Waterfowl Hunting

[Duck-o-holic]

Bryce- I haven't seen the Quaker Boy acrylic yet... I'll have to check it out. I did have the pleasure of meeting Paul England last fall out by where I hunt, and also got to know his son fairly well. I also got to hear his son blow both the Pit Crew and the duck call that his dad makes. I was VERY impressed! I guess he has won some competitions with these calls. I am definitely interested in purchasing a couple.

Duck-o-holic

[Guest]

Duck---
What calls do you have I saw you said 3 one for loud, medium, and softer. I think I probably need to look into the soft call. It seems like when I try to tone it down the call definately does not work correctly. Also will the feeder be easier with a softer call?? let me know.

Thanks-
Broncosguy

[Duck-o-holic]

Bronc--

Right now I'm using a Big River double-reed for my in-close calling. It is easy to blow, and does give a great feeding chuckle. Before buying a call, I always try them out in the store (usually after asking). This is a great way to try different brands and models of calls. Gander Mountain, Cabela's, and Scheels all have great selections. Gander even has one of each of their calls on display for people to try, but some of these get pretty beat up.

Good Luck!

Duck-o-holic

[Guest]

Duck--
Thanks for the info I will try that.

to anyone--
Also in need of a good trust worthy gun smith to replace a bent ejector pin on my Savage 720 semi auto. I liv ein the Spring Lake Park/Blaine area.

Thanks-
Broncsguy

[Finlander]

My duck call that I would suggest is a
Illusion Mini-Mag Duck System duck call.
This 3" call is easy to blow both soft and loud. And is easy to do a feeding chuckle or any other type of in between calls.
It is a double reed!
My Canada goose call is a Primos Shaved Reed.
This is a sweet call that talks to geese very well. Really brings them to ya!
HAPPY HOOTIN!!

------------------
BBB,T,F.

[Duck-o-holic]

Fin--

Kudo's to the Shaved Reed!!! You also mention a great double reed. Although I've never owned an Illusion, I've blown them and like their sound! They make a great goose call as well. Another call worth mentioning are the Cutt Down series calls. These are also small versions of what traditional calls look like, but deliver a great sound.

How 'bout you other fowlers? What are you having success with??

Duck-o-holic

[Guest]

Does anyone know where to see what the status is/was for the duck populatoin this year??

Thanks-
Broncosguy

[Rippinlip]

I have been invited to go with some buddies on the early season goose hunt. Since I have not been into the waterfowl thing, what do I need to start? Guns, Ammo, Camaflague, Calls.
Or should I just "wing it" no pun intended.
This sounds like a golden oppurinity and I do not want my first experience to be a bad one.

[Duck-o-holic]

Bronc-- A few good places are the MPLS.Tribune Sunday paper, Outdoor News weekly, Mid West Outdoors paper, Minnesota Sportsman magazine.... The list goes on. From what I've seen so far, counts are down on most species. Mallards are at their lowest since 1984(?). Cans aren't doing well-- and there is only going to be a 20 day season on them.

The good news is that the rest of the regs should not be affected more than that. The daily limit will stay as it was last year with 6 daily, 12 possession for ducks. The species limits will also stay the same: 4 mallards (no more than 2 hens), 3 scaup, 2 redheads, 2 woodies, 1 can, 1 pintail, 1 blackduck. The regular season is set for running Sept.29th - Nov.27th.

In all actuality, last year was supposed to be a banner year for most of the migratory species (except maybe the bluebill)... but many hunters did not witness this on the water. Many attribute this to the change in the migration patterns of the Mississippi flyway over the past decade-- shifting further westward to the pothole-rich Dakotas. So what does all of this mean in the big picture? There will still be birds to see this year... but you may need to really put your time in scouting and being on the water, and may have to be a bit more mobile and go to where the birds are. Enjoy all the rewards of the hunt itself rather than how many birds you bag. I myself am in heaven already just getting ready for the upcoming season!!

Scoot-- not sure how to answer your question as I am not too familiar with the Fargo area geese and crops. Possibly you are seeing fields that have already been fed through. Maybe seeing the fields at the wrong time of day, or were seeing them before the geese were flying as a family unit... or maybe many of the locals there are finding what they need in town and on the golf courses.

Rippin'Lip-- Sounds like you are going to get a taste of something truly addicting! I would rely on the friends you are hunting with to let you know what to bring. I would not suggest bringing a call right away until you are proficient with it. If any in your group are callers you should be fine. Camo, Gun, and Ammo are all musts. If you don't have a gun, it might be wise to borrow one from one of the guys you're hunting with. Get a good feel for what you want before rushing out to buy one. If you are shooting a 12 guage for early season geese, you can get away with using a bit lighter load as the geese usually decoy better, and don't have much body fat to speak of. I personally use BBs in the early season instead of BBBs or T shot which I favor later in the season. I also always use the largest size shell that my gun can handle although this is not necessary.

Once you find out how you like this new sport, you can start dumping the big $$$ on all of the fun stuff that one thinks he needs to go along with it! As for now, keep it simple and ask the advice of the friends you'll be hunting with!!

Good luck, be safe, and HAVE FUN!!!!

Duck-o-holic

[This message has been edited by Duck-o-holic (edited 08-24-2001).]

[Bryce]

Looking like a long construction season. (notice posted time and realize I just got done with supper) Listening for ideas on hunts after Christmas. Travel not a problem. Rig is ready to go on the road and looking for ideas or goups looking for additional numbers/equipment.

[Scoot]

Can anyone give me some good info? I'm in Fargo and I have seen VERY FEW geese flying so far this year... why? Besides fishing I'm also a golfer and I have seen many hundreds of geese on the courses in town. These are the same geese we pummeled last year in the fields (actually the ones we pummeled are dead, but these are relatives), why aren't they heading out to feed on all of the harvested wheat, barley, and bean fields?
Scoot

[Sartell Angler]

Although i don't care much for the Denver Broncos,(lol) i am willing to give you some advice. To find the waterfowl projections for the 2001 hunting season, go to www.ducks.org ( the official Ducks Unlimited web site) It should be easy to see.

you're welcome,
Sartell Angler
P.S-- Go Vikings and Twins!

[Finlander]

The first geese of the summer flew over my house this morning!
So I put out my 100 silloette and full bodied decoys in my back yard to see if I could attract any for an early goose dinner!
Just Kidding!
Just putting them out to see if they are ready for the early goose season.
Need some repair here and there on some,
but otherwise they look pretty good looking
out the back window! Fooled my inlaws!
Just a reminder for all Goosers is to check out all of your decoys well in advance of the season opnener.
A 15 dollar decoy doe's no good in a decoy bag when it should be out there with the rest of them.
Practice Hootin 'N' Shotin!

------------------
BBB,T,F.

[Borch]

It really depends on where they are cracked. If it's around the keel(where 99% of the time it is)the only option is the foam. Hope you don't need to do this to too many as your load will get very heavy. Be careful with the amount you put in. It expands for several minutes after it's invected. My brother used foam and let's just say the decoy didn't make it to the next outing.

[Duck-o-holic]

Mr.Bear-- If the crack is not very wide and not too long, I'd try using Liquid Nails or a good clear caulking. I've also had good luck using a hot glue gun on some of these smaller cracks. Neither of these methods has lasted more than three seasons, as I am very hard on my blocks. When hunting in extremely cold weather, the plastic constricts, and the sealer can become seperated or split from the original crack. I have also tried the foam method... which was the worst thing I've tried. Maybe I gave up too easy on it, but I didn't like the results. What I usually do in your situation is saw off the keel, and use the decoy as a field or ice deke. They also work well on top of small clumps of vegetation!

Good luck,

Duck-o-holic

[Guest]

Questions, I have two Mallard decoys(Flambeau magnums),that are cracked. I'm thinnin some spray foam insulation would work nicely any Comments? What else can I do to fix them?

[Duck-o-holic]

Alright fowlers... who's going early goose hunting tomorrow? I'm planning on hunting SW of Willmar, but have relied on my hunting partner to pick our spot, as I've been so busy lately. Don't really know what to expect, but am anxious for the new 2001 season to begin! It'll be great just being out there!! Hopefully will be fighting off geese in the dekes instead of fighting the heat and mosquitos! Good luck to all that are heading out... let's hear some stories!!

Duck-o-holic

[mwktrapper]

Going out this evening in Bemidji, then Fosston tomorrow morning. Didn't make it out this morning. There's too many people hunting here in Grand Rapids and Deer River, not worth fighting the crowd here. Been seeing lots of geese though and can't wait to see them droppin in the dekes.

Good huntin

[Rippinlip]

Went out Saturday Morning and had a blast,
We only shot two, (my partner shot two), but I did get some shooting in, we only stayed out til @10:00. Thanks for the reply earlier in the post as to what I needeed. Looking forward to doing alot more, because I have been seriously bitten by the BUG. I already made up 16 silloutes(sp) and had my 3 daughters help me paint them up and I have to say they did a great job on them.
What else can there be to life than to share the great outdoors with family and friends.

P.S. Leaving soon after I write this to go look for some more possible hunting spots.

[Duck-o-holic]

I can quit holding my breath... SEASON IS HERE!!! Rippinlip-- Glad you caught the BUG! That's cool that you've gained the support of even your girls. Successful scouting is the KEY to getting into birds. Sometimes just hearing the word "YES" from a farmer is more reward than the hunt itself!

Luckily my partner came through with a prime field. We ended up having 200-250 woodies, widgeon, and mallards land in the dekes right after sunup. They literally flew a few feet over the beans in front of us, and buzzed us in flocks of three to thirty. We were excited to see if the geese would follow suit! Luckily they did, and we ended up getting some great shooting. In all, it was a great way to bring in the season! Hunted with a few new faces, and even bought a couple liters of wiskey for the farmer that gave us permission which was a small price for such a great hunt. So how did everyone else do in the state? Trapper-- how was the shooting up north? Hope everyone had safe and fun hunts!

Duck-o-holic

[Flick]

I hunted around Little Falls, we have relatives there. They said there were a lot of geese around so we went up there. Well, there was a fair amount but not a lot. Didn't get one goose. Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Saw singles, doubles all the way up to flocks of 40. Nothing even looked at the decoys. We weren't in fields that they were feeding in though. Our relatives said it's a here one day and gone the next thing. I can't believe we didn't get any, pretty frustrating, especially when it seems everybody else hammers them.

[mwktrapper]

Not the best opener up north. Didn't see a goose in bemidji in a field that was full of em the last couple weeks. We saw lots of geese in fosston but they were glued to the potholes all day. But heck did we see ducks. We had the same thing happen to us, ducks galore landing in the dekes right at sunup. It was my little brother's first hunt and I think he's still shakin from seeing them ducks just about land on top of him. Nobody did good up here in Rapids either. Oh well, there's still duck season adn that'll be a good one. Good huntin'

[Scoot]

Hey Rippin,

Sorry if this is repeat info. but you mentioned making up silloutes with your girls, give me some details as to how you did this? What did you use for materials?
Thanks,
Scoot

[Rippinlip]

Scoot
I am not real sure how good they look, but here it goes. I had borrowed a silloute from a friend. Got some 1/4" plywood (I have plenty of that) traced the goose, made some different poses. I made 8 standers, and 8 feeding. Painted them the best I could (daughters helped a great deal)
Lots of Black paint, touches of grey, brown, and some white patches.
Picked up a 10' piece of 1/2" PVC pipe, cut it in 6" sections, took a skill saw and split it down 3" (be careful), screwed that to the silloute. Cut myself 16 pieces of 1/4" rod and sharpened the ends.
now when I set them into the ground the wind also gives them movement. I HAVE BEEN BITTEN BY THE BUG BAD.
By the way what is the laws on having someone sit with you that is not hunting.
I took one of my daughters with on Monday morning and she had a ball, even if we did not get anything. We seen a bunch of wildlife, ducks, deer, And of course a ton of geese that had no intention of stopping for a visit to my freshly made silloutes.
Scoot, if you lived reasonably close I would bring one over to let you take a peak, maybe we could even come up with a better design?

Happy Hunting

[Guest]

These reports sound similiar to what I experienced. I hunted near Waubun, MN and we saw a lot of birds, but nothing like last year. Not one duck came to our dekes this past weekend...last year hundreds to thousands buzzed and landed in our dekes. The geese this year were just plain decoy shy. They would come close enough for a shot, but not commit. Our first and only bird committed and wow, what a blast!
Sat. morning hunt was interupted by T-storms and high winds. Sunday too hot, sunny and windy. I'm waiting for a cloudy, cool day before I return to the fields.
It seemed that these birds were all on a tight schedule and they all had an exact destination in their flight patterns. They just were not interested in anything else.
Still plenty of time left.....
Good hunting!