Duck breeding season outlook?

[UGUIDE]

For the first time in a long time I'm seeing more ducks than pheasants at my farm in south central South Dakota. The amount and variety of species is amazing. I know northern MN still remains dry but the pothole prairie critical nesting areas are seeing good ground water levels this spring.

Any of you guys have any other reports from your favorite duck hunting haunts?

I hope to get up to North Dakota later in the month in the Gackle area and see how it compares. Apparently that is the real honey hole.

[Scott M]

I can't say I've visited my duck spots for the fall, but locally and my last few fishing trips I've seen lots of Woodies, Mallards, Greater Scaup, Goldeneyes, and Buffleheads.

Saw a few teal also.

Haven't seen any gadwalls, cans, pins, or widgeon.

We could use some water for those birds and for our farmers.

[UGUIDE]

I've never shot a pintail in all my years of hunting ducks in MN but boy have I seen them in the Dakota's. They are a beautiful bird, especially the drakes.

I have seen: Mallards, Widgeon, Scaup (or Ringnecks, I can never tell the difference), Redheads, teal......

Now I'm going to have to break out the 10X50 binoculars out next time I'm out there. Waterfowl identification is fun and the variety of species is a fun thing about waterfowl hunting.

[BoxMN]

UGuide,

For ringneck or scaup ID, the ringnecks (ringbills here) have a slightly different shaped head. It has a little tuft sort of on the top, and they seem like they have a "stiffer posture" or something like that. Hard to describe, but you will notice it. They also have definite gray patch on the sides, next to the white area. Bluebills will basically be all whie on the side, not gray, especially in springtime.

I love divers

[UGUIDE]

BoxMN, thanks for the tips. I will have to try the ID tips next time out.

[Finlander]

I shot a drake Pintail last fall in the Alexandria area! It was shot up too much to have it mounted, but I did mount an awsome drake Redhead thats on my wall now!

[UGUIDE]

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BoxMN, thanks for the tips. I will have to try the ID tips next time out.

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Box,

I was up near Gackle North Dakota about a month ago looking at some places to hunt and man do they have the ducks. And BlueBills too. I assume these are lesser scaup since they strike me as being on the smaller size, I assume the greaters are further north and you hit them during migration. The local up there said he shot 9 different species of ducks in one morning.

[BoxMN]

Hey UGuide,

That is good to hear that some bluebills are doing okay at least in that area. I would guess they are lessers, as the greaters are visibly bigger. Where is Gackle? I hunt near Michigan/Lakota/Adams, more Adams area, NE of Devils Lake.

[MwildN]

Uguide, another way to tell the difference from greater and lesser is the lesser have purple head and the great is green .. and of course size.. Thanks for the reports thats good to hear, even though I hunt on the ND canadian border..

[UGUIDE]

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Hey UGuide,

That is good to hear that some bluebills are doing okay at least in that area. I would guess they are lessers, as the greaters are visibly bigger. Where is Gackle? I hunt near Michigan/Lakota/Adams, more Adams area, NE of Devils Lake.

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Box, it's about 20 miles SW of Jamestown.

[wooduck26]

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The local up there said he shot 9 different species of ducks in one morning.

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So they have a 9 duck limit? hmmmmm?

[crazydew]

The numbers up here in S/E Clay and N/W Ottertail counties look way up compared to last here. Mallies, Teal, and Woodies look great. We had a huge wet time in May and June that brought some of the sloughs up but now with the hot weather and lack of rain kinda concerned some of the small ones could turn toxic.

[UGUIDE]

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The local up there said he shot 9 different species of ducks in one morning.

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So they have a 9 duck limit? hmmmmm?

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Forgot to mention he hunts with his 2 boys.