Posted By:
John-Cottenham
Field Editor
middle of the mitten 05-13-2009 07:10
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Time to watch for the molt migrant move guys.
I am seeing flocks of geese banding back together after the nuptials. When they start flocking up it means they are preparing to move north to the southern James Bay region to molt and loaf in luxury.
I normally see the movement about June 5 but you should keep an eye on it. When you see the birds moving take a gander at radar and maybe you can follow them on the trip.
jacduck I worked out a new deal in Texas this winter. I quit hunting snows when I get 5 or have used all 12 of the shells I carried. Worked pretty well since I tended to control my shooting. Mostly came home with ammo left over and often with the self imposed limit.
Posted By:
rick-hungerford
Field Editor
Saginaw Bay Fish Point Area 05-07-2009 19:57
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 60-65 Degrees
Fished last Saturday, or should say bounced around for a couple of hours. Found one 20 incher that wanted to come to the box, you have to cull the weak ones.
Water, water everywhere. Up at least 6 inches from last Spring, probably more.
Let’s hope that more water equates to better nesting success.
Lots of goslings already. One group had 8 little ones, better than last year.
Ducks still on nests, I did see some Buffleheads on the water.
The only bad news is the numbers of cormorants, unbelievable. I saw one raft at least 200 yards long and 10 foot wide. Now thats worse than any gill net ever set.
Somebody needs to do something here.
Keep the faith, only 5 months to go!
Everything else is between seasons!
Posted By:
John-Cottenham
Field Editor
Snow Goose expert 04-16-2009 17:30
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I get stuff from ND since I am practically a native. At any rate there is a big discussion on snow geese in other states that I hunt so I thought I would share this 19 minute video interview with you guys. One of the things I got our of it was the snows have moved from traditional nesting grounds that would allow them to overfly MI spring and fall so that may be a major factor in our not seeing them like many of us used to in the olden days…..
Cut and paste the link and sit back and listen to an expert researcher.
http://www.gf.nd.gov/
jacduck It is not the limits I get but the HUNTS I get that makes a great season. And I don’t shoot spoonies!
Posted By:
rick-hungerford
Field Editor
Saginaw Bay 04-13-2009 21:11
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
The Bay lost a friend this week.
Ken Wiersma. My stap father in law.
He loved the Bay, as much as I do.
Walleye master catcher and an under study of “pick a letter on the compass and follow it” master of boat driving.
Only after three trips did he offer the fact that his hearing aid still worked.
Seldom in this life time are we given a gift of true friendship, no questions asked. That was Ken.
My favorite day with him was in the goose blind he helped me set out before Opening Day.
After WWII, he never wanted to handle a gun.
We sat there in the early morning lite, drinking coffee. And as luck would have it, two dumb ones listened to my bad calling, folded wings and came in.
My old Charles Daly, over and under went Bang, splat….. Bang spalt………
He dryly looked over at me and asked “was it this hard all the time?”
I answered ” Only on special days!”
That was the last goose retrieves for my dog “Sammy” and the only retrieves that Ken ever saw.
The best wish I have for Ken is that he finds the winds of Heaven pushing him over schools of fish and that he marks them all before I get there.
Everything else is between seasons!
Posted By:
rick-hungerford
Field Editor
Saginaw Bay Fish Point Area 03-25-2009 14:08
Cloudy, Occassional Rain Showers – 40-45 Degrees
Just returned from the Bay.
If you ever want to see birds, now is the time. Ice is out, and the geese and ducks are too plentiful to count.
One small bay that we hunt held over two thousand divers. Tons of every species. And the geese and swans make such a racket, you can hardly sleep at night.
Kind of makes you wonder why we don’t see this build up in the Fall.
If you have the chance drive by and take a look at God’s bounty.
Everything else is between seasons!
Posted By:
Michael-Majcher
Field Editor
hoxeyville/caberfae area 03-20-2009 13:25
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 35-40 Degrees
Welcome to spring.
This the first day of spring, we’ve had the following here in the valley:
-A pair of nest searching geese looping the skies in the evening.
-A pair of teal circling the bigfoot dekes I put out to welcome the northbound canadas.
-Lots of blackbirds have been around since last week. They arrived two days ahead of the robins who now fill the yard.
-Migrating lampreys have found their way up Hoxey creek (to their demise LOL)
-Skunks can be occasionally smelled on the evening breeze (get ’em before they mate!)
-The piles of snow have dwindled to scant traces in the shadow of the pines.
-Trees are budded up and getting ready to green.
With all this, we have a new season. Many of us worry about the demise of our country or our jobs. We worry about what next week will bring. I’ve been caught up in it as well. Take the time to notice the changes around you and remember that we got to this point in the history of Man by being the best we could possibly be with what sense has been bestowed upon us. Enjoy the little things that each day brings us.
Cherish what you have and hug the little ones. As sure as tomorrow will come, we too will rebound from that which tethers us today.
Posted By:
rick-hungerford
Field Editor
Saginaw Bay Fish Point Area 03-08-2009 18:31
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 50-60 Degrees
Drove up this weekend to see how the Lodge faired through the winter. Things are fine.
Friday afternoon was beautiful sunny and 60ish.
Tons of geese are back. I personally saw a dozens flights of between 20-60 birds fly along the shoreline.
A word to the wise, many are still venturing out for walleye. Places the ice is still 2-3 feet thick (before the Saturday rain). But people are crashing through closer to shore. Might be time to put the ice rigs away and start fishing the rivers.
Everything else is between seasons!
Posted By:
ducknut@sbcglobal.net
Guest
snows 02-19-2009 18:49
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Papa Goose; There used to be a large population of snows that migrated from James Bay in Ontario non-stop to Delta National Wildlife Refuge at the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana back then. Three square was a prime food for them back then, and many snows were winter residents of the coastal marshes of Texas and Louisiana where it was found. Rice agriculture to the North of the marshes grew over time, and the snows started to utilize that habitat instead of the marshes. Sometimes, if it was a late hatch, and the young weren’t real strong, some flocks would have to stop for rest, and those were the ones guys would see in fields in central Michigan, or get shots at on the bay. My understanding is that it’s only a remnant of that population that gets to Delta now, and I don’t think any snows fly non-stop that far anymore. Agriculture along the way changed that and they learned to make stops along the way like other fowl do. Take care, Ducknut
Posted By:
rick-hungerford
Field Editor
Not 02-19-2009 18:37
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 25-30 Degrees – Ice
Papa Goose, they still fly over, they just don’t stay. I have camped out in the Bay during the season and heard them flying over at 2:00 in the morning on a clear night.
The other thing that has happened is that the States to the west of us have effectively moved or pulled the migration that way by improving both Fall and Spring habitat.
If you draw a line from James Bay southwest to say Texas, it comes right over Michigan. There are still way too many Snows, but a shame you have to go elsewhere to see them. If you want a trip go to Southern Illinois in about 3-4 weeks. You won’t believe what you see.
Atleast thats my understanding.
Everything else is between seasons!
Posted By:
papagoose
Web Member
South end WigWam Bay 02-15-2009 11:21
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 25-30 Degrees – Ice
When I was a Kid, say in 1968, I would be out phasent hunting and see 200 or 300 snow Geese going south and today in the Fall I’ll see maybe 2 or 3 snow Geese in a flock of canaida’s , Can any one explain to me and others what happened to all those snow Geese.
papagoos of Standish Mi.
