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Mississippi?

dan z
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Lunker Veteran

Lunker

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Main channel should be open anywhere. Take a look at the refuge map, they tend to hold a lot of birds on this system so put yourself near a refuge and there will be birds. I've been hunting pools 7 and 8 this year with mixed results. lots of birds but also lots of hunters. gonna spend more time driving to lesser hunted areas next year instead of hunting closer to home. There were thousands of Cans holding in Pool 7 earlier in the week, but most of the refuge froze over a couple of days ago so not sure if they are still holding there or not.

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strait-meat Collaborator

strait-meat

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I would have thought the south -- looks more "ducky" to me. I have been in the north area before seen some but nothing that would make me want to hit it hard. Unless you are hunting across the river and near where the lady used to feed the ducks at in Monticello.

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Scott M Grand Master

Scott M

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Better get there early and wear kevlar....

Dispute over duck hunting spot erupts in gunfire in Dakota County

by Mary Lynn Smith, Star Tribune

Nov. 30, 2012

A tiff between duck hunters on the Mississippi River blew up Thursday, prompting one of the hunters to open fire.

No one was injured in the incident, but a spray of shotgun pellets shot from about 50 yards struck the second hunter's boat. The shooter, who had planned to be in a duck blind near Spring Lake Park Reserve on a November afternoon, instead ended up in jail on possible felony assault charges.

The Sheriff's Office was still investigating the case and will send the results to the Dakota County attorney to decide if charges will be filed. But shooting at another hunter is "aberrant" behavior and just plain wrong, according to Chris Niskanen, spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

"There's absolutely no excuse to point a loaded weapon at someone or their boat," he said. "It's extremely dangerous."

With late fall mallards winging their way through Minnesota and Canada geese congregating on the river, Spring Lake Park tends to be a popular spot for waterfowl hunters. And on Thursday, with the close of the season looming on Sunday, hunters were out in full force. "There were a lot of boats on the water," said Dakota County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Tim Leslie said.

But getting a hunting spot is a matter of first come, first served.

"It's like going to church and someone has your pew," Leslie said. "Just like church, if you don't get there first, then someone can take your spot even though you sit there every Sunday."

But unlike churchgoing parishioners who merely move to another pew, the hunters reportedly got into a heated argument over the same spot along one of the river's islands upstream from Hastings. The group of four hunters on shore reportedly were irate with the hunters in the boat who were setting out decoys. "One of them got so involved and angered that he chose to fire his weapon at this boat, striking the side of boat with pellets," Leslie said.

But like most heated disputes, investigators got different stories from the two hunting parties. The hunter who was arrested told investigators that "it was an inadvertent shot at a duck" that ended up hitting the boat, Leslie said.

A battle over a duck blind that would prompt one hunter to shoot at another is "very unusual and very atypical," Niskanen said.

"These are public waters, so there is no 'his spot' or 'your spot,'" he said. "It's first come, first served. This kind of behavior ... is not the way waterfowl hunters interact with each other. And it's very disappointing.

"When you take a hunter's safety class or are taught by your mentors -- your fathers, your grandfathers -- they always tell you, keep a cool head," Niskanen said. "This is absolutely the wrong approach to take with your fellow hunter."

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mwal Experienced

mwal

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I live 10 minutes from there and have given up hunting there. I am not willing to sleep in my boat overnight. That is what it takes to get a spot then somebody shows up at shooting time and tries to set up 50 yards or less from you saying you are in there spot etc. Not worth it. I have had guys threaten me many times in that area years ago when I would sleep in the boat to get a spot. Some heated words were exchanged it just ruined it for me and I quit hunting there and North Lake by the early 90's

Mwal

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TylerS Mentor

TylerS

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That is asinine. What people won't do for a freaking bird, eh? I know they say not to let one bad apple spoil the bunch, but if that's what high testosterone and bad judgement lead to in Minnesota, I'm glad I left. Sheesh.

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mallardnwalleye Experienced

mallardnwalleye

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Dan, on the Mississippi the further south the better. Check refuge lines on the map site of the upper Mississippi NWR. Minneska and weaver bottoms is prolly froze. It was once one of the best mallard spots in the state. Right now try where the islands that border the shallow lake refuge that is froze. There will prolly be a bunch of others there this weekend. You can run traffic birds on the channel this time of year but it can be really tough. Large spreads and calling loud and aggressive can work sometimes. The best spots are shallow open areas off the channel google maps can really help with this. Good luck!

It's a shame about what happened on Spring Lake. There are tons of birds there doing the quarry on grey cloud to rose mount u of m fields thing right now. It's always cool to see the thousands of birds down there. Unfortunately there are a handful of spots that do really really well that people always fight over.

The dnr ought to do stings like they did up in itasca county when some guys got threatened at a spot that 2 guys thought they owned. The dnr co's went out acting like hunters ,the guys came in before shooting and said we are going to ...........if you stay here. Dnr had a tape running and asked if he could repeat it. He did and was put face down by 4 co's waiting in the brush. The guy who did the threatening did time.

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mallardnwalleye Experienced

mallardnwalleye

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Any ever hunt down by minneiska?

If you haven't hunted the river I would use Saturday as a scouting day and Sunday as a hunt day. With the fog Saturday am and being on the river in a very low stage you could have problems. Use landings on the main channel and look out for bouys and deadheads.

Some good spots are Brownsville , dresbach, north of winona and wabasha area. You may have to put in in Wisconsin and be careful as the state lines apply in duck hunting. Most of the good spots are in WI and get hit hard by river rats that know the game. Good luck I hope this helps.

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