Wanted: Goldeneyes

[Duck-o-holic]

I know this may be a bit early, but I'm looking for a lake or river that sees large numbers of Goldeneyes. I have a friend who takes vacation every year to exclusively chase whistlers, and he's thinking of heading up to lake Vermillion. Just wondering if anyone knows of any lakes that would be a sure bet for these late migrants? Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Duck-o-holic

[PikeTipper]

No need to travel for you, the best Goldeneye shoots I have ever had have been on Soloman Lake very late in the season. Get a nice snowy evening and you can hear those wings whistling all over the lake.

[Sartell Angler]

hit up the mississippi river south of st. cloud late in the season...they spend the winter there, but usually start to show up in early november.

wdw/ sa

[Finlander]

Lake Osakis on the west southwest side of the lake!

[skiehunter55]

i have seen and shot a fair share of goldies up around the cass lake, winnie area, also mississippi river up north here.

[Guest]

Leech Lake.

Call me Duck!!! I'm off all next week!

[bmc]

A buddy and I each dumped nice goldeneye drakes last Tuesday on Bowstring. They weren't mounting quality, but darn close. I would've loved to shoot 'em about a couple weeks from now. A nice big drake goldie would look good on the wall next to my drake bufflehead. LOL

Brian

[Duck-o-holic]

You got that right Brian. There aren't any ducks in my book that would look nicer on a wall than a full plummaged drake Goldeneye! Thanks to all who replied. I'll pass on the info, although I think I just talked my friend into registering on Fishing MN (he's just getting a computer hooked up this week). I'm sure he'll be grateful to see the replies! He's got rele's up near Bowstring, so that might be a late season possibility. Thanks again... and keep the posts coming if there are any other spots that you can think of! Sartell Angler, I used to do a lot of River Gunning. It'd be fun to hook up for a late hunt!Duck-o-holic

[Sartell Angler]

Duck-o-holic: Yeah, I'm all about hunting the 'Sip...in fact, I was out there this morning because my class got cancelled. Hunted an island that typically sees quite a few geese, and we usually scratch down a couple mallards as well. It was just me and the dog out there, and a lone greenhead comes in early on...circles the dekes a few times, then takes off...I almost took him at one point but waited since I thought that he was gonna eventually drop right in. Saw a couple other mallards that were not interested in the spread, and also a flock of geese and then a loner goose that was locked on the spread but then took off after they saw the roto duck. I decided to pull the roto and right afterwards I look up and a drake GOLDENEYE is cutting through the spread. Well, it banks hard and comes right back in next to the magnum can and bill dekes....one shot of #1 fasteel and the dog is on the way back in with it...

turns out to be the only bird and only shot of the morning, but still worth it in my book...it is the first fully plumed drake goldeneye that I have shot (a couple other times there were multiple gunners). Thinking of mounting it since it is in perfect plumage and didn't get shot up too bad...

at any rate, we should get together and give the river a try sometime....my brother is Flowage Tamer on this site and it would be fun for us 3 to have a little FishingMN river duckhunt...

end of the season is key...if you have to break ice, it is a given that you will have mallards and geese in your face...also shot a goldeneye during this ice-breaking final weekend last year.

S.A. aka woodduckwizard from the MN Refuge Gang

[Duck-o-holic]

SA--

Do yourself a favor, and mount that bird! That is a great story of a great hunt, and you truly deserve to have that bird on the wall. My friend would rather shoot a single Goldeneye on a hunt, than a limit of mallards... hands down. Some hunts are more rewarding and memorable by only shooting one trophy like the one you just got.

We'll have to get in touch for sure, once the ice starts freezing up the small stuff, and the snow begins to fly!

Duck-o-holic

[Jason Boser]

we hunt winnie late season about the 2nd 3rd week of deer season and see quite a few golden eyes up there but we have to wait for almost end of the season

jason

[Sartell Angler]

Yeah Duckoholic, I think I'm taking your advice....the bird is in the freezer and I am calling the taxidermist this afternoon...last night I made up my mind that I would get it mounted for several reasons:

1) Everyone and their brother doesn't have a goldeneye mount

2) The bird decoyed right in, and I made a nice sporting shot on it without cutting it up too bad.

3) It was taken on the Mississippi River (one of my favorite places to hunt)

4) It was just me and my dog out hunting, and since he is 10 years old I don't know how many more nice retrieves he is going to be making in cold-water / weather situations.

5) I'm 20 years old and its time I put a bird on the wall!

S.A / woodduckwizard from the MN Refuge Gang

[set the drag]

prolly a good idea to mount that bird since its a shot of a lifetime with your 10 year old dog.

I have many mounts with lots of memories like

1st duck on so and so lake

opening day can

1st drake of that species

whatta good way for memories.

[Roughfisher]

I have only one mount, it's the first duck I ever shot. A beautiful drake Hooded Merganser. Great memories. I had a friend who is a taxidermist help me with the mount but I did 90% of it myself. I was 12. Now I'm 32.

[Duck-o-holic]

Good decision Sartell Angler! You will proudly look at that mount the rest of your life! If your taxidermist doesn't provide it, you should get a little gold plaque about 1" x 2" and have it engraved with something like

"Mississippi Whistler" 10/xx/2004

Maybe frame and mount a pic of you and your dog under it (with the drake). You'll have to let us know how it turns out, or even post a pic of it!

Well, now is the time that I should have been asking if anybody's seeing Goldeneyes. I saw quite a few up by Detroit Lakes when I was deer hunting this weekend. Any more showing up out there gentlemen???

Duck-o-holic

[Guest]

Jon,

I've got baaaaaad news concerning "Lake X"...call me tonight on my cell after 4:15.

[Evenflow]

I took two beautiful drakes with one shot yesterday in Big Stone county. There seemed to be quite a few on the water I was hunting. Very beautiful birds, but they're both cleaned and in the freezer waiting for dinner. The memory will last me a lifetime, I don't have enough free cash to start worrying about mounts.

Evenflow

PS - Don't ask me exactly where, we put on 140 miles Friday to find the spot.

[Sartell Angler]

Duckoholic....I asked the taxidermist about a gold plaque...said it would only cost a couple bucks if I stopped by the trophy shop and had them engrave something...Mississippi Whistler and the date sounds good...I had trouble thinking of what exactly to put. As far as the pics go, I took a picture of my dog on his way back to the blind with the bird, and another one when I got home with the bird and my lanyard...was also thinking a picture would compliment the mount nicely.

Last sunday we hunted a lake near Mille Lacs and saw lots of divers....first 2 that came in happened to be drake goldeneyes and my brother and I got them both...they were good looking, but the white patches on the head were not as perfectly white as the big drake I shot on the river. Saw a lot of divers out that way and plan on heading out there for next weekend...friend has a cabin next to the lake we are going to be hunting, so we should have a good time. I know the Mille Lacs area has a lot of whistlers late in the year...a guy I know limited there (along with 2 buddies) on a bag consisting of mostly whistlers last year on the last sunday of the season. So Duckoholic, if you are looking to get into some Goldeneyes I think the smaller lakes surrounding Mille Lacs are a good bet. We didn't see many other hunters out there either.

Good luck,

Sartell Angler / wooddduckwizard from the MN Refuge Gang