hunting reports

[duckbill]

Farley,

No I have never hunted there. I see that you are from Cokato though. We are nieghbors. Have seen quite a few ducks just south of cokato this year. I read your post about having a jammed gun when those mallards came in..had to be a bummer but you can look back at stuff like that and laugh. I got burned a couple times last weekend where we just looked at each other and started laughing.

Duckbill

[Roosterslayer05]

Boilerguy- If you can get out for the last day I would definatly do it, I had a good weekend. Friday I had good shooting in the rain. I got three ducks and lost 2. Had a miss fire when a flock of 10 gadwalls came into my spread that messed my whole shot up. I shot my first double ever but only found one of the two, they both were hit good and the one i lost only dropped 25 yards away from me, its so hard to lose a duck that lands so close. Saturday had thousands of mallerds go over me that were too high, did get one drake mallerd though, only shot all day. Sunday I found a different spot where there were around a thousand bills. There were two big flocks and small flocks were flying from flock to flock so i set up a spread of 10 mallerd decoys and decoyed a few bills and shovelers. A hen widgoen broke off a flock of bills that my dad dropped. My dad also got a hen shoveler that decoyed. I had a horrible day shooting, i just got a new gun that im not used to yet. I missed 3 flocks of bills, a flock of ringers and a couple shovelers. There were thousands of mallerds flying over this hill so my dad went over there to hunt and a flock of 150 snows went over him at about 50 yards and he got one. First snow we have ever shot at. This morning we hunted the same spot, i couldent hit anything again. Missed 2 flocks of ringers, a lone bill and a shoveler. Me and my dad missed a cripled blue that was flying 30 yards lower than the flock. Had a broken wingtip coming into the lake, he was about 50 yards high but we should have nailed him.

All weekend we got 6 ducks and one snow. 2 Drake mallerds, 2 gadwall, 1 widgoen and a shovler.

There were thousands of mallerds around and thousands of diver, lots of birds. There were also probly a thousand snows around also. Most birds iv seen in 2 years but all the mallerds were in big flocks 50-500 and were way too high to shoot at. I was hunting in SW MN. Boilerguy if you can go hunting tomorow i might be able to tell you where to find some birds.

[MasterGophHunter]

I was thinking about heading out tomorrow morning to finish up my season. I hunt around Bemidji and I was wondering if anyone has seen any birds around. Is there much ice out on the smaller lakes? Is it even worth going out or should I just sleep in? I sure would like to get out one more time though.

-MGH-

[Guest]

I heard that some guys were seeing over 10,000 mallards up by Bemidji. They were feeding in the cornfields.

[Dean Schellinger]

Finished my season today! Ended it on a memorable note, with my 10 year old golden retriever with a perfect retrieve. Although we don't usually bring him with late in the year on the Sippi cause it gets awfully cold for him. I decided to bring him with because I was going by myself. With very few birds in the air I didn't think I was going to get anything to come into the decoys.

But a lone hen mallard swung around many times and I had to give my dog a chance and dumped her with my only shot I took all morning. Great way to end the season. Also it was my 30th duck of the year which was my pre-season goal.

Late goose and ice fishing here we come. College and basketball is keeping off the water on the last day. But oh well my season is complete!

[Farley]

Duckbill-

Shakopee is south of cokato, that's why I asked. I live really close to it but never had made it out there, it looks like work getting a boat in that lake. I've been hunting that pond just west of the golf course in Cokato, and have seen a fair number of birds out there but not nearley the #'s from past years.

[huntin and fishin kid]

Went before school got 3 but thats it. so I got around 10 this year