# NoDak Conditions



## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

Just got back on Sunday. Cut a two week trip short by a week. Wettest conditions I've ever seen and more grain unharvested than I've ever seen. Had to resort to shooting a few ducks on water as we never saw a feed.  Scouted 5-8 hours a day. It should be right in about 7-14 days if they can get some grain out.

Saw water in places I have never seen.... always next year.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Where did you find ducks? I live here and don't think I've seen a dozen in the last 2 weeks...&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;. :eyeroll:

It's probably gonna be a 3 day hunt in ND when they come through. By the time you hear about it they will be gone.. Our local lagoon which always has at least a couple hundred ducks and twice that in Canadas until it freezes has had no more than 2 dozen birds on it for the last 3 weeks.

Sad


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## oldfireguy (Jun 23, 2005)

And yet, another part of the state....two hunting buddies are surrounded by geese and ducks. Giant Canada's (15 lb +), speckles, thousands of snows. Yesterday afternoon one killed 3 mallards, one pintail, two gadwall in just over an hour. Wish I was with them.


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

with the amount of water I saw and the possibility of a normal winter snowfall, breeding conditions should be epic next year.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Yesterday the combines were rolling. The nephew had six combines in one bean field. It didn't take long to go through that 160 acres. They sure leave a rut when they come up on the road.

The pasture back home had about 200 giant canadas and small flocks of ducks ever ten minutes buzzed down the river. I was going to bow hunt, but the wind was in the wrong direction. I sat in the pickup with binocs just watching until a half hour after sunset. Had a doe and fans walk up to within 40 yards. As I was leaving I drove over the edge of the hill and run into a very nice 4x4 walking right up the road sniffing the tracks of the doe and fawn. I got stopped before his head came up and he watched us for a couple of minutes before taking off.


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## oldfireguy (Jun 23, 2005)

Meanwhile, back in UP of Michigan, I sat in standing corn last 30 minutes of light. Watched edge to woods and pond (100 yards). 4 does, then, with final light, an 8 pt buck. Season opens November 15.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I have about ten bucks going by my blind. Two weeks ago I passed up a heavy 4x4 because I am waiting for this guy.


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

damn nice buck


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

That's a dandy. :thumb:

Looks like he is still in velvet. Have you seen him lately?


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

I too just got back from ND. Contitions&#8230; mud, wet, and freezing potholes and sloughs. No crops down so hard to find a field feed. When I left they were going crazy on beans. But saw 3 combines stuck in fields during my 4 day trip. So make sure you got permission to drive into fields and make sure they are not muddy.... don't get stuck. In the area I hunted talked with a few farmers and they mentioned that they have pulled out more hunters this year in the field and other places because they got stuck and didn't use their heads. One mentioned he was thinking about shutting down his land to hunters. So again... use your head... ask permission to drive into fields.... and even check to make sure it isn't muddy. Even if it is iffy... back out. :thumb:

I got on two field hunts and we did ok. One was a cut oats field that was full of a mix bag of geese.... specks, snows, and few Canada's. We did alright hunting with my friends who live out there.... 5 man group got 25 ducks and 10 geese. Mixed bag of ducks... mostly wigeon. Next day hunted a cut bean field with standing water in it. Hunted by the water because it was the only place to hide the blinds... 7 of us this day. We got 25 mallards 3 gadwall and two geese. That day and night the temps kept dropping. Had lined up another flooded bean field hunt. Went to the field.... 3/4" ice on the standing water. We cut that short and hint up at WMA to shoot some divers. It had shore ice forming.... we scrapped out 7 divers. Got my first Canvasback. But we cut the hunt a day short. The dog was tired and beat up from busting ice the past two days. Plus no crops down.

If the state doesn't freeze over or the big water can stay open. You should have a good push of birds this week and next week. But if crops are not down and no feed for the birds... they will push right thru.

Good luck all.... and it is now getting go time to hunt those big bucks.

Plainsman.... good luck on getting that guy. Shoot straight... :sniper: :sniper:


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

KEN W said:


> That's a dandy. :thumb:
> 
> Looks like he is still in velvet. Have you seen him lately?


 Not for two weeks. I'm waiting for him to start thinking about the girls and get stupid.


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