field reports

[Roosterslayer05]

Went pass shooting in North metro saturday morning. I shot one shell and got one duck, a big drake mallerd. There were a few birds around but they dident come our way. Went hunting on a lake near Mille Lacs this morning and dident fire my gun, Barely any ducks.

[Trany]

Pass shot in SW metro, fired two shells and missed a good sized mallard. I saw a ton of teal, and woodies. There were a lot of birds flying 30-60 mins after shooting hours. The skybusting idiolts and the stupid people shooting over my head were an added bonus. I got a nice steel shower. There were morons shooting at 6:30 and I sware I heard 4 shots with the same sound and pause come from one gun. It was slopy in my opinion, but I guess I will hunt more inaccesable spots next weekend.

[mpester]

Hunting has been so slow for me this season that I shot a coot this weekend to see what they taste like. I saw four ducks on Saturday. I should have had some dove loads with me all year out on the lake.

[Seabass77]

Hunted a WMA in meeker county on Saturday. Didn't get to shoot. Heard lots of shooting on the bigger bodies of water in the area though. Saw three huge flocks of migrating geese. Slept in on Sunday. This weekend looks about perfect for some hunting though. Have a good week everyone.

[Riverratpete]

Went fishing...will be out duck hunting this weekend when everyone else is out chasing Pheasants.(ah...eexxcceelent)

[set the drag]

did not fire a shot but still ened up with one bird that someone did not see go down there were some skybuster up the shore line from us nand the lung shot one and it sailed a ways and feel like a wet rag watched it float across the lake those people left and I got a free duck. It eneded up being a woodie. pretty slow this weekend only eneded up with three ducks and only shot 5 times.

this weekend looks fantastic can't waite to hear the wind blow!!!

[ChuckN]

Hunted around home (OT County) Saturday morning, good hunt. No wind, sunny and too nice for ducks. I saw a lot of Mallards, wood ducks, unknown flocks of birds about 60 yards up. Saw a couple flocks of birds I thought were ringbills.

I picked out 2 nice drake woodies, and the mallards just didn't commit within the range I prefer, but some shots I probably could have taken.

Sunday morning I didn't feel up to hunting, but I heard quite a few shots from hunters.

[This message has been edited by ChuckN (edited 10-11-2004).]

[Guest]

Hunted near Backus Fri. morn. Saeen seven ducks total. 3 flew right over our heads above the rice. Never fired a shot. Bonus: Had seven trumpeters fly 30 yds over head. Fixed up the deer stand.

Hunted south of Marcell Sun. morn. One wood duck and one merganser . Not much flyin around.

Ron

[Guest]

Double post....

geesh

[This message has been edited by minnowscoop (edited 10-11-2004).]

[decoy]

Got a cackler on Saturday, and a honker on Sunday. I am surprised how tender those cacklers are. mmmmm

decoy

[Flipnripem]

We are still shooting a few mallards in south central part of the state. The teal I have been shooting at were not around this past weekend. The water in our cornfield is still holding on and the rest of the area is drying out. Sweet. It will get better. Flip

[Bigfife]

I drove from Marshall to Detroit Lakes and back this weekend. Saw no bird with the exception of two teal on Friday. Sunday was a whole different story. Almost every pond I passed, had 2-12 birds in it. The woodies were very thick between Detroit Lakes and Pelican Rapids. I also say a high concentration of birds between 94 and Elboy Lake. Went by a small lake north of Morris that had about 100 geese and some mallards mixed in. I had to take a second look because I originally thought it was a decoy spread there were so many of them. A lot of geese flying low around the Morris area. The birds tapered off between Morris and Montevideo and they were non existent the rest of the way to Marshall. Hope some of this helps.

[ATM]

Wednesday there is finally going to be some decent duck weather if you believe the weather man. Im off from work so ill either be hitting the wilmar area or staying closer to home around the metro havent decided yet. anyone else heading out wednesday. Adam

[Mark Christianson]

I didnt hunt this weekend, but I do live near Sherburne Natl Wildlife Refuge.

I heard very few shots in the mornings this weekend. The past couple years, typically is hard to sleep in, with gunshots going off.
Very very quiet in the Big Lake area over all.

[jegerjack]

Went out last night in the SW metro, got one teal, a blue. Only bird I saw, but the mosquitoes forced me to retreat a half and hour early. Spoke with another guy who was down on the Minnesota river bottoms, said he saw birds al over the place. I have been hearing that a lot.

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"What the old man trade for these guys... A used puck bag..."

[Ole #1]

I went out to carlos avery yesterday morning, had about 80 ducks get up 10 minutes before shooting time. Only one duck came into the decoys after that and I missed it. We sat until about 9:00 and ended up with a skunk.

Hunted Pelican lake (Buffalo area) last night and didn't see one duck until after sunset. It was a very slow day yesterday, I think I'll bowhunt the rest of the week and go for pheasant this weekend.

Good luck everyone

Ole

[Sartell Angler]

Ole- yeah I went to Sartell High School, graduated in 2003 though so I might be a little after your time.

I'm a sophomore at SCSU this year. Where did you go to high school?

SA aka woodduckwizard

[Ole #1]

I graduated at Tech in 1996.

Ole

[WaTeRrAt0119]

Hey Everyone,
Our hunting has been fair this year. On opening weekend we shot 4 ducks saturday, and 24 ducks and 8 geese on sunday for 5 guys. The following weekend 2nd and 3rd, on Saturday we shot about a dozen ducks and 7 geese on Saturday, and just a few on sunday. We saw good sized flocks of mallards comin through and few good sized flock of divers. On the 10th, yesturday we shot just 13 ducks, but got 2 Canvasbacks. Our first Cans ever up there. Mostly we killed widgeon and mallards, with a few gadwall, green/blue wingers, and a fair amount of woodro's(wood ducks). Typically we get a lot of ringnecks and mallards but have yet to get one ringneck. A bunch of us are headin up Thursday through sunday this week and hopefully gonna wack some mallards and divers. I think we've found a decent spot. We have some private land but, are trying different areas to try to get some different actoin. Its paid off, before we'd maybe shot 2 or 3 geese during the regular season on water, now its much better. Theres definitely lots a geese around, hopefully they'll stay till the late season goose hunt!
I think too that this or next weekend should be pretty good, ice cold weather and blue skies. At least thats the best for us up there. We get divers in the early mornin, mallards and geese around 9:30.

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Only good animal is a dead animal

[Mike Walerak]

We killed over 40 ducks this weekend. Mix bag of teal,wigeon, gaddy's, mallards, woody's and a pintail. Our blue wingers seemed to have left the area as we shot 1 on sat and then they all magically turned into greenwings on Sun. and Mon.

We were hunting E. SD.
mw

[joshb]

sartell angler.......i thought that was you.......

aka......bigshooter

i hunted near sauk centre........saw A duck.......too high to take a shot of course.

[This message has been edited by joshb (edited 10-12-2004).]

[Flipnripem]

Mike, nice to hear from you. The corn is just getting started around town. By the end of next week we should be hammering pretty hard. Been spending my time east of town about 15 miles in a flooded corn field. Getting enough ducks to keep going back. Hoping this front will push some birds down for us. Gimme a hollar if you get back to town this fall. Flip

[Powerstroke]

Went out again tonight and saw nothing. Only got to be in the field for the last half hour of shooting and it was worthless.

I'm in a WPA that doens't seem to attract anything that migrates. I saw plenty of pheasants though.

I don't want any honey holes, but man I would love to hear some suggestions for spots near the SW metro. I hunt alone and I'm starting to get frustrated.

ATM, I might go wed night. Depends on how windy it is.Are you looking for company?

[Mike Walerak]

Flip,
15 miles east, (hum) sounds like my old stompin grounds
Pretty much won't be back until the migration is over
If I do get back I will give you a shout.
mw

[Sartell Angler]

Flowage tamer and myself had to work for our ducks this weekend...ended up with one drake mallard on friday morning while hunting the river. Then headed west for the weekend and got 2 woodies, 2 bwt, and a drake mallard on saturday. Sunday morning ended up with 3 mallards. This weekend should prove much better for hunting...cold weather moving in will help the ducks and geese...also hoping to flush a few roosters.

Good luck all,

SA aka Woodduckwizard