Posted By:
davehunter03
Web Member
N. Zone in Illinois 12-05-2011 18:42
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Alright fella’s, I’ve heard enough about “Bedliners” & “Somebody needs to pay”. Does anyone have any idea where the Mallards are? I’ve heard central & southern S.D. and central Wisc.are holding the Mallards? It’s duck season!
SR.
Posted By:
webmaster
root
Boone County 12-05-2011 13:32
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Missed hunting this weekend due to life’s obligations. Of course, I got texts all weekend about everyone filling out on ducks and geese at our place.
TONS of birds in the area and rain opened waters that were frozen. Hope it doesn’t refreeze before i get back out.
Posted By:
huntorski
Guest
Pool 12 Miss 12-04-2011 14:03
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Hunted Saturday
Was hoping to see ducks moving in front of the snow. Didn’t happen
Ceiling was low and visibility sucked with the rain, but I saw nothing migrating
ended up with a pair of buffleheads. Had good chances at 3 others but missed.
Had a few mallards but they are very leery of blinds and calling
Hope my fold up blind drys out enough not to freeze solid so I can hit it again next weekend
Posted By:
qacol
Guest
Desplains River- State Area 12-04-2011 13:40
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – 45-50 Degrees
No shots and no ducks, this has to be the worse season in 32 years in my parts. We have 7 hunters in our group and we don’t have a day limit total for us 7 for the season.
Posted By:
2footroper
Web Member
Bath, IL 12-03-2011 05:09
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 40-45 Degrees
We hunted Thursday and friday of this week. Virtually no hunters out. Just two of us and we mannaged to kill 6 Mallards, 1 Pintail and one huge Canada on Thursday. Friday we killed 6 more mallards and quit at 11:00 A.M. We probably would have filled out if we would have stayed. We had to start grouping the decoys real tight now. We saw quite a few birds but it is hard to get them to finish. No new birds for about a week now. Rumor has it that thousands of Mallards showed up in Oquawka on Friday so maybe the push is back on. I think it could be over for us as we can’t hunt until next weekend and by that time it will be a big ice cube. Oh well, theres always Arkansas. Be safe boys and girls and rember to let’em work and “shoot’em in the lips”.
Posted By:
webmaster
root
INHS Surveys 12-01-2011 15:29
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The INHS Surveys arrived.
Total duck numbers for the IL River Survey (upper and lower) areas are 159,155 — below the 01-year average of 206,120 with ice coverage ranging from 10- 50% and 95% at Big Lake.
The Southern IL survey is 64,050 ducks and also below the 5-yr average of 73,710.
Upper Mississippi River totals show over 500,000 divers in pools 4-14 and 97,000 puddle ducks — 632,780 total ducks geese and swans.
here:
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/UpperMississippiRiver/UMRWF11.html
Posted By:
webmaster
root
Boone County 12-01-2011 11:04
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Our ponds are froze. We’ll start setting shells on it for geese this weekend and switch to field hunts after the second gun deer season.
Michael — sounds like the ducks that were in N-IL 3 weeks ago. They’ll start working after they settle into the area.
Posted By:
Michael-PhillipsIL
Field Editor
SW Pike County 12-01-2011 10:37
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Tons of ducks around but they won’t work. Its like we aren’t even there. I guess we are going to have to change tactics or hope for some weather.
Posted By:
webmaster
root
Boone & McHenry County 11-29-2011 22:58
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Ice is building, thankfully the strong NW winds have kept shallow areas open but the days are numbered.
Duck numbers have increased a lot over the past 48 hours but with temps dropping and more ice coming they could leave as quick as they showed up.
Posted By:
2footroper
Web Member
Bath IL 11-28-2011 14:36
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 40-45 Degrees
Hunted Friday and Saturday last week. Friday was partly sunny and once the wind blew we killed out again. When it’s calm the birds just circle and don’t want to commit. Once the wind blows they want to set down to get out of it a lot faster. Not much of a chance to look the spread and blind over real good. Saturday it rained and we only hunted till 10:30. Only 4 ducks killed so we packed it in. Others stayed but I don’t know how they did. Saw some possable new flights filter in but the word is the Mallards are still hold up in Wisconsin and Minnesotta. This weekend may be the end for us if it gets too cold. It doesn’t take much to freeze a foot of water. Good luck everyone and be safe. Let’em work and shoot’em in the lips.
