are still here after the storm.

The majority of snow is now melted here, and we received a little more rain this morning! Praise the Lord! With the fires that were burning in and around the Karlstad and Viking areas, that took 11 homes in Karlstad, this precip couldn't have come at a better time. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost their homes in the fires.

There may have been some birds moved around by this latest bout of weather, but there's many, many more to come out of Canada.

[HNTNBUX]

I hunted Sunday in Central MN and saw a fair number of Ringnecks and Teal that appeared new to the area. I went again this morning the ducks were still around but nothing came anywhere near my decoys. I think this is the first time in several years that I have not even fired a shot. It was sad to watch a few singles even land about a 100 yards away and not pay any attention to the decoys. There will be new birds coming soon and I will be there to meet them.

[Stringerless!]

Forest Lake area yesterday. My son got a mallard hen. Only bird in range. Saw 2 flocks of geese and one lone goose. Saw a total of about 4o ducks only. Only sign of any migration I have seen is birds leaving. Not near as much distant shooting heard as last weekend.

[skee0025]

A buddy and I just got back from a few days hunting up by Fergus Falls. There is an increase in the number of Mallards in the area and we had a few flocks of ringbills come into the set. Woodies and Teal were non-existant and we only saw 2 flocks of geese (maybe 10 geese total)for 2 full days of hunting.

[311Hemi]

Hunted up by Remer (south of Big Rice) on Saturday morn, and with the perfect weather we expected at least decent shooting. Only saw a handful of small flocks of mallards, and few ringbill flocks, and only had one shot at some in the dekes. Slower than expected, and with perfect conditions. Oh well, hope you all up there have better shooting coming up.

Sounds like opener for me in that same area. We have a cabin near Thunder.

[Finlander]

Who would have thunk that the hunting would be almost non-existant last Saturday with cold northwest wind, cloudy and such, when the weekend before friends of mine limited out the weekend before when it was 80 degrees! What's going on here?

[BrdHunter01]

Who would have thunk that the hunting would be almost non-existant last Saturday with cold northwest wind, cloudy and such, when the weekend before friends of mine limited out the weekend before when it was 80 degrees! What's going on here?

Same thing for us. We limited out on woodies the weekend it was 80 degrees. Went out last sun (different spot because the south zone was closed) and the skies were empty.

[Todd Caswell]

Who would have thunk that the hunting would be almost non-existant last Saturday with cold northwest wind, cloudy and such, when the weekend before friends of mine limited out the weekend before when it was 80 degrees! What's going on here?

I don't believe it's too hard to figure out. Sounds like the last 20 years to me. We (MN) raise enough ducks to make the opener interesting but beyond that MN duck hunting is hit or miss. Lets face it MN will never be a waterfowl state like it was in the past, 40+ years ago. Poor farming practices (for raising ducks), over poulation on our lakes and rivers, late season fishing on our larger bodies of water ect. ect. ect. all lead to very few ducks other than the few we raise here.

[icecold]

I agree that duck hunting is getting worse every year, not like it was 25-35 years ago, No matter what the Dnr spends on waterfowl habitat in minnesota it is never going to be the dakotas or canada, Why would a duck want to stop in mn the feilds are black by mid october, no potholes to speak of, every thing tiled or plowed up because of greed, Im glad I experienced the good old days of duck hunting in minnesota, im disapointed that my kids are seeing so few ducks in southern mn, when I was my kids age, the mallards would be so thick in the minnesota river bottoms and flocks of 100-200 woodies it was crazy You cant make a duck decoy or land if it has its mind made up where it wants to go, no amount of habitat is going to change todays flyway down the eastern side of the dakotas, Just like walleye fishing if there not biting ,there not biting nothing you can do about it. I love waterfowling its my passion, but I came to accept that things are never going to be like they were. I cant afford to run to north dakota every week, so I do the best I can do hunting with what game is around.

[Bryce]

Wasn't it down to a 3 or 4 bird limit 25 years ago? Good old days?

[Stringerless!]

Forest Lake area again. Same story. Only saw about 50 ducks from 330 till 638. A few bigger flocks after shooting time closed. One small group of geese seen. Never shouldered the guns.

[Todd Caswell]

Your right Bryce it's been going down hill for the past 40 years, I don't question that the bird numbers are up, there just not up in MN. and never will be with the farming practices we have. Ducks don't need water they need habitat, and feed. All of us will have hunts from time to time through out the season that will be up to a waterfowlers standards but they are few a nd far between in MN. Thank goodness for the Canada Goose, with out them alot days in the field we would would have complete empty skies to look at. I honestly don't believe there is any thing that DU Delta PF, or the DRN can do this late in the game to reverse the situation in MN, we can only hope to maintain the degree of waterfowling we have now.. Sad but true...

[RumRiverRat]

The Ringnecks and Redheads are piling into Pickerel Lake in Oak Grove.

I know a couple guys that have killed limits consisting of Ringnecks, Redheads and Mallards the last 4 days hunting Pickerel.

A co worker and 2 of his buddies hunted Pelican Lake in Wright County on Saturday and Sunday. They killed 9 Woodies,2 Teal, and 4 Ringnecks Saturday. 7 Woodies, 2 Cans, 4 Ringnecks and 3 Mallards on Sunday.

[CANOPY SAM]

But they are up in Minnesota, Todd. I think that's Bryce's point. They're up everywhere. It's all good. They just don't stick around long now cause there's way, way less water, i.e. safe loafing areas, left around the state.

Not arguing with you, bud. I lived and hunted thru the 70's and 80's, back before everything was ditched, tiled and drained. It won't likely ever get back to that point again, which is unfortunate, but there's still birds around. I think they just get pushed A LOT harder then they did years back.

What I've witnessed year after year is that the birds simply don't come out of Canada in little waves like they used to, making their way slowly south from wetland to wetland on the way. It seems like they hang tight until everything locks up solid with ice, including most of Minnesota, then they all blow thru, en mass, in only a couple days in November. Then it's done. I've seen it many, many times. I truly believe...they're getting smarter.

It's been proven that some of the snow geese moving with the major migration are up to 35 yrs. old!!! That's a lot of migrations across the continent, and very smart, wary birds! Just like an old buck that survives to 7-10 yrs of age. You just don't see em'. You'd be amazed at how many waterfowl migrate thru Minnesota and the Dakotas under the cover of darkness. There are nights up here in NW MN where I can step outside at midnight and listen to thousands of birds, thousands of feet up, moving south in the moonlight.

Speaking of, this morning I'm seeing several large flights of geese flying high up in the blue sky headed south right now! There's a cold north wind blowing up here this morning, apparently there's weather moving in from the northwest, and it's moving birds toward your backyard as we speak!

Find low pressured areas down south, which I know isn't an easy task, and you'll find more ducks around than you thought were here. It's just a guess mind you, but I think they're learning to avoid the areas they've been pounded on for many years.

[Musky Buck]

No ducks yet, but the goose situation is tremendous. Man are there pockets of dense geese and thankfully one of those pockets is straight out from my mailbox. Must be a lot of scouters lookin, my man last night said since Friday night he's had 17 different vehicles/groups ask permission and we got asked 3 times also. Good luck Hunting and my western OT county buddies have been stacking greenheads all week off and on, tons of them around there.

[WalleyeJeff]

I live in the Brainerd area. Not that I am old (50) I have duck hunted every year I can other than time spent in the service. In the late 70's early 80's, the old Miss was higher than it now is. I can not get into old spots now due to low water. As kids we took canoes into these spots and set up blinds. I built a home close to where I used to hunt on the river (1995) and lived there for 9 years and could see the river get lower each year. I tryed to excavate some of my land for habitat but had to beal with the Upper Miss Headwaters Board, MN DNR, and county. After all the work the cost would have been to much for me. I currently have wetlands on my land. This Spring looked awsome, woodies, mallards landing in corner I cleared off. Well all dried up again. I went out with post hole digger this week and no water 4 ft down!

I agree the population of birds is up, we get opening weekend with good numbers, and maybe 2 good weekends through late OCT-NOV, but what is DU doing here? I have been a member for many years and have yet to see anything local, I will no longer spend money on DU in any way.

My son loves to duck hunt, or hunt in any manor.

I plan on opening part of my wetlands just because I can. Not to hunt but its awsome to see a great nesting area.

[Stringerless!]

Private lake. Saw some big flocks of woodies. Some groups were over 50 birds. One flock of geese seen. Woodies all knew where they wanted to go and that was other side of lake from us. Ended up with one. Only one that came in range.

[certified jumbo]

I do agree with the post by walleye that said duck numbers are higher. Hands down dad and i have had our best mn duck hunting season to date. Lots of woodducks this year and we have a roost pond with about 500 roosting in. We are done though shooting woodducks, just have enjoyed watching them fly in the past few nights.

We shot 4 drake mallards the past 2 days and most ponds have a few on them. one larger pond near our house has about 250 ringbills on it, but we are leaving them alone. we have shot enough dabble ducks.

still plenty of ducks around our area for those who are going out.

[Musky Buck]

Heavy flight of Lesser Canadians in my field today, 40 acres and it's black with honkers, I don't like those Lessers that well, they fly so darn early, do I want 3 of them or wait for 3 big guys ? Either way it's nice to know that tomorrow morning it is going to be insane. Good Luck tomorrow all.

[Finlander]

Good Luck Musky Buck!