Posted By:
MTDucker
Guest
Bitterroot 11-15-2006 14:21
Cloudy, High Winds – 50-60 Degrees
Jason,
When I went to the little backwater on the 9th, it was a raging torrent. With all the rain and warm weather, it looks like Spring Flood. I couldn’t even get to the little backwater (which was now raging and the whole river bottom was flooded). I set a few decoys where we crossed the dry grass (which was now flooded) and downed 5 Mallards. I couldn’t even cross the little creek before the woods because it was over my waders. Had more action that day than in the past, though.
Good to hear from you again.
>> Jan << Posted By: boxfa75 Guest Bozeman, Stevi 11-07-2006 11:53 Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation - 60-65 Degrees This is the best duck year I have ever seen. I think it has alot to do with the colder temperatures. A wave of northern Mallards (small wave) is here in bozeman, and lots of geese are coming into the valley also. I realize this isnt a huge push, but its a push. These birds are fat northern mallards, huge. Making a racket and coming to the call. It is as warm now as i can remember for november over 70 degrees twice this week. The birds are sticking around but not flying anywhere. dabbling around MT ducker. lots of birds usually pile up on hueys, schwabs, mitchell, and across from chilcotts in a little refuge they have there. This time of year was always the best there for me, always limits on the river in the small backwater. its so warm now its tough. plus, the major mallard migration is still only half way down canada right now, and holding due to the warm. I was in peace river (WAY UP) a few weeks ago and the mallards hadnt shown up yet. i just called him and he said they left about a week ago. there were lots of snow geese piled up on the border last week but i couldnt get there with work. we are probably three to six weeks away from the major push of mallards. usually thanksgiving to christmas. 51 mallards down and 33 geese. the missouri river has been amazing, as has the east gallatin in bozeman. there are lots of ducks and more to come. Posted By: Rain Guest Southwest MT, by dillon. 11-06-2006 15:41 Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation - - Went Elk hunting got into about 40 on Sat morn but could only get to 660 yards. (range finder) Decided not to take the shot, there were only a couple Raghorns in the group so no biggy. Went back Sunday am and it was nasty, storm rolled in, clouds, blowin 30, freezin ass cold, didn't see and elk. Lots of season left though. Posted By: Rain Guest 11-02-2006 10:46 - - - MTDUcker, ive seen all those ducks your talking about. Every evening they're heading north somewhere, very high and back south in the morning very high. Wont even look at a spread. I hunt right around stevi, behind farm and feed, hunted last week shot one greenhead and missed a buzzin woody. I'm assuming those ducks when theyre heading south are going to like Mitchells Slough somewhere, probably behind Huey Lewis' house somewhere where they dont get messed with. Make sense??? Hopefully with this freezing weather some potholes, sloughs are going to get locked up and they have to start using the river. Hopefully... Posted By: saltspringer Guest 10-21-2006 09:50 - - - MtDucker where do those ducks usually settle down when they come that high and that many ? Are they going through this early? Posted By: MTDucker Guest Bitterroot River 10-20-2006 22:17 Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle - 40-45 Degrees K-Town, some of those Greenheads must have moved down into the valley yesterday and today, but they were HigherNaKite and Not Lookin' Down when they were following the River south. Only managed one that erred on the low side yesterday and one Wood Duck today. Both days saw wave after wave heading south along the river though. Hopefully they will stay around for a while. Posted By: K-Town Guest Kalispell 10-14-2006 12:21 - - - Three of us shot a limit of 21 mallards in a field this morning by 8:30, plus 2 bands. It would have been waaayyyyyyyyy better if we had some wind and cloud cover. Posted poics in grip and grin. Posted By: K-Town Guest Kalispell 10-12-2006 11:23 Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm - 35-40 Degrees Me and 3 other guys shot a limit of honkers by 9:00 this morning on a winter wheat field. At first light this morning, we probably saw 1500 mallards buzz over us and land in a barley field, gonna try to get them on Satureday. Ducks are in large groups now, resting and feeding were they know they are safe. With out question, I would say we are already getting some good northern flights down. A saw a field a couple nights ago that was solid GREEN, a good 3000+. Posted By: Rain Guest Pothole Ronan 10-09-2006 08:46 Cloudy, Winds Calm - 40-45 Degrees Took my 3yr old boy to the pothole, arrived 10-15mins late, ducks were coming in as I was settin dekes, decided I really didn't need that many then, (4mallard dekes, 3 goose floaters) went and got the boy out of the truck, got settled in blind and proceeded to shoot ONE STINKIN DUCK. Mallards came in early, i spooked them, and shot one Widgeon. Boy still had a blast, so did I...Not many ducks flying at all. Posted By: Rain Guest pot hole Ronan MT 10-02-2006 08:28 Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm - 60-65 Degrees Hunted my pothole opening morning, scouting trips didn't hold to much promise, not many birds at all. I did go and shot a decent bag, 2-drake mallards, 2-drake widgeon, 1-gadwall,1-hen widgeon. The neat thing about this hunt was 5-swans dropped in on me, i've never seen that before. I thought it was great, live decoys, worked good. A drake mallard came diving in, rolled him and the swans could have cared less I shot, dog retrieved the bird, they just hung out. It was pretty neat, I knew they were big but not that big, never paid to much mind to them before. Anyway, it was a good opener, my new lab did well, first time hunting her, she's almost one and did a fair job.
