I just got back from my 2nd week long trip to Manitoba. I went on their opener (9/25) for a week and this past week (10/14). Here’s my view of the migration:
Our first week we usually focus on mallards and Canada geese. We hunt West Central Manitoba and the hunt was great. TONS of local birds with an exceptional duck and Canada goose hatch. We had our choice of land, birds and places to stay. Not many hunters our way. Coming home with limits was easy that first week.
Second trip was a bit different. When we arrived, it was obvious that a lot of the local ducks had moved south. Still not much for other hunters, but there were many more snows that had moved in and the Canada geese stayed with more now than before. We usually focus on Snows, Canada’s and mallards on the second week trip. We hunted hard this second trip. By day 3 (10/16) the temps were at 17 Degrees in the AM and all the smaller water had froze solid. Bigger water was where the birds were and now they were all bunched up into very large flocks – making it harder to deocoy them of course. We don’t use spinners, just shells and socks and hunt on land primarily. Day 3 and thereafter found us with cold/freezing temps and no wind. No wind equals no movement in the deocys. This led to limited sucess on the large flocks of whites and Canada’s. We shot a few snows, Canada’s and ducks each day, but the decoying birds were few and far between. Day 4 found us packed up and heading south to the lower Whitwater area of Manitoba. Upon arrival there, we found where all our birds went. The place is/was loaded!! It was also loaded with hunters and outfitters. No lodging available anywhere close to the birds. So with some contemplation, we decided to pack it in and head home.
While up at our regular hunt location,…. after some evening discussion with everyone at the hotel (other hunting groups),…. it seemed that everyone agreed that the northern birds have not come down yet (to central Manitoba). Once they get some colder temps and snow, we should start to see a bigger push here in MN and there in Canada. The birds we had in our area all seemed to moved south to the Whitwater though. The birds on there (Whitewater) will also stay until snow and solid water push them out. As long as the ground is open and the big water is open, most of the northern birds will stay put.
I think we’ll be going back in a week for a quick 3-day hunt. If/when things change, I’ll post an update.
Splitshot.
October 20, 2006 at 6:51 pm
#212858
