2010 Duck & Goose Migration Report

We struggled over the holiday break. Pounded a few, but nothing like it should have been. There are just no puddle ducks left to come through. Heard of a few good diver hunts but we’re not set up for them. The number of guys that were out for the area they had to hunt was ridiculous…..nobody will give up! We’ve got a couple late season secret spots that might start to fill up if it gets really cold, but other than that I think we’re done with the river. Actually we got a banded greenhead on the last hunt……might be a good way to end a pretty good duck season!

Heard goose numbers went sky high in Rochester over the weekend. 3 birds a day and we can hunt into January, that should give us something to do for a while before we have to give in to ice fishing.

jake im really suprized you struggled. i had one of the best weeks of hunting ive ever had. had limits on sunday, and tuesday-through sunday. shot a few black ducks pounded the mallards, shot a few teal, and even shot a woodie and a shoveler? back to reality today.. as im sitting at work. send me a pm jake if you are up for a good hunt this weekend. im saving a spring hole for this weekend… there were birds there but lets hope it stays cold enough to hold em.

Lots of strings of snows headed south through eastern SD. All the lakes are locked up now, so I’m sure they will keep heading south til they run into some open water.

Just curious, what general area are you guys killing these Black Ducks?

the river

we got 4 blacks and a hybrid this year, the most we’ve ever had for one year. Saw at least one almost everytime out in October. Also saw 4 blacks on opening day before legal shooting time for the first time ever.

Also on the Mississippi.

we put the whackfest on some greenheads and got our bonus ducks filled with teal the other day. out standing in the decoys and 3 ducks come and almost land. a greenhead a suzie q and a big ole drake black duck…. its the most ive seen this year as well. ive shot 2 this year my buddy shot blacks on back to back days and a few of his buddys have been gettn em. they are cool birds thats for sure

Kris, you should post some pics of those ducks.

alright you got me… i havent shot a duck since october….

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alright you got me… i havent shot a duck since october….

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I just want to see a pic of these black ducks you guys talk about. I’m curious if I’ve ever shot one in SD. It’s funny how the names change on certain ducks when you cross a state line. For instance, blue bills. I don’t think I’ve shot a blue bill, but then again, we didn’t ever call any duck by that name in SD.

Glad I wasnt the one that asked for pictures of the Black Ducks … Growing up shooting ducks/geese in North Dakota, I too have never seen a Black Duck. Thought it was pretty cool that people are shooting them so close….

I have some really good pics on my home pc from earlier this year when we got a black and a black/mallard hybrid. The pics I have show both those birds side by side with a drake and hen mallard. I can post them up when I get home tonight. Don’t think I have any here at work but I can look.

OK, I had one from the 2nd opener this year. The black duck is laying on top of the other ducks with the wing open forward. You can notice (if the pic comes through big enough), there is no white band on the speculum like on a hen mallard.

Way cool, Thanks for sharing!

I guess I’m too lazy to google but how can you tell the hybrids?

Thanks again and can’t wait to see more pics.

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Way cool, Thanks for sharing!

I guess I’m too lazy to google but how can you tell the hybrids?

Thanks again and can’t wait to see more pics.

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I’m not positive it is a hybrid. I don’t know it there is a hard and fast rule. The duck we got had the green/olive bill of a blackduck hen, the chestnut chest and wings of a drake mallard, a few patches of bright green feathers in the head like a drake mallard, and a bunch of blackduck- looking feathers scattered on the bird.

i was just being a smart. ill see if i can post some when i get home tonite. i shot a black last year that was a pretty cool hybrid. ill see if i can look back and find the link on ido

that didnt take long. her ya go

http://www.idohunting.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=waterfowl&Number=640695&Forum=,,,,&Words=&Searchpage=2&Limit=25&Main=640695&Search=true&where=bodysub&Name=4319&daterange=1&newerval=2&newertype=y&olderval=&oldertype=&bodyprev=#Post640695

Again, way to cool!

Just looked through my records. We’ve shot 8 blacks and a hybrid since 2006. Had a day we shot 2 one afternoon. We got one this year, missed one, and have seen 3 others.

The really black ones look just like Daffy! Not hard to spot when the sun is at your back.

Hybrid.

True Black.

I don’t know why I’m so intrigued by these dang things?

More pics please….