# Bemidji Area Hunting



## mouldy (Aug 5, 2006)

Hey, i'm a new college student to BSU and was wondering where there is some good hunting around Bemidji. Also possibly looking for anyone that lives in the area to have a hunting partner(s).[/b]


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## Bert (Sep 11, 2003)

Hey Beaver,

I am an alumni and I spent way more time than I should have hunting ducks than I did in the classroom.

Hunting around Bemidji used to be fantastic. Of course that was 20 years ago for me but I can tell you what we did back then.

The Turtle River has some swamps on it and a lake or two. It is north of town. A small motor and shallow draft boat will get you there. Mostly ringbills and mallards.

Three Island lake used to provide great bluebill shooting but with the current bluebill situation, I wouldnt hold my breath. The mallards and ringbills in the rice should keep you busy though.

Other lakes are Puposky, Boot, Mud (over by Bagley)... there are hundreds of lakes around there which used to be phenominal.

Any ricey spot on the Mississippi between Bemidji and Deer River should give you some shooting. I used to hunt the rice just west up the river from Winnie. The big water shooting is a thing of the past. You need to focus on puddlers and puddle divers like Ringbills.

We shot a ton of mallards but we had to travel for those. If you can find some ground (preferably flooded) up around Grygla, Goodridge, Gonvick... you should get some shooting. Close enough to Aggasiz and Mud Lake.

Be willing to travel.

Thing about that school is that there is no lack of "want to" and intel from the student body. You just need to travel in the right circles.

Go to Noel's Peanut room (in the basement where the pool tables are) Put some George Thorougood and B52's on the juke and start talking about duck hunting. The rest should take care of itself.

PS Dont let anybody tell you that Diamond Point on Bemidji is a good spot.

It is but it is also a refuge and we got at least 2 freshmen a year on that hoot.


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## Madison (Mar 1, 2002)

Bert provided you with some good information... I hunted a lot in the bemidji area during 1994-2000 (had a lot of buddies that went to school there.)

Just like bert said any spot with wild rice on a river system will get you ducks.. ANother spot we hunted was Little wolf lake as its connected to the mississipi..

there are also smaller lakes surrounding the bigger water in that area, hope for wind, the ducks will use them..

To get away from people we did alot of scouting in areas with small creeks and rivers flowing into lakes and did LOTS of back country walking.. It was hard work but definatley worth it... 1/2 mile walk through bog in waders made for some intersting times..

Cass lake used to be fun.. Probably still is.. we hunted a quite a bit in the late season off the potato islands..


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## Bert (Sep 11, 2003)

Hate to pee in your Cheerios but I was just up in that country this last weekend and upon taking my wifey on a little trip down memory lane (up a rice and cat creek to some of my old hunting grounds in a canoe), I spooked two jet ski punks who thought they were in the Florida Everglades.

Couldnt belive my eyes. Were I used to pushpole and drag skiffs, these guys were jerk skiiing in Hawaiian shorts and Oakley sunglasses.

I wish you the best buddy, but it would seem as though nothing will ever be the same.


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