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Duck Hunting next Fall?


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I will be going to Ridgewater college next fall, I'm wondering if there is some oppurtunitys around the area to duck hunt? I will only be bringing my waders with and about a dozen deeks and 4 floater geese, the rest will be staying at home, so big water will of course be out, but is there any WMA or WPA's that a guy has a good chance at knocking a few ducks down?

Also is there any good shore fishing areas around Willmar? Once the ice is on I'll be able to get out anyplace but before them I'm kinda limited.

Thanks for any help.

P.S. If anyone would want to hook up for some feild hunting for geese, I've got a 3 dozen shells and 18 full bodies and a layout blind, but no place to go, but if anyone would mind me and a friend tagging along a few times, we've got all the gear.

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welcomeriverrat56,just north of Ridgewater about 4 miles their is one shallow waterfall area on County Road 5,also called Little Crow Trail.Couple miles west some start on County road 1 North of Pennock.These can help to keep your miles down.Shore fishing is pretty good on road between town,7th street and Radio station on way to college between kandiyohi cty Fairgrounds and radio station .Piers and roadside fishing.Also on Robins Island ,good fishing.Just ask its on 23 and 71 acroos from armory to enter ,wind around till you hit west corner and manmade land pier.I started fishing off the road in 1965 and never knew it to be a bad spot.Goose hunting is pretty fair just west of Willmar about 2 miles.

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I'd go to the recreation compass on the DNR website and play around a little bit searching for WMAs and WPAs for hunting spots, then make a run up there and scout 'em out before the season starts. The nice thing about college is that if you're smart creating your class schedule you have the opportunity to hunt on any given day of the week. You can hunt mid-week with very little pressure on a lot of these spots that would be an absolute zoo on any given weekend in October.

Getting to know people shouldn't be hard as a college freshman and there is a good chance you'll meet someone who'll have a boat, etc to expand your options.

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I'd say after the first weekend take the duck decoys home and bring the geese. Lots and lots of geese around. The duck hunting is terrible until the northern ducks are down (what come this way). But then I've found the best hunting to be on big water. Stick to the geese for lots of action. If you are living by the college you should be able to get one swinging a bat on the top of your roof.

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Welcome to the area Riverratpete!!

What are you going to school for?

When I was in college, I set up my schedule where I had Fridays off, one year I had Thursdays and Fridays off!!! I would just take the folk's lab and pick out a big management area and walk it for pheasants and jump shoot ducks. Nowadays, with the online maps, you should be able to do some research and find lots of public areas, and locate the water. Look for water areas farther from the road.

The combo of being young enough to walk way back with a dozen decoys on your back and being able to do some mid-week hunting, you'll be able to get some ducks.

Good luck!

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Thanks for the tips guys, I'm taking a technical program to be an Electrician so I won't raelly have many days schedualed to be off, we will have class almost every day from what I heard at a visit.

I will check out the DNR site and get up there to do some scouting.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

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