Waterfowl Reports

[PerchSlayer]

Lots of goslings down in Owatonna, surprising since we got 15" of snow a couple weeks ago.

[HNTNBUX]

I saw about 50 brown teal looking ducks in a small farm pond that has only held a few ducks all summer. Looks limlke there could be a few flying ducks by opening weekend again this year. That is unless they all walked there.

[onthefly]

Out scouting today in W Central MN. Of course there were geese. Lots of BWT, woodies and mallards. Even a couple divers on a big slough. Good rice crop & water levels seem up versus last year. Still some VERY small ducks around. Found one pond loaded with ducks - we bumped em out. Still a dozen or so little buff colored fur balls - looked like they couldn't even fly!

Good luck next wknd!

[Riverratpete]

Heard someone say that the safest ducks come Saturday will be the non flyers...will just melt into the cattails...probably true

[icctolson]

Was hunting geese in a pasture last weekend. Didn't do well on the geese but I did have about 200-250 redheads flying back and forth on the small creek I was hunting next to about every 15-20 mins, 25-30 yards away, made for some good entertainment. For other ducks, I saw 1 can, couple bluebills, couple shovelers, couple mallards, couple gadwalls and a couple bwteal, wasn't overly impressed with the amount of ducks besides the redheads. NE Nodak

[RuddyDuck]

Did an evening watch on the lake west of town last night. Saw flocks of woodies and some mallards heading back from the fields to the lake. One flock of mallards was about 30-40 birds. Also a few small flocks of teal around.

[RumRiverRat]

Pickerel Lake in Nowthen between St Francis and Elk River is loaded with Wild Rice.

Lots of Wood Ducks, teal and Mallards roosting on the lake.

If you hunt it this weekend better be there around 10pm on Friday.

[RuddyDuck]

Sounds busy. I think if I go, I'll go to Pelican, it will be quiet there!

[RumRiverRat]

Sounds busy. I think if I go, I'll go to Pelican, it will be quiet there!

So quiet you can hear a muskrat fart.

[onthefly]

Isn't this the fun of opening day? Scout hard, find a spot with birds, get there WAY TOO EARLY just to sit and hope someone doesn't show 30 min before legal shooting and set up 100 yds up wind!?

[Finlander]

Maple Grove report: there are 6 mallards in the holding pond behind the town home I live at!

[icecold]

I find opening day to be very stressful, thats why i havnt missed a opener in 39 years. lol

[CANOPY SAM]

I feel for you guys down around the Twin Cities. I lived in Waconia for 5 years and finding hunting opportunities without being overrun by other hunters is near impossible.

As to a report...up here in the NW part of the state, where much of the migration first moves in, there's a few flocks of local geese, and a couple ducks around. It's really dry, and only the small grains are off. Locals are just starting in on the beans.

Weather is still way too mild. Feels like mid-July up here tonight with t-storms moving up from the south. Kinda doubt the dekes are gonna see any sunlight for a few more weeks. I gotta wait for the migration to get started. Too many other things to do before the birds really get moving.

[TylerS]

Took my dogs to the retriever club last night in Dilworth. By the time we left, close to 150 geese were loafing on the main pond. I think I found a roost....

[onthefly]

I find opening day to be very stressful, thats why i havnt missed a opener in 39 years. lol

+1!!! Except it had only been 5 yrs now

[Finlander]

Been hunting ducks since 1968, haven't missed an opener yet!

[monstermoose78]

I have been seeing some bluewings hanging around the Princeton area along with the normal woodies. The geese have been flying high or rate at sunset. I have notice a lot of Sandhill Cranes along high 95 between st cloud and princeton the cranes are in the cut corn fields.

[laportian]

I'm going to Bowstring for an afternoon hunt today. I was harvesting rice just north of there last week on Natures Lake and it looked good. Teal everywhere. Weather is kinda cruddy but maybe it'll get them moving.

[Kettle]

About an hour north of the metro have noticed good numbers of birds on lakes with rice, I will be heading down to the family farm just outside of Mankato for opening weekend. Good luck everyone!

Kettle

[CANOPY SAM]

While doing chores yesterday, up here in the NW part of the state, I noticed a few large flocks of geese high up heading south. It seems a little early to see anything truly migrating yet, but these groups definitely appeared to be on the move.

Also noticed a distinct increase in the number of geese in the immediate area. Far more geese flying around town last night then I've seen in the past few weeks.

[booger]

While doing chores yesterday, up here in the NW part of the state, I noticed a few large flocks of geese high up heading south. It seems a little early to see anything truly migrating yet, but these groups definitely appeared to be on the move.

Also noticed a distinct increase in the number of geese in the immediate area. Far more geese flying around town last night then I've seen in the past few weeks.

I'm in the metro and noticed a high flying flock or 2. Lots of geese around, quite a few ducks too.

[RumRiverRat]

Pelican Lake in Wright County is loaded with ducks.

Pickerel Lake in Anoka County is Loaded with Ducks.

Lory Lake in Isanti County has ducks especially in the WMA portion.

[walleyeking19]

Pelican Lake in Wright County is loaded with ducks.

Pickerel Lake in Anoka County is Loaded with Ducks.

Lory Lake in Isanti County has ducks especially in the WMA portion.

And those ducks on Pelican will be blasted off the lake by the million hunters out there tomorrow!

[123fish]

Had a very poor Opener where we were this morning. Four guns shot a honker and a blue and green wing teal. Pretty sad. Two others in our party went to a different slough and shot seven and another two went to a third slough and shot ten. A mixture of mallards, woodies, a few teal and a gadwall. Was just too hard for some of us old timers to get in those sloughs that required walks through heart siezing muck. Lot of hunters out and not a whole lot of ducks. Weather was way too nice also.

[birdguy]

Woodies were plentiful in the Cambridge area, many small flocks were seen, mostly locals I suspect and we did take three limits. Some mallards were also seen, perhaps 10 - 20, but none would decoy. Can't complain as it's mostly local ducks right now. Things will improve....