Posted By:
REARNEY
Web Member
Lake Pepin 11-24-2012 20:08
Arctic Blast – 10-20 Degrees – Ice
Yesterday morning the stage was set, 20-30 MPH NW winds, blowing snow. Thought we would need to be at launch to get a good spot and see who the real duck hunters were. We were at launch a 4:00 am. Nobody showed up until 5:00 and only 2 other groups. We took a spot off a point out of wind and absolutely pounded the mallards. We had a 5 hunters in our group with just 2 dozen mallard decoys and one robo. In less than 2 hours we shot (15) Greenheads (5) Hen Mallards (1) Gaddy and (2) teal. They just kept coming in even after we were filled up. I posted a a pic in the memebers photo gallery. We went out this morning and only shot 4 mallards but were fortunate to get them as all backwaters and bays were froze up.
[Edited By REARNEY on 2012-11-24 20:09]
Posted By:
MallardKingWI
Web Member
11-20-2012 17:35
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DU870 I agree with you that the ducks must have shifted to the west. I know there was some early success for guys with Pro Drives in Horicon but after that it just seems dead at any of the spots I have gone to. This was under all kinds of different weather conditions so you would have thought one of the days you would have hit the jackpot. The most birds I have seen are by the pond at work and at a quarry not in any huntable areas.
Posted By:
DU870
Web Member
Columbia County 11-20-2012 13:53
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Spent the weekend chasing whitetails. My deer stand over looks a small river and I have 5 small ponds with a mile. Sat all day on Saturday and Sunday and the hunted Monday afternoon. Grand total of 13 ducks spotted. 9 wood ducks and 4 mallards. I am wondering with the lack of water up until a week or so ago, did the birds shift towards the Missip or even farther west? So far this is the worst season I have had in wisco in 8 years of chasing birds up here.
Posted By:
Kris-Bertelsen
Field Editor
Pool 9 11-19-2012 13:12
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Took a field trip with two buddies to Pool 9. Tried different spots but had poor success at all. The birds were there, but they didn’t want anything to do with us. Actually, they didn’t leave the no hunting areas or the middle of the big lakes. It was fun driving back through them and watching thousands part in front of us though. Heard a lot of shooting so I’m sure some people got into them. I was impressed with the number of hunters. I thought deer hunting would have thinned them out some! Guess not.
Posted By:
REARNEY
Web Member
Lake Pepin 11-19-2012 06:17
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 35-40 Degrees
Hunted last Friday with buddy, winds were calm with no movement in decoys. Had a bunch of Divers in decoys before shooting time. Waited on mallards. Lots of mallards but couldnt get them to commit with decoys or calling. Ended up shooting 3 mallards and a GW teal. Could have shot 1/2 dozen buffies and bluebills but so many mallards around we let them come in decoys and back out. Had a big flock of Cans come in and were not ready for them. The mallards are here but weather this warm/calm makes them hard to decoy. They want back into the small cuts and sloughs. Going to take Thanksgiving week off and hit the ducks and walleyes hard on the Mississippi. Good luck the final 2 weeks everyone. For our group of four it has been and awesome year with over 225 birds shot as I document success of every hunt. It is not all about the kill, but this years large amount of birds coming through our area was incredible. We watched many beautiful sunrises and had good times with close friends which is priceless.
Posted By:
MallardKingWI
Web Member
Poygan 11-17-2012 20:48
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Hunting in Southeastern Wisconsin has been bad so why not go up north and try Lake Poygan. Had to drive up all the way in fog. Different location same results. No shots taken and few ducks seen. Lots of guys fishing on the wolf river and lots of guys deer hunting. Only saw one other duck hunter. At the end of the day my hunting buddy said, you know we were gone 13 hours. We could have been in North Dakota by now. HHHMMMMMMMM
Posted By:
MallardKingWI
Web Member
Horicon 11-12-2012 19:49
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I thought this would be a great day because of the weather; cloudy, windy, cold. Took one shot and that was it. I thought we had the marsh to ourselves because we had not heard a shot for two hours. Turns out there were 7 trailers at the dock and I know some of the boathouse people were out. We don’t even see any flocks up high anymore. I think the ducks are gone from Horicon and the area in general. We drove past Sinissippi and no ducks. Drove by Pike Lake and no ducks. Couldn’t find any ducks in the field. Found about 6 ducks in the pond in front of someone’s house but they were too close to the road. I doubt if I will go back to Horicon this year.
Posted By:
DU870
Web Member
Columbia County 11-12-2012 11:13
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Hunted a small river this morning before work. With the winds and weather forecast, how could one not hunt!
Got setup and ready by legal shooting. Didn’t see a duck for 15 minutes. A pair of woodies buzzed by then 20 minutes later a small flock of mallards and that was it for the morning. Ended at 8:00. Not sure if my spot has changed as in years past we would be covered up with green heads right now or they are not down yet.
Posted By:
REARNEY
Web Member
Lake Pepin 11-12-2012 08:41
Cloudy, High Winds – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
Hunted Saturday and only shot (3)GW teal and a gadwall. Surprised that we did not see more birds flying with the weather out west coming our way. Sunday was a different story. Had mallards, teal multiple divers around. Wind was blowing out of NW and cold rain off and on. Lots of Swans starting to come through. Shot 4 (Mallards) and 2(Buffies)Could have shot more Buffies and Goldeneyes. Saw lots of hooded mergansers. The flight is on. Lots of mallards showing up. Should be great hunting now through December based on weather. We have had a great season in which four have shot over 150 birds and a few geese.
Posted By:
Kris-Bertelsen
Field Editor
Chippewa Valley 11-12-2012 07:47
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Got out this weekend. Stanley had birds, plenty of geese but hardly any ducks. Not much pressure except for the field I wanted to hunt of course! Three groups trying it. The group before us invited us to join which was very nice. They had the field and we didn’t want to set up and short change them. The last group came in and short changed us by setting up short. Tried it the next day too and had the field to ourselves. Much more difficult the second day.
Scouted by Wissota and didn’t see much or anything that would say the migration has started.
