Bumpkis on the reports

[Tom7227]

Virtually no reports on the statue of the season here.  I checked Fishing MN and here.  Nothing of substance.  From what I can tell from the DU page it seems as if the migration passed MN by again.  Anyone else have better info?

 

[Wanderer]

Nothing from me, really.  The major problem for me giving reports is the ability to actually be out there!

I had some early season local MN hunts; half day type, then my ND trip last week.

From other sources I’ve heard the birds spent about the first couple days of November in our state before cruising elsewhere.  It’s really a bummer to have to pick between deer and ducks on the deer opener.  Hunt deer and get “bumpkins” for a migration shoot. 

I’m talking central MN here.  I suppose the better parts of the state had a bigger window.  Or will have if there’s some birds still to come.

I heard divers flying over Saturday and that changed to snow geese on Sunday.  

[Wanderer]

Rice Lake Refuge by McGregor had a record migration of ringnecks as of Halloween.  Almost a million birds.  

But alas, they’re gone now.

[Cheers]

Nothing all season on Rainy Lake except geese and early season/local wood ducks .

Worst year ever by far and for no obvious reason that I have seen or heard .

Rice crop was good and weather was reasonable other than an early winter start .

[MJ1657]

16 hours ago, Tom7227 said:

Virtually no reports on the statue of the season here.  I checked Fishing MN and here.  Nothing of substance.  From what I can tell from the DU page it seems as if the migration passed MN by again.  Anyone else have better info?

 

Let's hear your report. 

[Wanderer]

I have a friend checking Whitefish accesses today for potentially hunting tomorrow morning but I’m not holding my breath for good news.

The ‘Sippi by Little Falls was clear last night but full of ice floes this morning.  No matter, most all the birds are in town anyway.

[MJ1657]

15 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

I have a friend checking Whitefish accesses today for potentially hunting tomorrow morning but I’m not holding my breath for good news.

The ‘Sippi by Little Falls was clear last night but full of ice floes this morning.  No matter, most all the birds are in town anyway.

I walked on ice this morning that was open water yesterday by my duck dock. 

[Tom7227]

6 hours ago, MJ1657 said:

Let's hear your report. 

I was up on Onamia around the 18th of Oct.  It seemed like a lot of ducks were out in the rice but they wouldn't fly more than a few yards before going down again.   There were a few coot along the path that had been cut by previous hunters but not that many.  We had a standard motor and had trouble getting out because of the rice.  Others had Go Devil motors and seemed as if they were doing much better.

I live on Bald Eagle in Ramsey County and there have not been any appreciable number of waterfowl on the lake at all this year.  Not even coots.  I just saw maybe 10-12 swans flying near 120 and County Rd E at about noon Friday and they were headed SE but seemed to be having trouble with the wind. 

[Tom7227]

OK, 3 p.m. update.  A bunch of mallards up against the western shore on Bald Eagle.

 

[delcecchi]

went down to brownsville today.   Billions and Billions of tundra swans along with a  bunch of geese and some really big fat mallards...  Too bad, it's a refuge... And a few trumpeter swans mixed in just for fun. 

[monstermoose78]

I have been posting on ducks but don’t hunt all over. But the birds are still on the bigger lakes or rivers.

[delcecchi]

Reportedly a lot of cans and other ducks on river south of Brownsville, pool 8.

[Kettle]

This will be the last year I hunt in Minnesota.  I don't know if it is my luck or what. To me it is not the number of hunters but the number of unethical hunters.  I turned in three different groups on three different occasions for hunting violations to TIP.  Before anyone blames youth the ages ranged from 16 years old to 64 years old.

In regards to hunting this year I had a great opener.  Lots of rice, I was in the middle of nowhere where I had dragged my canoe behind my four wheeler for about three miles.  About an hour before shooting a group of two young guys showed up, asked if they wanted to hunt with me and they did.  I feel like I helped them learn more about bird in flight identification as we saw several species of ducks.  I ended up giving them my contact info and took them out in the blind in October.  Currently there are birds around.  Alexandria area I broke ice this morning for about an hour but it was worth it.  Four mallards, two GWT and a goose.  Guessing with the warm weather coming up the birds that are here will stay here.

Kettle

[Wanderer]

Sorry to hear you had some bad experiences this year.  I think the silver lining is the help you gave those young hunters.  We can all benefit from good mentoring of newer hunters.  Thank you.

I agree with your bird assessment.  There are birds in central/west central MN and likely will be till the end of the season the way the weather is looking.

[monstermoose78]

I went a found a job which is great but I sure would have liked to finish out the duck season. I will get out for some mallards and green Winged Teal and I hope to go after divers again. It will be weekend hunts for me now not weekday hunts.

[Wanderer]

Congrats on the new job!

Yah, those things do cut into your huntin’ time.

[Tom7227]

Bald Eagle has a lot of ice on it but there are several hundred ducks along the west and south shores in some areas of open water.  I don't know how long they'll stick around.  I don't know if there is any open water south of here so maybe once it gets colder again they'll all scoot fo Kansas.

[Wanderer]

I watched a field fill up with mallards and dark geese tonight that reminded me of NoDak.  I went to ask permission and met the guy who already has permission to hunt the field.  He keeps his blind in the truck like I’ve had mine.  Same one too.

Thats where the similarities end.  He gets to hunt it and I don’t.

Bummer.

There are plenty of birds in MN right now if you can get on them.

[MJ1657]

Had around 4-500 honkers at the farm yesterday in east central MN. Sometimes they show up in the morning other days not until mid afternoon. Going to go see if they show up this morning. 

[MJ1657]

Managed to knock down a couple this morning. The big numbers that were around yesterday afternoon didn't show up this morning. 

[Tom7227]

As of today, Thursday 11-16-17 the ducks have left Bald Eagle Lake in Ramsey County.  Much of the lake had skimmed over on Monday but it had some open water along the western shore, which is where a lot of mallards and some divers had congregated. There were a number of Tundra swans on the lake as well.  They were still there as of Wednesday.  But today the lake is open but only a few coots remain.

[MJ1657]

Hard to beat a December water hunt. There were hundreds of birds on our pond. We got to our duck dock without kicking them up. Waited a bit and broke ice to set decoys they still stayed put. Had to break ice later on because decoys we're freezing in then they all got up at once. 

[monstermoose78]

Way to go!! 

[Wanderer]

Good job MJ.  The birds around here have been tough to predict but I’ll take a crack at it tomorrow.

Which is almost today - I better go to bed!

Edited December 3, 2017 by Wanderer

[MJ1657]

6 hours ago, Wanderer said:

Good job MJ.  The birds around here have been tough to predict but I’ll take a crack at it tomorrow.

Which is almost today - I better go to bed!

I can only take credit with a partial. Someone with a 20 gauge was shooting pretty good..........

 

This was that real big guy. I bet he's old.