Posted By:
John-Cottenham
Field Editor
Sunrise side 08-27-2010 07:54
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Getting the goose spread ready. I hunt mostly water with some fields included. Get ‘er goin’ gang it is time!!!!
jacduck I worked out a new deal in Texas this past 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 08-18-2010 22:04
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
Was up Sunday for squatters rights day on the Bay.
Set our inside blind without waders. Seems early but, it was something to do. Water roughly the same depth as last year. Rice fields have shrunk after being battered by bad weather. Celery beds are fantastic. Lots of baby mallards, a few teal and redheads around.
DNR website has the season dates for those that haven’t heard. Oct. 2 Zone 1&2, Oct. 9 Zone 3. Regs pretty much the same. 1 more pintail. Kept the Jan. 1&2 duck split.
Early Goose two weeks from today 9-01.
Everything else is between seasons!
Posted By:
webmaster
root
Kalamazoo 08-15-2010 13:25
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** RARE LEG BANDS **
Waterfowl that have been rescued and cleaned from the Oil Spill are now wearing some very special jewelry:
“Each released bird will have two unique leg bands – one is the standard aluminum band from the USFWS, which is used to determine harvest information and the other is a special band that identifies the bird as having been de-oiled. There are separate phone numbers on the bands asking people who recover them to report any of these birds if harvested during the hunting seasons or found dead. The early goose hunting season in this region of Michigan begins on Sept. 1. ”
Posted By:
John-Cottenham
Field Editor
Sunrise side 08-13-2010 03:56
Sunny & Clear, Morning Fog – Over 70 Degrees
Hey guys just a couple of thoughts. The water is warm so now is the time to get those waders out and give them a try. A lot more pleasant to have warm water coming into those holes you forgot about. Plus they dry better in the heat and the shoe goo is easier to work.
Same applies to all your gear. Get it out and check it over before you need to rush around like a crazy!
jacduck I worked out a new deal in Texas this past 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:
John-Cottenham
Field Editor
Bay city show 08-09-2010 04:59
– – Over 70 Degrees
Spent the week-end at the waterfowl show in Bay City. I hadn’t been there in a couple of years but I thought the crowd was pretty good on Sat and WX messed up Sunday which is normally slower at any show. I met several folks to put faces on names and generally had a great time. Sold decoys from a booth and enjoyed it. How many old squaws do you think I sold? Any one need any Atlantic brant? I still have some of them and some scoters all ov the plastic variety. They should make great additions to any MI spread. LOL. They came in a boat I bought in VA and that is a long story.
Have fun and play safe out there.
jacduck I worked out a new deal in Texas this past 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
Grand Rapids 08-08-2010 09:12
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – Over 70 Degrees
I just finished the GR Press. In the outdoor section there is an article stating the Michigan NRC will vote on the duck season this week in Escanaba.
A DNR spokeperson stated they expect a similar season to last year and the
CWAC recommended no changes to the present structure. Hard to believe after the early freeze ups the last two years and no teal, but…..
Assuming that, I anticipate 60 day season in Three zones as follows: Zone 1 – UP, Oct.2, Zone 2 – N LP Oct.9, Zone 3 – S LP Oct. 16. More than likely they will waste the Split on the two days in January again.
It is possible they will move everything up one week, so watch the news.
The FWS is making an extra pintail available (2 in bag) this year. I was hoping for an extra redhead but that didn’t happen.
More when we hear.
Everything else is between seasons!
Posted By:
rick-hungerford
Field Editor
Saginaw Bay Fish Point Area 08-08-2010 08:53
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – Over 70 Degrees
I was over this week. Celebrated one of my members 70+ B-day. Boy they’re getting old, glad its not affecting me (ha ha)!
Ran the outside again. water appears to be up from this Spring, but this is the time we normally start losing water. We’ll keep you posted.
I did find some young mallard broods on wing. The older birds appear to be just coming out of molt. They only fly a couple of hundred yards and land. As of last Sunday the blue wings haven’t started showing up yet, but it was 90 degrees. I am going up this coming weekend. I expect to see the inside marshes full of teal.
Most of the geese broods are capable of flight, but that doesn’t mean anything since they have moved onto golf courses, greenfields and farm ponds.
About the only big flocks of birds I put up were cormorants. Rumor has it that that the USFWS and DNR controls are starting to work. Flocks do not seem as large as last year.
Fishing has been slow in the lower Bay. Some fish taken in the shallow weeds beds in low light. Tough fishing.
I’ll post again soon.
Everything else is between seasons!
Posted By:
John-Cottenham
Field Editor
Sunrise side 08-05-2010 07:30
– – Over 70 Degrees
Took another trip to da bay yesterday morning. Took my new to me TDB17 on a scouting run to see what the fuel consumption would be and also look at several potential spots I have not hunted recently. Fuel good, spots okay and day was great. Water levels still look good so I check it in Sept and let you all know.
Oh yeah forgot to mention we are expecting in Nov. YLF should show up to keep the other two YLFs in order. I had promised myself when my pup turned 7 I would get a pup and that is now. The older gal is slowing down and ten and it should all work out well.
jacduck
I worked out a new deal in Texas this past 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.
[Edited By John-Cottenham on 2010-08-05 07:32]
Posted By:
John-Cottenham
Field Editor
Sunrise side 07-21-2010 18:03
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
Just got in from taking my Momarsh Fatboy DP out for a spin. Saw quite a few bunches of duckling but no geese. Did see a pair of swans with 5 cygnets in tow. I didn’t think they laid that many eggs. Hopefully FWS will come back and control swans again this year.
Water looked about the same as last year. I suppose the heavy rains are keeping it up but the drop could come at any time. I recommend summer scouting cause it is some kind of fun just to take your time to look things over.
What is it 41 days and a wakeup til the show starts.
jacduck I worked out a new deal in Texas this past 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 07-12-2010 19:04
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
I was over on the Bay over the 4th.
Fishing was slow. For some reason, the bait fish have left the lower Bay and the walleye have followed. Reports are that limits are being taken North of the Charities. Pretty early for that action.
I did hitch up the airboat and ran the outside marshes. Water appears to be close to last year. I did find a few early mallards with broods already capable of flight. Not many geese, but as usual they have moved onto the golf courses and grass fields.
Crops look great. Corn is already 5-6 foot tall in many fields. Wheat is already being harvested. It looks like a spectacular grain season.
Wild rice beds took a beating with the rough weather. To early to tell if it will rebound. Wild celery, duck potato and sago beds look excellent. Ditto with Zebra mussel beds.
It doesn’t look like food will be a problem. Let’s hope the birds cooperate.
Everything else is between seasons!
