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Moose's Report - Cambridge-Elk River-Foley-Milaca-Mora-Ogilvie Fishing Reports


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3 hours ago, gimruis said:

I knew there would be more hunters.  Expect more of that when other seasons open.


I figured there would be too but didn’t allow for it in our arrival time at the lake.  Consecutive nights with only 3 hrs sleep had me moving slower than I would’ve normally been.  Plus we paddled.  Everyone else motored.  We were about 20-30 minutes behind the rush and literally watched the lake fill up with other hunters.

 

As we were paddling for our 3rd spot I told my buddy “Welcome to COVID hunting”.

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1 hour ago, Wanderer said:


I figured there would be too but didn’t allow for it in our arrival time at the lake.  Consecutive nights with only 3 hrs sleep had me moving slower than I would’ve normally been.  Plus we paddled.  Everyone else motored.  We were about 20-30 minutes behind the rush and literally watched the lake fill up with other hunters.

 

As we were paddling for our 3rd spot I told my buddy “Welcome to COVID hunting”.

 

That sucks.  Been there done that, even before COVID.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

I was at the parking lot at 5 am and walked in. 8 minutes to shooting time here comes the same wonderful guys from the year before with 5 more people. They walked with in 10 yards and I said are you close enough. His response was I can hunt where I want. All in blaze orange some with 22 rifles some with shotguns. They shot at ducks with the 22 and some low powered shotgun shells. I called the local CO. A friend of mine heard a call for back up from the local CO on the scanner as he was seizing guns, cars, decoys, and more. That made me smile. 

Edited by monstermoose78
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I purposely avoided duck opener because of possible crowds. The number of hunters in the field for Turkey A season was ridiculous. Literally 2,3, or 4 cars in WMA parking lots where i've rarely seen 1. So that was my indicator that some big change has occurred and to start planning accordingly. If I were a public land deer hunting i'd brace myself for a different experience than usual this year, especially if the weather is nice.

I guess while aggravating to me in a selfish sort of way it is getting people outdoors. I just hope people like the ones Monstermoose encountered are few and far between. .

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1 hour ago, Barbelboy said:

I purposely avoided duck opener because of possible crowds. The number of hunters in the field for Turkey A season was ridiculous. Literally 2,3, or 4 cars in WMA parking lots where i've rarely seen 1. So that was my indicator that some big change has occurred and to start planning accordingly. If I were a public land deer hunting i'd brace myself for a different experience than usual this year, especially if the weather is nice.

I guess while aggravating to me in a selfish sort of way it is getting people outdoors. I just hope people like the ones Monstermoose encountered are few and far between. .

 

No doubt about it.  I went during turkey spring season A too and there was noticeably more hunters out, especially on Sat/Sun.  I think the combination of no lottery and the pandmeic had people cooped up.  Plus it was relatively decent weather for season A, and it has not been the last couple years with April snow.  I exclusively hunt private land for turkeys but when I was leaving and driving down the county roads, I spotted 3 blinds on field edges on neighboring properties.  While I don't have to worry about people setting up 10 yards from me, the added pressure in an area certainly makes it harder.

 

Sometimes having multiple groups of duck hunters on a big marsh can be beneficial.  They'll send ducks your way and vice versa.  But setting up that close is ridiculous.  I can see more problems like this occurring the rest of this hunting season, especially for deer and especially on public land.  It could potentially be a recipe for disaster too if you have a couple of hot heads that lose their cool.  Adding firearms into the equation only magnifies the problem.

 

I hope a lot of these "newbies" and infrequent outdoors people that are only out there fishing, camping, and hunting this year because of the pandemic go back to their old lives when this is over.  The less people I encounter on the lakes, rivers, and in the fields and woods, the better.

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I have to keep in mind the influx could be youths who don’t have high school sports or activities keeping them busy these days.  That’s exactly one of the reasons cited for a  drop in participation and the trend of hunters being older.

 

Mixed emotions on that topic for me but we’ve all said it’s better than all the kids being shut ins and playing video games instead of learning the natural world.  Even though they can play vids while hinting now, it IS what we’ve asked for.

 

Be good to one another out there even if it’s frustrating at times.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

That same influx of outdoor users is what keeps your sport safe at the ballot box as well as in acquiring more public land.

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15 hours ago, Wanderer said:

Be good to one another out there even if it’s frustrating at times.

 

The problem with new people in the outdoors is that they abuse it and don't all treat it with respect.  Like the duck hunters Moose encountered.  Or the campers up north leaving trash behind and chopping down big pine trees.  Or the ice anglers leaving junk all over the ice after they've been out there drinking all weekend.  Or the guy that can't tell the difference between a hereford heiffer and a deer.  A large percentage of these new people just don't care.  And even if they know the rules, they don't abide by them which is ruining it for the rest of us that actually spend a large portion of our lives out there.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Boy did a lot of ducks clear out around my area. Sherburne wildlife refuge was dead for shooting. I saw 7 ducks. Had a nice chat with the dnr officer. Better luck tomorrow I hope.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Seen a few ducks flying around but out of range, but that is ok I know where to set up tomorrow morning.

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Spent this past week grouse hunting 50 miles north of Ely. Three of us bagged 22 grouse and had around 100 flushes.  We had great weather for it. 

grouse_2020.jpg

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I went bass fishing with my friend near Zimmerman on Saturday for about 5 hours and it was an insane bite.  In 5 hours we caught 25 bass and 6 pike.  7 of the bass were 17+ inches and 4 of the pike were 27+ inches.  I was already having the best fishing season I've had in 20 years so this simply cements it on top.  Four of the largemouth were 19+ inches and the biggest was caught by my friend on his second cast, a fat 20 incher that weighed over 5 pounds.

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Abel 10-10-20 bassA vertical.jpg

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Abel 10-10-20 bassC.jpg

Abel 10-10-20 bassD.jpg

Edited by gimruis
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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

That lake has some hogs in it. If you want to hit it for panfish this winter let me know.

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Was hoping to hit the grouse trails one more time, but the weather is going south fast. May have to switch to pheasants for awhile? Hopefully I can get out for some fall walleyes before I put the boat away?

 

 

echo.jpg

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

That is a great trail 

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I know! I always get at least on grouse every time I walk it Moose.

 

I really need to wrap up my Chukar pen before winter sets in though - I'll have training birds available next year. I'll post my contact info before then. I'm just south of Rush Point (7 miles NE of Cambridge)

 

chukars.jpg

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Not a duck in this spot tonight

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C0F26ECD-EFB6-4D3B-AE12-1203863EADBB.jpeg

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Reports from yesterday:

 

St. Michael area - snow and sleet with some mallards and a green wing teal.

 

Little Falls area - slim pickings on ducks in general.  Less geese than usual.

 

Big Stone - the November birds have been around for a week already.  Goldeneyes and  Common Mergs there now.  Birds moved big time this past week.  Freezing of ponds and sheet water expected.

 

LOW - November birds there already as well.  The big water and rivers are the only open water.  Snow geese have been there more so than usual but have moved again.

 

Some canvasbacks (not to be confused with red heads) have been seen in both areas for the first time in years.

 

Canada is reported to be froze and ND dry. That might explain the shift East if the snows and cans?  Too bad it’s not far enough East to swing through Central MN.

 

 

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Put some miles on looking ducks around only place that had any was the wild life drive in the refuge. Saw a beautiful buck at my dads and had a doe and fawn come within 20 yards of Finn and I. 

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Good grief!

 

Buddy at LOW that had lots of buffies and other assorted divers yesterday only had hooded mergs today.

 

I sat out the last hour tonight and saw 3 flocks of hoodeds and one goldeneye.  Goldeneyes in Central MN already?!  This is not good.

 

They’re moving big time Nick.  Get out to a diver spot tomorrow anyway.  They’re flying to you right now! ?

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Ok ok I am going to a diver spot. I hope it pays off

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tons of ducks here in big lake, the only problem is there are in the city limits. I had many wood ducks fly into my pond tonight, and the mallards are really making lots of noise.

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11 hours ago, monstermoose78 said:

Ok ok I am going to a diver spot. I hope it pays off


Seeing any?  No ducks for me yet, just geese. 

 

10 hours ago, knoppers said:

tons of ducks here in big lake, the only problem is there are in the city limits. I had many wood ducks fly into my pond tonight, and the mallards are really making lots of noise.


Bro is hunting near Big Lake today and hasn’t seen anything.  I told him to go to town.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Seen ducks missed but it was fun

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One goose for me today.  The other one shrugged off the BBs and left it’s partner with me.

 

Hard to tell if a person should call or not.  I’ve turned birds both to me and away by calling.  Running a minimal spread.

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On 10/17/2020 at 9:41 PM, knoppers said:

tons of ducks here in big lake, the only problem is there are in the city limits. I had many wood ducks fly into my pond tonight, and the mallards are really making lots of noise.

I have encountered this problem for years now.  I see all kinds of ducks on the city lakes I fish and then when duck season rolls around, they're STILL on the city lakes and there's virtually none to be found on the ponds I can hunt.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Any duck reports from the week?

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Divers are pushing through.  At least the ringers seem to be.  I see several flocks of 6-12 birds hauling butt south when I’m out.  Like ringers seem to do in this state, they are in high gear and showing no intention of stopping.

 

Had geese at the house yesterday but they’re all gone now.  Couldn’t get within range of ‘em.

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