Waterfowl Reports

[GooBack]

Saw a handful of birds today. A really, really big handful! All of these are different birds. Not one pic is of the same flock. Sorry for the poor quality. I really need a camera!

Snows

Mallards

Tried getting a couple shots off but they jumped about 100 yards out. No worries, tons of fun watching em!

This was unreal. Watching mallards pour off the small area of open water. They just kept coming and coming.

Dropping in!

Mallards mixed with snows

And all these birds and we only got 1 snow and a pheasant. Hit 2 mallards and 2 snows at less than 60 yards that weren't even phased. Time to switch to a gun that shoots 3" and jump up to BBBs! And I really, really need to get set up for field hunting. All I have are water dekes and they don't work too well on the ground. Still an epic day in NoDak

You just walk out into the field, shoot at birds out of range, cripple several, and it was an epic day in ND??

[fishuhalik]

Gooback, I didn't shoot at those. I take shots that are in range thank you. I bet i passed on 5,000 birds that most people would have shot at. The birds I wounded were around 60 yards. Anyone here think that's a long shot for BBs? Didn't think so.

[Stringerless!]

Carlos Avery. One duck too high to take a shot at.

[Superduty]

Gooback, I didn't shoot at those. I take shots that are in range thank you. I bet i passed on 5,000 birds that most people would have shot at. The birds I wounded were around 60 yards. Anyone here think that's a long shot for BBs? Didn't think so.

Come back in the morning with ONE spinning wing decoy and you will be shooting them at 10 feet!

[fishuhalik]

Also, when I did shoot birds, I had to stalk em. Got a few shots at mallards in the am as they came off the lake but they didn't come back to the field they were at last night. I had to improvise and belly crawl for about 1/2 mile for those birds. So please, keep the condescending, ignorant remarks to yourself and don't try to ruin an incredible day of hunting for me. Thank you

@superduty:

I wish I could come back! Might have to wait til next year though. I was incredibly fortunate to get an entire weekend off right in the middle of the migration while working in the oil field. I haven't had 2 days off in a row, other than my acheduled days off when i go back to MN to see my fam, since I started here in April!

[fishersofmen]

Thanks for posting the pics fish, I have never been able to witness anything like that in person its got to be an awesome sight.

[Todd Caswell]

Been there done that (belly crawl) so I surely can't critise, but I assure you some day you will look back and say " Never again " . Tonight I had 6 mallards sitting next to my duck boat pulled up on shore, walked down with a young dog that hasn't had alot of birds shot over her this year, could have sneaked up on them but let them fly to see another day, would rather they come in cupped to the decoys, killing has taken a back seat to the hunt, even at the expence of a young dog. Don't even care to pass shoot anymore, in the decoys or nothing. Trust me you'll see the light.

[GooBack]

Gooback, I didn't shoot at those. I take shots that are in range thank you. I bet i passed on 5,000 birds that most people would have shot at. The birds I wounded were around 60 yards. Anyone here think that's a long shot for BBs? Didn't think so.

Actually, it is. Do a little research on ballistics.

The problem is(not how you're hunting), that it requires a lot of ability, and experience to consistantly kill birds at 40 yards or more. I'm certain you lack both. You can kill a duck or goose at 60 yards with steel, but it's sheer luck. And, if you're shooting them flushing/in the back, your odds decrease substantially.

Anyone else like feeding hawks, eagles, skunk, and raccoons? Didn't think so.

[GooBack]

On a side note...

The next duck or goose you shoot and kill, tie it up to a fence post or an old barn or something, pace off 60 yards, and shoot it. Examine the impacts, if there are any, and you'll see exactly how little energy steel has at that distance. Then figure in the wind that may be blowing, the likelihood of a poor pattern, and a target that's likely moving downrange.

Otherwise, keep plugging away. Shoot often! Eventually, you'll figure things out.

[H0LE HOPPER]

Hunting has been fair in the area few divers moved down, still some teal too, kind of strange. Geese patterns have changed, sometimes they only fly at night other times only in the morning just cant piece it together.

* Not trying to start anything but if he had an extended choke thats not far at all many are proven to shoot and kill from anywhere to 60-80 yards effectively(Ive ran patterns on multiple chokes and amunition) though it is a long shot but it can be done and even if he did effectively cripple a bird im sure he put it in his bag limit. Anyways its always a learning expierience no matter who you are! looked liked a good hunt though!

[GooBack]

60-80 yards?

ATK thanks you!

[Stringerless!]

Amen Todd ! Exactly how I feel. Most days.

[Stringerless!]

Nothing today. Burned by one pair mallards and a pair of woody hens that I would have let fly anyway. saw about 10 geese while leaving. Spent more time looking up for migrants than watching for ducks coming to spread. Nothing seen or heard migrating.

[booger]

yeah this week seems like a lull. Hopefully it picks up on the weekend

[carpshooterdeluxe]

Gooback, I didn't shoot at those. I take shots that are in range thank you. I bet i passed on 5,000 birds that most people would have shot at. The birds I wounded were around 60 yards. Anyone here think that's a long shot for BBs? Didn't think so.

2 3/4" BB? 1 1/4 oz load? 1375 fps? Horrible duck load for anything past 40 yards. For a reliable kill on mallards at 60 yards, you need 2 pellets in the vitals to transfer enough energy. Rosters tables show a minimum pattern of 85-90 pellets in a 30" circle to ensure enough pellet strikes from 45-65 yards. are you getting 100% 60 yard patterns? If not, you're relying on a golden pellet. Nothing wrong with jumping, sneaking, or pass shooting, but know the effective range of your load and pattern.

[fishuhalik]

Velocity is 1550. I agree, 2 3/4 BBs aren't the greatest duck load. And 2 3/4 #2s aren't the best goose loads. Since I was hunting both ducks and geese and my 870 only shoots 2 3/4, what would have been a better choice? Underpowered with #2s or overpowered with BBs?

[Lunker]

Went up and hunted Lake Michigan (Green Bay) for my annual trip up to hunt with the old college buddies. We probably saw the fewest birds I've seen up there, and the weather and water conditions did not support us. However, we still shot a fun mixed bag of birds. Bag this year included mallards, buffies, GWT, canvasback, pintail, black duck, and merganser. I shot a beautiful bull can and my first black duck which was a big drake so even though we didn't get much action those were fun to see. First year I've hunted up there and not shot bluebills and redheads, and those usually make up the majority of birds shot...been a weird year everywhere i've hunted, gotta be the weather.

[Kettle]

Hunting the last week has shown that scouting takes up the majority of my time. Saturday found a slough holding nearly 400 mallards, went after them the next morning. Had some younger guys come in late and were doing some sky busting. We had the mojo out and well that got them within the 30 yard mark, two guys 8 ducks total with a few GWT. Went back out there today, kicked geese off and the water they were sitting in froze up. By 0900 the whole pond was froze, bought a 1/4'' in a few areas. The mallards are in larger flocks, probably had 60 come in right after shooting hours got two and later on picked up a GWT. Most of the shallow sloughs are froze in the morning. Next weeks should be interesting, if the smaller sloughs don't freeze up the birds spread and well not as easy. Have yet to see an influx of many divers or ringbills. Seems like the majority of ducks I have been seeing are not on the bigger deeper lakes yet. Good luck hunting.

Kettle

[Scott M]

Got back from the 2nd block of my NoDak license. Had a good field hunt, a bad field hunt, and a super diver hunt. Noticeably more birds than the first hunt, but still fewer than years past. I wish I could be out there now, but deer is the priority.

Good diversity in the bag - pintails, widgeon, green-wings, grey ducks, greenheads, buffies, ringers, bills, honkers...saw lots of spoonies, redheads.

Got most of the hunts on camera, when I have time in the winter to edit and put it together, I'll try to throw up some vids.

[Ufatz]

Hey Fish.....who said #2's are "underpowered"? Shoot the #2's if that is all you have, but in either case simply shoot when you KNOW the birds, ducks or geese, are in range.

As an old shotgun shooter (and still at it) I just cannot get used to the fact that so many shooters today (and I'm not picking on you) simply to NOT know the effective range of thier shotguns. I have dumped more geese and big ducks with 2 3/4" #4's then you'll probably ever see-killed most of them dead when they hit the ground. But I KNEW two things: how both barrels patterned and how far the birds were from where I was. Go out and use a range marker if you can-marke out thirty yards and put a stake out there (not kidding) or put one decoy out that far and DON'T shoot at anything that is not within your markers. You might be surprised and pleased at the result. Straight overhead? There are some posters around -ot used to be- that show the relative sizes of ducks in the air. Try to find them so you get used to what a mallard looks like at 30-35 yards and what size one SEEMS to be at 60 yards.

Shoot 'em when they look REALLY REALLY BIG!!! Ha Ha!

[dan z]

1 greenhead 1 can 1 pintail 1 goose came home today, not much flying around seen a couple migrating flocks but that's about it.

[Stringerless!]

Pair of mallards last night. No shots tonight . Saw 3 ducks. No sign of migration.

[H0LE HOPPER]

Area has just filled up with geese went out scouting tonight seen a good 5000!!!! Could not believe it, skys were black over my house for about 45 min, most ive seen since ive lived here. Buddy was scouting to down by the croix said he seen about 2000. Feilds were filling up everywhere it seemed like. Ducks are little to none here seen a few in the feilds thats about it seen a nice group of goldeneyes on west rush though.

[fishuhalik]

Ufatz, that's what i was doing. I've killed countless birds at the range the birds I wounded the other day were at. Good, consistent fold-em-up range. Maybe the birds were less than 60 yds, I dunno. Didn't use a rangefinder before I shot.

[Ufatz]

Ufatz, that's what i was doing. I've killed countless birds at the range the birds I wounded the other day were at. Good, consistent fold-em-up range. Maybe the birds were less than 60 yds, I dunno. Didn't use a rangefinder before I shot.

I truly HOPE the birds were less than 60 yards. Next time you have a chance put a paper shotgun target at 60 yards and shoot it with #2's and then BB's and see what YOU think.

[booger]

I truly HOPE the birds were less than 60 yards. Next time you have a chance put a paper shotgun target at 60 yards and shoot it with #2's and then BB's and see what YOU think.

Yep I patterned at 40 and was pretty unimpressed with my results. At 60 I'd feel like (w/ my setup) I was just throwing out a hail mary. Not to say I haven't done it, but I try not to make a habit of it.

Anyways I'm thinking this weekend should be good, cold to the North. Not a lot of wind but kinda cloudy. Deer hunters out stirring up everything in the woods.

[Stringerless!]

Private lake. Kicked off 75 geese while going out(pretty normal) They never came back and I never saw a single duck.

[H0LE HOPPER]

Hunted up by pine city, not to great got one goose and seen bout 20 some divers and mallards mixed, buddy convinced me there is still some ducks up there so we'll see how the morning is tommorrow.

[Stringerless!]

29th hunt this season. Saw 4 ducks. Of course I had the boat out going after a stray decoy that blew off dropoff when the wind switched. Did see a lot of geese but they were going down in cornfield north of lake. Usually somebody in there but they must be deer hunting. I tried and could not get permission a few years ago. Still have yet to see or hear any "BIG' sign of migration. Just a trickle here in Chisago county.

[Kettle]

Did some scouting on the way in to work this evening, seeing good number of Mallards and Geese, they are both in larger flocks. My lack of not owning a mud motor, is keeping me from getting to an area holding a large number of ducks, rough guess and to underestimate we'll say 800 birds. Trying to get off at 0300 to go out tomorrow morning, if not will have to wait for my Tues-Thur off. I have noticed that most birds are still holding up in the shallow sloughs even with ice coatings in the morning, they have yet to hit the deeper larger lakes. Happy hunting.

Kettle