# Info from Illinois



## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

Nodakers---
Illinois duck season is underway since Saturday the 30th. Not good at all. Hunted this am at a state fish and waterfowl park(public area). Got lucky and got a blind today because a buddy was drawn in August to be a blind builder and had an opening in the 4 man blind. Terrible day! Ducks have been here for 2 or more weeks and already know how to fly the lakes to avoid blinds and hunters. Amazing how smart these birds are in such a short time. No real flocks of northern birds have arrived for quite a spell now. Anyway, we need new birds so some of you Nodakers kick them down our way. I'll ,if ok, try to keep you posted as our season progresses down here.

Sid


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## MinotRich (Sep 18, 2003)

Sid,
I talked to my dad in Illinois via email earlier this week and he said pretty much the same thing as you did. They were hunting a state run blind in Bureau County. Tornado warnings the night before, 20-30 mph winds on Saturday and no birds were flying. All the hassle he has to go through just to hunt there makes me appreciate what we have here in North Dakota. Dad had to put his name in to draw for a blind sometime this summer. They got drawn for one, but late, so they didn't get a choice spot. Then, they have to check in with the DNR every morning, put the boat in the water, travel upriver, pull the boat across a "roller", back in the lake to the blind to set decoys and then hunt. I think they have to quit shooting at 1 pm also. This versus us scouting a field or pond the night before and setting up in the am. I don't envy what dad has to go through at all. But, I am looking forward to hunting with him about this time next year down in Illinois, as soon as Uncle Sam gives me my retirement orders!  
Don't worry, the ducks should be coming your way pretty soon. Looks like we are getting close to freezin' up here. Look on the bright side...... your season just started and ours will just be a distant memory all too soon.  Remember, optimism is contagious!


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

Well, I am in IL too and hunted along the Illinois River south of Havana Saturday, Sunday and Election Day (BUT I voted) and it was extremely slow. At the Sanganois walkin (flooded timber) I took two Wood Duck Drakes both days and that was it. Never a chance at anything else...

On Saturday, when I left at 11 AM, there had only been ONE Mallard checked in from the Walk-in....

On Election Day, I received an unsolicited invite from the owners of the best public blind (they draw for in the summer and have to build it themselves) and we never pulled the trigger.

Saw only 4 or 5 taken from other blinds that morning and we did have several look us over, and even a pair of geese work us, but it was if they had ALL been shot at for weeks in this area!

One thing we discussed was how it had changed in recent years and one of the variables (possibly major) was that IL - like many states - had instituted a Youth Hunt that occurs the week before our regular opener and this messes up the few local ducks we do have. NO ONE wants the Youth Hunt ended, it was just something we saw as a possibility that impacts waterfowling...

It was a great day (we have to quit by 1 PM at State operated sites) and left at 12:15. These guys had built one Heck of a Blind! Even had a John, stove, lights, etc., and still stood six-feet above the water and we are near flood stage right now what with all the rains.

It was a great time and I enjoyed hunting with new friends. :beer: No one seemed upset about not pulling a trigger, just a little disappointed that there are no birds - yet!


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## wtrfwlr (Sep 29, 2004)

I'm from southern illinois and our youth season was last weekend, our regular season starts the 13th but I took a kid and on sat he killed 3 mallard drakes, 1 pintail, 1 woodie, and 1 gaddie. ON sunday he killed 2 mallard drakes, 1 woodie, 2 mallard hens, 1 gaddie. THe woodies filled the skys with colors and we saw more ducks than i've seen in my whole life. I can't wait for season to come in down here.


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

Wtrfwlr,

Were you at Carlyle?

While not the lowest number of Woodies I have seen at opening weekend over the last five years, it was significantly lower than five+ years ago for some reason...


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## gaddyshooter (Oct 12, 2003)

while we are on the Illinois kick here....I hunted Stump Lake WMA (near grafton on Illinois River) on Tuesday. Even on election day, all of the good blinds were checked out in the morning so I had to get in the daily drawing to get a blind. Not much left unfortunately. Hunted till about 11:30, only had one duck in range. Got one wood duck. Only duck to even come remotely close to shooting range. Saw far fewer ducks flying than normal.


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

MinotRich--- :lol: :lol: 
Your dad and I seem to have a lot in common. I have attended the drawings for blinds in Illinois, since 1975 and have never been drawn as a blind holder. I got on a blind twice, in that time, by knowing somone. Having been in ND twice now I #1 Thank the Lord for your state and #2 hope your state never falls into the hands of the leasees and rich like here. It really . . . be nice Sid. . . messes up hunting. Lots of Illinois land to hunt for $5000 to $10,000 a year for a blind. That is not an unusual amount to pay. I go often and still am happy to be in the Marsh,because a bad day hunting is still better than a good day at work.(I am retired now). 
Sid


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## wtrfwlr (Sep 29, 2004)

Well sorry all you guys had bad luck we hunted Rend. Some of the best ducking I've ever seen on rend was last weekend. Everybody was killing birds. I saw more woodies that saturday than i have in my whole life??


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## pintailjoe (Oct 19, 2003)

We hunt in northern illinois by gurnie mills and we saw a good number of ducks and 2 of us got 6 mallards today and 1 red head and there is pressure all over the lake so there on there way guys.


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

--It seems that we are starting to pick up Northern birds here in Central Illinois. It always seems that from the end of the first week of November to the middle we get a good puch of new birds. Not huge numbers, but new birds. Talked to a fellow yesterday who not only shot a few but saw many large flocks of high flyers winiging in to the refuge areas around here. Mainly gaddies and more mallards now. Also more bleubills statring to show up according to a few. You Nodakers are scaring 'em south better every day. Get your share and send some to Illinois.

Sid


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## gaddyshooter (Oct 12, 2003)

Sid, whack a few and send them on down. Very poor still down here. My son had off Friday from school so I took him out. Would not have went if it was not for him. Sunny day that got up to the mid 60's and absolutely no wind. Saw two ringnecks early in the morning that swung too wide for a shot. Other than that, there was nothing at all flying. Never seen it quite so bad as it has been the first week of duck season down here. Been way to warm still.


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

11-8-04    
Nodakers are doing there job for us down in Illinois, by shooing them south. Latest report more birds than a week ago, more puddlers ,not just tons of woodies. Still slow but this is the week to two weeks we usually get a northern push of birds. Was out, but home by noon, and saw lots of woodies. We did get 6 birds but we were the lucky blind this time, wind and sun were perfect, both at our backs, and 6 really dumb birds, 2 mallards 3 gaddies and 1 ringneck were the result. Going out Wednesday and again Friday this week so more later. Keep pushing them south nodakers, as I said before take your share send the rest to us.
Sid


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

Wednesday,Nov 10,2004
Went out today and got two mallards. Again, no new birds, although we saw at least three large flocks of birds move into refuge areas today. That was a good sign and with the weather predictions here for the 20's and possible flurries tomorrow, I wouldn't be surprised to see increased kill sheets in central Illinois beginning tomorrow and on through the weekend. Our Goose season is out now for 10 days started the 7th of Nov then comes back in around the 17th. A lot of geese in the area as our resident flocks of giant Canadas are really moving around(of course no one can shoot them now). Good hunting to all and send 'em south.
Sid


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

Nodakers-
11-12-04    
Hunted the Illinois River Valley, a different public area today, and still no good. Saw a lot of woodies in the first 30 to 45 minutes and that was all. Got one lonesome drake woodie. Pretty bird,maybe a little dumb though. Very few other ducks even moving. The refuge there is holding 2000 + ducks (all kinds) but there is so much millet and corn in the flooded refuge that they just don't fly. Weather, no help, 35-40 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, and barely a wind at all. Oh well, home early so either a nap or rake leaves today(probably a nap). More later if we ever get ducks to write about. Hope you Nodakers are spanken em and sending them south. 
Sid


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## gaddyshooter (Oct 12, 2003)

What do we gotta do to get some cold weather and some ducks down here. Suppose to be 72 degrees today. :******: :******: Nov 17 and 72 degrees. WTH


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## Booster (Sep 8, 2003)

Yep smalls


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## smalls (Sep 9, 2003)

forget to take your Ritalin again booster?


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

Booster,

You have a choice just like on November 2, you can open this thread and read/post, or you can choose not too.

Now I might not be a resident (YET), but I have been hunting in ND since 1989 and have had great times 100% of the time and all that with 99% good people; and throughout it all, I have shared my experiences in ND with you all via posts, threads and in person. In addition, I love to read about what others are doing around the northern hemisphere - and that includes the Provinces in Canada, South Dakota, et al.

Regardless if I am from Illinois (I am) or not (only one posted response above), I visit this site almost daily and then some. I have met and hunted with many a person I met via this site and by golly, it seems we have enjoyed each others company while we regale each other with stories of places we have been, people we have hunted with, and things we have seen.

Now when it's one-on-one and in-person, we usually cannot make a choice of whether we listen or not but here we all can...

For the record, I have Minot, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan on my daily weather watch. I go to web sites that contain input from hunters north and south of North Dakota in addition to ND - and I even sneak a peak at people who hunt in Kalifornia on occasion!

Yes, I find it a little unusual to see so many posts here about hunting in another state but I thought it was their way of keeping you all informed (too) about how waterfowling was south of you. We have lived vicariously over the years by reading what you all in ND have been experiencing while afield and maybe these youngsters wanted to also pay you back. I say youngsters (I am older) because they still seem excited about hunting and less patient with the migration than some. Come to think of it, most of the people on this site get a little impatient when the birds aren't here due to weather, harvest, or the like...

Anyway, sorry if I sound like a moderator or a little "testy", I just felt after reading your response to this thread, you might better appreciate the content if you looked at it differently. I love North Dakota and the residents - many who homesteaded their property over a hundred years ago - and feel anyone who hunts in this great state (ND) should appreciate a vested interest in its future.

I hope you have a better day and that we get a chance to maybe meet and share time afield in the future - either in ND, IL or anywhere else you and I might be hanging our boots at the time!

Peace.


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## gaddyshooter (Oct 12, 2003)

Thank you Zettler. The post you are talking about must have been removed, because I dont see anything. Seems pretty simple to me though. The title of the thread is "info from Illinois." If you have no interest in info from Illinois, do not read the thread.

I am just like you, I have been to ND for the last four years, and have been in love with the place since the second I arrived the first year. I also visit this site any chance I get just to keep informed of ND happening and to live vicariously though some of the hunters on here. Though maybe some of the people up there might be interested in what goes on other places in the country. Apparently some are not interested at all, and Oh, by the way, I was wrong in my first post, weatherbug says 73


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## smalls (Sep 9, 2003)

Please forgive booster, I know him, he's just bitter cuz he went to the carnival and he wasn't taller then the candy striped stick and they wouldn't let him ride the big kid rides. :beer:

Booster, you going to be back home this weekend? I'll be staying at slimers place and picking off a couple of does on saturday morning after we grind some geese :sniper:


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

Booster is okay, he just PM'ed me, and I responded in kind. I just get a "little" preachy sometimes...

:beer:

Gaddy, its 71+ degrees here in Springpatch! Gotta put the A/C on again.... :roll:


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## Booster (Sep 8, 2003)

Smalls, I wouldn't talk you were over the weight requirements for the housey rides at the petting zoo. Yes, I will be home killing geese so give me a call. Kenner has a corn field that is loaded so lets go! :sniper:


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

Booster save that field until the weather turn ****ty!! Then Jed and I will come up.


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## smalls (Sep 9, 2003)

Booster said:


> Smalls, I wouldn't talk you were over the weight requirements for the housey rides at the petting zoo. Yes, I will be home killing geese so give me a call. Kenner has a corn field that is loaded so lets go! :sniper:


Booster, they were shetlands and I am 23 years old.

Here's a pic of booster on the "horsey rides" I was too big for.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

:laugh:


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

:lol: :lol: 
small you are killin me!!


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## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

LMFAO

Good stuff.


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

11-21-04    Same old story. No real push yet. I will admit that we are at least seeing a few larger bunches of birds but they are heading straight to the food crops on the refuges. I was encouraged to read that some of the fellows in Nodak country are seeing good sized bunches of mallards in the last day or so. I sat and actually got a stiff neck and started seeing dark spots in front of my eyes last time out. Didn't fire a shot. Heard only 6-8 shots on the lake ,which is big, and normally it sounds like a war at this time of the year. Oh well, still would rather be hunting than sitting and doing nothing. I'll be out again on Tuesday and/or Wednesday. Weather here is cooler and WET. Good luck and send 'em south,after taking your share.

Sid


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## wtrfwlr (Sep 29, 2004)

Sid you're supposed to get some some tuesday, and we are supposed to get it in the southern half wednesday. At least thats' what the weather man said tonight. So wednesday we might smack some ducks down this way. Your best bet might be to hunt tuesday and wednesday, that's when the cold is supposed to arrive??? But we'll see


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

Wtrflwr-
I will be in the blind maybe Tuesday and for sure Wednesday. I will let you all know what is here and what is still in flight. Colder today(monday) and looks like rain for Tuesday and possibly some flurries on Wednesday. Happy Thanksgiving to all and don't eat so much that the waders don't fit over the backside.

Sid


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

All-
Holy Crap!!! Snow, cold, 20-30 mph winds and FINALLY ducks are here. What a morning in the Central Illinois River Valley! My buddy and I hunted today in a public area along the Illinois near Havana and knocked the #### out of the ducks. I saw more ducks this am than I have seen combined up to now. It was not a good ride home in the snow and freezing rain,but who cares when you have been knocking their beaks off. I still don't think the "grand push" has arrived but I'll take what we have for now. Mallards and ring necks all over the place. A couple of 6 bird limits is a good thing around here. Expecting 3-5 inches of snow(already 2-3 on the ground). Nodakers you did your work and sent them south. Hope all have a great Thanksgiving and eat as much as I intend to.
Sid :beer: :beer:


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

Sid,

I sent you a PM...

Bob


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## wtrfwlr (Sep 29, 2004)

nice to hear sid!!! We are going to try it tomorrow morning, hopefully they made it down here by now. by the way i have family in havanna, my dad is up there now muskie fishing on praire lake. anyway, i'm going hunting against doctors orders, i cut my finger to the bone and havefour stitches, also makes it hard to type, but i'm wrapping it up good and we are gonna try to whack em tomorrow. wish us luck.
wtrfwlr


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

Wtfwlr-
Sorry to hear about the cut. Wrap and go, cause they are here. As I said maybe not that "grand Push" we know of in Cen Ill River Valley, but definitely here. Going again Saturday am, hunting the same blind so we'll see how fast they can be educated, or if they stayed around after getting busted hard on Wednesday, etc. Good luck!
Sid

Nodakers, anyone have ant inside stuff about the Turtle Lake area of ND. I am looking at that area for next fall, a slight change of location for us, but I trust the Nodakers concerning is it good or is it not worth the trip. We are freelance hunters,not "guided guys" so we want to know if there is open and accessible pothole hunting land in the Turtle Lake area.
Sid


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## wtrfwlr (Sep 29, 2004)

sid, 
well today sucked as far as duck hunting goes. We saw very little in the way of ducks. we didn't get a draw so we went to a flooded field, it was public land and no one else showed up. Well i know why, we saw a whooping 8 ducks, one came into range but i missed. It was the finger, we r trying it tomorrow. but the good thing is there are bout 30,000 geese sitting on the refuge, and in 15 mins we saw bout 3,000 snows come in. There were only 4,000 ducks on the refuge so our ducks must have went farther south. but good luck up there.
wtrfwlr


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

Sunday-11-28-04
Illinois River Valley hunting near Havana is still good. As I said in one of my last posts the birds are here. They have become a little better educated since Wednesday(more skittish and wary) but still here. Weather was a crapper again Saturday(27th). Rain and cooler winds from South at 15 then changed to NNW at 15. Seems like as soon as the wind changed Saturday the ducks turned off. Our blind got 7 ducks total which is still ok. 3 drakes, 2 widgeon,1 gadwall and 1 ring neck. It was fun again. Our latest reports are that new birds are continuing to arrive so we hope hunting stays the same or improves. According to the Peoria paper 316,000 ducks are in the valley( if their plane fly-overs and arial counts can be trusted). My hunting buddy got a banded Mallard Drake that was 9 years old and banded at Salyer National Wildlife Refuge near Upham, ND. That was cool! A big old drake and certainly not a young pup. If he could have talked he would have had some real stories about his trips North and south each year.
SID
:beer: :beer:


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## wtrfwlr (Sep 29, 2004)

Glad to hear all is good up there, the duck hunting is almost shut down, down here in the south. This morning i heard only 2 shots, didn't see one duck. Yesterday me and my buddy got a gaddy, woodie, and a scoup. You need to send the birds this way.


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

They have to be moving south as many shots as were fired at them Saturday. Sounded like a war zone for a couple of hours. They will be there.

Any Nodakers have any info concerning Turtle Lake, North Dakota area? If so I'd appreciate whatever you might want to share.

Sid


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

Out Wednseday 12-1-04- Weather turned nice,cleared off and cold but little wind and a clear sky. At this public area that spells poor hunting. Seems the crappier the day,wind, rain,sleet,snow the better the hunting. Two ringnecks and an early return home. Still ducks -plenty- but they stay on the refuge areas with nice weather and hunting then becomes slow. 
Sid


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## wtrfwlr (Sep 29, 2004)

I hunted yesterday 11/30/04, the first hour of shooting time was hot and heavy as far as ducks flying. We had a few skirt the dekes but couldn't seem to connect with them. Ended up with only two hooded mergansers between me and my buddy. Goose season opens up in 9 days so that might bring my duck hunting to an end for a while.


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## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

wtflr, Not trying to be a smart *** but what do mergansers taste like? I think we can shoot them up here but never have had the opportunity.


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

:eyeroll: :eyeroll: 
Well, thanks to high water and birds moving on through, we just might be done for awhile. The gates of the water control on the lake are inches away from being inundated and when that happens the whole lake will rise about a foot or even more, food will go under water and our ducks will say sc*** this lets move south and find a better area. Our season goes to the end of December and if the water goes down we might still get the late birds like we did last year. Many, many ducks were killed the last week of the season in blinds where we still were not frozen out, which was only a few river type blinds. Our trouble here is not that there are no birds,but there is so much water that they are spred all over the area, not concentrated on public refuge (food) plots. This hurts the blind builders. So, Saturday was a bust, I'll try Wednesday unless high water wipes us out and let you all know later how our little part of Illinois is faring. So far a couple of wonderful days and many really bad days. I still would rather be hunting than working or a lot of other things.
Sid :beer: :beer:


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## wtrfwlr (Sep 29, 2004)

That was my first merganser, it's still in the freezer so i don't know. But the weather in Southern Illinois is hot, 60+ The ducks have really slowed down but yesterday 12/05, the snow geese were migrating i bet we saw close to 10,000 fly over head that's not counting the ones off in the distance. We had a few lock up and trying to land in the field behind us, but someone shot down the lake and flared them. oh well 5 more days i'll be whackin' the canadas.


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

Thursday,12-9-04

Flooded out! Our blind is all but 1 foot under water. Ducks are hanging around but spread hither and yon due to all the standing water in the area and it has really slowed down to next to nothing. Gonna try for geese tomorrow at a small lake near home. Hopefully they are cooperative, I'll let you know. It could be a week before the water has receded enough for the blind to be used again if it does at all. Oh well, at lesast we had a couple three or four good hunts before the river decided to end it for all of us.
Sid :eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll:


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## BJH (Apr 9, 2004)

Guy's, Your Bummin' me out !!! I live in Il between the River & Carlyle. I go to this forum to forget about our Crappy Hunting in IL over the rescent years, and try to remember my ND trips every year. Trips that don't cost a bundle, No more than what I spend every Day!!! We could have Great Hunting for the right PRICE!!! But, Greed ruins it all, Yes, sooner or later even in ND!!! (God, I hope not) The only faith I have is in the people of ND, to keep their fundamentals & way of life.


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## wtrfwlr (Sep 29, 2004)

Well the duck hunting has slowed down to nothing, and opening goose season might as well have been none existent. Hopefully this insanely cold weather pushes something down here. It's about time we get a good migration, we deserve it.


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

Wtfwlr--Yep it is bad! You know it is bad when I start palnning my next trip to ND in the fall during the Illinois huntimng season. As I said other than a good duck spell of two weeks or so that has been it. Now we have to set in the boat in a makeshift blind and anchor it to the old duck blind roof in order top hunt. There is so much water the ducks are spread into areas where honestly we have never seen them before. Most of these areas are on private lands that say open your wallet and "show me the money" and I might let you hunt. Oh well, we'll possibly try the old anchor the boat bit and see what happens.

Good luck with what is left of the season. Southern Illinois might still do well later after we are closed up in the Central Zone.

Sad Sid


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## wtrfwlr (Sep 29, 2004)

Well i'm more of a goose hunter, and it has been extremely cold the past two days, and i heard a few canadas. It was a sound for sore ears after only hearing snows and specks the past month. Might as well give duck hunting up


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## gaddyshooter (Oct 12, 2003)

Sid, wtrflr....unfortunately I think this year is a complete bust. From the sounds of things on here, there are no more ducks to come through this year. There are not any big concentrations of birds still holding north of us. Ducks must have flown right on over us this year, or I am beginning to agree with what some have said on this site before. The big numbers of ducks that the USF &WS predicted never even existed. I have been hunting since 1988 when I was in high school, and this is by far the worst year I have ever seen as far as duck numbers. I am afraid there are no ducks left for this cold weather to push to us. Went yesterday at Stump Lake, which at this time of the year is normally loaded with ducks. I didnt get up there until about 9 am and stayed till noon and honestly saw no ducks at all flying. I saw two ruddy ducks and that was it, and the flooded corn that usually holds ducks in the area was empty. Very very poor year.


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## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

> Not trying to be a smart a$$ but what do mergansers taste like? I think we can shoot them up here but never have had the opportunity.


Mount the drakes and give the hen to someone who has given you some nasty venison to sample. They are strong enough to need a chaser handy.


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

:beer: 12-24-04
Merry Christmas to all Nodakers from Illinois. May all your hunts be merry and full of our feathered friends. Happy New Year also!!! There is always next year and marshes with our names on them.

Sid


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