Waterfowl Reports

[HNTNBUX]

Congrats. Your dog is amazing it is hard to even focus on the ducks in the picture.

[fishuhalik]

Trust me when I say, the migration of mallards and snows in western NoDak is on overdrive right now!!!! See my full report in the Waterfowl Photos thread.

[BoxMN]

North Metro - Sat morning was beautiful, and sounded like a war zone around us, though we were the only ones on this particular lake. We saw lots of ducks and tons of geese, and ended up with one goose, three mallards, three ringers, one buffie and one nice drake bluebill.

Todd, great picture

[laportian]

Hunted the Red Lake outlet area yesterday afternoon. Birds were flying and we were missing! We passed on alot of divers, but the mallards and bills were getting shot at. We had several groups of mergansers land in our dekes. It wasn't real steady action either, they would come in little flurries, just about the time we'd start arguing about "Who's stupid idea was this?! I'm frickin cold!" A pair of birds would come in. We also were sittin around at one point telling war stories and a dozen mallards locked on our closet decoys and we jumped up unloaded and only one duck fell! We ended up with five mallards and one bill for our effort. I actually only shot 9 shells. On the way out there we were driving on Hwy 1 and as it skirts around the lower west side of the lake we spotted thousands of birds rafted up out on the big lake. None got up and came our way though.

[Stringerless!]

One goose. Had a pair of goldeneyes and a woody hen in the dekes but let em be. Saw about 15 mallards . Never more than 3 in a bunch. Maybe 50 geese seen. Heard 5 shot volleys and that was it. Back out in afternoon.

[Quackaddict9]

Hunted Thief Lake Saturday morning and had to break alot ice on the way and got to open water which became skim of ice later in the morning. Not much flew but many would get up on the refuge and land again for a hour. Moved further east to more open water and it was lights out... All kinds of divers, mallards, pintails, green wing teal. We could've had our 12 if we shot at everything that came in, tried for bluegills but would just stay out of range. Buddy got wet in the waders so called it quits. It was tougher getting back to the access than out there. After last night pretty sure the lake is all frozen up. Many geese have left and flying high south this morning.

Fun last day of the year despite getting wet!

[fishersofmen]

We got a nice mixed bag at a small lake by buffalo Sat morning. Was almost completely froze over except for small area in the middle. We thought the sun would burn off the ice but it didn't before we left at around 11. Decoys were almost immeadiately froze solid in the ice so it made things interesting for the ducks that wanted to land.

[walleyeking19]

We got a nice mixed bag at a small lake by buffalo Sat morning. Was almost completely froze over except for small area in the middle. We thought the sun would burn off the ice but it didn't before we left at around 11. Decoys were almost immeadiately froze solid in the ice so it made things interesting for the ducks that wanted to land.

I was also hunting near Buffalo today (sunday) and I had to break ice to set up my decoys.

[hunter322]

Where around the north metro BoxMN? I hunt around the hugo area.

[fishuhalik]

Saw a handful of birds today. A really, really big handful! All of these are different birds. Not one pic is of the same flock. Sorry for the poor quality. I really need a camera!

Snows

Mallards

Tried getting a couple shots off but they jumped about 100 yards out. No worries, tons of fun watching em!

This was unreal. Watching mallards pour off the small area of open water. They just kept coming and coming.

Dropping in!

Mallards mixed with snows

And all these birds and we only got 1 snow and a pheasant. Hit 2 mallards and 2 snows at less than 60 yards that weren't even phased. Time to switch to a gun that shoots 3" and jump up to BBBs! And I really, really need to get set up for field hunting. All I have are water dekes and they don't work too well on the ground. Still an epic day in NoDak

[BoxMN]

Hunter, yes basically the same area, a hair to the north.

[Musky Buck]

Darn geese lately, no morningflight at all, evening flight they'relanding after shooting hours by the hundreds,guess season done on them, we need that extra 1/2 hour or I do anyway until cold weather maybe gets them there in hunt time.

[Shane Z]

Just getting back from Nodak now. Bird numbers were not impressive around the area we hunted but had enough birds to keep us interested. With three days of hunted we ended up with around 120 ducks and only 4 geese. Most of the ducks were drake green winged teal and mallards. Small bodies of water are all froze up, so hunting in fields fairly close to bigger bodies of open water seemed to be the ticket.

[walleyeking19]

Shane, what part of the state did you go to? I was just up there a few weeks ago and your reports sounded a lot like what I saw up there

[MinnetonkaMan]

Lots of geese and ducks around in NE ND. Shot a three man limit of a nice mixed bag mallards, teal, redheads, bills and widgeon. A few snows and a couple geese were also shot. Freeze up moved a lot of birds around Friday night and had them feeding on different areas. THe snows are heading south but contacts in Canada say the mallards are thick right now. Hope the ponds open up so there isnt a fly by!

[GooBack]

Saw a handful of birds today. A really, really big handful! All of these are different birds. Not one pic is of the same flock. Sorry for the poor quality. I really need a camera!

Snows

Mallards

Tried getting a couple shots off but they jumped about 100 yards out. No worries, tons of fun watching em!

This was unreal. Watching mallards pour off the small area of open water. They just kept coming and coming.

Dropping in!

Mallards mixed with snows

And all these birds and we only got 1 snow and a pheasant. Hit 2 mallards and 2 snows at less than 60 yards that weren't even phased. Time to switch to a gun that shoots 3" and jump up to BBBs! And I really, really need to get set up for field hunting. All I have are water dekes and they don't work too well on the ground. Still an epic day in NoDak

You just walk out into the field, shoot at birds out of range, cripple several, and it was an epic day in ND??

[fishuhalik]

Gooback, I didn't shoot at those. I take shots that are in range thank you. I bet i passed on 5,000 birds that most people would have shot at. The birds I wounded were around 60 yards. Anyone here think that's a long shot for BBs? Didn't think so.

[Stringerless!]

Carlos Avery. One duck too high to take a shot at.

[Superduty]

Gooback, I didn't shoot at those. I take shots that are in range thank you. I bet i passed on 5,000 birds that most people would have shot at. The birds I wounded were around 60 yards. Anyone here think that's a long shot for BBs? Didn't think so.

Come back in the morning with ONE spinning wing decoy and you will be shooting them at 10 feet!

[fishuhalik]

Also, when I did shoot birds, I had to stalk em. Got a few shots at mallards in the am as they came off the lake but they didn't come back to the field they were at last night. I had to improvise and belly crawl for about 1/2 mile for those birds. So please, keep the condescending, ignorant remarks to yourself and don't try to ruin an incredible day of hunting for me. Thank you

@superduty:

I wish I could come back! Might have to wait til next year though. I was incredibly fortunate to get an entire weekend off right in the middle of the migration while working in the oil field. I haven't had 2 days off in a row, other than my acheduled days off when i go back to MN to see my fam, since I started here in April!

[fishersofmen]

Thanks for posting the pics fish, I have never been able to witness anything like that in person its got to be an awesome sight.

[Todd Caswell]

Been there done that (belly crawl) so I surely can't critise, but I assure you some day you will look back and say " Never again " . Tonight I had 6 mallards sitting next to my duck boat pulled up on shore, walked down with a young dog that hasn't had alot of birds shot over her this year, could have sneaked up on them but let them fly to see another day, would rather they come in cupped to the decoys, killing has taken a back seat to the hunt, even at the expence of a young dog. Don't even care to pass shoot anymore, in the decoys or nothing. Trust me you'll see the light.

[GooBack]

Gooback, I didn't shoot at those. I take shots that are in range thank you. I bet i passed on 5,000 birds that most people would have shot at. The birds I wounded were around 60 yards. Anyone here think that's a long shot for BBs? Didn't think so.

Actually, it is. Do a little research on ballistics.

The problem is(not how you're hunting), that it requires a lot of ability, and experience to consistantly kill birds at 40 yards or more. I'm certain you lack both. You can kill a duck or goose at 60 yards with steel, but it's sheer luck. And, if you're shooting them flushing/in the back, your odds decrease substantially.

Anyone else like feeding hawks, eagles, skunk, and raccoons? Didn't think so.

[GooBack]

On a side note...

The next duck or goose you shoot and kill, tie it up to a fence post or an old barn or something, pace off 60 yards, and shoot it. Examine the impacts, if there are any, and you'll see exactly how little energy steel has at that distance. Then figure in the wind that may be blowing, the likelihood of a poor pattern, and a target that's likely moving downrange.

Otherwise, keep plugging away. Shoot often! Eventually, you'll figure things out.

[H0LE HOPPER]

Hunting has been fair in the area few divers moved down, still some teal too, kind of strange. Geese patterns have changed, sometimes they only fly at night other times only in the morning just cant piece it together.

* Not trying to start anything but if he had an extended choke thats not far at all many are proven to shoot and kill from anywhere to 60-80 yards effectively(Ive ran patterns on multiple chokes and amunition) though it is a long shot but it can be done and even if he did effectively cripple a bird im sure he put it in his bag limit. Anyways its always a learning expierience no matter who you are! looked liked a good hunt though!