Posted By:
Anthony-Santoli
Field Editor
NWand SE Ohio 12-23-2011 13:49
Cloudy, Snow Flurries – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
New birds and old birds are all over with the good northern winds and cold front.
Bluebills, Cans and Reds in the Bay. Mallards and Blacks in the marshes.
Merry Xmas and Happy Kwanza
Posted By:
NateB
Guest
SW Ohio 12-23-2011 08:47
Cloudy, Snow & Rain Mix – 40-45 Degrees
Lots of ducks and geese in the area. But very hard to decoy, even when we were on the X from the previous day. So many places for them to go eat that if any little thing bothers them they will go somewhere else. Seem decoy and call shy. Need some cold weather, and some dry weather. With all the flooded fields, birds can go eat and just stay in the field all day then go to roost. Getting a new blind for Christmas, totally different concept cannot wait to try it out.
NB
Posted By:
Anthony-Santoli
Field Editor
12-12-2011 07:32
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 10-20 Degrees – Open Water
All I can tell you is this; There are more ducks and geese in Southern Ohio than I have ever seen in my life. Mergansers,Bluebills,Ringnecks,Goldeneyes,
Mallards and Blacks Ducks out the wazoo.
Posted By:
mjpmike
Web Member
medina,county 12-08-2011 02:03
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – 35-40 Degrees
A ton of canadas hanging around with large numbers mallards,just not moving very much need this next cold snap and some northren winds too get them moving around and off the small local ponds
Posted By:
mjpmike
Web Member
north medina,county 11-22-2011 01:55
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – 40-45 Degrees
Large numbers of pudle ducks and dark geese came across the lake this morning,mallards as many as 50 per flock,geese to many to count.birds were very shy.mallards responded well to a drake whistle. More of you should post info,a lot of us are taking kids out and could up to date info…..share the wealth
Posted By:
Anthony-Santoli
Field Editor
private property wood slough 11-21-2011 10:11
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 40-45 Degrees
BEST SPLIT OPENER WE HAVE EVER HAD. Divers are plentiful in NW Ohio and the Mallards and Blacks are well underway in Eastern Ohio. All migrators from Canada, huge Mallards and Blacks, bright orange and red legs,,, big full plumed ducks. They would come in groups of 5-15 from way up. Only a certain call would work, but they would drop and spiral like Snow geese and right into the spread. Set up with the wind on our face too (just the way it was in my favorte spot). Every 10 minutes on the button.
Thats all the help you will get from me as no one else is helpiing anyone out this year.
Posted By:
Anthony-Santoli
Field Editor
11-14-2011 08:19
– – –
The migration is finally under way in Ohio. It has been hit and skip from day 1 with the ever changing weather patterns and various fronts of all kinds throughout the entire state. It appears that Canada Geese have been migrating into Ohio moreso than the ducks the past two weeks.
My partners group hunted in Sandusky on Sunday and did fairly well, thanks to the divers. A few mallards were taken, but most of them stayed out in the Bay and rafted all day long. There are a lot of divers around. They shot several Bluebills and Redheads, which is always a nice little treat compared to the usual puddler shooting. Lots of mergansers were scattered throughout the bay as well. There seems to be more divers than puddle ducks out that way as of now. Report from Lake St. Clair is that there are a record amount of new birds (all shapes and colors)there right now, so hoefully they will begin funnelling down to our state in the near future.
AS Out!
Posted By:
Anthony-Santoli
Field Editor
11-01-2011 13:30
– – –
The opening weeks had its up and downs. There were and still are plenty of birds from Northern Ohio to Southern Ohio, but as we all know weather and timing had plenty to do with it. Opening weekend ws plagued by 50MPH winds out of the West which made decoying birds extremely tough. Wood ducks numbers in Southern Ohio were very high along with the local Mallards and several smatterings of Wigeon and Green Winged Teal. To round things off, there were a few bunches of Black Ducks in Southern Ohio, which was very weird for mid October. To the North, around Sandusky, we got into the usual Mallards, Greenwings and Black Ducks with the split rounding off on bunches of Ruddies, some Redheads and even Bluebills to the Western side of Lake Erie (which is very early for them as well). In my opinion it hold true that when the populations of ducks are way up… then you never know what kinds you are going to see, know matter how early in the season it is. Odd thing though that after the opening week in Sandusky,,, there were less and less Mallards then ever as the days passed. Word is that many local Mallards and Gadwalls were heading South early on this year, sticking to River and large creek systems as opposed to the usual marshes, rest areas and sanctuaries. All in all for the Northwest, Mallard kills were way below normal despite some reports of high numbers. As an example, I scouted around the Sandusky Bay bridges one day and saw a plethora of Ducks,,, had to be 30K. We hunted the next day and they seemed to have completely disappeared… no one knows where they went and why, they were just gone. Many cornfields have not been harvested yet,,,, high winds and then more rain and high rivers must have spready out all of the birds. The rest of the season should be excellent as long as they keep coming and coming. Good luck everyone,,,it’s time for Deercamp for a couple of weeks.
AS
Posted By:
Al-Faber
Field Editor
Central Ohio 10-29-2011 15:02
Cloudy, Occassional Rain Showers – 45-50 Degrees
The first few weeks here in Central Ohio have been pretty good, mostly depending on “ducky weather.”
Opening day was great on public land. Lots of hunters keeping the birds moving made for some exciting shooting. My good friend and fellow Army Officer had the chance to take his 11-year old son on his first duck hunting adventure. With his apprentice license (a great way to introduced youngsters here in Ohio) he was able to lock his 20 Gauge on 2 Mallards and his first Canada goose. Nothing beats opening day to a new season like watching a young hunter have success on his first hunt…an inspiration to us all…..
After opening day we have hit small farm ponds, the big water and local fields and marshes with good success on Woodies, Mallards, and especially Geese. Low overcast days with some precipitation are the best days to catch moving birds.
As the weather is getting colder activity is steadily picking up. Look for birds on reservoirs and other obvious locations and follow the flocks at first and last light. Get permission from land owners, and hunt the following day. A sure-fire way to be successful. As bean and corn fields are starting to get cut, the birds will be even more predictable, easier to track, and provide better shooting.
Do your homework (scouting) and hunt every possible day. It is still looking like a great year for waterfowl, don’t miss it!
Be safe, teach a youngster to hunt & respect the great outdoors…and pass on the hens…!
Posted By:
Anthony-Santoli
Field Editor
10-11-2011 12:38
– – –
Synopsis for opening weekend:
1) Don’t skybust…. duh
There was some colder, windy weather last week up North that had birds on the move. Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Migratory Bird watchers spotted many different types of birds from the North including several flocks of Scoters and Black Brant along Southern Lake Erie. Yes, I said it and you heard it. Check it out in last weeks Plain Dealer online article under “bird watchers”
We should see the usual local Mallard families which ahd a good hatch in Ohio this year.
Wood ducks should be the most abundant as they have been settling into Ohio from Southern Ontario.
Green Wing Teal are coming thru and should provide some sporty shooting.
Ring necks have been on the move this year as their population had a nice jump in numbers as well.
Some good flocks of Pintail and Wigeon have already settled in to Southern Missouri from the Central States, so look out for some of those as well.
All in all it should be a very good opener if you do your homework. Cooler weather is finally coming our way for the First push of early migrants that our on the proverbial “time schedule of migration”
Good luck everyone,,,spread out and give each other some room. With the high amount of birds this year… you all shouldn’t have to fight over them and try to outdo one another. If everyone stuck on the same page for once in their lives, all involved will have good shooting all season long.
AS Out
[Edited By Anthony-Santoli on 2011-10-11 12:39]
