2008 Duck & Goose Migration Report

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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!

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That preceeding quote was the start of our 2005 forum that exceeded 125 replies (not to mention the hits) with only 3 weeks left in the season!
I have made mention to several people that that forum did add significant enjoyment to my late season, and likely some additional success as well.
With early goose upon us and some folks already commenting on local populations, I think it is time again
Good luck this season to all of you
No secrets need to be exposed in this forum, refer to the quote from last year to see the explanation that seemed acceptable to everyone.

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Here we go guys & gals.
The 2007 season is under way in some of our bordering states and will fire up this weekend in Minnesota.
I’m looking forward to another season of sharing my observations and success stories as well as reading yours.
As we have emphasized before, nobody should/needs to disclose any specific location information. Just share your experiences and help us all work together to track the migration (once it starts)
Good luck to everybody in their 2007 season!

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Chriss, you are just the kind of gentleman (character ) that could provoke a “migration report” post before the season is even open
Once again I felt the need to copy forward the opening post from previous years, this is so cool
Chriss did a great job laying some ground rules in another post on the waterfowl forum. If BK, James or one of our other fearless leaders would be so kind as to provide a link into Chriss’ “Were close enough” post that would be great (BK, teach me, please…)
I’m going to skip the rules in hopes that we all have proper respect for one another and our quary. If you are confused please visit Chriss’ post.
This is fun, informative and as I have mentioned for the past several years, very beneficial to my overall enjoyment of the waterfowl season.
Our primary goal is simply to share as much information as we are each comfortable sharing, to provide vicarious enjoyment for those that are not making the hunts and improve the quality of the experience for those that are .
This post was originally started back in 2005 to track the southern edge of the migration through Minnesota and the upper midwest. Nothing more or less.
This post has become a sounding board, a bragging board, a photo album and a reference point for many people and I love it
Please join in and contribute towards your enjoyment of the season, and ours!
Let the season begin
Oh yeah, and may a wife be bestowed upon Jake, soon
Good luck to everyone in ’08!
cheers

Here is a link to the other thread that Drake is talking about: We’re Close enough

Thanks Slider
The early goose talk has been addressed, at a surprising minimum, in other posts.
So, lets start out by talking about opener
I know that alot of you guys and gals have traditional opener spots just like I do. I will be in Pine River, about 20 minutes north of Nisswa, for my 30th opener.
We seem to always do well when the general statewide hunt is poor and visa versa, for some strange reason.
Like most folks statewide, we will primarily shoot woodies, teal, mallards, gadwalls and the occational redhead or ringneck.
I’m not going to get anything done this week
cheers

Good luck Soby, that is a great area.
How is that pup lookin’?
I might have a waterfowl-upland combo trip that we could pull together next month with another IDO member or two, in that very location.
We can work that out later.
Our traditional opener has evolved since we are all WELL beyond our athletic commitment days, but the next generation is starting to change that
Friday night will be our traditional beer batter fish fry for 12 and watching the birds come into their night spot.
Good luck
cheers

Since most of this info is from Mn. Thought I would put a little WI in.

In the Minocqua area there has been very few ducks moving south. not suprising as we are off any major flyway. With 3000 lakes in the area there are a lot of resident ducks. Guns have been blasting in the last 2 days. So they will be moving on. There has been a lot of geese flying over. more than normal. Had a flock of 50 go over me at tree top level while checking my bear baits.

Steve

As Steve stated we don’t get much of a migration here in WI This weekend was a rather slow one here in the Chetek area. We did manage to get our wood ducks and a couple of teel. The mallards are sticking to the more populated areas of the chain where you can’t hunt them. What really upsets me is like what happned Saturday night. Hunting hours ended in my area at 6:53pm and some guys were still shooting at almost 7:30pm. My wife said it must be someone shooting fireworks off until a boat with hunters came down the creek with flashlights. Where is the warden when you want them around. I will be watching with a spotlight next weekend to get the numbers off of their boat. It’s people like them that ruin it for the rest of us. Enough of my venting, good luck to all th MN hunters next weekend.

Bob

OK… So maybe I have a few issues when we get to September. (No comments out of the peanut gallery.) Once again thanks to Drake for getting this rolling. I for one always look forward to this board and looking too see what everyone has done.

Let’s start with some birds.

Wright County: The local numbers look great this year. I’ve been watching a number of larger Mallard flocks that are moving around my area. This is the first year in a long time that I’ve been excited about the local population. With that said it’s going to be a tough opener for many. Not because theres a lack of birds but many of the drakes haven’t put on enough color. The majority of this years hatch will need to be in your face to tell the difference.

Otter Tail Co: I’ve been very discouraged by the resident population up there this year. My Local Milk run has produced very little as it comes to quantity of ducks. The goose population looks good but the Ducks are another story. On the way out of town we stopped by Christina. There was almost nothing. The reeds are back down and the ducks look to have vacated the premises. If there’s anyon willing to throw me a bone up there I would sure appreciate it. As it stands now were probably heading up on Thursday to check a few more spots.

As for tradition. About 6 years ago I started an odd/even year pattern. In odd years I head to ND with my family for opener. In even years I head to Ottertail with the inlaws. This would be an even year. Even though the hunting isn’t as good I still look forward to these years. These are the years that I hunt with the old guys and watch the kids shoot. (Not to say I don’t whack my fare share.) I actually prepare for this trip far more than ND. We usually take one or two trips prior to open soley for scouting. (At least thats what we tell the girls.) So instead of one weekend I actually get two or three with the inlaws. It’s a great time.

I was out hunting after work today & had 3 different flocks of bluebills come into my spread. I have never seen them in the area this early in the season around here.

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OK… So maybe I have a few issues when we get to September. (No comments out of the peanut gallery.)

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You may keep out of the duck boat but not here
Another opening like this one and I am firing with both barrels

no body else with pictures or a story about the opener? some on guys get me pumped up for the weekend!

I’m not overly optimistic for opener this year (I tend to keep my expectations low)…..bird numbers seem to be down a bit, even over just a couple weeks ago……I haven’t seen a teal for a couple weeks . I suppose we’ll just bang bang our woodies in the trees and go fishing. Much rather do that than try to fight for a spot at an off chance for a big duck or two.

Monday and Wednesday may be a different story

It’ll be interesting to see what the new regulations/no-wake/no-airboat zones on the river will do to the hunting pressure in our opening area. Not sure if it’s going to concentrate guys more, or just move guys to new areas completey….Heck, maybe they’ll all just stay home!

4 days and counting

Jake—-Where can we find these new regulations?

If you’re still hunting the same area, then we hunt in the same area, and I would like to know what they are.

Thanks.

Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge Maps

In the little amount of time I spent out scouting on Sunday, I seen a large amount of woodies, a few mallards, and a few teal. I didn’t get out there during prime flying times, but I do know I will be starting in this location on Saturday morning.

Wow, the cool temps this morning sure got things moving.
I have seen more birds moving today than I have all summer.
I think they are teasing me
cheers

Hey Jake:

Thanks for the update on the no wake & other stuff, I thought I might get an opportunity to hunt Tremp this weekend, but can not. And as always “Go Pack Go!!!”

As Steve mentioned above the geese were on the move this weekend. Not sure that I see anything in the weather that would send large flocks on the upper winds to the south, but they were.

As for friends that hunted, as always those that scouted, they did well. Those that showed up at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, they didn’t.

Surprising that the states reports predicted good numbers of teal and really didn’t hear of many taken. Lots of good shoots for Mallards and woodies.

Mark

There’s some decent evening activity for Woodies and Mallards around the Grey Eagle and Upsala area. Much fewer BW Teal, however. I’m unable to gauge the morning movements as I have to get off to work too early in the day.

The Mississippi River along Camp Ripley has the usual loads of wood ducks and pockets of geese. You’ll have to get out early and stake claim to your island as usual, too.

There seems to be fewer geese in the Upsala area compared to last week. Perhaps they have spread out a again and gotten more comfortable after the end of the early season. We tore them up pretty good.

Best of luck to those fortunate enough to head out this weekend. Saturday looks to be the bluebird opener like we’re used to but Sunday should prove much better.

Seen alot of our “Calendar Birds” show up and possibly seen some of them leave yesterday. Those birds are the ones that show up no matter what weather they just usually come down at that certain time of year. Seen a flock of about 50 cacklers busting south at about 2,000 feet. My buddy lives in Oronoco and he said the lake was full of cacklers the other night and they even woke him up on one occasion.

The fact that nobody (including myself ) has posted their weekend results, tells me that things were generally poor.
This was definitely the case for my group.
We had 8 hunters that would traditionally average 5-7 birds for the 2-day weekend. This year we were more like 20 birds or 2.5 birds each for the weekend.
What happened is still unknown…
Saturday presented us in the central area (brainerd to walker) with a blue bird day and some shooting for about an hour or two.
But, the wind came up stong and out of the SOUTH all night and into Sunday. The bird were gone!
My dad took 3 shots and I took 1
We even reminisced about the good ole days when you could shoot up a box of shells before the sun actually came up on opener sunday.
Sunday was a bust. Our entire group was back at the cabin pulling the dock and boatlift by 10:00. Definitely a first!
Our annual tradition is well intact, but the duck shoot was one of our worst ever and definitely worse than the previous year
At least I did see 2 flocks of 12-15 Cans and 1 flock of about 20 Ringers.
Back at it this weekend.
Good luck
cheers
What did the rest of you folks experience?

Quite a movement of cacklers and some bigger geese into Austin this morning. Lots of birds in the air about 9:00am

Gundy

Did anyone hunt (or fish) the Bemidji-Cass-Winnie-Leech area?
I will be between Longville and Hackensack, near Woman Lake, this weekend and I plan to hunt ducks for at least one morning and one evening.
Any suggestions folks?
Good luck
cheers

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Did anyone hunt (or fish) the Bemidji-Cass-Winnie-Leech area?
I will be between Longville and Hackensack, near Woman Lake, this weekend and I plan to hunt ducks for at least one morning and one evening.
Any suggestions folks?
Good luck
cheers

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There not here yet Drake. Breath…….. In and Out, In and Out.

Hunted around Aitkin last weekend. Duck numbers were way down compared to the last couple years. The lake we hunt had very little rice this year so that has a lot to do with it. We shot 11 ducks for the weekend.

Here in the south metro there is still plenty of teal and wood ducks around. There are some new gesse moving into the area.

We need a good cold snap. I can’t wait till they get some corn out and we can hit the fields!

Here’s another link to track the migration.

http://www.ducks.org/MigrationMap

15 days until ND…………..

Reporting from my phone so sorry for any misspellings. Shoot ‘n release and I are currently in northern Wadena county and are seeing limited amount of birds. The ringbills are around and we did manage to get a to see one nice drake bluebill. We scouted a lake full of wild rice for the morning so hopes are high. Grilling up some lunch over the fire and see if we can squeek out a grouse or two this afternoon.

I am using a 90 percent diver spread up here now. The birds seem to be responding to aggressive calling already, but they are finishing hard. With the easterly winds and low cloud ceiling, one would have thought even a caveman could bring home a limit, but it didn’t happen for us this morning. Maybe the assistance of the mojo fleet will pay dividens in the morning.

Quick ND report.

My crew was back up in the Medina/ Woodworth area over the weekend. They stated that the numbers were building and a few Whites and Cacklers had moved into the area. The one thing that jumped out for all of them was the number of Cans and Blue bills they had in the deke’s all weekend. (None were shot.)

The water remains low in that are but the birds are beging to move in. Lets hope for some rain so they stick around for a while.

The weekend brought some cleanup of local birds in pockets around the Upsala and Grey Eagle area. There are very few geese to report.

Monday evening my son and I had eyes on a few high flying migrants of ducks and geese. They must’ve decided to take advantage of some favourable wind and move further south. We also saw a couple new flocks of ringers and gadwall work some of the sloughs after sundown. The movement couldn’t be considered significant in any sense, however.

just got back from nd, and i can say that ive seen more cans out there this year than any other year combined. thousands of them. but, i guess there isnt any around… just curious, why didnt you shoot any? you can shoot a can and 2 bills out there….

There has definitely been some movement taking place this week. The coot have increased significantly . Geese in the area seem to be up again as well.

Haven’t hunted since last Friday ( )….we did good that day, but reports from last weekend were generally poor.

Look forward to this weekend however .

Snapped this picture on my way to work this morning.

Duck numbers are on the rise in northern wisconsin. Blue wings and woodies are moving out with a few flocks still hanging around. Mallards and green wings showing up in great numbers. Scouted monday and tuesday and saw over 500 lards and 300 teal. Looking good for this weekend with high temps of 52 and cold nights 25-35 and north winds things are looking good.