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2009 Waterfowl Reports


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I hope the best comes before the seasons over... as for nocturnal, they prob were just stopping for a drink and then back on the migration route. We saw mny flocks of mallards doing this all day sat. But mallards will migrate at night as will many ducks. Expecially with the bright moon we've had the last week. We did see alot of mallards on Sat. and some on Sun (not the big flocks). But the skies were pretty empty compared to years back on the weekend of deer opener. It doesn't help when its almost 70 degrees in the duck blind. The mallards would sweat their [PoorWordUsage] off if they were to fly anywhere

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Some ducks around yesterday in OTC but I still think the bulk of them are eating peas in manitoba waiting for colder weather.

fnf

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that or theyre flying over the dakotas... sucks that the birds keep gettin pushed further and further west.. but WHY!?

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Because in SE ND and NE SD, there are thousands of NATURAL potholes, in addition to flooded cornfields that are flooded to the corn ear level. The ears are picked clean because of the easy feeding opportunities. Ducks can sense this from miles away where the food and habitat are at. It will take a severe cold front to push northern migrants through MN. Almost all of our wetlands in SW MN are restored or recreated wich is better than nothing, but the majority of the ducks want natural habitat. And with commodity prices rising, and the loss of CRP in the Dakotas, draining wetlands and turning them into cropland is trending to the west, so this may be the glory days for our western neighbors. The future of waterfowl may not be so bright, even in the Dakotas. So please support our DU and Delta organizations to save the prairie pothole region.

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that or theyre flying over the dakotas... sucks that the birds keep gettin pushed further and further west.. but WHY!?

yep, lots of birds in SD right now. A friend of mine is chasing roosters out there and said there were fowl everywhere! Good hunting can be had in MN if you find them, sometimes it takes a lot of fuel to burn.. sometimes it doesn't. Kinda like URL for crappie fishing, sometimes you find the motherload with 2 holes drilled, or 100+ holes!

good luck everyone, keep the reports coming!

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FYI - My buddy is deer hunting in NE NoDak and he said there are NO birds around at all...

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I spent some time talking to a friend who works at the airport and talks to a lot of hunters who fly in and out to the Dakotas for guided hunts. Most are coming back saying that hunting has been poor over there.

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I was out this morning and ended the hunt with a Ringer and 2 Mallards. The day was VERY slow. A flock of snow geese were close to shooting range but not quite there. Had my buddy shot with his eyes actually open we would have more ducks to clean. Very little movement but the ducks we saw worked the decoys.

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NO ducks in MN, no ducks in the dakotas, no ducks in Canada? Something is wrong with this picture.

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strange isn't it there shooting Ringers and Bills 500 miles south of us and we aren't seeing a lot of birds here

there even killin Ringers in florida for jimminy crickets!!!

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Hate to say it but i think the push of birds we got about 2 weeks ago was the mane push. I have been seeing goldin eyes the last 2 weeks and i don't usually see them till the mane migration is over. And it doesn't help that the Dakotas are real wet. Its going to take alot of scouting to find some birds. Just my two cents

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I plan on Bow Hunting Wednesday and this weekend, unless I get a better offer from someone here that is actually on ducks.

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Who claims the birds are not in Canada? Y would they have migrated south? If anything they migrated back north with all the S winds, they thought it was breeding season again, or they got a little sunburn smile

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I agree with brdhunter, I deer hunt in the extreme northwest MN, and from my deer stand I have seen massive flocks of mallards hitting the morning stubble feilds to feed every morning.

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On the ND forum the guys are saying that few mallards are just

starting to trickle into far northern North Dakota.

There has been no reason for them to leave So Canada.

Here's hoping that is the case.

tweed

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we seen the 1st flight a couple weeks ago. ringers, pintails, some bills, widgeons, teal. I would have to venture that the mallards havent had a reason to leave canada. I know its going to be a fast flight so go when you can and enjoy the time in the blind when the skies are empty. I just hope your in the blind the couple days it does happen cuz its gonna be mallard heaven. there are a bunch of ducks staged up at a local lake. so I can see ducks everyday if I wanted to.

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Ducks migrate from Canada when they are pushed by the cold temps food source and winds. But primarily the cold. This hasn't happened yet. The ducks will come when the cold comes---lets just hope it is during our hunting season and not a week later. And when the push happens it will be fast b/c by that time the cold will be here to stay so I am guessing 2-3 days of crazy amounts of birds. Good luck guys!

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Highs in the 20s, snow up in CA, and strong north winds = Mallards. Hope it happens before the seasons over....

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The ducks are all gone all ready, you might as well put your decoys away!!!!!!!Are you guys kidding? DanZ has it pegged, we will see a big push but it will happen fast. I think this happens every year. People sit at home and complain about how bad their duck season was. They put the decoys away well before the best hunting of the year. I bet if you went back one year on this forum, it would be a lot of the same. No ducks, too many crops in the fields. blah,blah,blah!!!!!Its the same every year......

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Talked to the head CO at LQP, he had talked to the head waterfowl biologist in Winnipeg/oak hammock and there are tons of birds still loafing in the area. They've had no reason to leave, the weather in Winnipeg, as crazy as this is to say, has been milder than the weather here. It is supposed to get into the 20's consistently and a strong NW wind the next couple days often will push birds in.

Right now on LQP 44,000 geese and 5000 mallards.

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Winnepeg was in the 50's today. 40+ until, at least next Wednesday.

To hot to fly. Just sitting on the beaches tanning and chowing.

tweed

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My weather report shows no cold weather hitting Winnipeg until the 23rd. Gonna shoot one of them city park birds right in the lips. Can't imagine LQP would try to make up some ###=$$$.

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It doesn't take much more than a NW wind this time of year to have birds move into the state in general not just LQP. Most experienced hunters know this.

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The peak migration for ducks in Mn has already happened. The majority of the teal,redheads,canvasbacks,rignecks,gadwall,widgeon and pintails are already south of us. The mallard and canada goose migration is behind this year and they should be coming down soon!

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Most experienced hunters know this.

1 day of a 5 mph out of the north for Winnipeg and a day and a half for Appleton up to 11 mph over the next week. It no doubt will push some birds down but not the biggie yet. Of course I'm not very experienced... but I do stay at a Holiday Express when I hire a guide.

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The big BANG BANG is still coming. OH BOY OH BOY!!!

Call me when it happens, I'll be Bow hunting until then.

grin

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