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2023 MN Waterfowl Hunting Reports


Troy Smutka

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22 hours ago, mulefarm said:

 Sometimes hunting shows the worst in people.


Usually during the early/bonus seasons it seems.

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Profanity, sky busting, shooting the wrong species, shooting before legal time, .  Ya what else could go wrong out there.  That would make me not wanna go again to be honest.

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My son had a football game on Saturday, but my dad and I got him out Sunday for the second day of the youth hunt weekend. Ducks were a little sparse, but a few geese were moving around and we decoyed in two singles and a pair nice and close. Parker dropped his three with his 20 gauge, and although I am biased, he made some terrific shots, and we made some great memories. So blessed to be able to hunt and fish three generations of Smutkas together.  Good luck, be safe, and I will see you out there somewhere.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nice job Troy.

 

We are happy with our opening day for ducks.  2 man limit of mixed species by 10am.  LOTS of people where we were today but that was expected.  Other than getting beat to our spot, no issues that would keep up away.  Not even the rain.

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  • 3 weeks later...

10/8/23     Cooler weather has a few new ducks arriving in central MN. We decoyed mallards, pintails, gadwalls, blue wing teal, shovelers, and wigeon this weekend. We also identified bluuebills, ringnecks, redheads, and buffleheads flying by. Singles to small flocks, so just getting started. Best of all, we weren't sweating and swatting mosquitoes. Reliable reports of lots of ducks in the Dakotas, so the calendar migrators should start showing up with W and NW winds over the next few weeks. Good luck, and I will see you out there somewhere.

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  • 2 weeks later...

10/24/23   Got some hunting done in the Hutchinson area over MEA weekend with my son, dad, and friends Cory and Cooper. Had dense morning fog three of the four days, but some Dakota ducks did trickle in and we harvested nine species of ducks and had a great time together. After the fog lifted, we had some amazing fall weather that I never take for granted. Good luck, and I will see you out there somewhere.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Deposit made, in the memories bank!  :cool:

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10/29/23   Some new ducks came down with the cold and wind Friday and Saturday. Saturday we hunted a central MN lake and saw nice flocks of cans, redheads, bluebills, and ringnecks, as well as some small groups of puddle ducks. Harvested cans, redheads, bluebills, a trophy ringneck drake, and a mallard. Slower Sunday, but managed a bluebill and mallard. Hope the water stays open this week as there are a lot of birds north yet. Good luck, and I will see you out there somewhere.

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Hi Troy, I was wondering if you had a recommendation for a place to duck hunt near the Twin Cities that I could take my son who wants to try duckhunting for the first time

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
1 hour ago, Bruce Freeman said:

Hi Troy, I was wondering if you had a recommendation for a place to duck hunt near the Twin Cities that I could take my son who wants to try duckhunting for the first time

May I suggest ;)

Troy Smutka

Great Day on the Water Guide Service

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  • 3 weeks later...

Got out last Thursday and Sunday. 4 each day. Thursday should have had a limit but didn't shoot well. Sunday I stopped after the 4 green heads. Way west central MN lake. Lots of mallards and swans. A few divers.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Finished the 23 waterfowl season over Thanksgiving. Got to hunt two days of the long weekend. Saw a modest number of ducks, and harvested mallards, bluebills, and ringnecks as the water began freezing over during the weekend. One of our tougher seasons with different migration patterns probably due to unusual weather patterns with constant fluctuating between well above average temps for a period and then almost instantly well below temps before going well above again, and so forth. Still will cherish the memories with family and friends and relive the sights and sounds of out on the water during fall. Will be posting ice fishing reports in the fishing report clubs as soon as the ice is safe. Happy Holidays everyone.

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  • 7 months later...

Troy, What kind of blind are you using? It looks like some sort of scissor blind with cattail matting. Are the blind and matting commercially available?

I have been using a beavertail for many years but I know a blind like yours would be much more effective and have fewer ducks flare.

 

I appreciate any info you can provide.

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