# freeze up



## crocket50 (Sep 11, 2014)

My buddies and I are coming out on Oct. 25. Do we need to be concerned with getting froze out? We will be mostly hunting small ponds. Also what will be the majority of the ducks species around at that time. Thanks for the help!


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

yes


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## Blue Plate (Jul 31, 2006)

No.

Unless something really strange happens you should be worried in later October. You might have some shore ice in the morning but you should be fine. ND weather is unpredictable it could be snowing or 75 but you will most like not be froze entirely.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Its North Dakota. It can go from sunny and 70 out one day to 30 and windy the next. Some years the ground is froze my November 8 and other years its much closer to Thanksgiving.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

My suggestion is to plan for the possibility and hope it does not happen. Having hunted ducks in this state 40+ years I have seen the small ponds in be iced over the 20th and never open back up and have them open until Dec. If it does freeze and you do not have a back up option your hunting is done.


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## slough (Oct 12, 2003)

As has been said, lots of variables. If you're close to the Canadian border, there's a decent chance. If your close to the SD border, less so. Depends what kind of hunting you're planning on doing - pothole hunting, you'll be at a bigger risk of those locking up. Bigger water or field hunting you'll probably be ok. You just never know. Late October blizzards are not uncommon in ND.


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## Feathers (Oct 27, 2011)

You will be fine. On the rare chance that the small potholes do freeze you should drive to big water or rivers and field hunt.


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

Maybe, Maybe not! If you do get the ponds frozen, it can be tough to do much with decoys with thin ice and open water only way out from shore.

This freeze up thread made me remember duck hunting in Sask. as a kid. Often there'd be lots of mallards on the Unfrozen River, but ponds would be frozen hard enough to carry your weight. So we'd talk a gallon jug or so of water, add a bit of BLUEING to the water, enough to color it a bit, then pour it on top of the ice and set our homemade field decoys on the edge and in the colored area. 
To a mallard it would look exactly like a bit of open water kept open by some fellow ducks, and they'd pile into the decoys. Normally in November the ice up there would hold a human as long as you were careful.
Down here in ND I'd be VERY careful. Maybe use a long grabber like a golf ball or fishing lure retriever to pour some dye and set out decoys. Use a spin casting rod to retrieve. Be Careful with a heavy dog!!
Haven't used that trick for 45 plus years! just remembered it now. I don't know if "blueing" still exists or not. It used to be used with clothes laundering. Could use some blue fountain pen ink too......OOPS..... What are foundation pens??? LOL. Any bit of water soluble blue coloring dumped into a gallon jug might work. Doesn't take much.......


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Maybe............ I remember a season in the late 80s when season opened the 1st Saturday of October. That year all the small ponds froze up the second Saturday and never thawed till spring.

It is also possible small water could freeze for a few days then open up again.............


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## KJH (Aug 23, 2006)

I'm headed up there on the 24th... I picked that week for a reason... I think its the best one based on my history hunting in ND. I've hunting the range of October 13 to November 10 and think the last week of October beats them all hands down. Anything could happen, but IMO you're going on the best week.

Even if the small holes are frozen solid (possible but unlikely), there is plenty of big sloughs and fields that will concentrate the birds making them easier to find and hunt.

Be glad you're going when you are!!!!


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