Posted By:
John-Donelon
Field Editor
N. Dakota 11-08-2010 13:04
– – –
Pluckaduck
Had to reply to your post. I am 74,have gone thru three great four legged friends and now on my 4th,a golden lab who is seven,saw very few ducks on our opening day in NW Mo. we shot three birds at shooting time.The only ducks we saw all day.But my day was made watching Holly making her retrieves,especially the drake that kept diving on her and her determination to bring the bird back to me.You hit it right,a good four legged friend and good friends over the years have make me the duck hunter I am today.Stay safe.
Posted By:
CPAMAN
Guest
Did Not Hunt 11-08-2010 10:01
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 50-60 Degrees
At my farm in ND, there were about 2,500 geese using the fields right next to my farm. Approximately, 2,000 Canadas, 200 cacklers, 250 snow geese, and about 50 specks. We saw at least another couple thousand geese migrating through at 200-300 yard altitude flying straight south. They were active all day long but especially in the AM until 11:00 and in the afternoon from 3:00 until after dark.
Duck numbers were increased over the last time I was there with huntable numbers of birds in at least a half dozen sloughs in the area with 75-200 ducks per wetland. Primary species were bluebills, (majority) goldeneyes and mallards. There was one field holding around 350-400 mallards and they liked the same field. Sunday AM, I saw two flocks of GWT with about 15 birds in each flock and a couple smaller flocks (8-10) of redheads. No swans seen which is unusual for the deer opener.
Hunting would have been very good for ducks and geese as the birds definitely had preferred fields and roost areas. Rather than spread out, they were in larger groups typical of migrating waterfowl.
I think the migration is about in the middle. There are likely plenty of birds still north of the border.
Of course, we were there for the deer opener. Plenty of does around, but not moving much. My son got a fork buck but that was the only antlered deer seen by him or myself. Way too warm for deer to move around. Practically no sign of buck activity with no rubs or scrapes seen in wooded areas. Very tough hunting with more hunters pushing large CRP and PLOTS land, rather than private land, than in previous seasons.
Posted By:
pluckaduck
Field Editor
11-08-2010 09:38
– – –
Got a confirmation of big time numbers of young geese south of Hwy. 2. Must have come in last night as they were not around at dusk yesterday! May be short lived with snow and cold coming!!
Posted By:
Doug-Miller
Field Editor
11-08-2010 06:28
– – –
Pluckaduck,
Amen,
You understand the try spirit of being a duckhunter.
Its all about Ducks, Dogs, and Kids
Posted By:
pluckaduck
Field Editor
Goofy season continues 11-07-2010 19:41
– – –
Well this weird season continues. Weekend was in the 60’s. Birds have started to move south and makes no sense that snow geese are leading the way. Ducks are scarce in north but Devils Lake has very, very huntable numbers.
I spent the afternoon on a slough with my 11 yr. old Lab. Did not see many ducks but it was one of the most enjoyable days this year. No hunters, nice breeze, sunshine and swans migrating, stopping and drinking water. As we walked backed to the truck with gear, we stopped to reflect on our trips together. We have spent 11 glorious years together chasing birds and putting on thousands of miles together. It saddens me to think that this may be his last year. Certainly there will be others but never will this dog and best friend be replaced.
Certain things stir everyone, but for me it is very simple. Waterfowl and dogs and the freedom to chase them until we are totally exhausted. Then repeat over and over.
I thank my father everyday that I am blessed to walk with nature. I guess if you are a waterfowler you understand where I am coming from. If not, I feel sorry for you, you are missing out on a real cool thing!
Snow maybe late this week, things might change, hug the hound if you got them!!
Posted By:
pluckaduck
Field Editor
11-07-2010 06:26
– – –
Large numbers of snow geese remain in area. Diver numbers are good but puddle duck numbers continue to be sub-par. Temps should hold in the 40’s this week, maybe a little snow late in the week!
Posted By:
CPAMAN
Guest
Did Not Hunt 11-04-2010 10:58
– – –
My son was working out in the Lake Sakakawea area Monday-Wednesday. He said on the ride back there are hundreds of thousands of snow geese about thirty miles north of Bismarck along with 100K Canadas. More than he has ever seen out in ND. Smaller flocks of mallards sprinkled in. Sounds like the same enormous grouping of light and dark geese I saw in Saskatchewan one month earlier. Without any snowfall or extremely high winds and cold weather to move them, I would suspect they will be around for a week or longer.
Posted By:
pluckaduck
Field Editor
11-04-2010 09:40
– – –
Deer Hunting does get crazy but if you come the 11th things will have settled down. Weatehr is suppose to hold thru next Monday, then maybe some light snow and temps in the low 30’s. Almost all snow is gone now, birds are sprinkled around, good numbers of snow geese
Posted By:
kobear
Web Member
Pekin 11-03-2010 16:11
– – –
I’m planning on Nov 11-14th. It gets a little hairy during the first week of deer season out there. Not sure if the sloughs can hold till then got pretty chilled during that storm. Interesting snow and freeze line we hit around McHenry to Aneta on 10-30. Seemed almost more waterfowl on the south side of it in the iced areas then N.
Posted By:
pluckaduck
Field Editor
DL 11-02-2010 15:07
– – –
Hey KO Bear, things are happening. If you got time, maybe a trip out west should happen in the next 10 days, birds should hold and hunters will thin out.
