Anyone been out on the river lately ?

here is when i was by my self

oops ill figure it out here sooner or later

oops ill figure it out here sooner or later

http://www.hunt101.com/img/222389.jpg

there?

http://www.hunt101.com/img/222389.jpg

there?

here is saturday

here is saturday

stupid thing

http://www.hunt101.com/img/222390.jpg

stupid thing

http://www.hunt101.com/img/222390.jpg

todays hunt

todays hunt

The push hasn’t yet begun. The weather looks to good besides a little rain to even get the birds up and moving again this weekend. We need a good weeks worth of 10-20 mile an hour winds and some cold weather before we start to see anything. Pools are stacked with birds, but when they just sit in the refuge there isn’t much a guy is going to do. Gotta go to the birds or your luck is going to stay nice and sh*#$y!!! Good luck to all.

For the internet scouting, I will have to agree it is bad. I guess if you are worried about it then don’t post. Birds have there areas where they go and it is just a matter of time before someone else discovers the area or hears all the shooting and venturers up to where you are. I guess it doesn’t matter if you have any hunting skills it doesn’t matter where you go just be in the area. P.S. It is frusterating when you do the scouting and then some lazy no good worthless piece of @#$% venturers up to you because they hear the shooting. That is the part that gets me worked up the most. Spend a day and scout yourself….

For instance: last weekend we hunted an area where there wasn’t many birds around, but the ones that were around came to us, while everyone watched and got frusterated. What do you think happened the next day? Yes, next morning people were at that spot probably a good hour before we even got up cause that is where all the shooting came from the day before so lets take the easy route and take there spot. This not being the first time it has happened to us, so we just set up in the area. They did get a couple birds throughtout the whole day, but for the most part the birds came to us and we had yet another successful hunt. We even had a guy go as far as saying “let someone else get some shooting.” ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????????? Get a clue….

I guess the moral of the story is no matter where you hunt if you are in the area of the birds, can call at all, have a decent decoy set-up and blend in with your surrounding you will shoot the ducks. Hands down!!!!!!

Again GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!

The push hasn’t yet begun. The weather looks to good besides a little rain to even get the birds up and moving again this weekend. We need a good weeks worth of 10-20 mile an hour winds and some cold weather before we start to see anything. Pools are stacked with birds, but when they just sit in the refuge there isn’t much a guy is going to do. Gotta go to the birds or your luck is going to stay nice and sh*#$y!!! Good luck to all.

For the internet scouting, I will have to agree it is bad. I guess if you are worried about it then don’t post. Birds have there areas where they go and it is just a matter of time before someone else discovers the area or hears all the shooting and venturers up to where you are. I guess it doesn’t matter if you have any hunting skills it doesn’t matter where you go just be in the area. P.S. It is frusterating when you do the scouting and then some lazy no good worthless piece of @#$% venturers up to you because they hear the shooting. That is the part that gets me worked up the most. Spend a day and scout yourself….

For instance: last weekend we hunted an area where there wasn’t many birds around, but the ones that were around came to us, while everyone watched and got frusterated. What do you think happened the next day? Yes, next morning people were at that spot probably a good hour before we even got up cause that is where all the shooting came from the day before so lets take the easy route and take there spot. This not being the first time it has happened to us, so we just set up in the area. They did get a couple birds throughtout the whole day, but for the most part the birds came to us and we had yet another successful hunt. We even had a guy go as far as saying “let someone else get some shooting.” ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????????? Get a clue….

I guess the moral of the story is no matter where you hunt if you are in the area of the birds, can call at all, have a decent decoy set-up and blend in with your surrounding you will shoot the ducks. Hands down!!!!!!

Again GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!

BM, similar thing happened to me on sunday. But we only ended up with 5 for the weekend. My dad was pretty frustrated, but I told him, it’s pretty hard to get rid of the fair weather hunters when the weather is still 45 degrees.

BM, similar thing happened to me on sunday. But we only ended up with 5 for the weekend. My dad was pretty frustrated, but I told him, it’s pretty hard to get rid of the fair weather hunters when the weather is still 45 degrees.

Give someone else a chance. Thant’s good buckmaster. I can’t believe some people think that just because they show up they should get shooting. I have had all the same things you just talked about happen to me. People set up 100-200 yards away, don’t cover up, can’t blow a call to save thier life, and get all pissy when you get all the action. I have to hand it to em though. Now they set up 100-200 yards directly down wind. Boy are they getting smart. It’s been a tough year, but I have held my breath on ripping holes. No reason to yell when there are no birds anyway. It should get better, I feel a 30/3 season in the very near future. That should get rid of a good % of the idiots. That is until DU starts printing about the record # of birds again.

Give someone else a chance. Thant’s good buckmaster. I can’t believe some people think that just because they show up they should get shooting. I have had all the same things you just talked about happen to me. People set up 100-200 yards away, don’t cover up, can’t blow a call to save thier life, and get all pissy when you get all the action. I have to hand it to em though. Now they set up 100-200 yards directly down wind. Boy are they getting smart. It’s been a tough year, but I have held my breath on ripping holes. No reason to yell when there are no birds anyway. It should get better, I feel a 30/3 season in the very near future. That should get rid of a good % of the idiots. That is until DU starts printing about the record # of birds again.

duckilr:

Here, here to getting some cold weather to get rid of the fair weather hunters and get some ducks down here. And another here, here to buckmaster for those that have the ability to scout, set up, call, etc., to stay on ducks when it is tough.

I posted on another thread and agree with Moss Boss at the top of the page that most of the birds are still in Canada. According to our host in ND, who told us that it was going to have to get nasty to get the birds down here this year, because the farmers were having trouble getting grain from the fields this year. Thus the abundant food source was going to have to be covered or the roosting water was going to have to freeze. Considering I was fishing last night on a relatively large WI lake and water temps were at 46*, any of the real large lakes that you guys have to the west in MN and Canada probably are not ready to freeze yet. The night before that I was out with the dog an hour north of where I live and that is almost to Lake Superior and that 14,000 acre impoundment was only at 40*. I saw maybe a hundred assorted divers, but not any northern mallies at all. I read in recent DU mag (sorry Blackduck) that another el nino was forecast for this winter and that would keep winter temps milder. As of last night on a local weather forecast, the jetstream was still sitting in southern Canada, cold weather just isn’t going to happen as soon as we would like. Hopefully we will get a good hunt in before the close in early Dec. We actually saw more geese in ND than ducks when we were out there last week of Oct. Good hunting for any of you who are heading out to do battle with the WI deer opener. Hunt safe at whatever you are hunting this weekend. I hope to make it down to the river once or twice over the next two weeks.

Mark

duckilr:

Here, here to getting some cold weather to get rid of the fair weather hunters and get some ducks down here. And another here, here to buckmaster for those that have the ability to scout, set up, call, etc., to stay on ducks when it is tough.

I posted on another thread and agree with Moss Boss at the top of the page that most of the birds are still in Canada. According to our host in ND, who told us that it was going to have to get nasty to get the birds down here this year, because the farmers were having trouble getting grain from the fields this year. Thus the abundant food source was going to have to be covered or the roosting water was going to have to freeze. Considering I was fishing last night on a relatively large WI lake and water temps were at 46*, any of the real large lakes that you guys have to the west in MN and Canada probably are not ready to freeze yet. The night before that I was out with the dog an hour north of where I live and that is almost to Lake Superior and that 14,000 acre impoundment was only at 40*. I saw maybe a hundred assorted divers, but not any northern mallies at all. I read in recent DU mag (sorry Blackduck) that another el nino was forecast for this winter and that would keep winter temps milder. As of last night on a local weather forecast, the jetstream was still sitting in southern Canada, cold weather just isn’t going to happen as soon as we would like. Hopefully we will get a good hunt in before the close in early Dec. We actually saw more geese in ND than ducks when we were out there last week of Oct. Good hunting for any of you who are heading out to do battle with the WI deer opener. Hunt safe at whatever you are hunting this weekend. I hope to make it down to the river once or twice over the next two weeks.

Mark

Heard there was a big push of birds into the Nebraska area and snow as well. Buddy called me on his way home and after doing a complete 360 in his new truck he decided he would head to the nearest hotel and camp out there for the night. Doesn’t look good for us this year though. I cann’t complain with the year I have had, but by the sounds of it a lot of people have lost interest. Put it this way, I guess if you think this is the worst hunting ever, then next year can only be better.

Was out Sunday 11-28-04 for a couple hours before I filled my limit and called it a day. Ended up shooting 4 drake mallards, 1 ringneck and 1 gaddy. Seen a few birds, nothing to get over excited about, but enough to keep a guy interested. Things are starting to freeze up good now, but I guess with 5 days of hunting left and really no birds around it doesn’t matter. I personally think this weekend should be alright. You will never know unless you are out there.

Deer hunting wasn’t a successful year, even though I did see a lot of 1-1.5 year olds. Always next year for that little guy to grow up into something that I can whack or atleast take a second look at.

Good luck to everyone this weekend.

Heard there was a big push of birds into the Nebraska area and snow as well. Buddy called me on his way home and after doing a complete 360 in his new truck he decided he would head to the nearest hotel and camp out there for the night. Doesn’t look good for us this year though. I cann’t complain with the year I have had, but by the sounds of it a lot of people have lost interest. Put it this way, I guess if you think this is the worst hunting ever, then next year can only be better.

Was out Sunday 11-28-04 for a couple hours before I filled my limit and called it a day. Ended up shooting 4 drake mallards, 1 ringneck and 1 gaddy. Seen a few birds, nothing to get over excited about, but enough to keep a guy interested. Things are starting to freeze up good now, but I guess with 5 days of hunting left and really no birds around it doesn’t matter. I personally think this weekend should be alright. You will never know unless you are out there.

Deer hunting wasn’t a successful year, even though I did see a lot of 1-1.5 year olds. Always next year for that little guy to grow up into something that I can whack or atleast take a second look at.

Good luck to everyone this weekend.

Nice pic.

Looks like a nice gadwall.

Is that on the river?

Nice pic.

Looks like a nice gadwall.

Is that on the river?

Thanks Moss. It was a decent Gaddy I will agree with you there. Just wish he would of shown up a little better in the picture.

The picture was taken just off of one of the lakes up by Madison. It was actually a back pocket where one of the creeks ran into the lake.

Thanks Moss. It was a decent Gaddy I will agree with you there. Just wish he would of shown up a little better in the picture.

The picture was taken just off of one of the lakes up by Madison. It was actually a back pocket where one of the creeks ran into the lake.

Ducks can sure humble a guy Monday we went out and had consistant shooting and had most of the marsh to ourselves . Today was a totally different day. The marsh was packed leaving almost nowhere to hunt. We did get a little shooting, but the ducks stayed out of range. Anyway, it has picked up and there are a lot of curly tailed mallards around. Only 5 more days

Ducks can sure humble a guy Monday we went out and had consistant shooting and had most of the marsh to ourselves . Today was a totally different day. The marsh was packed leaving almost nowhere to hunt. We did get a little shooting, but the ducks stayed out of range. Anyway, it has picked up and there are a lot of curly tailed mallards around. Only 5 more days

Am:

Were the back holes and pockets getting pretty good ice on them yet? I am hoping to get out Friday, but I think the ice may be pretty thick in areas without current or springs.

Am:

Were the back holes and pockets getting pretty good ice on them yet? I am hoping to get out Friday, but I think the ice may be pretty thick in areas without current or springs.

The few pockets I did see were iced over. Most of the areas with current were mostly open, but they were icing up when we left. We pretty much ended up near the firing line tonight, so we didn’t get too far back. There was some good shooting farther back from the sounds of things. Also a lot of ducks were coming more from the river than from the reserve . We will also be out this Friday-Sunday if things work out