Posted By:
Larry-Olson
Field Editor
NE 01-11-2012 18:47
Arctic Blast – 10-20 Degrees – Ice
Well winter arrived up here again today. We had about four inches of snow accompanied by high winds. We were planning on heading to the sandhills to try for geese Sunday but will make sure they are still there before we go to such pains. I did recieve some reports of good hunting from the meadow blind near Bridgeport. They have been successful every day they hunted recently and report alot of geese in their area. Mike’s Lisco blind reports alot of geese on the Garden county refuge but they are very patterned and not decoying well. LO
Posted By:
Larry-Olson
Field Editor
North Platte river 01-11-2012 13:33
Cloudy, High Winds – 25-30 Degrees – Ice
Well Rick talked to me this morning. He was alone in his blind and was decoying ducks constantly and had been since daylight. He is not one to exaggerate and thought he decoyed one flock that was over a thousand birds. He said it was most likely the best day he has had in five years or so. It is days like this that make the boring ones quickly dissapear. On another note, Shooter attended the meeting on rezoning our seasons last night and strongly suggests getting to one near you. It sounds as if there are some MAJOR changes in the wind. Lo
Posted By:
Zach Mayhew
Field Editor
01-09-2012 10:07
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Not to many geese around. I would love to see a push of geese from any direction. Anybody ever heard of a full moon migration from the north in January.
Posted By:
Art-Marshall
Field Editor
south central 01-09-2012 06:51
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S.D. goose count is almost 200,000 dark geese…… S.D. duck count is 185,000…..S.D. snow goose count is 3000 Thats why we have seen much fewer birds in Nebraska in 2011 . All counts done the first week of January.
Posted By:
Art-Marshall
Field Editor
01-08-2012 20:30
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Have talked to people who actually know and found out there are alot of birds left in the dakota’s right now . Its just a guess on the numbers, but it appears that about a third to one half the geese are still up there. The other half migrated through during the full-moon week of rifle deer season ( 12th of Nov). Thanks to the guys who helped figure this out .
[Edited By Art-Marshall on 2012-01-08 20:33]
Posted By:
John-Donelon
Field Editor
NW Mo. 01-08-2012 09:47
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ART-Marshall
Giving you a straight answer,which is my way of reporting.There are very few geese here in my area of the state.Very low counts at Swan Lake a Natl. Refuge and also same story near you ,the Squaw Creek Natl. Wildlife rfefuge.I go to my lease two days each week.My last two trips hunting for geese have been terible.One day no birds,next day two birds,another trip one small flock of some 20 birds flying high and heading north. We are in the flyway of three refuges.This is my first year on this lease,the owner said this is worst he has seen for geese as well as ducks for several years.I live in Columbia Mo. which is central Mo. I am out every day near lakes where normally I see large numbers of geese,this year has been zip,none.I don’t have a clue as to where the geese are or where the ducks were this past duck season.
Posted By:
Kevin-Stallard
Field Editor
S/W IIllinois 01-07-2012 05:01
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 50-60 Degrees
Hey Art I was reading some of the states reports north of us and I saw you are waiting for the birds to return from the south. We have been waiting all year for the birds to get down here from the north… We have been in the 50-60’s for a good while and there is no blast headed our way, so hopefully they will soon come back from the south and get here from the north????? What a year…..
Posted By:
Art-Marshall
Field Editor
south central near platte 01-05-2012 22:00
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Very slow, most guys are not hunting. May see a flock of geese about every other day. Waiting for birds to come back from the south . Nothing yet.
Posted By:
Larry-Olson
Field Editor
North Platte river 01-05-2012 21:35
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 50-60 Degrees
Record highs today……I talked to my longtime friend Donny last night and he said that the Patricks and him are not hunting geese after this weekend until the weather changes. IT IS THE MOST UNBELIEVABLE THING I HAVE HEARD IN MY WATERFOWLING LIFE!! Hunting must be horrible for these guys to give up. They are simply the most diehard bunch you will ever find. Donny said there is ALOT of ducks west of Scottsbluff but only on high wind days do they do very good. On those days they limit on Mallards with ease. Geese are another story. They believe that the numbers have dropped continuously as the weather remains far above average. I believe they are right. LO
Posted By:
Larry-Olson
Field Editor
North Platte river valley/western sandhills 01-04-2012 07:36
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 50-60 Degrees
Well the heat wave continues and hunting pressure has waned because of it. I have recieved very few reports but those that have reported are all the same… SLOW. I think the birds have spread out again. I have seen small flocks of mallards on several of our small creeks around here and must believe that’s the case everywhere in this area. There are still reports of good numbers of geese south of Rushville in the sandhills. They are flying quite a ways west to feed. There are still good numbers of mallards on the Garden county refuge but I haven’t heard any great success stories.I will try to get out again soon. LO
