Posted By:
kobear
Web Member
Central 11-02-2010 11:34
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Wow, 1700 miles in ND.
We had great hunts, hit new areas two out of three days. Just trying to advise hunters that DL ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. Better to head off the beaten path.
Your advice is spot on too, be prepared to spend the whole time driving around often on poor quality roads in order to have Lifetime Hunts. We found a couple flocks of several hundred birds or more but no several K plus groups. Dad and I are very happy with a couple hours in the blind and ducks for the dog.
I didn’t want to admit it but the thought “just another day in paradise” crossed my mind several times as the dog brought back a Bull Can, another 20″ walleye hit the net, and the sunset over Stump Lake again.
I could never drive 40 hours over 3 days of scouting bracketed by two days with 5 hours driving each of those days and call it Vacation! 2700 miles, time to change the oil!
We ate ducks and walleye every day and brought back just short of possession limits of each. Why drive more that that?
PS. I,ve got another week left, from MN two weekends are doable, maybe see You next year, on a two track, in the middle of NoWhere!
Kobear
[Edited By kobear on 2010-11-02 11:35]
[Edited By kobear on 2010-11-02 11:39]
Posted By:
scrub
Guest
canada 11-02-2010 09:42
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for everyone wondering where the ducks were instead of ND, I know one for sure that was in Canada because it was banded in ND and I shot it in Canada oct26. Also got another one that was banded in NW Territories. Then the cat 3 hurricane hit and on wed we watched all day the greatest migration I have seen in my 29 yrs of hunting. We wondered why there were relatively no white geese to hunt compared to years past. Our fears were confirmed, they were all north of us and then overflew us. Maybe alot of ND ducks went north in oct because Canada had nice weather and plenty of water and grain and hardly anyone hunting. If anyone wants to know what it takes to move waterfowl out of an area and way south: Cat 3 hurricane 27.38 barometric pressure, 90kph NW winds, 10cm of snow. Anyways it sure was a sight to see and lots of good times to drive in. Especially the 7hrs of black ice driving.
Posted By:
Doug-Miller
Field Editor
South Central 11-02-2010 06:39
– – 35-40 Degrees
Just returned from my yearly trip to the great state of North Dakota. Birds are condensed to several areas but hunting was great. Once the birds went to the corn hunting was up close and fast. Corn harvest is the best that I have seen in many years. With at least 60% complete. Goose number both white and dark increased as last week went along.
The biggest key to having a good hunt in the Dakota’s is scouting. Their are area’s that if they have water will hold birds at some point during the season every year. If one area isn’t holding birds one year due to lack of water or grain. Other’s will. The key to finding these area’s is scouting. If you want to have a great hunt you have to do your homework. I was in N.D for 10 days and drove 2700 miles, that is 1700 miles of scouting. And we had one of are best years. Their are birds lots of birds you just have to look.
Once again thank you North Dakota you are a duck hunters paradise.
Its all about Ducks, Dogs, and Kids
Posted By:
kobear
Web Member
Stump Lake and East 11-01-2010 15:52
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 25-30 Degrees – Open Water
Not as many birds around as hoped for. Very few mallards and other puddlers compared to past years. Dark geese seemed to be building up with a few snows. Bluebills a plenty. Most ice had melted by noon Monday. Even more hunters around than in past years. Drove too close to Hwy 2 and only saw other hunters for almost an hour of driving, no ducks with that kind of pressure. Another rig full of guys every two miles, crazy. Makes sense, these small towns never had lodging in the early-mid 90’s now there are rooms or houses for 18 groups that we know of within 10 miles of where we are based. We estimated beds for over 120 if each slot was full. That’s a little increase over almost Zero in 1993. The walleyes were biting again too, fun to pull them over the side of the duck boat.
Posted By:
Canman OMaddie
Web Member
Jamestown 11-01-2010 09:20
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Hunted Wednesday to Sunday.
Very few birds in the area. I thought maybe the wind would blow some new birds in.
Maybe next year we can hit it right.
Posted By:
pluckaduck
Field Editor
10-31-2010 06:29
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Very good Numbers of geese in the north. There is a pocket of no snow and some water open and holding birds. Ice did not melt yesterday as sun did not show up. Devils Lake has good to very good numbers of divers in certain areas. Mallards still thin. Birds should hold here for a while as weather is suppose to warm into the 50’s by mid week.
Posted By:
Rick-Nelson
Field Editor
Central ND 10-30-2010 22:00
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 35-40 Degrees
I spent the morning scouting areas north of Bismarck that I have hunted for years. More snow north of town than south and roads and trails were very wet and muddy. In many cases I didn’t even attempt to drive on them for fear of not only making a mess but getting stuck in the boonies.
Everything but large lakes was totally ice covered. All the large wetlands I hunt late in the season are locked up as are all the smaller wetlands. The only open water was crowded with hunters and I made no attempt to hunt the lakes that were open.
More puzzling perhaps is the continued lack of birds. I expected the open lakes would have good numbers of ducks and geese but not so. Saw very few geese in fields and the pattern of few or no birds continues. There were snows in the area but not in huge numbers as should be expected this time of year.
I put on lots of miles today and came back with the same results as the rest of the season. The birds just aren’t here and I have no idea why.
Posted By:
pluckaduck
Field Editor
10-30-2010 06:41
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What a difference a few miles make. Snow is still present with ice in this area, but upon a trip last night, pleasant surprise within 30 miles. Very, very huntable numbers of snow geese mixed with Canadas and ducks where snow is minimal. Good news is that they should hold here for a while as warming trend is starting. Trails and fields are a mess, please take caution if driving on them!!
Posted By:
kobear
Web Member
Stump lake 10-29-2010 20:17
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 30-34 Degrees – Ice
Drove from fargo via valley city. Real lack of ducks in most areas. Still mainly local mallards, one flock of 250 spotted otherwise 4-20 in bunches and very scattered. Some groups of divers a few snows and not many canadians. Most sloughs iced over some lakes too.
Posted By:
Rick-Nelson
Field Editor
Central ND 10-28-2010 23:23
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 35-40 Degrees
Wind finally quit here late last night. Temps in the 20s and high today only about 39.
My hunting partner spent the day scouting south of Bismark about 100 miles to north of Bismarck about 50 miles. He reported seeing good numbers of snow geese but not much else. He also said there are many wetlands, large and small that are ice covered and did not find many open wetlands that had much for ducks.
Spoke with a work colleague who was out today and spent the day scouting north of Bismarck about 70 miles. His report was similar. Lots of snows and not much for ducks and plenty of iced up wetlands.
I am heading out Saturday morning to a spot that I am sure will be open if the road in is passable. And by passable I mean that I won’t make a mess driving on it. I never go into an area if the road is so wet that I am going to leave ruts, slide all over or otherwise make a mess.
If I can’t get into that place I have access to private land and a very large wetland that normally holds excellent numbers of geese, ducks and swans. I have permission to drive in via a pasture but will only do so if conditions are right. Otherwise I plan to load up my cart and hike in the mile to the water and hope there are birds.
Haven’t had time to call other friends around the state to get reports but will post updated info tomorrow and over the weekend. Temps are supposed to be in the 50s next week, we’ll see.
