# 2004 Migration



## kkluver (Nov 11, 2004)

I've noticed that dissapointment is prevalent throughout the central flyway in regard to this year's migration. I've noticed a trend the past six years in the movement of mallards. They seem to migrate later, in bigger groups and go not as far South every year. In Nebraska a majority of our state opens around October 1st. It's now the middle of November and we've seen a small trickle here and there. I think our state needs to wake up and adjust our season. We basically only have 6 weeks left. Our season needs to open 3 weeks later and run 3 weeks longer.

klk :eyeroll:


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## D_Hage (Nov 10, 2004)

What part of Nebraska do you hunt? I was thinking about going down later this month and doing some hunting with my brother in law, but I thought he said the season was open until January.


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## recker (Oct 12, 2003)

The post front report from minnesota is a big zero. Saw one duck in two hours this afternoon near swan lake area. Saw a few small flocks on some potholes but nothing in the air.Never have seen it this poor this late in the season before.


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## Trippin Dipsies (Nov 12, 2004)

You guys aren't in the boat alone. There are little to no flight ducks here in Michigan. Did quite well the first couple of weekends with divers and local Mallards; but since then sssslllllllllllooooooooowwww.


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## Matt Jones (Mar 6, 2002)

recker said:


> The post front report from minnesota is a big zero. Saw one duck in two hours this afternoon near swan lake area. Saw a few small flocks on some potholes but nothing in the air.Never have seen it this poor this late in the season before.


MN seriously needs to start later or at the very least use the options they have like different zones and splits.


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## kkluver (Nov 11, 2004)

We have various zones and each has its own quirky dates. For example I hunt on a stretch of river that is really good for late season. Up river 10 miles the season is 10 days longer. Down river 3 miles the same thing. The only logic is that the hiways make for a good boundries. You see that all over the state. I think we are still under the impression that Nebraska is a major breeding state so we have all kinds of weird boundries and dates and zones. I've talked to guys all over the state and you have your pockets of success, but for the most part everybody gets into the ducks about the same time. Every year its a little later and seems to be all at once.

Depending on where you go, there will be ducks later this month and yes some zone do run into the first part of January, unfortunately my spots are closed down December 19th. Good Luck. This weekend should be the best so far statewide.

klk


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## octnov (Aug 21, 2004)

Read your post and as I stated in my Info From Illinois ditto.SSSSLLLLOOOOWWWW!!!!!
Sid


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## eskay (Aug 21, 2004)

Same here in Northern WI. No ducks around, NONE!! I was out hunting once this week and scouting 3 other days, and saw 2 mallards. That's it. And deer hunting opens here on the 20th, so every clown with $18.00 and a rifle will be out trying to fill his freezer. And, this year there are unlimited anterless tags available for $12.00 each, so if it's brown, it's down. Dangerous to walk out of the house without orange on, at least the first weekend. And guess when the ducks will show up? Friday night.


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## take EM' close (Oct 21, 2004)

been great here in Northerm Wyoming, seen tons of mallards, geese, shovelers, redhead, bluebill, and scaup! Limited out with a friend of mine yesterday....6 birds a peice. 10 mallards, and 1 shoveler, and 1 wigeon. Very rare to limit out here in wyoming but it happend. We got the 10 mallards from when we jumped about 100 mallards off of a lower pond from where we were hunting. There are about 4 ponds all lined up and we were on the upper one...big mistake, nothing set down wit us, just pass shooting. Put a great sneak on the mallards...about 100 just huddled up....popped up and boom, 10 were down!! Best hunt that ive had for the four years i've ever hunted!!!! but ya its been great here...LOT OF BIRDS!!! :beer: cant wait for next Sunday!!! :lol:


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## Chris Benson (Apr 3, 2004)

I'm sure ya'll be happy to know that Manitoba is still holding large number of birds. Scouted a field in the Interlake Friday that had a couple thousand Canada geese, couple hundred snows, and, maybe five thousand mallards. Never got to hunt it, as it was too late in the day.

Saturday
Went looking for another field also in the Interlake and found a couple fields that had maybe about fifty thousand snow geese flying between a couple fields. The farmers have finally got a frost in the ground and are able to cut the barley and wheat fields around that area. Do ducks and geese like just cut barley and wheat fields?! Anyway so my buddy and I get permission and bunch up a swath of barley and laydown in our "Lazy Boy barley", and watch all the snow geese land in our field. Got some shooting and got a few birds, but with any kind of goose hunting, "If I were just another 50 yards over... "

Sunday

Went back to the same field as last night with my father, another close friend and a young hunter from the Netley Youth Duck Hunt. I set up my dozen home made silo snow goose decoys and waited until the entire flock of fifty thousand decided they wanted into our field and for about an hour every flock that came towards us decoyed. Every see a few thousand snow geese decoy into a spread of 12 decoys? I can't understand why you guys in the states feel the need to use a couple hundred to couple thousand decoys, these birds were so dumb that while you're shooting a decoying flock, other birds are decoying right behind them watching their buddies get shot out of the sky. Couldn't keep the gun loaded!

Went back tonight for an evening shoot, the birds didn't come into our field, but there is something to be said about seeing a flock of snow geese that streched about 2 miles wide by 5 miles long flying right over our heads. Thousands upon thousands of birds!

Anyway I thought you guys to the south would be happy to know we're still shooting birds up here. :lol:


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## Matt Fiala (Nov 8, 2004)

That's what I ahve been hearing, tons of birds to the north, well I hope the ducks get here soon so I can still bag a few, but can't wait for the geese to get back in the area thick.


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## duxnbux (Feb 25, 2002)

> I can't understand why you guys in the states feel the need to use a couple hundred to couple thousand decoys, these birds were so dumb that while you're shooting a decoying flock, other birds are decoying right behind them watching their buddies get shot out of the sky.


You are very privaledged...the birds are more and more educated as they come south. Back when my dad was my age the snow geese would still decoy to anything. They actually used to use white paper plates as decoys and had good success...as a general rule this as changed

My guess it that a large percentage of geese that are in the area you hunt right now are juvenile birds. Most of them have probably seen very few spreads...if any. This being the case..along with a great new food source they wanted in the field that you were in and haven't yet learned what to be aware of. You were on the X. These snow geese seemed "dumb" in this sitation but this is not the case in most situations. With a large number of birds that have seen decoy spreads for over two decades adult groups of birds can be very difficult to decoy.

However you may be on to something. Those geese you where hunting that have seen spreads or were adult birds may not be used to seeing your type of spread...they therefore did not see it as a danger zone. We have seen some late season birds that have been heavily pressured in our area work into a smaller spread...sometimes less is more and you proved that. There are situations when huge spreads are needed...in your situation the smaller spread was very effective! Enjoy the birds and the hunting!


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## kkluver (Nov 11, 2004)

This kind of takes me back to the original post. It's now November 15th, duck season in Nebraska has been open for 1 1/2 months and closes for the majority of the state in 5 weekends. Still waiting for ducks. They are North, way north of Nebraska. Even north of the USA.

:eyeroll: I'm not sure if it takes an act of congress, but why do we set our season based on weather patterns that occurred 50 years ago? Nebraska duck season should not open until November 1st. Goose season should not open until November 15th. I'm speaking in generality here for the entire state.

I know there are arguments of remember the snow storm October 13th of '97..............yeah, but it always warms back up a little and the ducks show up again.

klk


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## kkluver (Nov 11, 2004)

OK, I've done enough griping now. As for the migration. We have seen snow geese trickling through earlier last week. A few ducks moved in, but spotty at best. I've spoken to guys that cover SE, W, N. Central and the Platte in S. Central NE and there just isn't any patter to success. For the most part its been disappointment.

We'll wait for better weather.

klk


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## birddog131 (Oct 28, 2004)

Minnesota's migration is very bad this year. With the season closing in only a couple of weeks, it isn't going to be a good year at all. I don't understand why there is even a close of duck season, as the ice would signal the end.......oh well.
I watched a guy on Sunday morning he had 70 dekes on a great point, 1/2 the lake was iced over the wind was perfect.....he shot 10 times all morning, he got his six ducks but the majority were buffle heads and Scaup....no big flocks at all. This year is just a bust.


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## Ty (Mar 11, 2004)

im from NE nebraska and have been killing some ducks. Nothing really exciting but divers are making up some of the bag.

I wouldnt get too worried. Its just the weather up north has been so perfect for the ducks they have no reason to leave and come down here yet. There are some migrators but it seems they have come and gone.

Im going to bet that when the Nodaks get a blizzard up there we will be into birds thick and you better be self employed and be ready to wack and stack all day long.

As of now im prepping for that moment. Today im going to clean out the decoy trailer and secure permission on some good fields that are next to some refuges. Its gunna git bloody! :******:


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