Waterfowl Reports

[albino_polarbear]

To the people who were wondering what we did with the coot. We shot them intentionally, and we wanted to try them out eating them.

[tracker x-2]

Really! How did they taste do you recommend them to others?

[albino_polarbear]

Anything is good with lots or barbeque on it.

[Stringerless!]

North metro. Finally a flock of fresh mallards. Half circle into the wind and cupped up. Ended up getting 2 suzies with one shot. All other birds seen were locals that knew where they were safe. Saw about 30 other mallards and maybe 100 geese. Geese came and went in complete silence. My luxury of hunting almost every morning lately has come to a screeching halt. Was working nights because of construction noise at MOA. Over now. Back to normal.

[brittman]

North metro. Finally a flock of fresh mallards. Half circle into the wind and cupped up. Ended up getting 2 suzies with one shot. All other birds seen were locals that knew where they were safe. Saw about 30 other mallards and maybe 100 geese. Geese came and went in complete silence. My luxury of hunting almost every morning lately has come to a screeching halt. Was working nights because of construction noise at MOA. Over now. Back to normal.

Glad to see your persistance finally paid off. I was about to start a fund for you for a guided hunt.

[brittman]

Anything is good with lots or barbeque on it.

Maybe, but you cannot go wrong wrapping anything in bacon and throwing on the grill.

[HNTNBUX]

After taking three weeks off for some bowhuntng I made it back out to the lake today. It was pretty slow. I had a single drake ringneck commit to the decoys and a flock of mallards. The mallards however had a single drake out front that I had decided I would let land to let the flock come in. Just as the single was in range someone else on the lake fired and all the birds flared so I took the one drake. Five hours on the lake, several flocks of ducks flying but not close enough to even think about and two ducks brought home. I am done for the year and leaving for SD to hunt more deer. Good luck with your late season.

[rbs]

Went out yesterday morning before the wind and no birds in a good late season spot not far from Marshall. Hope it gets better by the weekend!

[Gordie]

After taking three weeks off for some bowhuntng I made it back out to the lake today. It was pretty slow. I had a single drake ringneck commit to the decoys and a flock of mallards. The mallards however had a single drake out front that I had decided I would let land to let the flock come in. Just as the single was in range someone else on the lake fired and all the birds flared so I took the one drake. Five hours on the lake, several flocks of ducks flying but not close enough to even think about and two ducks brought home. I am done for the year and leaving for SD to hunt more deer. Good luck with your late season.

I went to the same lake yesterday and did not see a bird for the first three hours of the day I had to pack it up and go to work and wouldnt you know it, Huntbux in your spot sat a dozen mallards but thats hunting

[Gordie]

I'm on high water and the birds are plentiful even seen snowgeese and gildeneyes

[Cheetah]

I went out this morning before work near Hugo. Where did all the ducks go?! I had two swim just to edge of my range at first light, I hoped they would come closer once it was legal shooting time, they didn't. Only saw about a half dozen other mallards swing in to a spot where a person on the lake feeds them. Little to no calling from the few birds I saw. Hopefully it will be better this coming weekend. The ice is really screwing up my spot too...

[cat-man]

pretty good for me this morning, good numbers of mallards around. ended up two greenheads and a black duck, should have had my limit.

[Gordie]

Ended up with my two bills a mallard and a widgeon I also should of had a limit but I had trouble hitting this morning

[Musky Buck]

I saw a duck in August, it's pretty ugly really, living on a farm with ponds and a river still waiting for the birds, maybe in a few weeks the action will pick up.

[rbs]

Everything froze up around here last night. Couple small flocks sitting in the middle on the ice. Was hoping to go in the morning...oh well I guess

[fishersofmen]

Yep these cold temps may put things to rest for me. I went out yesterday morn and had to break through a bit of ice. When I got ready to get off the lake the decoys were froze in pretty good and had to break a quarter inch of ice off all of them. Only a couple Buffleheads came in and I passed on them. Would like to get out a couple more times hopefully.

[RumRiverRat]

Sounds like we will be breaking lots of ice in the morning!

Cannot wait!

[Gordie]

I will be busting ice again in the morning. This is the time of year I have been waiting for and then this weekend I hope to smack a few on Winni or the Mississippi

[dan z]

havent broke out yet, hunting bigger lakes, a couple area sloughs are getting pretty tight with ice.

shot a few ducks the last couple days. mostly mallards with buffies and cans in between

went out this morning and there were three boats at the landing that usually has ZERO went hole hopping to find loaded landings (boats)

Lots of ducks milling around and TONS of geese

[TylerS]

Don't know if anyone is planning to come up to Nodak anytime soon, but if you want to hit some late-season birds, now is definitely the time to do it. Weather moving through as we speak. Big storms coming through south of Fargo. Might keep some birds north, but others are going to push south.

Just got a pic from a buddy of an 8-man limit of snows in southeast Nodak. Shot some nice mallys, too. They are there for the pickin' boys and girls! Get at 'em while the gettin' is good!!!

[Stringerless!]

Private lake in Scandia. One diver flew over spread before legal shooting. Had 3 mallards circle 3 times and finally commit. Missed ! One flock of geese coming to flag veered off and landed in middle with the hundred real geese out there. That was it. The ice was almost thick enough to hold me and the canoe up. Heard about 5 shot volleys. 3 trucks and trailers at both 2nd and 3rd access on Forest.Saw 2 flocks of migrating honkers. No ducks moving.

[Bryce]

Migration is on in south metro. Been sporadic shooting on the lakes surrounding our neighborhood since first light. Feeders are full of new arrivals. I could easily have shot a limit of ducks and geese from our hot tub they are passing so low over the house trading between the lakes.

[Scott M]

Hate to say it but I might be done with ducks unless I can find bigger water. Decoys might have to go back up in the rafters. Made the right choice and fished walleyes this morning. Call me a quitter, there's always geese around I suppose.

[Will]

Hunted backwaters south of the cities. Had a good mallard shoot, really tough to see with all the sleet and snow. could have shot many limits of scissor bills

[tracker x-2]

Today was a lot different from yesterday. Only got seven mallards for the five of us. All singles or doubles did see a lot of high flying ducks and geese headin south!

[fishuhalik]

spent the afternoon/evening smallie fishing. shoulda brought the scattergun & a bag of dekes! saw countless mallards & geese, if i had to guess 15000+. unbelieveable sight. toward evening there wasn't a time where i looked around and couldn't see a few flocks of 200 birds flying. was wading in the river and probably had 2000 mallards and geese well within killing range. had a flock of at least 100 mallards fly right over my head, maybe 10ft up. very cool! oh, and fishing wasn't bad either

[Roosterslayer05]

Holy migration! Saturday the birds were on the move. Got on a cornfield friday afternoon and had my 3 honkers in an hour. Saturday I got my three honkers by 10 then watched as flock after flock poured into my decoys. Had 200-300 geese land in the dekes. Flushed em out and put up the mojo and they still kept landing in my decoys. Had to set up in a fenceline because I dont have a snow cover for the layout. Ducks werent really digging it. Worked around 10 flocks of mallards but they kept sliding me. Had 2 flocks commit and dropped 2 greenheads. Picked up the decoys and moved to a spot in the field that 1500+ mallards were landing in all morning. Put out 5 mallard dekes and the mojo, layed in the field in whites behind the decoys and got 2 more greenheads to finish the day. Sometimes you have to do it oldschool! Had geese coming into my mojo the whole time too. If you guys south of fergus falls think the season is over your wrong. I was hunting birds that were coming in from canada. There are plenty of birds to come for central/southern MN.

[Stringerless!]

North metro lake. One greenhead. 3 of us missed a flock of 5. Not sure still what they were. Saw lots of mallards at other end of lake that never got up. Along with couple hundred geese that kept coming and going till we left at 11:00. Another case where there were too many real birds to compete with.

[Gordie]

Thanks Tyler. This could be a new thanksgiving

[Deet]

I will be busting ice again in the morning. This is the time of year I have been waiting for and then this weekend I hope to smack a few on Winni or the Mississippi

so, how did you do?