Posted By:
HonkerHotline
Web Member
11-17-2011 20:04
– – –
Hunted the ND/SD boarder yesterday and this morning.
Yesterday, we hit it perfect. 15 BIG BIG Fat Greenheads and 3 drake Pins. Also got 2 bonus specs and 10 snow geese. Thousands of ducks worked our spread from 8am (Shooting was 7am and we didn’t have a bird work us for the first hour…. depressing and thought they were all gone). I imagine it was because of the cold (12 degrees when we headed out). After 8 we had flocks of 50-100 mallards working us every 5-10 minutes.
Today, we headed out to a balmy 1 degree temp. Again, nothing flew until about 8:15am. Afterward, we saw a good amount of snows, but very few mallards.
I am going to be out here for another 5 days, but am fearing the show is over. Guess we’ll try the pheasants.
Today 5 greenheads and 1 snow.
As we drove back to our hunting shack, very few ducks were visable and every piece of water was froze. A select few geese were sitting on the ice, but I can say I was visually satisfied viewing the awe of the North American Migration. I saw millions of birds yesterday and today was measured in the thousands.
Southern boys be ready… they are coming!!!!!!!!
Thank-you to everyone for your great reports this year. I had a great season, am extremely tired, and am very satisfied.
Best of luck to all of you!
Posted By:
Peter-Brown
Field Editor
Pine County, west of Willow River 11-17-2011 13:09
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 10-20 Degrees – Open Water
Saw much more this morning. Bunches of divers and a good group of Mallards.
The only birds to decoy were Hooded Mergasers, passed on them for sure.
At lot of the small water froze up.
It’s not near over yet, back after them tomorrow.
Posted By:
Paul-Burton
Field Editor
North of Morris 11-17-2011 11:33
– – 10-20 Degrees – Ice
Almost everything is iced here, even big water. Lots of geese huddled up on ice not open water. We have a patch of open water about 10 yards wide, 25 yards long. Killed 1 pair golden eyes and 2 other singles. Quiet. Back to brained tomorrow to hunt real big water.
Posted By:
Peter-Brown
Field Editor
Pine County, between Hinkley & Willow River 11-16-2011 20:18
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 25-30 Degrees – Open Water
I’ve been bouncing around and had mixed results. Last Friday I bagged a few divers and was encouraged by what I saw. Sat and Sunday were a bust.
Today things looked good again. Birds in the area and a few in the boat including a fine northern greenhead.
I’ve been trying to pattern the area’s black geese, but to no avail. They are here today gone tomorrow.
I’m hoping(as we all are)that the coming weather stirs things up a little.
My partner hunting the north merto says there were a bunch of new birds in the centerville area this morning. He picked up three in a short hunt.
Good luck to all in these final weeks
Posted By:
Paul-Burton
Field Editor
Brainerd area 11-13-2011 19:23
– – –
Saturday was a totally different from days earlier in the week. Seems in this part of the state the birds moved on. No major weather but calm clear night with a near full moon Friday.
Same point from the previous 2 days for a few from our group and Trav and I headed south. Point guys had only one flock of GoldenEyes work them and bagged 5. That was it for them. Very few birds seen.Trav and I shot 3 singles and messed up on 3 mallards and messed up on a trip of G eyes. Did not see any other birds.
Have heard similar reports from others. Haven’t looked around to see if birds are on other water. There are good number of birds north still. Let’s hope they come before the 22nd.
Posted By:
Paul-Burton
Field Editor
Brained area 11-11-2011 21:08
– – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
What a week, straight EPIC!
Mallards on Sunday, ringers on Tuesday, golden eyes on wed.
Yesterday and today were the grandest show of what migration has started. Hunted my favorite point on big water both days. There are birds around and quite the variety of species. Yesterday we hunted until 830. Walked off with 10 birds for two guys. Golden eyes, one mallard and buffs. Birds did fly late and showed promise of activity late into the morn.
Today was unbelievable. 3 of us shot our 18 by 10 am. Mallards maple leafing into our diver spread, golden eyes coming in low in groups of 4-8 and some bonus redheads! We saw cans, buffs, geese, and bills working the lake. Usually we will just have primarily golden eyes and buffs.
Hitting it hard the next 11 days, might make all of em.
It’s time, load up and get some!!!!
Posted By:
Canman OMaddie
Web Member
none 11-11-2011 09:04
– – –
From what I read on this site and others is the migration is still in the early stages. with ringers, shovelers, few mallards.
just an observation
jon
Deer hunting again this weekend. It’s gonna be in the mid 50s and very little wind. I’ll take a day or two next week to chase them ducks again.
Posted By:
HonkerHotline
Web Member
Deer Stand (Central MN) 11-09-2011 19:10
– – –
While in the deer stand today I saw good numbers of geese and Mallards flying. A couple groups seemed high and moving south, but most were just milling around.
Anyone who enjoys the migration needs to get out and hunt between now and the 22nd as Paul said below.
I will be heading to South Dakota on Sunday for a week. Hopefully I can hit it right as well.
Posted By:
Paul-Burton
Field Editor
Brainerd area 11-09-2011 18:45
– – –
Seems to be good numbers of new birds in this part of the state.
Hunted small water on Tuesday. Over 500 ringers were stacked up on Monday. Drug the boat thru the woods with excitement like Christmas to be bummed to find ice. 19 degrees and no wind at night is bad for small water. Went for it anyway. Side note, a Lund ducker square back has to be one of the most stable boats I have ever used. Paddled and broke ice setting dekes while STANDING in the boat. 30 loose mixed diver dekes in a J pattern and by 5 to 7 the lake was a tornado. I have never seen so many birds work over water and want in. A safe bet would be multiple groups giving a total of at least 600 birds, EPIC!!
Ice killed us. Birds worked and worked and worked but would not take any chances. Our dekes froze over early and left us with very little open water. If there had been no ice it would have been a crazy shoot. We took safe passing shots and watched groups leave, comeback and seemed to see new birds come to this lake from afar. By 815 birds had found pockets of open water and we had 7 birds in the bag. All ringers. Other note-birds seemed to want to be in the early sun more than anywhere. We were on the morning shade side and it did seem to give us less looks.
Wednesday morn hit big water and did same diver set. The GoldenEyes are here!!!! Not in crazy numbers but enough to bag 4 and two lawn darts.
One other note. A friend of mine has seen small groups of divers flying low but later morning. 9-10 am.
Hitting it hard hopefully every day till the 22nd and the end of the northern season.
Posted By:
1gander
Guest
carlos avery east central mn 11-09-2011 17:49
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 40-45 Degrees
hunted last two days were fair yesterday 1 spoon 1 lost mallard one beautiful pair of hooded mergansers in decoys did not shoot had many chances was being picky.seen mallards working rice behind islands were many shovelers working shallows west of boat launch.geese gone b4 shootin time.today 3 greenheads had hen ringer swimming in decoys mallards left lake due to higher hunting pressure they headed east n did not return.also heard sporadic shots on north pool and tundra swans were migrating through area again.will not b able to get out b4 close on 27th but will post up on goose hunts after that time good luck all
