Scoters

[Remington]

Has anybody else been seeing scoters mixed in with the bluebill flocks like me this year? Strange year with snow geese over us on opener and now the scoters.

[Stringerless!]

I have not even seen any bills yet. This job thing is killing me ! I told them if they are looking for volunteers for a layoff their search is over ! No such luck !!

[bemidjibasser]

Yet to see any amount of divers where I have hunted so far. I did shoot one scoter last year though...

[walleyehunter80]

in minnesota?

[cutter08]

Me and my brother shot 4 white winged a few years back. I have talked to a few other guys that have also. kind of cool to shoot them in MN

[Morneau132]

I've seen them shot in Lacrosse on pool 7

[Finlander]

I shot a scoter a few years ago hunting the outside edge of the pencil reeds hunting for bluebills on a large western Minnesota lake!

[Fishhappy1986]

was on vacation last week up near outing,mn and had 7 ducks(we think)fly just outside the dekes and flew in front of us but the sun was right in our face. these birds were vocal like geese heard them comin a ways away didn't have a clue it was. kind of a peep but deeper sounding than a woodie by far and about the size of a mallard or so. i wish we got one just to ease my mind

[Finlander]

I notice Brant geese are listed in the waterfowl regs, has anybody in Minnesota ever shot any of them?

[Crusty old Swede]

Fishhappy, pintails and widgeon are the biggest of the "peepers". Hunt big water divers the last part of the season long enough and sooner or later you'll bag scoters. And every once in a great while oldsquaws.

[mixxedbagg]

Quote:

I notice Brant geese are listed in the waterfowl regs, has anybody in Minnesota ever shot any of them?

You know, I've found that to be weird too. I did a query on the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union website and they only have 16 accepted records since 1800, less than half of which were in the fall. While the MOU generally gets its records from birdwatchers, records from hunters, roadkills, etc are also accepted and part of the database, though most birds taken by hunters probably are probably not reported to the MOU. A Brant in Minnesota is a rare bird for sure! The last one I'm aware of was in Duluth in 2008.

[walleyehunter80]

not sure what year it was i think maybe 07 or 08 there were 2 or 3 brant geese spotted near st james minnesota

[creepworm]

I have a buddy that shot one near Hutchinson MN 12 years ago. He has it mounted and it looks really cool. I don't know if he reported it or anything like that.

[luckycrank]

I seen a half dozen oldsqaw last year in southern mn and it was early cause I still had the bass rig out

[Gissert]

Ive heard of scoters every year being taken. I have also head of an eider taken long ago in Ottertail county, but never heard if it was confirmed.

[spivak]

I think it was last year that the MOU listed all 3 scoter species on Lake Superior. Old Squaw are pretty common winter/fall it you look.

[mixxedbagg]

I saw a Black Scoter this morning on Winnibigoshish.

[jeepguy]

We shot an oldsquaw in North Dakota about 4 or 5 years back. We were puzzled as to how in the heck we actually shot one of these in the "prairie pothole reigion" when they are sea ducks. I have seen post that have suggested that Old Squaw fly along the shoreline of Lake Superior, so maybe it just got lost.

[magnum mike]

Our neigbors got 3 scoters this weekend N of Winnie. Very big ducks but not the best table fare.