Iowa Duck Hunting Report Archive

Posted By:
Drake Slayer
Web Member

12-05-2012 14:43
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Couple things here, John….

– Noone is trying to offend you. Noone is passing judgement.

– Jon, I’ve been reading your posts since I’ve been a member on this website. I enjoy reading your posts. You are one of the few that comes here in June and says, “took dog for a walk down levees……saw X amount of acres of crops…..water levels are at such n such….blah, blah, blah….”. I appreciate your time and posts. Another reason I like them is because they all sound genuine. I can tell you’re not the guy comin on here lying, trying to impress others, blowin smoke up people’s aSS, etc. BUT, and please don’t be offended……This lease you’ve been a part of for the last several years has been a bust!! I defy you to go thru however many years worth of reports from there and show me 1 day were you got a limit. 1 day where everything went right. 1 day where you were covered up in birds. I’m not asking for a weeks worth….1 DAY!!! I’ve never once heard you mention this place (please don’t take this the wrong way), and me wish I could somehow get invited there??? And you’re lease is in some of the duck killingest area of the state!!!! My God, you’d think you would find a limit of dead ones everytime you walked out there??!!

Jon, there are places out there…..that aren’t 15 grand a year, that you can do better. You put your heart and soul into this sport, and I just think you deserve more out of it. I mean, for what you pay a year in lease fees, fuel, time, etc….you could probably book 5 or 6 hunts at the finest clubs in the state for less?? Be treated like a king when you get there, shoot your ducks, and be home by dark???

I know the measure of a man is not how many ducks they kill…..But, I also know that 1 duck by Dec. 4th just ain’t worth the time or headache……

Last….And this part I kind of took offense to….Please don’t come on here and try to scold me or Timber hunt for posting our opinions……You went on the MO page a couple weeks ago scolding some folks from your lease about their drinking, etc…..And didn’t you get in a little bit of a bind over that??

Again, I’ve always enjoyed your posts. I really hope you didn’t/don’t take offense to a couple guys opinions……If you did, I apologize. I’m not apologizing for posting them, just apologizing that something as little as that offended you.

[Edited By Drake Slayer on 2012-12-05 14:49]

Posted By:
John-Donelon
Field Editor

Missouri 12-05-2012 13:18
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Drake Slayer and Timber Hunter
Had this lease for years,have always done well.I have enough sense at age 76 and over 60 years of waterfowl hunting to know to move on if hunting on the lease was bad year after year.Yes,they are killing ducks in Mo.,but these are being shot at the CA areas,I used that route in my younger years,now it requires you to get up at 2AM,get to headquarters by 4:30AM for the draw and then fight over spots with the young bucks,sorry,that is not my game any more,too many knuckle heads in the field today.One of your people “14 ducks” knows what age brings on,you hunt where your age and physical ability takes you.Yes there are duck clubs in mo. killing ducks,that is if you have the annual fee of $10-$15,000 a year,sorry,but that is out of my class.People need to understand background of these people posting before they start passing judgments on their reasoning for doing what they do.I,took offense to remarks that anyone shooting only one duck on a lease would have enough sense to move.

Posted By:
Drake Slayer
Web Member

12-05-2012 13:03
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Agreed, Timber hunter.

And that’s on a spot that’s leased?? I would demand my money back, and promise the fella he’d never see me again??!!!! LOL!!

Time for a new view…..Sitting in a pit lease everyday hoping that “soon it’ll be your turn” is more of duck “waiting”, not so much duck “hunting”.

Posted By:
timber hunter
Guest

s.e. Iowa 12-04-2012 18:43
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goosepatch,
I think some of these guys must try to see if they can avoid killing a duck. Something is being done seriously wrong to have one duck at this point.

Posted By:
14ducks
Web Member

12-04-2012 15:38
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And then there are people that just keep going. Today a day far different from the others. Lots of shooting. However, it was from the deer hunters. Hunted 3 hours early on RR and saw a few ducks but very very wary. My robo duck stays home from now on. Had one shot but sun blinded me and I didn’t want a skinny gadwall anyway. I did see several flocks of migrating canadas going down river. Don’t know what that indicatex but it is better than just watching gulls. Someday after the season is done I’m going to post what duck hunting was like 63 years ago in Iowa and we’ll see if you young guys would even go duck hunting.

Posted By:
goosepatch
Web Member

12-04-2012 15:12
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I don’t get some of the posts on here,you have one guy who posts from Mo. that it’s the worst year ever and he’s killed one duck. Yet if you go to Mo. MDC reports they are killing ducks everday, some beter than others still they are killing ducks.S. Dakota post said they still have ducks and I would guess Minn. and Wis. does as well.Some of you old timers should know that 50’s 60’s and 70’s temps. is not the best duck hunting weather.Once again we are at the mercy of Mother Nature.Next weeks weather change will bring more ducks but we are running out of time. One thing I have learned after 35 years is that some days the river (Miss) is the place, other days I hunt the lake (Odessa) and other days places off the beaten path, and some days it’s better to just stay home.

Posted By:
14ducks
Web Member

12-03-2012 21:41
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I’ve been hunting 63 years and the hunting is still good but the getting is terrible. It is not that we have birds as we have hundreds in the city limits and they go out to feed right when shooting time ends. Will hit it again tomorrow morning. Too old to give up easily. I’m stuck on 1 drake mallard but part of that is that I don’t work as hard as I use to. I know younger guys that work hard and they have had a decent season and still are bagging mallards.

Posted By:
birdk9
Web Member

South Dakota – Migration Update 12-03-2012 15:52
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Hunted ditch chickens the last two weekends in central SD. Driving out and back, and then all around central SD, there are still large numbers of waterfowl in the state. All the shallow ponds froze up last week and re-opened this week. Deeper water is still open and the birds are stacked on it. We saw one huge flock of snows that stayed through the cold snap. Still good numbers of ducks and geese in SD.

One hunting partner from SD, was field hunting and did well on mallards.

Dry, warm weather and the birds have not pushed out yet. Geese all over the MO river areas.

Weatherman says it will another week before any kind of a push. Could be almost two weeks before snow cover and or cold pushes birds

It’s not over but we are running out of time. Sure wish we could hunt somewhere in Iowa after Christmas. Our third Zone is better but not enough. I’ll try duck’s again this weekend and see what happens.

Posted By:
John-Donelon
Field Editor

iowa 12-03-2012 11:36
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ol man
Ditto on empty skies,been at it for 50 years,been hunting 2-3 days a week at my club.One bird all year,not due to poor shooting,just empty skies.

Posted By:
ol man
Web Member

Southern Iowa 12-03-2012 09:00
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Guys, I have been hunting ducks for 40 years and this is the worst duck season I have ever seen. I told my group yesterday this is the first time I will be glad its over. I am worn out from staring at an empty sky all day.