2013 Central MN Watefowl Hunting Summary

[Smuts]

We hunted waterfowl in Central MN from Willmar to Hutchinson and the surrounding areas this fall. Here is a summary of our season. First couple of weekends we saw ample wood ducks and some teal--mostly bluewings. Lots of resident geese around, but they were unusuall skittish for early season, mayber due to being shot at since mid-August.

When October arrived, we still saw lots of woodies, and more teal began arriving, both bluewings and greenwings. Also started to see a lot of pintails, wigeon, gadwalls, and shovelers from the Dakotas with all the strong west and NW winds we had during October, but curiously few mallards in areas we always see them this time of year.

With all the afore-mentioned west and NW winds, divers were migrating through the area all October. We saw more redheads than we ever have, great numbers of canvasbacks, and some bluebills and ringnecks started showing up as well. Some new geese moved in as well, but didn't seem to stay in the area long. One theory we have on the mallards and geese shortage is that the corn fields were not harvested yet during much of October.

November saw the "other puddlers" move on, but more bluebills and ringnecks showed up as well as some cans and redheads yet. At the end of the season, we saw lots of goldeneyes and buffies, with a few other divers mixed in, and some new mallards and geese, but still fewer of the big birds than normal. Finished with some new geese the first weekend after ducks closed, and saw more mallards that weekend, then the snow and deep freeze arrived and we called it a season to get ready for ice fishing.

Would be curious to hear how the seson went for others in other parts of the state.