2009 Waterfowl Reports

[fishgutz77]

Never fired a shot today on the river. Two guys upstream where skybusting and calling like crazy.

I'll be out tomorrow for the end, maybe we'll be alone.

We passed on two iffy shots. I just hate taking bad shot and longer than 40 yard shots, especially on the river where it's easy for birds to get away fast even with a good dog.

We need some weather in the teens. Lots of birds in flooded cropland out west is the reports I'm getting from devils lake to watertown SD.

Next year I'm doing a late season in ND if I can swing it.

Bring on the GEESE!

[Lonedrake]

Had a good hunt on Sat. A few geese short....but not a bad way to end the season.

[tylor]

I don't know where you were hunting Lonedrake, but you definitely found the birds we were looking for. A buddy and I spent two days/nights camping and hunting on Onamia Fri/Sat. Broke about 3/4" ice getting to open water and opening some up near cover on Fri. I think total we saw about 10 ducks (of which half were bluebills just sitting on the lake and never really flying), a couple of larger flocks of geese on Fri, and a couple of big flocks of snows on Sat. Luckily managed to kill a pair of honkers that landed in the spread at 6:30 Sat morning and hung around until we scared them up and shot them around 7:15 or so. We were really hoping that we would at least see some action (hopeully late goose turns out better). Next year can't come soon enough.

[chub]

Did well today.

[chub]

Nope, you were right. Took your advice and drove to Northern Sask. Even shot a banded one. Computer said it was banded North of Yellowknife last week!

Gotta go. Heading back up and it's a long drive!

[Gordie]

[lindy rig]

Hunted north of Winnie this past weekend. Our usual spot was frozen. Tried to take the river one morning into Round lake, made it close, but then got stopped by ice. Went to another access on Round and finally got out. No ice on the main part of Round. We did not see a duck. Also scouted some on the north side of Winnie, Pigeon access and 3rd River. Did not see any ducks there either.

Oh wait - we are still waiting for the main migration I forget

[strait-meat]

Sweet pic Lonedrake!!! what a way to end it is right.

I am going out to west central MN tomorrow for the day then heading out to ND from there---if I can't find them out in ND I will be happy that I at least tried. I am hoping for some good hunting but the expectations are low, but that is why they call it hunting.

Any suggestions on where the birds have been seen in ND--just looking for mallards.

[CANOPY SAM]

By the way LoneDrake, it would've been fun to participate in that last of the season hunt. Great pic!

[Will]

Agreed 100% !!! Canopy Sam

[lindy rig]

I also agree with Canopy Sam! Well put!

[magnum mike]

Lindy, were you in a red pickup?

[lindy rig]

Mike, no white pickup

[hart0670]

is anyone hunting around the metro who knows whether the ponds are starting to freeze over and stay frozen?

[Tannor396]

Broke almost a 1/2" of ice this morning (St Michael Area) to put the decoys out. I would say the ice is not leaving.

[SneakAttack]

Hunted a little north of Faribo and broke thru 1/4" ice for about 300 yrds till i hit open water.

Saw about 20 mallards and had three sit in the dekes about 15 minutes before time and sat for 5 mins then took off. Saw a few merks and 200ish geese.

Didn't fire a shot, sat till 9:30 and didn't see anything after 7:30.

[Gordie]

finally found the ducks and geese and it was on the last day of the season and wouldnt you kinow that I had to work today but I found were the ducks (mallards) and geese are... Dam city ducks. on the way to work which was Edina so from Zimmerman to Edina just about every available ditch,pothole that held water had mallards and geese in them and on the way home even more than the morning...now just have to get permission for next season

thats where the birds are all season Im convinced of it dam city ducks.

guess I'll wait for the geese now

[jeepguy]

Went out to Pelican lake near St. Michael for the last hour and a half this afternoon. Within 15 minutes or so I hit a lone drake mallard on one of my best and longest shots I made all season. Needless to say a good way to end the season.

[Gordie]

last night saw around 400 geese in this field so this morning we set up in it and nothing flew until 11:15 wow what a long wait and as it goes the birds flew just out of range and landed in another field dam geese so we decided to wait it out until the evening shoot and 4 monster flock came by but they were intent on useing the field that we did not have permission to hunt ended up with one yep one goose well its better than none. late season geese whats up with that?

[nate larson]

Ufda Elwood! I am sure glad I slept in today instead. I am sure you will have plenty of geese fly over in range when you are in your spear shack.

[The_Duckslayer]

I have heard that if geese are using a field you should not set up in it rather just go into it and lay there. If they see another flock where they were yesterday they won't land there. Anyone else ever hear that? Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[Gordie]

tried that on friday morning we had 300 geese in the field the night before and so we set our layout blinds up in the morning with no decoys and they flew over just out of range and to the next feild over less than 1/4 mile away so on saturday we set up in the same place with decoys and they did the same thing but we managed to pull one goose down. The geese just didnt want to be in that field anymore I guess

[dan z]

Hunted a little north of Faribo and broke thru 1/4" ice for about 300 yrds till i hit open water.

Saw about 20 mallards and had three sit in the dekes about 15 minutes before time and sat for 5 mins then took off. Saw a few merks and 200ish geese.

Didn't fire a shot, sat till 9:30 and didn't see anything

after 7:30.

you gave up way to early for late season ducks

[icefishing21]

There's been about 1000-1500 geese on lake marion in Lakeville the past week. i keep hunting the wrong field because every morning they fly right by me and land in the next field?

[fishgutz77]

We are going to start hunting chiseled corn that birds have not been using yet for that very reason.

New field and new sets.

Also a couple of guys just can't seem to stay still until it's time to get up, but we can work on that. I'm fifty and still in pretty good shape but a couple of the old dogs have trouble with the ground blinds so we are looking at flocking chair blinds to use on cloudy days maybe that will help.

We have have flocks of 30-60 birds circle us high and want to come down but they see somthing like dogs or people move and it's over. I wish they would leave the dogs at home. Not to mention the over calling that happens time to time until I have to scold someone. that stinks.

our harvest rate would go way up. Good luck everyone keep posting.