Posted By:
Scott-Martin
Field Editor
North Central IL 01-07-2012 16:18
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 45-50 Degrees
Closed out my north zone season yesterday with one final goose hunt. Fun to be out and saw a ton of geese in the AM, but they preferred to trade north and west off the roost, rather than toward me (south and west) … did get a few lookers and one group close enough, so I didn’t end the season skunked. Looking forward to fresh goose this week.
In the PM, I figured out where the mallards and geese are in IL … north of 88 and north of 90. Piles and piles. Saw a mallard vortex that rivals anything I have ever seen before. With all the geese in the same area, it looked like a refuge. Which as of tomorrow, all of Northern IL will be.
Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow. not too late to keep singing. Otherwise pray for excellent breeding conditions for all the birds that will return there this spring.
– Scott
Posted By:
Kevin-Stallard
Field Editor
S/W IIllinois 01-07-2012 05:07
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 50-60 Degrees
I was reading the Nebraska reports and they are waiting for the birds to come back from the south…….
Well alot of us in the sothern part of the state are waiting for the birds to get here from the north!!! What a terrible terrible year. No snow or blast predicted for the immediate future…
3,XXX geese in the southern zone, 38,XXX on average here this time of year…..enough said.
Posted By:
scattermaster1
Web Member
01-06-2012 08:07
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60 Degree’s in NE Il today, enough said
Posted By:
webmaster
root
INHS Survey MISS. River 1-4-12 01-05-2012 15:01
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Results are in for the INHS MISS River Survey (last to be flown this season) 1-4-12:
Total Mallard on the upper and lower Mississippi River survey areas are nearly 3 times the 10-year average of 57k at 167,010.
Total ducks are at 263,100 and over 3 times the 10 year average of 81,000.
In steep contrast, the Southern ad Central IL surveys are well below the long-term year averages.
Central Ducks: 3,700, 5-year average 56,025
Central Geese: Canada; 3,975
Southern IL Ducks: 60,300, 5-year average 92,088
Southern IL Geese: Canada; 3,075 5-year average 38,717
Southern IL Geese: Snows; 73,725 5-year avg 58,708
Posted By:
webmaster
root
NE IL Survey 01-04-2012 12:51
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The INHS survey for NE IL (Jan 3) shows mallard numbers nearly 6 times the 5-year average at just above 13,000.
Canada Goose numbers are down at 10.3K with the 5-year average at 26k for this time of year.
Posted By:
webmaster
root
McHenry County 01-03-2012 11:14
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Cold temps and flurries had geese moving pretty good yesterday. Running traffic proved to be difficult, I think most of them have our number after an entire season.
The dusting of snow made it hard to make the layout blinds blend. Geese would just slowly shy off on their approach.
Saw a lot less ducks but still seeing them in pocket groups near every tiny chunk of open water.
Posted By:
Terry Wiseman
Guest
Down south 01-02-2012 19:43
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This has been the most dissapointing season in 30 yrs of memory. it gets old staring at blank skies.AS 4 new birds about the only ones we seem to be gitting are woodducks and teal out of the south. Sad. On a brightspot tho I seen my first blacks and bluebills on Crab today.
Posted By:
Kevin-Stallard
Field Editor
S/W Illinois 01-01-2012 05:38
Cloudy, High Winds – 40-45 Degrees
The last several days has been a tough go, the birds are stale as well as the weather. The weather has had some birds travelling NB thinking their winter was over and headed back home. At least the weather for the next few days will be more December like and hoping for some new birds to follow the high NW winds to our neck of the woods. I hope it is not too little too late with only 10 or so days left to chase the ducks here. May be the first time have to use the ice eater all year!!!
Posted By:
qacol
Guest
Desplains River- State Area 12-31-2011 15:53
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 35-40 Degrees
Got one goose and could of had a few more.
We had Blue-bills come in today, season over for 2 weeks and seen our first ones.
Posted By:
scattermaster1
Web Member
Will County 12-30-2011 08:17
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Yep, lots of geese up here,all the way to SE Wisco – however will not come out of subdivisions,eating grass all day. Fair numbers of mallards around as well. Scatter
