Category: Montana

Posted By:
Leakydecoy
Guest

Lake Helena 03-13-2005 20:10
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There’s some good birdwatching to be had right now with the weather keeping some of the recently arrived birds from pushing on. There was plenty of white mixed in with the dark geese in the stubble today; between 400 and 500 snows were hanging out just off of the road. Puddlers were back in strength with the usual loads of mallards, LOTS of pintails, and a nice mixture of widgeon, gadwalls, shovelers and GW teal. Divers spotted so far in addition to the GEs taking advantage of the now open water included scaup, ringnecks and buffleheads. Add to that a half dozen trumpeter swans and a lone meadowlark perched on a fence post.

Posted By:
Leakydecoy
Guest

Lake Helena 03-08-2005 22:45
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Same deal down here. The pintails showed up big time today on that south wind along with a couple hundred tundra swans and a few widgeon. I plan to head out and bag a few birds with the long lens tomorrow.

Regarding use of the field reports section in the off season, I’ve got no problem with other stuff being posted here when it’s been as quiet as a mausoleum anyway.

Posted By:
Michael-Majcher
Field Editor

Flathead Valley 03-08-2005 21:47
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 60-65 Degrees
AGAIN!

FOLKS THIS IS NOT A MESSAGE BOARD!!!!!!!

The spring migration has been in full force for the past 10 days or so with new birds constantly on the move. I need to know where all these feathered things were this past fall. The surprise of the year was yesterday’s flight of pintails that worked into the ponds on the farm. We estimated around 400. The geese are thick enough that incoming evening flocks sound like a swarm of bees from a distance.

Get your hen houses up.

Get a conibear trap placed in your favorite nesting area. Remember one skunk is worth another dozen or so ducks this coming fall.

MM

Posted By:
thadp
Web Member

03-07-2005 10:03
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OOPs! Good Lookin Dog!

Posted By:
Leakydecoy
Guest

03-03-2005 11:57
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A WHAT??!! I’ll pretend I didn’t read that. ;^) It’s actually a chocolate Lab from the light end of the spectrum.

By the way, the honkers are starting to stake out their nesting territories on the edges of Lake Helena and I’ve noticed a pretty good influx of new birds this week. There’s been an impressive swirl of honkers and mallards over the stubble at sundown.

[Edited By Leakydecoy on 2005-03-03 12:09]

Posted By:
thadp
Web Member

02-28-2005 09:33
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Leakydecoy is that a “Chessie” in your profile photo?

Posted By:
Ruddy Boom Boom
Guest

Questions 02-21-2005 17:29
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I am planning on heading to Yorkton, Saskatchewan again this year and have been lucky to meet some great landowners and farmers who have let me hunt on their land. I am thinking about hunting Manitoba or somewhere not so far into Canada. Any thoughts on a good city to start looking in either Manitoba or Saskatchewan? Thank you

Posted By:
Leakydecoy
Guest

Lake Helena 02-13-2005 10:21
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 40-45 Degrees
Trumpeters swans wouldn’t have surprised me, but a group of optimistic tundra swans back on the ice of Lake Helena Saturday? Guess they hadn’t checked their calendar not to mention the forecast for the snow that’s now falling.

Posted By:
Leakydecoy
Guest

02-05-2005 01:11
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I’m still waiting for William Reed’s field report regarding the Nevada portion of Montana.

Posted By:
Michael-Majcher
Field Editor

LOWER VALLEY 02-02-2005 16:42
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 45-50 Degrees
PEOPLE PLEASE!
THIS IS NOT A MESSAGE BOARD
PLEASE POST FIELD REPORTS ONLY!

Now to my post season report…

It’s too hot – for February. The water levels are well below what will be required to sustain us this coming summer. Combine this with the phenomenal increase in construction of single family plots and we’re really putting a strain on our resources.

Ducks are limited to nice flocks of Barrows Goldeneye. The Canadas are scattered waiting for their fellow migrators to show up. It’s only a matter of time before we start seeing those northern flights.

Please, if you get a chance, install a nesting structure this year. We can really make next season a better one.
Also, don’t forget to carry that 22-250. Hungry predators are starting to make themselves known. A $7 conibear trap can go a long way this time of year. Especially when you consider this is coming up on their breeding season.

Posted By:
glitterperegrine
Supporting Member

01-23-2005 00:16
– – –
Help a little girl out everyone

Mackenzie Maier needs a postcard from you! Mac is a 4 year old with very serious cancer. Her goal is to collect a postcard from every state in the US. Please help her reach her goal by mailing her one today!

Her address is:

Mackenzie Maier
23037 Magnolia Glen Drive
Valencia, CA 91354

They have a website with a guestbook and pictures of her with Santa at:

www2.caringbridge.org/ca/mackenziemaier

Posted By:
thadp
Web Member

01-20-2005 21:54
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I put in for the first time to hunt deer and elk out of state! I visited Butte/Anaconda this summer with a friend (His father was a school administrator there) and fished Georgetown Lake, Rock Creek and The Big Horn. You are so blessed to live in paradise. What a beautiful place to raise a family. He convinced me to put in for a hunt this fall.

I was hoping some of you might offer some adivce on what kind of weather I can expect in mid October thru late November? What kind of shooting distances am I likely to encounter? Thank you! If you are coming out to the Central Valley in CA maybe I can return the favor.

Posted By:
K-Town
Guest

Flathead 01-14-2005 20:13
Cloudy, Accumulating Snow – –
Well thats a rap. Headed back out to the creek, and only managed 2 greenhead. It was about -20 below, so the ducks did not want to be flyinhg around. Managed the 2 when we jumped them, and didnt see a single bird the rest of the night. Its 259 days too long until I can start barkin my Benneli, but there is a late season cow hunt next to K-Town on the east side of the valley to keep my blood flowing. My year wasnt great but its always those 3 or 4 duck/goose hunts in the season that were so awesome that they make the season look preaty good, so I cant complain.

Posted By:
SKILLETSHOOT
Supporting Member

NE ARKANSAS 01-14-2005 20:04
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SEND THOSE FAT GREENHEADS OUR WAY! HARD TO BELIEVE YOU GUYS STILL HAVE THAT MANY DUCKS IN JAN. SOUND LIKE YOUR STATE TOPPS’EM ALL THE PAST FEW DAYS ACCORDING TO POSTS ON THIS SITE. FREAKY!

SHOOT’EM IN DA’FACE!

Posted By:
phutch30
Guest

SW MT 01-14-2005 17:47
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 10-20 Degrees – Open Water
259 days! Thats not cool. We missed you today Mark!
I forgot to submit a field report for yesterday afternoon. So here it is. Lots of ducks I only shot three drakes because I only brought three shells. I was making a blind for today. When I got back to the truck a warden was waiting. He was pretty easy going. He did the warden thing and then we started talking. This is at 520pm. Anyway as we were talking we heard a shot on the river. He looked at me and said ” gee thats a little late, I dont mind 5 min but that really late”. About 20 min later this guy came out and when the warden asked if it was him, he swore it wasnt. This was funny because his truck was parked right beside mine and we were the only ones hunting in the area. Long story short he got a ticket. A duck is never worth a $75 ticket. I hope everyone that made it out today made the most of the last day and enjoyed themselves.

[Edited By phutch30 on 2005-01-14 17:50]

Posted By:
Hart
WFC Sponsor

Office 01-14-2005 17:12
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That would be 259 days Hutch. Man I missed being out there this morning. It about killed me. I got up at 4am and sat in front of the fire just wishin I didn’t have to go to work. Shirley say’s I’m a very sick man. Can’t explain the duck addiction to her. The world is a safer place though. I missed the last day of duck season so that everyone in this part of Montana has plenty of Frito-Lay chips to snack on this weekend. That’s just wrong. Glad you & Paul had a good shoot, Mark

Posted By:
Leakydecoy
Guest

01-14-2005 16:49
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Teal in mid January. What a freaky season this has been.

Posted By:
phutch30
Guest

SW MT 01-14-2005 15:13
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 0-10 Degrees – Open Water
Well I am all done for the year. I went out this morning with a buddy and hunted the river. The weather was great. About 5 degrees with a 5-10 mph SW wind. It was slower than expected. The birds flew up the river but never came back like the usually do. But there was enough activity for us to limit on greenheads and one bonus goose. There was some variety flying around today. We saw severalgreenwing teal, gadwal, goldeneyes, pintails and widgeon along with 500-600 mallards.I wanted to shoot a little variety, but its hard to pass up drake mallards cupping over the decoys. All in all it was a great ending to an awsome season. I just wish it wasnt over. How many days till next years opener?

Posted By:
Rain
Guest

flathead river 01-14-2005 10:01
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 0-10 Degrees – Ice
Gave her one last hoorah on the river yesterday and did well. 2 greeheads and 4 goldeneye, not a big goldeneye fan but fun to pass shoot, not a big decoying duck. Felt bad for the dog, ice chunks to avoid and cold but that’s what they love. Hope next year is better than this one, can’t remember such a poor duck season. Peace out boys.

Posted By:
K-Town
Guest

Flathead 01-13-2005 20:41
– – Below Zero
Just got back from a awesome jumpshoot on a creek after school. First we jumped some honkers off, and took 2. Then we headed further down, to were the creek funneled in tight with lots of cover,so the ducks really had no place to go, and flushed about 30 mallards out of it. It was like shooting fish in a barrell, knocked down 6 greenheads. Then headed even further down, and took 4 more greenheads. Then we sat and watched as tons of greenheads poured in up and down the creek. Tomorrow should even be better.

K-Town

Posted By:
Hart
WFC Sponsor

01-12-2005 22:36
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Duck addicted. Humm. I think I’ll take that as a compliment. See ya Friday.

Posted By:
phutch30
Guest

SW Montana 01-12-2005 16:24
Cloudy, Snow Flurries – 0-10 Degrees – Open Water
Well its getting to be routine down here. 2 hours + alot of ducks=7 fat Greenheads heading for the freezer. They were dumping into the decoys very, very nice this morning. As my duck addicted hunting partner says “it was like takin candy from a baby”. Its looking like we are going to miss most of the arctic blast down here in Dillon. They are calling for 0-5 degree temps. So Friday should be awsome.

Posted By:
Leakydecoy
Guest

Living room 12 ga. simulator 01-12-2005 11:53
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I guess it was a sign, but I just got the truck back from the shop with the arctic front already appearing on radar only a county and a half away. With forecasted wind chills of less than -30 for the next two days, I’d say that’s a wrap for me. Mission aborted.

Posted By:
johnnie rapidfire
Guest

House 01-11-2005 20:35
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 60-65 Degrees
Boy, must be nice to still have an open season and open water…..you western front guys have it made. Lol. I’m wishing I had the time, I would come over and give it a try. I am in full house project mode now. Oh well, glad to hear you all are still out hunting. I can only live vicariously through you all. John

Posted By:
Leakydecoy
Guest

01-11-2005 12:31
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Mark, cruel? Clearly not. Regarding the other word you suggested, uhhhh, you WERE carrying a dog back and forth across a stream… But then no one ever said we duck hunters were a sane lot.

My plans for a foray today were thwarted by a leaking block heater and water pump. We’ll see if they can git-er-dun before the temps plummet.

Posted By:
K-Town
Guest

Flathead 01-10-2005 22:14
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Most everything up here is froze, and the spring fed creeks have all the ducks, but
not alot. My honey hole has been hit hard by other hunters (2 guys limited out in 15 minutes),and now lots of the ducks have found new hiding places. Found a creek packed with ducks, and when I asked my friend who owns it if I could hunt, he said $100 bucks a gun, and its yours.Well there goes that option. Try to get in 1 more hunt before the end, but is tough with school. Glad to see Mark is killing some green. It was a OK season up here, but I cant complain. Posted pics of some goose hunts on grip and grin, and more on the way.

K-Town

Posted By:
mtjk
WFC Sponsor

Western Montana 01-10-2005 20:49
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 0-10 Degrees – Ice
I’m still hunting. So is my Drathaar. I tried to get out on the flathead river but it is nearly all solid. If it wasn’t for a private land, warm water creek I wouldn’t be having much luck. I hope to make it out again tomorow for a couple hours and that will be it for me this year.

Posted By:
Hart
WFC Sponsor

01-10-2005 19:45
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No we aren’t as cruel and dumb as you might have been thinking we were. I love that darn dog as much as anything in this world. He’s always safe with us. Trust me on that one. No shelf ice and very little water that even requires him to swim when we do let him in. Good luck and I’m glad we inspired you to give her one more go at it.

Posted By:
Leakydecoy
Guest

Lambeau Field 01-10-2005 11:25
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Oooooohhhh, so the truth comes out about the rugged water dog hunting well into January, Mark. Didn’t realize he had a lift ticket. You’re certainly correct about the outdoor freezer facilities. I had a possession limit of greenheads hanging in the shed for a week and a half.

Alas, you guys have inspired me to make a recon run today. Maybe I can get out for a last hurrah to enjoy tomorrow’s forecasted balmy high of 26 before the incoming sub-zero stuff.

Hey Mike, I still haven’t heard any fishing reports from the Seeley Lake area. You?

[Edited By Leakydecoy on 2005-01-10 11:30]

Posted By:
Hart
WFC Sponsor

Southwest Montana 01-09-2005 22:35
Arctic Blast – Below Zero
Hey Paul sounds like you and I are the only two crazies still hunting in MT. That’s pretty ironic since we hunt together. As Paul said we had some fun this weekend. Good times, good friends, a spoiled dog, and 35 big fat greenheads (there was three of us today). I agree with many of the posts on the MT field report section but I can assure you of this, WATERFOWL SEASON IS NOT OVER IN MONTANA ! I’ll be there Friday Paul and we’ll put the hurt on 14 more. Pics of this weekend posted in Grip & Grin. Mark

Posted By:
Michael-Majcher
Field Editor

Kalispell 01-09-2005 20:12
Cloudy, Accumulating Snow – Froze Out
Way too cold for me boys. The edges of the spring fed slough were frozen to a point it would have been dangerous to try launching the canoe. I could see open water down the creek a ways. The birds were few and far between as far as finding them. I have to say we up north-ways are pretty well into the augerin’ season. I will try setting a decoy in my tip-up hole. I know that the few birds here are not making random flights any more. The water is warm to them and the spring provides food. They aint gettin up!

Enjoy the ice fishing. It will only be getting better.

MM

Posted By:
Michael-Majcher
Field Editor

Kalispell 01-09-2005 20:07
Cloudy, Accumulating Snow – Froze Out
Way too cold for me boys. The edges of the spring fed slough were frozen to a point it would have been dangerous to try launching the canoe. I could see open water down the creek a ways. The birds were few and far between as far as finding them. I have to say we up north-ways are pretty well into the augerin’ season. I will try setting a decoy in my tip-up hole. I know that the few birds here are not making random flights any more. The water is warm to them and the spring provides food. They aint gettin up!

Enjoy the ice fishing. It will only be getting better.

MM

Posted By:

SW Montana 01-09-2005 19:54
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – Below Zero
Pretty cold(below 0)today. There were 3 of us hunting today.It was slower today than it was yesterday. It took about 6 hours for all of us to limit on greenheads. But all in all the hunting was pretty good. The ducks didn’t seem to want to decoy much. About 50% of the shooting was on one lookers. The other half came in to the dekes nice. The biggest problem was the cold. We all decided that Hart should stay dry as long as possible. So we were carrying his 85lb butt across the creek to retrieve the ducks that fell on the other side. He seemed to enjoy this method alot. Anyway, there are a ton of birds still around if you can find open water and a food source. Get out and enjoy a final hunt for the year. Mark-I know you and Hart have one more limit of greenheads in you this year.

Posted By:
Hart
WFC Sponsor

Southwest Montana 01-08-2005 21:46
Cloudy, Snow Flurries – 10-20 Degrees – Open Water
Awesome hunt today. I was home in time to watch the games. Both my buddy and I limited on nice big fat greenheads. Hart did an great job today. I sure enjoy watching him work but not as much as he enjoys what he was bred to do. He has turned into a really great dog and the best friend a guy could hope for. Going down there again tomorrow for my last hunt of the year. There’s still lots of spring water open and the birds are stacked up on every piece of H2O you find. It’s been a great season and I sure have enjoyed hearing from all of you. I’ll post some pics of todays and tomorrows hunts later in the week. Hey Leaky you don’t need a freezer right now. Any where outside will freeze em solid.

Posted By:
Leakydecoy
Guest

01-08-2005 12:49
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Why? Two words: freezer space.

Strap on yer fur-lined waders and get after ’em, Alaska Dude.

Posted By:
Hart
WFC Sponsor

Southwest Montana 01-07-2005 22:09
Arctic Blast – 0-10 Degrees – Ice
SEASON OVER. What the heck is a matter with you guys. It’s just getting good. Had a great hunt last weekend. My shooting wasn’t exactly up to par (don’t you say a word Paul) but the birds were there and will continue to be there if you just find a little open water.

Posted By:
Leakydecoy
Guest

01-07-2005 19:48
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Yeah, hang on to that call. I like it when guys in the next blind try those championship-winning two-minute highballs that send the birds my direction. 😉

Time to go fishin’…

Posted By:
Rain
Guest

01-07-2005 17:27
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Is the season over here or what? No posts, no comments, I want my money back. Keeping the duck call that sounds like crap, or is that just me.

Posted By:
Rain
Guest

01-04-2005 17:57
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Not sure if you meant Tibor as in Tibor reservoir M.M. but I was up there Sat. & Sun. without the decoys of course, (kick me) last hoorah on the pheasants and there was a ton of mallards (1000) and alot of geese, not a huge goose fan like most but there were alot. Never hunted there before, don’t know any land owners but if the Marias is huntable I’m in. You? Pheasant hunting was unreal by the way.

Posted By:
Michael-Majcher
Field Editor

NW MT 01-03-2005 21:30
Arctic Blast – 0-10 Degrees – Ice
High of 7 degrees today. The new birds that I previously reported have moved on to more accomodating climates. We are now hosting less than a thousand geese on the lake. To say these next 2 weeks will be tough is an understatment.

A call over to Tibor farmers revealed the obvious. This last blast with the snow has pushed the birds out.

I don’t know how to fill my time as of yet, but it’s far too soon to break out the ice rods…

MM