On-going migratory activity...?

[CANOPY SAM]

I'd like to ask a few of you folks to keep me, and others, up-to-date on the Dakota bird movement. A friend and I have been planning a trip for several months, and will be out to central ND from Nov 6th thru the 12th. We planned to hunt upland game, and have two surplus deer tags each, but we'd really hoped to catch the big push of ducks and geese out of Canada this year.

The way the weather has been over the last couple weeks I'm seriously starting to think it's going to be over by the time we get there. I hate to miss it, but to be on the safe side, we won't buy our out-of-state tags until we know there will still be birds around that late. In previous years the big push has still been going on during deer season. This year seems to be markedly different.

It sounds like things are starting to freeze up already, and a pretty good push of snows are on the move. Can anyone keep me posted on the progress of things out there. Water conditions around the Carrington area? Bird numbers? I'd really appreciate keeping this thread going just to know what we can anticipate. It's killing me to not be able to get out there now.

Thanks ahead of time for the reports!

[Jeff Dosch]

no need to woory. Snow geese are just starting to arrive in the Devils Lake area. I think the big migration of birds is still at least a week away and once they get here as long as the big water is open, they are going to stick around. Long term forecast has temps back up around 50 by next week and should help to hold the bird for a while.

[jeff127]

just got back from nd tuesday--hunted sat to tues. Found the most birds south of cando to devils lake. close to 100,000 geese in the cando area with close to the same amount of mallards. Monday was the best day with continuous flocks of snows and mallards until 11:30. some northern mallards also showed up then and very very uneducated---definately fun to watch. Afriend also came back from canada and said there is a pile of geese and ducks still in canada----I think with the way the weather is in 2-3 weeks you should be hitting it just right.

scout, scout, scout ----we hunted unposted corn fields each day. Many hunters in the area(almost to many) so get to the fields very early if you want it. watched a few trucks turn around after they saw we got there before them.

jeff

[Papa Woodie]

Jeff -

Whats the recent? How did the snow/wind fare in teh migratory action yesterday?

[Jeff Dosch]

I was out this morning West of Devils Lake and there are snow geese everywhere. There seems to be more snow the farther west you go from Devils Lake and with the snow covered feilds and the strong North winds I wouldnt be surprised to see a lot of the birds passing through the area and not stopping. I saw at least 200,000 geese this morning and I only hunted in about a 20 mile area. I'm sure some of the birds are going to move on but the majority of the geese havent made it here yet. A lot more mallards have moved in since I was out this weekend and the big lake is filled with diver ducks. With low temps in the upper teens some of the smaller lakes could start to freeze and could push the birds straight through.

Jeff Dosch

www.doschguides.com

[BrianLucky13]

Is there any ducks or geese left up buy Cando???

Thanks

[Jeff Dosch]

I was in Eds Bait Shop this morning and talked to a group that was hunting west of Cando by Hurricane Lake and they said it was loaded with snow geese and Mallards. There is still a lot of birds by the canadian border.

Jeff Dosch

www.doschguides.com

[CANOPY SAM]

This latest report is really a relief Jeff. According to today's US Fish and Wildlife report the season is pretty much over!

Someone posted that they were seeing Snows moving back north from Iowa. This wouldn't surprise me. We've got some pretty warm weather forecast for this coming weekend, and next week, so I think there may still be hope yet. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see some of the smaller sloughs opening back up, to some extent, if the temps get back up in the upper 40's and lower 50's, and the wind blows a bit. I also saw that Minot may even see temps in the 60's next week!

I'm sincerely hoping that these birds stick around a little while longer. I'd hate to see it all end so quickly. This has happened for too many years to count. There are scattered reports indicating that there are still large numbers of mallards, and honkers in Southern Canada. If we can get some open patches of water we could still see a couple weeks of decent hunting.

I really appreciate your willingness to keep us informed on current migratory activity. I'll look for your posts daily in hopes of more intel! Thanks again. Lets keep our fingers crossed that the temps over the next couple days don't freeze things up so hard they won't thaw! We'll be out with the "big spread" on Monday. Just keep em' there for a few more days, will ya'?

[Papa Woodie]

canopy sam, i look forward to driving through ND (DL area) on monday also. I'll be going through town probably 5pm or so. I'm hoping to see a bird or two flying. Haven't seen a single snow goose this year. Guess i need to leave Duluth in order to see that though.

[BrianLucky13]

Thanks for the reports guys, Ill be up by Cando this weekend. Ill leave a report when I get back!!!

[Papa Woodie]

Your going to kill me Brian! I'm headed to Minot for the week with the parents....your going to end up coming back with a "snow geese all over" report, and a trip to cando from Minot is a good drive early in the AM...but I would probably do it.

ARG. Gotta get some geese in the freezer for some jerky this winter!

[BrianLucky13]

Im going to be bow hunting but my dad will try to chase some snows around. He was there last weekend and they got around 60 geese. He said I have to bring my bow up there cause there are huge bucks everywhere!!! Will see what happens!!

[CANOPY SAM]

I've been frantically surfing every possible HSOforum for current waterfowl reports out of central and northern North Dakota, and I have to say that reports are pretty few and far between.

I take this to mean one of either two things. Either the birds are all moving too far south, or everyone is so busy shooting out in the field that they don't have time to post - or they don't want to!

I know many don't approve of internet scouting, but I'm really only trying to determine if we need to bring out a trailer full of coys, and buy our non-resident tags, or just accept that the storm moved pretty much everything out, the cold froze up all the water, and we'll just hunt upland game and deer next week.

Are there still decent numbers of ducks and geese moving through the central part of the state? Is anyone getting in some good field shooting on ducks and geese? Is everything frozen solid this morning?

[marine_man]

I'm not central ND, but I will tell you it was down to 10 degrees this morning. Highs are forecasted for 55 on Sunday with lows still right around freezing...

marine_man

[BrianLucky13]

Heres a report as of Sat. night!!! Still thousands of ducks and geese from Cando down to Churches Ferry, and over to Lakota. Most of the birds where just northwest of Devils Lake. It was the most birds Ive seen in the fall in many years. All of them were in corn fields. Didnt see any water open except Devils Lake but there most be some in other places if there was that many birds. I was about 5 miles south of Cando in a tree Friday and Saturday all day and only saw one flock of snows migrating south, but saw many birds flying north. I will be bringing my shotgun next weekend to shot some birds after I shot my deer. Hope that helps some of you guys!!!

Brian

[ATM]

I am leaving for a week of duck/goose hunting and fishing on Devils Lake on tuesday. Last year we did quite well on mallards but struggled to get the geese to come in. any recent hunting/ fishing reports would be appreciated. thanks adam

[Papa Woodie]

I made it to Minot! I'm contemplating making a trip to Devils Lake area either tomorrow or thursday.

How is the huntable land around the area? is there alot of open hunting, or is most of the land posted?

Hate to make the trip at 4am just to see tons of posted land.

Anyone want to hook up for a hunt? (I don't have decoys...just a 12/10 gauge~)]

Email me! [email protected]

[BrianLucky13]

Still a ton of geese around the Devils Lake area!!! We managed 18 on Saturday morning!! All were juvies but 2.

Going up next weekend too.