# is it to late



## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

we are looking to come out to Gwinner, ND from michigan next wednesday (nov 2nd). Birds still hangin around? Anyone that can give us some pointers would be great. Not bringing a boat, just dog, guns, decoys and waders. i see a couple hotels around there, anyone have any suggestions for lodging other than the obvious i'm all ears. thx in advance.


----------



## Chris Schulz (Sep 7, 2004)

yeah there here, you might hit the migration good if the weather changes any. good luck!


----------



## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

Chris Schulz said:


> yeah there here, you might hit the migration good if the weather changes any. good luck!


thx for quick reply, and good to hear.


----------



## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

I give you and update Sunday, heading out now for a 3 day weekend for pheasants. :sniper:


----------



## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

deacon said:


> I give you and update Sunday, heading out now for a 3 day weekend for pheasants. :sniper:


thx


----------



## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

most of the birds are ot even here yet, there are some nimbers but no concentrations. You picked a good part of the state this year...it will be good late.


----------



## Goon (Apr 3, 2005)

shiawassee_kid said:


> we are looking to come out to Gwinner, ND from michigan next wednesday (nov 2nd). Birds still hangin around? Anyone that can give us some pointers would be great. Not bringing a boat, just dog, guns, decoys and waders. i see a couple hotels around there, anyone have any suggestions for lodging other than the obvious i'm all ears. thx in advance.


Anything out by Michigan this weekend? I am going to give it a try this weekend but I am not so sure it will be any good.


----------



## Norm70 (Aug 26, 2005)

forman inn is ok. I always see alot of hunters stay there. Forman is 8 miles south of Gwinner


----------



## Norm70 (Aug 26, 2005)

Birds are pretty decoy shy. We were having terrible luck until a buddy of mine that was good with a short call started getting the geese to come


----------



## SnakeyJake1 (Mar 22, 2005)

Just to let you know... ya better start calling now for hotels. Our construction boys have been having a darn tough time finding hotels down in that area for the last 2 weeks. And with the deer opener next weekend, it could get even worse!

Good Luck to ya and enjoy your stay!


----------



## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

thx guys, all the stuff i wanted to hear. =)

as far as michigan ducks, its slow. No migrants down and all our local birds are pushing south cuz of cold stretch we just had. Our refuge numbers dropped the past 4-5 days.....some fair weather ducks decided it was time to move to ohio. Woodies and teal still can be found here but numbers are gettin smaller every day.


----------



## DeerScarer (Jul 23, 2005)

We see geese movin south every evening around Moorhead and West Fargo. Haven't run into large concentrations of duck on the Minnesota side yet this year. All the residents are just movin around nervously. Can't find anything on the water except real early and real late in the days. Geese in the fields of course. Cold front coming Sunday (10/30) might get things started, but sounds like generally warm through next thursday!

-Dave


----------



## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

curious if anyone got into any new birds in SE side this weekend?


----------



## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

There seems to be plenty of honkers but the Mallard population is defiantly down nationally.


----------



## markjens (Oct 30, 2005)

We hunted down around Forman Thu-Sat....saw a good number of birds.
Shot a mixed bag....there seemed to be some smart local Mallards around and they have plenty of places to go.

Layout Blinds next to flooded Bean fields seemed to work best.

Anyone else see the Moose wondering around Hankinson? I just about ran into it.


----------



## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

markjens said:


> We hunted down around Forman Thu-Sat....saw a good number of birds.
> Shot a mixed bag....there seemed to be some smart local Mallards around and they have plenty of places to go.
> 
> Layout Blinds next to flooded Bean fields seemed to work best.
> ...


you stay in hotel markjens? if so which one?


----------



## markjens (Oct 30, 2005)

We actually stayed at the Sunset Inn...located in Britton SD just on the other side of the border.

Worked out well....Good Ribeye's at the Hunters Inn.


----------



## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

cool, thanks for the info. much appreciated.


----------



## kaiserduckhelm (May 26, 2005)

On the way home we drove about twenty miles west of oaks and the mallards were thick. They were in flooded bean fields.


----------



## Travery (Mar 15, 2005)

markjens said:


> Good Ribeye's at the Hunters Inn.


Been there, done that, Great Time! :beer:


----------



## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

ya that alone will make my dad want to go there....the guy is like a bloodhound to prime rib and steaks when we go out west.


----------



## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

headin out in morning to SE Nodak, wish us luck. :beer:


----------



## D&amp;D (Sep 14, 2005)

We just got back Saturday from a week in ND. It was awesome! We hunted Sargent and Richland counties our first two days there and saw plenty of ducks and geese. It'll take some windshield time, but they're around. You may hit it even better than we did since I don't think the major migration push had even started when we were there. We left the north central part of the state late Friday and, for the first time while we were there, we saw huge numbers of migrators coming through.

Rooms were impossible to come by in the southeast corner and we ended up staying at the Dakota Magic casino on I-29 at the SD border. Good luck and I hope your trip is as good as ours was. By the way, I shot a banded greenhead east of Tewaukon! See ya.


----------



## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

D&D said:


> We just got back Saturday from a week in ND. It was awesome! We hunted Sargent and Richland counties our first two days there and saw plenty of ducks and geese. It'll take some windshield time, but they're around. You may hit it even better than we did since I don't think the major migration push had even started when we were there. We left the north central part of the state late Friday and, for the first time while we were there, we saw huge numbers of migrators coming through.
> 
> Rooms were impossible to come by in the southeast corner and we ended up staying at the Dakota Magic casino on I-29 at the SD border. Good luck and I hope your trip is as good as ours was. By the way, I shot a banded greenhead east of Tewaukon! See ya.


hehe, we drove thru last night and got to forman, ND (sargent county)around noon today and snagged a room no problem. Had a decent first hunt, mostly gaddy's tho. Mallards booted out soon after first shots. I stopped and asked a farmer for info about some land and it was sorta funny. He at first said we couldn't hunt it cuz it was leased....but then he asked what kind of hunting we were doing and we said duck....guy starts laughing and then says "follow me guys". Takes be out back his place and basically shows us the damn honey hole we been scouting for the last 3 hours. hehe...he thought we were deer hunters originally. Turns out to be awesome guy and was very nice.....great people out here.

first night take.

http://www.nodakoutdoors.com/forums/alb ... ic_id=2752


----------



## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

You've got to love that Spoonbill! Spoonie Chowder anyone?


----------



## Norm70 (Aug 26, 2005)

Hmmm wonder who the guy was? Generally most guys will let you hunt around there.


----------



## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

Field Hunter said:


> You've got to love that Spoonbill! Spoonie Chowder anyone?


was hoping for a drake spoon to mount....i try not to make shooting spoons a habit. hehe.


----------



## Goon (Apr 3, 2005)

shiawassee_kid said:


> Field Hunter said:
> 
> 
> > You've got to love that Spoonbill! Spoonie Chowder anyone?
> ...


Have to admit I shot quite a few of them this season. They flew by and I shot them. Dog retrieved them, took them home. As far as eating them I really don't notice much difference in them from the other ducks that I have eaten.


----------



## camaro2528 (Aug 22, 2005)

My dog loves spoonies its soo halarious she just gets all excited for some reason when she retrieves one. as for taste i dont prefer but i eat 'em


----------



## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

gotta admit, was sorta cool having flocks of 20-30 spoons land in decoys... my dad likes shootin them so i dont complain. what really sux is pin season being closed...seen a ton of em, hard watchin them go over.


----------



## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

Norm70 said:


> forman inn is ok. I always see alot of hunters stay there. Forman is 8 miles south of Gwinner


just to let you know norm, thanx for the tip on Forman Inn. Thats where were at and its been great. decent priced rooms, bird cleaning station, cable/internet....hard to beat. Food at the diner in town has been excellent. thanks again.


----------



## Norm70 (Aug 26, 2005)

no problem


----------

