Duck Hunting MN - R U Going?

[browndog]

For the first time in over 35 years of Duck Hunting I will be starting the season in ND. Twenty years ago if you would of asked me if I would have to travel to ND to have great duck hunting I would have called you crazy, I still hunt in MN just that I do not like all of the competition for fewer ducks, then again maybe I am just getting older.

[Ely Lake Expert]

Just thinking about duck hunting makes me smile. I will definately be out there as much as I can whether the ducks are around or not. Though I do know that opener will be great. The beavers around here have a big area flooded and it is full of mallards and woodies. OH I am excited, now just talking about it gets me excited in in the office and 9:30 am on a tuesday. Can't wait til season.

Ryan

[BoxMN]

Basscatcher,

Quote:

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Now though, I'm settled down with a wife and kids. I live in the same town I grew up in and hunt with my dad, brother and neighbor. My dad is 58 and my neighbor is 74. Not the ages where they can be very mobile anymore. So we just hunt the lake my folks live on, which we've done for over 20 years now. So, I'm "stuck" by hunting only one spot. But others I talk to who hunt the area and other counties in the area are saying the same.....not much ducks around at all and it seems to be getting worse.

That's fine though. Like I said, I hunt with my dad, brother and neighbor and we really enjoy being out on the water together. The one thing that's priceless....you get A LOT of stories built up after 20+ years of hunting together!!!!!!!!!!

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Exactly. We hunt a friends farm, and some other friends places up in the area of Christina. Historically lots of divers, but recently not so hot. But the same folks, the same blinds, the same stories, the same stupid jokes are just the thing to keep us going back year after year. Would not miss opener up there, or the end of October. It is easy access for my Dad and other old timers, and we get to leave the decoys and boats in the grass without fear or theft. Used to have great shooting, now we get occassional "decent" shooting with the lucky "good" shooting days mized in.

However, I will also add that my bro and I got a couple Puddler boats last year, and that really opened us up to new areas, and lots of public areas that most folks won't bother trying. I had one weekend up north (near Big Rice Lake) that I swear I was back in the "good ol days". Me and two buddies shot duck up to our limit both days, and still watched them come into the dekes. Ring necked "ringbills". Wow, what fun! Next weekend tried again, and only two ducks. Ha! Oh well, that is what keeps us going out there.

Also have been doing week in NoDak in recent years, and that is a blast and we got to be real good friends with some farmers, and they are great people.

So to answer the original question, heck yeah we will be out there every weekend, and hopefully many weekday mornings before work. There just isn't enough time for all the duckin' a person really wants to do.

(ps, ChuckN, did you by any chance fly over Christina or those lakes? How did the water look? My buddy has a farm in Ashby, and his lake is full of the most sago he said he has ever seen, and the water is gin clear. He hopes for a good year this year, and last year he has tons of ringbill and some cans and redheads sitting on it. We just let them all build up, and then started hunting near before the deer opener. I could have shot lots of ducks from my deer stand )

[so haaad]

I'm definitely going duck hunting. My lab is now 11 1/2 years old, so the way I look at it is that I owe it to him to get out in swamp again this year.