2015 Waterfowl Season

[Todd Caswell]

Spent the last 1/2 hour tonight down by the lake and seen 12 flocks of divers over the lake, Should be good this weekend with a front comming in now and mild temps then.  Had 2 good friends in Canada this past week, ( first week in Nov.) one in Manitoba and one in Sask.  and both smoked them, ducks and geese, they have been doing this for the past 10 years and have never been froze out yet..  I'll be hunting around home this weekend and heading west on thursday next week...Love November greenheads..

Edited November 13, 2015 by Todd Caswell

[leech river]

 

Looks like the big push could  begin on Thursday. It appears that "lock up cold" is going to hit Canada 

beginning on Friday.  Check out the 10 day forecast and see what you think ?

I am as accurate as the "Goof on the Roof"

tweed

[Ufatz]

Just spoke to my NDak observer and he reports sporadic activity and no real movement. This is likely to be one of those years where everything blows right through in 24-36 hours.  I recall a few years back standing in front on my little cabin daytime and nighttime and steady flights of birds up high. That lasted for less than three full days and then it was done. And there was not a duck or goose to be found in the area. Have seen it happen several times in my waterfowl chasing. Couple times in AK there would be mallards all over a bay one day and the next day gone.....and everything else gone too.....all the way out of the State.  And if you'll recall,  Alaska is a pretty big state!

Next thing is going to be a hard freeze and then it's all over.  So get 'em while you can boys.

Edited November 13, 2015 by Ufatz
spelling

[Neighbor_guy]

I am still seeing birds in Zimmerman. But it's been sporadic smaller groups of mallards/gadwalls and divers buffleheads/hooded mergansers.

The geese are still keeping me up at night but the numbers are coming down a little bit. What was once a roost containing 3k-5k birds a night is down to 1k-2k depending on the night, some more some less. The farm fields they were keyed on have been turned. I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. 

I'm going to hunt out the season as long as there is water open and birds to hunt. I my eyes there are still two weekends in the north and 3 in the central. The diver push and mallards are going to come by. It's just a matter of being on the water when they do. 

[Dorkfish]

Had a lot of birds come into the 6doz or so decoy spread. They would start to curl their wings and dive and than someone from across the way would start calling and they would fly off. Nothing better than public hunting lol

[monstermoose78]

Had a lot of birds come into the 6doz or so decoy spread. They would start to curl their wings and dive and than someone from across the way would start calling and they would fly off. Nothing better than public hunting lol

Bummer. I am thinking about going out for a greenwing shoot. The one brook I drove by the other day had really nice group of them in it and if I could seen that many I know there is others.

[Neighbor_guy]

Had a lot of birds come into the 6doz or so decoy spread. They would start to curl their wings and dive and than someone from across the way would start calling and they would fly off. Nothing better than public hunting lol

that stinks. 

6dozen is a good size pile of decoys. Did tou get yourself some transportation or are you carrying all those out???

Edited November 14, 2015 by Neighbor_guy
dang auto correct

[Bryce]

Lots of snows floating over the nodak/sodak border until summer returned at noonish. Good luck to those waiting out the migration. It's over save a few pockets.  Hoping to get some time in yet and have one of those pockets land on my head.

[Neighbor_guy]

That's a little bit of a negative attitude for a guy who ends every post with a tailgate full of ducks. 

i guess I prefer to look at it the other way. We saw a bunch of birds today in east central MN and enjoyed ourselves while doing so. 

[Dorkfish]

Nope group of six guys each a sack of decoys NG. By the way we need to get together again before the season closes

[chub]

Put a fork in it.  About done short of the "freeze up" birds.  Hardly anything sticks in this state for more than 24 hrs.  If you're lucky enough to be out on any of the big NW wind days, you feel pretty good...... .  

Watched a wad of mallards working a cornfield this evening while chasing longtails.  Think I saw four vehicles cruising the section watching them.  Lol. 

[Kettle]

Hunted Central MN Friday, hunted in rice with the canoe on a little river.  Saw a lot of mallards but they were higher flying.  Ended up with two ringers, mallard, bonus drake black and a bwt.  Ran the motor out of gas and changed the lower unit lube.  Got to get ready for finals

[TylerS]

Was out phez hunting briefly in SE ND on Sunday. Saw about 10 ducks total. Spoke with my Winnipeg friend and they're continuing to whack birds up across our border. I agree with Ufatz...still plenty heading our way. The when and for  how long is the questions...

[Bryce]

Tough going but still some action. Extremely decoy wise birds. Cupped on a string to 75 yards and then a slide job. Would love to stretch this to the end of the week for the freeze up push but the license expires.

Edited November 16, 2015 by Bryce

[brittman]

There were pockets of birds in SE NoDak last week, but they are not staying long (except maybe the big flocks of mallards) and those are EXTREMELY FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.   Down to mostly mallards, GWT, and a few divers.

The wetlands in NoDak are not in the best shape ... dry or big bowls that appear to be holding fish ...  not many newly/fresh flooded or filled areas this fall.  You see ducks on posted land one day and gone the next.  Fields are being turned over to black dirt at fast rate this fall.

Many / most of the birds staging in Southern Canada may blow right through most of the Dakotas and Minnesota unless they are drawn to a certain area (tied to prior migration routes).  Ducks this time of year can fly more than a few 100 miles ... often a 1,000 ??  when running on a 30+ mph tailwind.

[Todd Caswell]

Not mine but a good friends photo's from the past two days in SE ND, 

 

 

[brittman]

Not mine but a good friends photo's from the past two days in SE ND, 

 

 

 

 

Looks like they had a great pass shoot off those RR tracks.

   

[Bryce]

Looked at 4 forecasts and only one showed a brief break from the rain. Took a chance and got miserably wet but did get a 20 minute window to close out my nodak season. Thursday looks to possibly be the final water day in MN. Gonna be a windy one. May be able to head west. Everyone be careful and monitor the wind. Could be dangerous.

Watched a wad of mallards working a cornfield this evening while chasing longtails.  Think I saw four vehicles cruising the section watching them.  Lol. 

One of the main problems in Mn. No chance for the ducks to rest. Nodak starting to follow that trend. Almost wouldn't mind losing Nodak camp. Would relocate to Sodak in a heartbeat. Worth it to risk the lottery process in order to hunt unpressured birds.

The wetlands in NoDak are not in the best shape ... dry or big bowls that appear to be holding fish ...  not many newly/fresh flooded or filled areas this fall.  You see ducks on posted land one day and gone the next.  Fields are being turned over to black dirt at fast rate this fall.

Saw some tiling going on too. Several sloughs went up in flames each day with Sundays no wind conditions produced  at least 2 dozen going up while wandering around. 

Locals are predicting high water levels next spring though. Take it for what it's worth but they base that on muskrat huts. Many in extremely shallow water and all very high.

[Todd Caswell]

Looks like they had a great pass shoot off those RR tracks.

   

No they were decoyed dryland

Edited November 17, 2015 by Todd Caswell

[Todd Caswell]

 Iv'e had many days in Manitoba and ND that I ended up putting on 150 miles a day scouting and ended up finding a worthy field to hunt 50-100 miles from home base, and have had days where we ended up with nothing worthy to hunt in the morning, only to find the mother load 10 miles away the next day, the birds were there we just didn't take the right turn the day before.  This year was a strange year all around and alot of the birds are a long ways south right now but there are still huge pockets of birds in both of the dakotas and Canada for that matter if you are willing to put the miles on..  If you sit in one spot and wait for the migration to find you, then well you will get what you put into it.. 

[TylerS]

Big storm forecasted for Canada in SK and MB today. Snow/sleet and rain. Might be a good push. 

[FowlSki]

There are still piles of mallards and  darks north of the boarder but that's about to change.  The big show is about to begin.  If you are headin to the Dakotas now you're hitting it about right.  

[brittman]

150 miles scouting can be an easy day....

Often our coverage would be a 100 mile circle around our home base.  Doesn't that work out to nearly 8K square miles?   Some years we would be 75 NW one day and 1 mile S the next ...

This fall I scouted one spot that was loaded with geese & ducks.  By myself the next day so I just set up a small spread.  Nothing flying within a mile.  I was picked up and left an hour after sunrise.  The birds were moving south of the roost ... I wasn't south.    

Stormy low cloud day ... so I went driving.  Put on 200+ miles and saw just two other small mallard feeds.  Areas that traditionally held 'em were disappointingly void.

Later that same afternoon I circled back to where I had started (and was set up) and sure enough the mallards were back (just starting to come out) ... geese gone.  I went out with a two dozen decoys and shot my 5 drake mallards in 30 minutes...

 

 

 

 

South Dakota

 

Big storm forecasted for Canada in SK and MB today. Snow/sleet and rain. Might be a good push. 

South Dakota could be THE place next week.  Storms in Canada and another snow storm pushing through NE and IA.   The birds could get squeezed in between and drop right into SoDak and stay !!!

SoDak is the ticket now.

Edited November 18, 2015 by brittman

[TylerS]

If you ain't hunting today, you're missing it. Here in Fargo: 40-50 mph sustained winds, snow and ice. It's a dang ground blizzard. Gonna button up fast! Get 'em while the getting is good.

[Bryce]

Pointed west. I fear that I may resemble Bohdi at Bells Beach staring out from shore waiting for my set once I arrive. Will at least be in position for the morning.