2nd Weekend Excitement??

[hanson]

Opener is here and gone and now its us real hunters left.

Who's hitting the swamp this weekend?

I'm thinking about doing the NW MN trip again this weekend. Got a couple ponds I want to work again and see if I can't get those GHG goose floaters to work their magic.

I'm guessing that most of the birds got pushed out last weekend and we'll be seeing a little less action this weekend but I think the geese will still be plentiful.

[Mossy19]

I will definetly being hitting the sloughs this weekend!! Opener is just a tradition to look forward to, it's the weeks to come that make hunting a challenge. It's when the ducks become more and more decoy shy and they don't respond to calling that well. This is when waterfowling becomes fun, trying to get those birds into shotgun range. I just love it!!!

[Mark Christianson]

hockey and football this weekend with the boy.........

[eyepatrol]

I'm hitting the lake today and tomorrow, however I just picked up my new/used fishing rig, so I gotta get that out and chase after some fall walleyes!!! The office where I work though is only 1/2 mile from the lake I hunt and I've heard some banging out there each morning. There must be some ducks and geese still around. Maybe Sunday morning I'll hit'em up.

[shae1986]

Oh for sure i will be out there. It should be a good time in the slough with tons of geese around. Good luck this weekend

A. Shae

[Fish&Fowl]

Monday is the only day of the season I haven't gotten out yet. Pumped for the weekend, although it doesn't look like it's gonna be a very good duck one (70 and sunny Sat.) Looks like we got a good cold front from the NW coming the middle of next week though that will hopefully bring down some fresh meat and keep 'em moving. I'm hanging around the Ely area for the weekend to hunt with some buddies, but next weekend it'll be back up home for some Canadian hunting. Good luck to the die-hards!!

[Eric Wettschreck]

I missed last weekend. Was waiting for the weather forcast to see if I'm duck hunting or fishing with the Mrs this weekend. Looks like it's going to be windy (There's something new ) so I'm going hunting!!!!!

[Farley]

It aint hardcore untill after deer hunting.

Last year thanksgiving weekend. That's solid ice all the way down the front of my jacket. The reason for the yellow gloves is because I fell in that morning, had to run home and put on some dry clothes and come back. It was 8 degrees. Check out the ice on the dekes.

[ChuckN]

Here, here! To the last day of the season or bust!

[hanson]

Yeppers...

This was Thanksgiving weekend last year as well. Notice the ice in the back of the bay and the ice on the shoreline near our feet.

[lawdog]

Good stuff Hanson and Farley!!! I love to be the one on the last piece of open water...

[Mark Christianson]

Cool stuff!

A couple years ago ChuckN and I went out and the lake was frozen out about 100 yds. We walked the boat out and broke through about half way out. Started the motor and broke ice the rest of the way.

As the morning progressed, we watched ice forming. On the way in, Chuck hit the gas, we skipped up on the ice and slid across the ice. Got out, and walked the boat in to shore. Pretty dang funny.

Never shot our guns if I remember correctly, but one of the more memorable hunts!

Oops. Digressing from the original topic. Maybe a topic dedicated to Harsh condition duck hunts is warranted?

[hanson]

Thankfully we didn't have to break any ice with the boat that day.

I can remember all too well breaking through ice up to an inch thick with the canoe to get to the other end of the slough where the deeper & open water was, and the divers!

One of these cold, late season hunts, I mis-stepped getting out of the canoe on shore and slipped up to my crotch in the water. Yep, I was wearing hip boots and they filled right up with 30 degree water. Brrr... Needless to say, the hunt was over as we paddled back to warm me up.

Its been a few years since I've done the late, late season duck hunting. Started hunting the 3 weekend rifle season for deer and that has gotten in the way of the ducks.

[Farley]

The day before that picture we had a flock of 150 mallards commin accross the lake and they did an about face and came right for us. about 15 dropped down on the first pass and every time they would circle around, 15 or so more would drop into our dekes. We were so in awe that none of us even thought about calling. Didnt matter because the whole time they were circling all you could hear was the air under their wings, they didnt make a sound. about the 5th pass we unleashed the fury. Ended up with 6 out of that flock. One of my most memorable hunts.

[so haaad]

Forecast is for sun and high winds for western MN. Not good for the quackers. I may take the fishing boat to the river one last time instead of hunting this weekend.

Hanson,

I can relate to the cold weather swim. Last year I broke through the ice up to my waist ice fishing on Horseshoe. And at night.

[Bryce]

Don't forget full moon tommorrow night. Felt a little twinge of regret walking the hound opening weekend at opening hour and hearing all the shooting. Gonna work more hours to have $$$ for when the real ducks start pushing through. Just got the young dog back on a school break. She is gonna be a machine in NoDak in 2 weeks. Best of luck all.

[ole matty]

Me and my friends are at lake as I m typing this.. We are all exciting for duck hunting just like we are on duck opener.. Yestersay we shot one duck but still happy about it. I hope we can get ducks come in for my 2 friends whose is first time hunting duck with us... Good luck to everybody today!

Happy hunting!

Ole matty

[iamgmc]

LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN LAST WEEKEND,WENT FROM SHOOTING A LIMIT TO NOT FIRING THE GUN.THATS WHY I'M BACK AT MY DESK ON SATURDAY MORNING,BETTER HUNTING IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

[hanson]

Wow!! This morning was absolutely unbelievable again!! I can't believe we've had hunting like this for 2 weekends in a row. Normally the weekend after opener is bad unless the weather pushes birds. Thats what I was expecting with the gale force winds from the south this morning.

Unfortunately, my dad had to work so I went it alone. I didn't get my last decoy set out until 7:00 and was in the blind ready by 7:06am. Within 2 minutes, I had mallard after mallard passing overhead but I just absolutely could NOT connect with them. I'm still bumming about it.

Within 10 minutes, I had more Ring-Necks than a guy knew what to do with passing by and dropping into and out of the decoys. I dropped a really nice drake out of a flock of 15 or so. Most birds were youngsters or hens in that flock so it took some searching to find a shooter. Couple minutes later, Ringbill #2 was floating on the water. Then the action stopped. I picked them up and waited.

All of a sudden, I heard that telltale "honk" on the horizon and saw 3-4 separate flocks of geese passing over the far end of the slough. I called to them, if you can call it calling, I suck. But my lord, they turned and all 50-60 of them honkers had wings set drifting down towards my decoys. Half the geese touched down about 40 yards out and I was waiting for a group of about 15 that looked like they were coming in closer. About this time, they all took off again and a pair of the geese crossed right in front of me and I dropped one of them. Talk about excitement! Wow! Looks like that investment in GHG Floating Goose dekes is starting to pay off. 6 honkers total have fallen victim to them this season.

About a half hour later, a Canvasback ran up my string of bluebill decoys and banked hard near shore right in front of me. Those cans are so awesome to watch. Well this one looped around and came in on final approach and I dropped that as well. Finished up the limit with one more Ringbill and headed home.

So the total ended up being 3 Ringbills, 1 Canvasback, and 1 Goose. Not too shabby. I kind of like my diver hunting.

If anyones wondering... Public Land.

[Mark Christianson]

Great report Hanson!

Even though its in the upper 70's down here at home, I would still like to be out duck hunting.

Dang it.

[TTfromBlaine]

way to git er done man, wish I could be doing it also but we're still resting from a N.D. trip that lasted almost a week, need to get affairs in order before m.e.a. weekend then its another 4 day shoot. I'm still dreaming about the way those birds were setting up on the deeks

[IceHawk]

The second weeekend Sat also went well for us despite the warm weather. 3 of us ended up getting our limits of mallards with some bonus woodies. The ducks decoyed much better than last weekend. Hopefully the weather this week brings in some new migrants!!

[carpshooterdeluxe]

lots of small geese, mallards and teal flying south today in western minnesota. three of us ended up with 5 mallards and two red heads this morning. even with the over-cast conditions this morning the ducks were flying high and cruising with the north west wind. looks like lqp refuge could start seeing increasing numbers of geese after all the ones we saw heading that direction today.

[ironman]

Good morning for me as well, for once. Scouted a new spot on Sat afternoon, ended up shooting a hooded. But once shooting hours were over the ducks started pouring in. Went back this morning and had a flock of woodies land ten feet in front of me about five minutes till shooting time. They left with a minute to go. Lots of birds...really working the dekes and responding well to calling. It was really fun. Got a limit, could have got it alot earlier but missed some. Mixed bag, a mallard, a pintail, a ringneck and a woodie. Had some geese looking and at one point locked and incoming but they flaired just out of range. There was another group of hunters not that far away who were very poorly hidden I think that might have had something to do with it. Oh well, my best morning in a long time.

[Farley]

Typical weekend for me, the pond I usually hunt I left alone Sunday since I havent been seing much in there. So I hunted a different pond for a few hours. Drive by the usual pond at 10:00 a.m. and there are 50 geese in there and about 40 ducks in the field next to it. Figures.

[Eric Wettschreck]

We did real well. Saturday and Sunday both we shot our limit (rare for me). Combo of shovelers and woodies. What a blast!!!!

[fishhawk1750]

Our group hunted the usual lake with mixed results. Our bag included 4 gadwal, 1 wigeon, 1 wood duck and a ringneck.

[shae1986]

only 2 mallards on saterday but limited on geese on sunday, it was a fun weekend.

[Sartell Angler]

Hill City area had lower-than-expected duck numbers. Pounded out a couple grouse on saturday but the lake we hunted that morning had NO BIRDS anywhere to be found.

Hunted Sunday on the bigwater and shot basically every bird we saw except a pair of mallards.

Bag included:

1 greater scaup (drake)

1 ruddy duck (drake)

3 blue wingers

1 coot (to get the young dog another retrieve)

highlight of the morning was having the flock of 25 bwt workin' the diver dekes as we fumbled to load our guns (we were about to pick up) My bro managed to throw in one shell and drop one and I popped in two shells and doubled. Fun weekend!

SA

[Ely Lake Expert]

I went out saturday evening with 2thepointsetters, We were real patient trying to call them in close. Well it didn't work and I didn't take a shot and he took 3, but no birds. I went to the same spot the next morning my dad, we dicided to shoot at anything "we could reach out and touch" (which pretty much ment anything within 40-50 yards). It worked, we had our limit by 7:30 with no lost ducks or cripples. I guess that just proves good shooting is better than patient shooting.