Waterfowl Migration update

Hey folks,
I do not know about you guys, but I have not been too pleased with the quality of the migration reports available on-line.
We are down to the best (last) 3 weeks of the season.
Lets try to ride out this season with some open discussion about significant migration evidence.
I am not asking anyone to divulge their secrets, just discus where the south-bound line appears.
Here we go:
French Lake, Hennepipn County; Minor numbers of both divers and mallards, flocks upto 20 ct.
Clearwater Lake, Wright County; Approximately 2.3 million coot, no flock counts.
Gull Lake, Crow Wing County; 75-150 Northern mallards comfortably residing at the Hwy.371/Co.Rd.115 boat landing, hunted grassy point on Sunday, 5 Buffleheads, too much fog for flock count.
Lake Bemidji, Beltrami County; Great numbers of Ringnecks, Bills, Goldies, Buffleheads, Mallards and mergansers, unfortunately this is the refuge, no flocks on neighboring waters.
Leech Lake, I have not scouted and can not get a report from anyone?
I will provide more when I have it. Please do not forget to ask the fishing population what they are seeing. Most all fishermen are hitting big water right now!

Central MN:
Pelican lake: Small flocks of mallards and limited number if divers. No major migration to date.
Missippi River: Clearwater to Monticello. Larger number of Canadians the past week. Have seen flocks of 100 or more birds. Very few ducks!

Good luck all.

Central MN:
Pelican lake: Small flocks of mallards and limited number if divers. No major migration to date.
Missippi River: Clearwater to Monticello. Larger number of Canadians the past week. Have seen flocks of 100 or more birds. Very few ducks!

Good luck all.

Battle lake area west central Mn> A few birds were moving through the area I think they are just starting. It will be a few day deal I feel when it starts. The weather isn’t helping> Some large groups of geese also moving through!

Battle lake area west central Mn> A few birds were moving through the area I think they are just starting. It will be a few day deal I feel when it starts. The weather isn’t helping> Some large groups of geese also moving through!

Scouted NW of the Twin Cities this morning.
Swans are showing up in greater numbers.
Water counts, flock counts and birds shot are all being led by geese.

Scouted NW of the Twin Cities this morning.
Swans are showing up in greater numbers.
Water counts, flock counts and birds shot are all being led by geese.

Doesn’t look like the weather is going to be much help the next week. Forcast says 50’s and 60’s all week.
Looks like another fly bye year. We’ll probably only get a couple good days. Glad to see somone started this chain.

Doesn’t look like the weather is going to be much help the next week. Forcast says 50’s and 60’s all week.
Looks like another fly bye year. We’ll probably only get a couple good days. Glad to see somone started this chain.

Ouch chriss, don’t say that. There are still three weeks, unless you have other commintments.
Actually, we are adding a new bambino to the family the second week of December , so I’m sucking in as much traveling hunting as I can right now .
Thanks for participating in this forum. In only five hours today, it already seems to be a success !

Ouch chriss, don’t say that. There are still three weeks, unless you have other commintments.
Actually, we are adding a new bambino to the family the second week of December , so I’m sucking in as much traveling hunting as I can right now .
Thanks for participating in this forum. In only five hours today, it already seems to be a success !

On the Miss, the ducks are still here, but are as comfortable in the refuges as in a 5 star hotel. If you can scout out a few spots where they are unmolested, you can do well, but there are no major flights where the whole marsh is having success like whent he birds are really around. Maybe tomorrows wind will push some new birds in.

I heard next week it is supposed to get real cold and start freezing out canada and maybe Northern Minn. That will push some birds down here regardless of the weather here. i hope.

On the Miss, the ducks are still here, but are as comfortable in the refuges as in a 5 star hotel. If you can scout out a few spots where they are unmolested, you can do well, but there are no major flights where the whole marsh is having success like whent he birds are really around. Maybe tomorrows wind will push some new birds in.

I heard next week it is supposed to get real cold and start freezing out canada and maybe Northern Minn. That will push some birds down here regardless of the weather here. i hope.

I hope your right!

I hope your right!

I dont know guys. I have been seeing birds a little bit of everywhere, but few where there is any shooting going on. There is so much water around that the birds tend to find safe havens all over the place.

Something is going to happen soon, and it will happen in a hurry. I really hope the same thing doesnt happen as it did a few years ago.. no birds around one day, 50000 the next, then nothing within a couple days.

I dont know guys. I have been seeing birds a little bit of everywhere, but few where there is any shooting going on. There is so much water around that the birds tend to find safe havens all over the place.

Something is going to happen soon, and it will happen in a hurry. I really hope the same thing doesnt happen as it did a few years ago.. no birds around one day, 50000 the next, then nothing within a couple days.

Not too many ducks down by Stoddard (South of La Crosse) except those in the refuge at Goose Island or south of Brownsville. There were a TON of Cans just south of Stoddard on theopen water, but they left last wed/thurs. Hope it gets cold in Canada soon!

Not too many ducks down by Stoddard (South of La Crosse) except those in the refuge at Goose Island or south of Brownsville. There were a TON of Cans just south of Stoddard on theopen water, but they left last wed/thurs. Hope it gets cold in Canada soon!

Ducks are not-existant in Marshall, MN. I have been doing a lot of driving and I have not seen a duck yet. Today I had the binoculars out at some of the popular sloughs and I did not see a thing. Sunday morning I saw two flocks of a dozen Canadians.

Ducks are not-existant in Marshall, MN. I have been doing a lot of driving and I have not seen a duck yet. Today I had the binoculars out at some of the popular sloughs and I did not see a thing. Sunday morning I saw two flocks of a dozen Canadians.

Was out on Pool 7 today, one gaddy and one teal. Very few birds in the air. Lots of wind, but no new birds it seems.

Was out on Pool 7 today, one gaddy and one teal. Very few birds in the air. Lots of wind, but no new birds it seems.

Boy if you are still seeing gaddies and teal, they sure have not gone very far!
This wind should be doing us some good .
This front was supposed to cause some freezing (temporary?) in Canada and blow at 20-30 mph out of the NW until about 5:00 pm today .
Time will tell

Boy if you are still seeing gaddies and teal, they sure have not gone very far!
This wind should be doing us some good .
This front was supposed to cause some freezing (temporary?) in Canada and blow at 20-30 mph out of the NW until about 5:00 pm today .
Time will tell

We have seen gusts to 50mph around buffalo. I hope this helps!

We have seen gusts to 50mph around buffalo. I hope this helps!

Heck, last year we were shooting teal when we had to open holes in the ice, some of those greenies are hardy!!

The gads usually do leave kinda early though, but they decoy nice.

The mallards we saw this morning were so educated they were crapping PhD’s.

Heck, last year we were shooting teal when we had to open holes in the ice, some of those greenies are hardy!!

The gads usually do leave kinda early though, but they decoy nice.

The mallards we saw this morning were so educated they were crapping PhD’s.

Greenwings will stay around until ice up, it’s the bluewingers that bug out early.

One of my most memorable hunts was 5-6? years ago now……we hunted weaver (out of west newton) the last weekend of the season and had WALKABLE ice in the back waters pot holes…..we hunted right off the west newton chute, as it was the only water open…..had gaddies bombin in all morning!!!

I was still seeing woodies around as of last week

Looks like by next week the weather pattern is in for a change…..that should help