Posted By:
Michael-Majcher
Field Editor
flathead valley 11-08-2005 20:16
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 40-45 Degrees
The change of weather is starting to show some minor results. There has been an influx of honkers in the past 24 hours. Not many by any means, but enough to let us know that the major push is still on its way.
Hopefully this cold front will be experienced by Canada prior to its locking us up. I’ll try to post again before the weekend.
Responses to the “non-field report” material posted by others can be found on the “DISCUSSION” page where such items belong.
MM
Posted By:
fishski1
Guest
SW Montana 11-08-2005 15:18
– – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
Hunted yesterday, and did well, (shot a limit of greenies, and a goose) But still not the big migration pushing through. Although, I think this weather stirred up the locals a bit, and that is why we are seeing some better numbers.
Looking forward to the big birds coming down. It is just one of the HUNDRED reasons why this is the greatest state for a hunter!!
Fish
Posted By:
phutch30
Guest
11-07-2005 15:18
– – –
I cant say this is a stellar season so far. But I have 86 ducks and 9 geese to my credit. So it is not a bad year. I cant speak for you Micheal, but some areas are always good. Buy a permit for the Salish-Kootini Res and hunt down on the south end of Flathead lake. We always did pretty good there. I like hunting close to home myself but this year to get into the good hunting I have been driving 40 min-1 1/2 hours. I have also almost completly switched to field hunting. You gotta do what it takes to find the birds. Plus with the late migration we have lots of full feathered ducks to look forward to. Come on mature drake pintail!
That being said. What day are you going to hunt Ennis. I might be interestd. I am taking my wife deer and elk hunting Sunday.
If you are going to Ennis lake and dont have a boat hunt the SE shore(BLM land)and walk over to the area where the spring creeks enter the lake and find a spot. If you have a boat go up to the NW corner where meadow cr and spring cr enter the lake and hunt the point that faces N. We usually do good there. There are birds there but not thousands.
Posted By:
Michael-Majcher
Field Editor
Flathead Valley 11-06-2005 19:49
Cloudy, Snow & Rain Mix – 35-40 Degrees
It can be said that this season is looking as dreary as last season turned out to be. I took a lot of hammering from y’all for my pessimism, so I have tried not to post the obvious. That being, the ducks have no reason to head south (i.e. to Montana). Canada is very wet and temperate at this time. The cold we are experiencing here in the NW part of the state is not being shared by our northern neighbors. Whereas I was scraping my windshield yesterday, a fellow fowler in Sask. said he was comfortable during his field hunt (albeit muddy).
I guess this gives us reason to put down the 12 for the .30
According to FWP folks, the elk harvest is going far better than last year with increased numbers of older bulls being checked in…
Anyone want to hit the Ennis area this weekend, PM me.
MM
Posted By:
K-Town
Guest
Kalispell 11-05-2005 12:26
– – –
Talked to some other hunters in the area, and they are saying some northerns have come down in the recent cold front. Not any big numbers, but enough to get the blood pumping. Also posted some pics in the grip and grin and upland galleries on some of our latest hunts.
K-Town
Posted By:
Rain
Guest
11-03-2005 17:17
– – –
totally concentrating on big game to hell with a duck for now, aint here anyway!
Posted By:
phutch30
Guest
SW MT 11-03-2005 15:18
Cloudy, Snow Flurries – 35-40 Degrees
Well so far this storm doesnt appear to have pushed any significant migrants into SW MT. I just got back in from driving from my office to Ennis then down the Madison River over into the Centennial Vally and back up alone the Red Rock and Beaverhead Rivers. I wasnt impressed with what was around. Ruby Res had about 75 ducks and 20 geese. Ennis Lake had some ducks,geese and coots on it as did a couple of bays on Lima Res, Clark Canyon has a few birds mostly coots and the madison river had a few also. We need a push of birds. I did see 9 elk (one really nice bull)on trucks though so the snow is helping out the elk hunters.
[Edited By phutch30 on 2005-11-03 15:19]
Posted By:
pmccarthy
Guest
northeast montana 11-02-2005 20:05
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – –
No birds up here yet, weather is too warm. I’ve been out scouting and saw only locals. Waiting for some good nasty weather.
Posted By:
westside
Guest
Flathead River near Bigfork 10-31-2005 12:32
– – –
There are definitely birds around, but my estimation is they are mostly local birds. We had large flocks coming off the lake and dropping without hesitation into our decoys. We were on private land that had not been hunted this season though. Two of us shot our limit in less than two hours.
Posted By:
phutch30
Guest
SW MT 10-31-2005 10:10
– – –
A buddy and I hunted Friday afternoon and did pretty good. We shot 6 drake mallards (one banded), a drake pintail 2 widgeon and 3 gads in about 3 hours. Sat morning we went back to the same area and shot 11 drake mallards, a widgeon and 2 gads plus a bonus of 4 geese. The action died about 1030am but we hunted for a few hours more hopeing for more geese but they never showed. We tried it again on Sun but ended up in a fog bank so thick we couldnt see all the decoys in our spread. So we quit at about 10. That afternoon we hunted some grain and alfala fields I have been doing really good on. Myself, the landowner and my fatherinlaw limited with 18 mallards(one banded hen), 2 drake pintails and a really nicely plumed drake gad in less than 2 hours. There were several thousand ducks working the fields. They are roosting on private property and not heading to areas they have historicaly used to roost.On the plus side I saw my first two banded mallards of the year this weekend. On the negative side I didnt shoot either one.
