Anyone seeing ducks?

[eyepatrol]

Has anyone been seeing many ducks this year? Here in Sibley Co. I've seen some around Gaylord, maybe 100, but that's about it. Just curious if others are seeing more than in the past few years. 100 has been typical around here the past 5 - 7 years. 10 years ago I'd see probably 500 or better.

[FOOT]

Up between Fergus Falls and Alexanderia there seems to be quite a few. You have to search out the smaller ponds or the ones that are in the middle of woods but the waterfowl is there.

I know of one fairly large pond, for those of you that know Rochester it's about the size of Silver Lake, right in the middle of a old woods. It's covered with ducks.

Can't get permission to hunt it but hopefully someone will so they get puched out to other ponds this Saturday.

[doser]

Basscatcher,

I was out the othernight scouting also and haven't seen a whole heck of alot either. You going out on Titloe?

[eyepatrol]

Yep, we'll be heading out there. Same old same old. That lake used to be awesome 10 years ago and more. Last 10 years though, pretty bad. It's been probably 7 years or so since we've had an opening weekend (two day total) where we've gotten more than 3 ducks. Last two years, one duck for the whole weekend....and both years it was a bluewing teal to boot. We may never see the good 'ol days again, but I certainly like just being out there.

[doser]

Shoot me an e-mail at [email protected]

I have some info. for you. I haven't hunted Titloe since high school , but thinking of hitting it later season for divers.

[mwktrapper]

We've been seeing more birds around this year than the past several. LOTS of mallards, ringers, and wood ducks this year. I scouted one lake that had over 300 teal in it but other spots seem to have low teal numbers. While goose hunting and scouting, I've even been seeing widgeon, pintails, redheads, and even blackducks in huntable numbers. How long they'll stick around depends on the hunting pressure this year.

[jegerjack]

Have not been doing a lot of looking (just moved so I have been rather busy, the opener snuck up on me), but I have not seen a lot of ducks flying around... But as always there are a heck of a lot of geese around...

[jblabsnduck]

Tons and Tons of woodies in the shakopee area.

Seen a few nice flights of mallards also.

Watched about 80 birds pile into a small puddle by my place.

Seen a perfect green head this morning on the pond at my work.

[schr0563]

FOOT - I am interested to know if you have more info about the Alex area. I have done all of my previous hunting in the metro area (Carver County), but this year we have decided to break from tradition and try up by my inlaw's cabin in Alex. Is it worth my time to drive up there? Can you be any more specific about places to try, or places to avoid? Any help is greatly appreciated (I won't be getting up there until late Friday, so I will be basically hunting blind). You can contact me at [email protected] if you'd rather not post for the whole world to see.

[FOOT]

No problem.

I've hunted private land mostly so I can't give you permission there cause it ain't mine but .....

East Battle Lake by Vinning is good back in the rushes.

There are also plenty of smaller lakes and potholes in and around Vinning and Henning that hold ducks. I think the DNR has some good maps that show a couple of public areas that might help. I've also hunted a couple of smaller lakes by Millerville and had good luck but can't remember their names but they do show up on a map.

Getting up there late is going to be a problem as you won't have time to scout around. I would wait this weekend and maybe plan on spending some time driving and locating areas later on.

[computermann]

Scouted a beaver pond complex Monday in the Grand Rapids area and saw 9 woodies and 1 teal, where last year there were over 200 woodies with malards and teal. Egg Lake in the First River flowage had 2 ducks on it yesterday. Very disappointing. Probably fish instead.

[mwktrapper]

Keep looking man. Just because a spot had birds on it last year doesn't mean they'll be on there the next. We've had a weird rice deal this year in this area. Over a dozen lakes that I know of that usually hold the thickest rice around are bare now. But there are a lot of birds in the area, more so than year's past. I'd say keep looking, but then again the walleyes are chompin right now.