# When does freeze up typically occur



## craig jansen (Nov 19, 2004)

I hunt the southern third of the state, within a half hour or so of the Jamestown area, and we have always scheduled our week of hunting sometime during the first three weeks of October. It seems as if every week we've picked for the past five or six years has been pretty warm, and there wasn't a lot of bird movement on most days, aside from the usual first and last light flurries. This year, so as not to miss any of my kid's football games, we're coming later, hunting from Halloween, through your opening weekend of deer season. From what you guys remember about your deer season opener, is it typical for your sloughs to be frozen over by then. There is a pretty good variety of small potholes to large deep sloughs where we hunt, so I'm wondering what, if any, water hunting will we availabe when we come. I'm most concerned this season, because I'm training my first duck dog, and I'm praying for good opportunities for him to retrieve some ducks. If you guys have any other thoughts you could share on what kind of hunting you typically experience around that time frame, I'd be glad to hear it. I was kind of wondering if by then you're only targeting certain types of ducks, what kind of duck numbers do you have that time of year, on average, do tactics change for that time of year, etc... Thanks in advance for your responses.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

That's a question that honestly nobody can answer. The freeze up can occur at any time so it's always a guessing game.

I'm not sure what type of hunting you do, but if you're a boat hunter that's a heck of a gamble at times. I've seen seasons where guys spend all day driving around with their boat, looking for a place to launch where none exists. That has to be frustrating.

So it's a gamble. When I was younger you knew it was always over by the end of October as it was always cold the first 3 weeks. Now you just never know.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

The snakes have been denning up for over two weeks already, the monarch butterflies are migrating... wooohooo it's coming fast. Should freeze in a couple weeks, then who knows after that.


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## nickle ditch (Aug 26, 2002)

I think its coming early for us this year. The song birds are almost all gone and the crows are migrating already. The oldtimers are saying its going to be a early winter. We've had temperatures very near freazing more then a few times this month. August has felt more like late September.


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## MossyMO (Feb 12, 2004)

August is starting to feel like last years June and July !!!


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

Anybody else notice the lack of Robins and the like? They have disappeared almost over night, alls we see now are doves and blackbirds.

We are overdue for an a$$ kickin' winter. Hard water by the 3rd weekend in Oct., knee deep in snow by Halloween, smackin' heavy honkers by Nov., glassin' whitetails heavy in rut that stick out like sore thumbs at a 1000 yrds.

MMMmmmm, sounds good doesn't it!! 8)


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## nickle ditch (Aug 26, 2002)

4curl

Yeah it's the Robins being gone that i'm thinking about. They've been gone for a few weeks.


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## Quackkills9 (Oct 25, 2004)

I have been seeing plenty of Robins around but yeah its been cool out lately and I love it, but I dont see the birds leaving already, maybe its just where you are?


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## zogman (Mar 20, 2002)

I agree probably early this year the walleyes starting to move from deep reefs to shallows about a week ago. Thats about 3 weeks earlier than last year.


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## huntin' dog (Aug 22, 2005)

Great forum. I love it!! Can't wait to get out in the water and field with my dog again this fall.

After reading this thread, I have a related question... After the potholes freeze, does that mean that the duck hunting is immediately over? What I mean is... what about field hunting? Can you still successfully field hunt for ducks after the potholes freeze, and for how long? How soon do the ducks clear out? Within a day, or a few days?


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

over night it seems... any where there is moving water it doesn't freeze so take that into consideration. If there is a river in the area you are talking about maybe it stays open for a while longer sustaining small numbers of ducks and geese. Still water freezes first and the smaller the body of water the sooner it is frozen.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Huntin Dog wrote



> After the potholes freeze, does that mean that the duck hunting is immediately over? What I mean is... what about field hunting?


One thing that you will learn the longer you are here is that most of us native Nodak guys do not hunt water at all, we field hunt. Chris has an article that describes how to hunt North Dakota that is written better than I can explain it. It usually gets posted a little prior to season opener. Maybe Chris can post it up. If you like to hunt water it is legal to do so, the problem is that it usually makes the ducks move out of the area because they do not feel they have a safe place to roost. Transition Sloughs would be your best water hunting bet.

Have fun Enjoy your stay.

Bob


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## Roughrider (Apr 12, 2005)

Buckseye is right but how quick they move out also depends on how wide spread the freeze up is. If the whole corner of the state freezes up in a day or two the ducks will all be gone in a day. If small areas are freezing then thawing the ducks will be moving around but in smaller numbers. A few days after the local ducks are gone for good the big northen mallards will move through. So to answer your question the water hunting and feild hunting end about the same time.


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

I was taught in school that it normally happens at 32 degrees and colder. There are some factors like wind and water depth that can slow this down.


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## Shu (Oct 21, 2003)

Chop - you're good at hitting those hanging curve balls! Funny stuff


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

had about 200 black birds in the yard in fargo along the river. Has been awhile since they have began migrating this early...


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## huntin' dog (Aug 22, 2005)

Bob - Thanks for the reference to Chris's article. I will look it up.

Yes - we have been learning about field hunting for ducks over the last few years. Here in Illinois/Indiana, we field hunt for geese, but for ducks, you must head to the water. Anyway, we stay with a family friend in ND to hunt ducks and sharptails. We had always been scouting/hunting the potholes nearby for ducks - PLOTS land, etc. I knew that field hunting ducks was the ticket there, but we hadn't found our spot yet. Then, one day after chasing sharptails all over his farm for three hours, we found some ducks feeding in his field, and BINGO! Hoping to get a good hunt or two again this year.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

huntin dog

Here is a link to the article.

http://www.nodakoutdoors.com/ducktips.php

Enjoy.

Those late season sharpies can give you a work-out :lol:

Bob


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## cooter77 (Sep 30, 2003)

It has been cool already in WI. last night made it down to 48 for a low. I would tend to agree on the early winter. Last few years it has been quite warm the first week or two so in Oct when I go out to Nd. Kind of a crap shoot as to what ol mother nature is gonna do.

Same here with the birds. they are flocking up already.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

Being flexible that time of year is a must. You could have good water hunting or out of luck if that is your only option. Plan and pack to allow for both field and water hunting. While layout blinds are nice, they are not a necessity to field hunt. Canada and Snow goose decoys along with your water duck decoys will be a good mix in a field if they are using it.

I hunted geese in Nov when the only open water was in the middle section of the lake they where using for roosting. The birds where not accessible from shore or a boat as most of the ice was about 4" thick. That same fall we saw guys bust ice and set up a trolling motor on a smaller wetland to open it up and they tried to attract the birds to the wetland. It failed ! They had enough gear to hunt fields but lacked the mentality to adapt to what mother nature handed out!


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## gaddyshooter (Oct 12, 2003)

I agree with what everyone is saying about the early winter. I have been on nights the last few weeks and for about the last week or so, getting off work at 6am ,in the yards behind my work, all of the trees have been completely full of starlings. Very early in the year for them to be all grouped up like that down here.


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

With the price of fuel etc. we better hope winter never comes!!!


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## DeerScarer (Jul 23, 2005)

My Grandpa and Grandma, who grew up in northern North Dakota, used to say that as a rule of thumb, the freeze-up would occur right around November 10th. When i was younger though, it was as often as not around November 1st. In the past 5 or ten years its gone completely nuts. We've had at least a couple of years when there was lots of snow on the ground "up north" before the end of October, then again we've had as many or more years when there was fine, mild weather into December. It's gotten so you just can't predict the weather two months out any more 

I do think you'll still find ducks in southern ND in early November tho.

-Dave


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