# Williston?



## Sprig (Sep 10, 2003)

This is my 2nd year duck hunting in ND (I'm a do it yourself hunter). Hunted near Powers Lake last year and had a great time before the freeze up. Unfortunatly the place I stayed last year (my girl friends Uncle) is having health problems. Which leaves me and two others hunting Lic. and no place to stay. At the last minute.
However, I may have an opportunity to stay with some of her relitives in Williston. Mid to late Oct.

1.Which is better? duck or Dark geese hunting
2.Hunt both simutaneously, or seperate?
Plan to use field blinds (layout), and we have approx. 6 doz goose and 5 doz duck decoys.
3.Hunting pressure and land access?
Or do we pack everyday and drive to Powers Lake
ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED


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## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

It's been awhile - but you will have to scout - I was from Ray - Wildrose area had lots of sloughs & good ducks - Look for the refuges one by Zahl has Canadas ducks & pheasants - Powers lake is good as you know - Kenmare can be ok -

But any where there is pheasants the access goes way down - used to be anywhere with water - Including stock ponds held ducks out there


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## Sprig (Sep 10, 2003)

Thanks Fetch
We're staying away from the upland birds hoping to leave access open to us for waterfowl. And let the locals shoot them, they feed them all year.

When you talk of hunting sloughs did you use skiffs, Jon boats or just waders?

Last year I scouted out the "Big Meadow" (only eastside) area near Wildrose. But the drive was farther then what we wanted and we were having good luck at Powers Lake. And it is even farther from Williston. Have you ever hunted it "Big Meadow", and is it possible with a skiff or do I stick with field hunting. Looking at Ariel photos?
I was also looking on the map for the refuge near Zahl but didn't have luck locating it. Can You help me out. It sounds much more appealing and closer.

P.S. do you know any Van Berkom, Skalicky? My girl friend is from that area.
Again THANKS for the Help


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## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

The Zahl refuge is just SE of Zahl (if I remember correctly )

Back then 30 + yrs ago we shot potholes - farm ponds & took off our pants & waded in after the ducks 

The names are familiar but it's been along time

I have a cousin that farms near the big meadow - He lives in Williston now - but I have not hunted it (area) for a very long time


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## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/refuges/nd/

http://deslacs.fws.gov/lakezahl.htm


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## Sprig (Sep 10, 2003)

Thanks again Fetch for the input and the map site.

That's funny I wore "glad" garbage bags and jungle boots my first couple of years. Skipping school 20 years ago.

If you hear anything from you cuz let me know.

We are coming all the way out from Wisconsin.

Again thanks much.


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## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

That brought back some memories

I think that was also when I had my 1st ciggerettes :eyeroll: a good buddy's mom was Depot Agent in Wildrose (lived in Ray) & we would ride to work with her & take the car duck hunting the Wildrose area.

Back then I shot a bolt action 16 ga - & I could get 3 shots off almost as fast as I can now with a pump - got alot of birds with that old gun (ducks & sharptails). - I think shells were $2.50 to $3.00 a box the old paper loads (always used 4 shot for everything) and Gas was 29.9 cents a gallon

- we also got 50 cents a jack rabbit in winter.

Beer was around a buck & a half a six pack ($1.00 if you drove to Sydney Montana) :beer: and bought Old Mill at the Safeway store. So yeah there were some good old days ---- Did I mention you got paid $0.50 a hour & there were jobs for everyone (nothing else you picked rock or threw bales)  :roll: - I was a carry out boy at the grocery & coopered (thats pronounced coop-ered as in chicken coop) grain cars at the elevator :lol:


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## Qwack (May 25, 2002)

So Fetch, did you vote for Teddy Roosevelt? :lol:


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## Duckskinner (Sep 17, 2003)

I grew up near Wildrose. The hunting is not even close to how it use to be. I remember flocks of thousands of mallards coming in to feed in the fields. Now it is just flocks of usually around 10-15 birds. The sloughs are few and far between now due to the drought. I have some friends coming out from Wisconsin and I am worried about being able to get them on some decent bird hunting. I am hoping we get some good rain showers quick. This is my first year trying to get in on some snow goose hunting, but due to the lack of water, I am not to sure they will even stop this year.


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## Sprig (Sep 10, 2003)

Prairiehunter,
Where in Wisconsin are your friends coming from?
We're coming out of Fond du Lac Wisconsin.

It sounds pretty dry out there.
Do you know how water conditions are on the big Meadow area?

Fetch,
My first shotgun was an old used bolt action 12. I was so proud of that gun. I refinished the stock when I was 16 and sold it for a Wingmaster.

Smoked my first cigar (Swischer sweets) 
P.S. We never had birds like you guys do but it sure was nice to dream about it. That was 20 years age.


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## Perry Thorvig (Mar 6, 2002)

So Prairie Hunter and Fetch are from the same neck of the woods. I wouldn't have believed it.


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## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

Is that the same PH ??? with one post ??? - What year you graduate HS ??? Did you know Arley larson & Jack Comfort ??? Any of the Evensons ???


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## Duckskinner (Sep 17, 2003)

The meadow is just about dry this year. There is a little water in the middle, but it is hard to get to. I am going up in that area next week to do some scouting for my friends. Will let you know how it looks. Been cool and a little moisture lately. Should keep from drying up any more. There hase been alot of ducks around. Mostly little ducks. There are a few mallards around, but no big ones. If it stays cool, they could move in from Canada early.

My friends are coming from the Oshkosh area. Their name's are Jim and John Beck. I met them when I lived out there in Appleton. They will be out here on the night of the 3rd of Oct. That is where I did ALOT of goose and duck hunting. What a blast. Never had as many birds out there as we have had in the past, but still had fun. Alot easier decoying geese out there. They will come into alot smaller fields.

Fetch,
I know Greg Comfort, but he is a few years older than I am. I grew up in Hamlet, ND just east of Wildrose. You might know my dad, Ron Moss. I graduated in 1985 from Wildrose.


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## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

I knew Greg - Jack is his brother - I graduated in 1970- I lived with Wayne Viall


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## Sprig (Sep 10, 2003)

Prairiehunter, where did you guys hunt in Wisconsin?

We are sealed in for staying in Williston, so we'll be hunting north and northeast out to the big meadow.

Anyway, let me know how you do. Please stay in touch.
We don't go until the 17 of Oct. hope to hit the mallards and geese on the big flight down from Canada. I love the later flights with bigger birds. But like last year it can be all over in one night of real cold weather.

Again let us know how scouting goes and if you hit the jack-pot and I'll be sure to do the same for you. And I say that with all respect.
e-mail address 
[email protected]

Good luck to you guys


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## Duckskinner (Sep 17, 2003)

Hey Sprig,

You bet I will keep you informed. Just talked to dad today and he said it looked like the little ducks were already gone. I have a hard time believing that. I am sure they just moved to the big water. He even thought the swamp was dried up. I will find out for sure myself. he doesn't see as well as he use to. I to like to get the big birds when they come down. I love getting in on the big mallards. That is how I got my blonde hen mallard.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid77/p9483af79f20acf6477cd4ab31c59a0f7/fb36c839.jpg

Sure was surprised to get her.

I hunted around Appleton, WI for geese and around GreenBay in the bay area for ducks and geese. Bagged alot of birds. Really liked hunting the flooded corn fields. I am trying to get some time to go back and try my luck for some of those sea ducks. My buddies were telling me it is a blast.


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## Nate (Sep 11, 2003)

Neat picture. Never saw a duck like that.


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## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

Nice mount & I love seeing those Morphadite ducks -is this the same Prairie Hunter or are you new ???


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## Duckskinner (Sep 17, 2003)

I will change my name so there is no confusion. I have changed it to Duckskinner. It froze here in williston last night. Not a good thing for local ducks. I am sure the woodies have hit the road now. I have never bagged on and would like to one day. Well better get to work.


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## stevepike (Sep 14, 2002)

Go south of town across the Missouri for Woodies. The state land on the way to/around the pumphouse always held them for awhile. I saw literally hundreds of them 2 years ago on the way paddlefishing (May).


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## Duckskinner (Sep 17, 2003)

Usually we have a cold spell or two and the woodies take off before season starts. Kind of like what we just had. Woke up this morning to 28 degrees. To early for this stuff.


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## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

You seemed way too nice & intelligent to be the PH we know 

Ever hunt around Spring Brook Dam ???


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## Duckskinner (Sep 17, 2003)

:sniper: As a matter of fact I have and still do. Grouse aren't as thick as they use to be, but the pheasants are coming around. Pretty dry around there this year also. Grass is real short from overgrazing, but if you get into the right area, it will still hold some critters.


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## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

It is just great reading all this conversation about an area I have hunted over 20 years. The area just changes every year. I am afraid much of the area will be dry this year. We usually hunt ducks around the big slough SW of McGregor, but afraid it is probably dry this year, otherwise, we hunt the hills S of Noonan, Columbus, and Lignite.

Field hunting is typically the best way to go for us, it just is easlier and tends to produce more action.

The pheasants/partrigde just cannot seem to make a comeback in this area it use to be just great.

Forget the snow geese unless the weather is going to be just miserable.

If ever in Bowbells look us up we will be there Oct 4 to 7 and Oct 18 to 23 our place is out by the old dump on the westside of town.

Good luck to all and be safe


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## Duckskinner (Sep 17, 2003)

Well I just got back from checking out the water situation. The Meadow S.W. of McGregor is for the most part dry. There is a little water in the very middle, but I don't know how many ducks are out there. I drove around all my regular haunts and was very disappointed. Tomorrow I will be heading up towards the Noonan area to see if I can find some water. I did find some Blue geese. There were 5 of them. I was very surprised. I also found a nice flock of honks feeding and plan on keeping an eye on them for this Saturday. Sure are some big ones. I wouldn't be afraind to say there were some 12+ pounders there. Seen some really nice bucks also. They were on posted land though, so might catch them during gun season off on some unposted stuff. Well, better go for now and get to working on my snow deke's.

prairiehunter


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## Sprig (Sep 10, 2003)

Hey Deacon and Prairiehunter,
Thanks for keeping me posted on the area.
It sound very very dry.
It' s the temps I worry about. A little water is better then frozen water.

But last year our best day of hunting was the 21 of Oct when it froze hard.
we hammered the mallards but had to shrink our kill zone because the birds were falling through the weak ice and we would lose them under the ice. We would have had our limit in ten minutes. It was halarous I broke a hole in the ice and 20x30 and throw in a doz decoys the mallards were slamming into the hole fighting with the decoys, almost hitting me in the head more then a couple of times while I was throwing out decoys.

Deacon, my girlfriend grew up 2 blocks west of the old high school in columbus.
Are you from that area?

Again guys you've been a GREAT help

[email protected]


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## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

Thanks prairehunter, about what I expected except worst. What a bummer. Oh well, it is just good to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.

If you swing over to Lignite please post if there are any cranes in the area. We absolutely love to hunt these birds.

Sorry boys I am a NR, just have been hunting the area for over 20 years. Last year on the NR waterfowl opening weekend we only heard one other hunter shoot and did not see any other hunters in the field until Monday morning. What pressure, we had the county to ourselves, it was great.

Good luck to all and be safe


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