# Could the BIG Migration Happen This Weekend?



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Check out the forcasted Jet Steam (note, this map is constantly updated and not reflecting the orginal post where it started in the NW Territories and went straight to Texas):










How many birds do you think will be riding it south?


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

I love it when the meterologist comes out in you Huey!!! :lol:

Looks like a pretty good chance of a migration though!!!


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## ndwaterfowler (May 22, 2005)

Looks good to me...let's just hope the birds find it appealing as well!!!

:beer:


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)

I have been watching this also, something is bound to happen soon -- just hope to have some time to get into them we they arrive. Forecast (if you believe in voodoo) calls for cooler temps in the southern part of the state as opposed to the northern and little wind so some of the small stuff will most likely start to freeze. Anyone know if the corn is coming down in the south half? From what I have experienced north of 94 to #2 it is mostly grain and soybeans that have been plowed under in the last 2 weeks and the birds have been sporadic where they feed at. Anyone else experience this?


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

Just so it does not get so cold that they overfly the Upper plains of the US down to the mid tier states.


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## Hunter_58346 (May 22, 2003)

Saskatoon Forecast

Five-day forecast (Details) View ten-day forecast 
TomorrowOct. 20AM Showers FridayOct. 21Sunny SaturdayOct. 22Sunny SundayOct. 23Partly Cloudy MondayOct. 24Mostly Sunny 
Hi: 50° 
Lo: 26° 
Hi: 48° 
Lo: 23° 
Hi: 43° 
Lo: 20° 
Hi: 46° 
Lo: 24° 
Hi: 51° 
Lo: 32°

Better get colder than this for any big push


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## Van Wey (Jul 15, 2005)

I sure hope we get some new birds in the area!!! We need em!!!


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Wheres the snow and ice line? BRRRR.....


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Talked to a buddy in Central Sask. who's been up there all week. Tonight is the first night he's seen migrating birds coming in, and it's still going on as I got off the phone a bit ago. The wind is supposed to switch out of the NW and with a full moon there's a good chance for movement. I wish someone would put calendars around the roosts to remind the birds they're too much in the habit of being late.


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

Actually with the jetstream map--Ab and Sk will stay relatively warm. MB, ON, Eastern Dakotas MN, IA, etc will get the cold all the way down to MO. Mo is expecting highs in the 40s on Sunday. Thus strengthening my comment yesterday.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

A couple times over the past decade or so the jet stream was in their favor like this and to date I've never seen migrations like it. Anyone remember the jet stream in 1993 where every bird road it from Canada to the south and they had to close airports throughout the midwest? We hunted that weekend and there was not a moment where there wasn't a flock going south in the sky.

We were in t-shirts that day, which I believe was the second weekend of October in '93.

You're probably right h2o, but you never know with a jet stream like that.


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

The forecast for next Tuesday in Regina is:

Tuesday
Scattered Clouds. High: 66° F / 19° C Wind South 11 mph

And it is about the same in Winnipeg, Manitoba for Wednesday:

Wednesday
Clear. High: 62° F / 17° C Wind South 11 mph

I sure hope it happens next week!


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

I do remember the 93 hunt, feathers were floating out of the sky like snow for about 3 days. Man that was cool, of course there were many limits of birds to give away that year too. I think that was the year I got 16 sob's in two shots, had to scramble because that put me over the limit at that time.


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## leeroyboy (Oct 20, 2005)

I hope they start on down!!! :lol: We hunted last a few days ago in the Carrington/New Rockford/Harvey area and the locals had moved on down so it was prett slim. Safe hunting to all!!!


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

Second weekend of Oct '93??? I thought it was closer to the fourth, the 26th/27th as I recall. Actually on Thursday is when it hit, I limited on ducks/geese easily earlier in the week (every pothole held literally hundreds of ducks and the fields were full of geese where I was. I was driving back up to hunt and hit the front at Fergus Falls--a 45MPH head wind at 4 AM Thursday-I damned near ran out of gas (had a full tank when I left) and had put in an extra 2 gal gas can in the back of the PU, used it 30 miles shy of the border and filled my 20 gal tank with 20 gals in Moorehead Amoco.  (I alwys made it with a couple of gals to spare to Moorehead before) By Friday night you could walk on any slough. 20's for highs. Snow showers, sun, snowshowers, sun, etc.. all day Thursday/Friday and anytime it was not snowing, where ever I looked were birds migrating SE on the 40 to gusts to 65mph wind. Over 1M Snows ending up in IL that Friday night. Now Snows regularly winter over in IL.

Or are you thinking of the big snow back in '83 or was it '84 in Mid Oct. 16" + blanketed all of ND  Some of you older guys like Ken probably remember that, eh? The Farmers stopping the hunters on the road begging us to hunt (the barley/wheat was still standing due to very wet conditions that year) The geese were like lawn mowers on those heads of grain out in the fields. :lol: But not funny at all to the farmers. 

I hope it is not a repeat of the great migration. An influx into the States is desirable, not an exodus of birds doing a fly over of the Northern plains to the mid tier states.

Good luck to everybody this weekend. :beer:


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## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

I just got to work (7:35am) and I heard geese going over Fargo when I got in my vehicle and I heard geese coming over when I got out to walk in the building. Something is going on right now. They are on the move.


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## Hunter_58346 (May 22, 2003)

I do believe it was the fourth weekend. I remember seeing radar from Witchita and all commercial flights were routed around or over the migrating waterfowl.


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## Shu (Oct 21, 2003)

h2ofwlr said:


> Some of you older guys like Ken


Ken you old fart!!


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## goose0613 (Oct 24, 2003)

Thanks Hustad,

Now I can't sleep at night.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

I could've sworn it was the second but I could be wrong. Maverick and I were driving from Fargo to SW of Jamestown on HW 46 on that Friday and there were birds going over the whole way west. I remember the low rolling clouds but it was warm enough where Maverick almost took a deer with a bow for dinner.......awwww memories......

At any rate...I think we're on the same page with that particular migration.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

Just got a call from friends in the fields north of Jamestown. They have been seeing flock after flock of snow geese, cranes and swans moving since daylight!

Doug said that last night around 10:00 while walking his dog he heard geese flying over.

They had a classic field hunt this morning with geese and ducks coming in like it was the first day of season. No looking just set the wings and drop. Only one flock of ducks flared and that was because of a rolling shell decoy!


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)

thats it I was going to wait till Sunday but I am outa here in 1 hour see ya


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## Waterspaniel (Oct 10, 2005)

Well boys it sounds good. I moved my remaining 7 NR days of upland license back a few and plan on doing ducks all day Sat and Sunday. I have a Nodak newbie coming with me. He is just gonna crap himself if its as good as it sounds it can be. I'm just worried we will be froze up by Tuesday. Of well, we can sleep in then with a belly full o duck. A little rooster chasing by day, and some local hens at night!


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## Goosepride (Sep 29, 2003)

I remember that in '93. It was crazy.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Just came from Upham Bottineau Kramer Russel Willow City Towner Newberg areas the only thing on the move there were mainly crane. A few more flocks of big darks and some big flocks of ducks and a few vehicles out in the fields decoying I suppose. Didn't see crap around JClark (to many cattails) but north of Willow is better.


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## dosch (May 20, 2003)

Just got off the phone with my bro in DL he's been outside since 8 o'clcck and hasn't heard a goose.


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## duckslayer (Oct 30, 2003)

Hunted all morning south and west of DL and never saw any migrants. We could sure use a new push of birds though. Damn birds keep wanting to leave the roost in one flock(550+). They dont decoy very well.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Old Guys????????????

I do remember in the early 80's when we had heavy snow in mid Oct.The grain was still standing.The snows came off Salyer in waves,landing in the standing grain with the grain heads 12 in. or so above the snow.They went through that stuff like lawnmowers.

Farmers waited until it was frozen solid....then combined what was left.

How's it going Shu?....I'm sitting in Rochester visiting my grandson


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## Shu (Oct 21, 2003)

Good Ken - hitting the roosters and ducks tomorrow through Monday then off to SD next week for more of the same. Hoping for a good push of ducks. The MN roosters are having another good year.....


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## faithsdave (Jan 8, 2004)

I spent Sunday-Wednesday waterfowl hunting the Shoal Lake, Manitoba area. We have not even begun to see the migration yet in the states.. Ducks, geese, and Cranes. More than I have ever seen, piling up in the fields. When it starts, look out. Hope I am off then.


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## dosch (May 20, 2003)

Word on the street is that H.wilma has 50k on it today.


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## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

The boyz in Bismarck have heard birds flying over all night... Did see large flocks of ducks moving south or at least they weren't stopping for anything.

I would guess things will start moving in soon. We even had a little snow in Bismarck today, nothing much though.

Good luck!


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## duckslayer (Oct 30, 2003)

Once again, was out all morning today.......6-11 and this afternoon scouting 3-7 and i did not see any flocks flying high and south, at all......


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

There moving in fast it looks like, these 20 degree nights are making hard water fast.


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

Look at the Halloween...now that is a strong jetsream...but only lasts for about 12 hours.


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

You guys must be off your meds! I think you guys are dreaming! With the highs supposed to be in the 50's to near 60 all week it just ain't going to happen!


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

The daytime high temps do help but not when it is below freezing for the remainder of the day/night it just keeps getting colder and more ponds are iced over every day.


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

DJ its happening. Not huge "blocking out the sun migrations" but new birds are moving in. Huntable numbers of snows are being reported and yesterday morning we watched lots of birds funnel down from the stratosphere. 
Oh yeah, alot of stuff was frozen about 3/4 of an inch yesterday am. And this morning was even colder.


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

Oh, I believe it could be the beginning but not the big event. That will not happen until the big water gets froze and the snow covers the feed. Then get a big low and the backside north wind and lows in the teens or near zero and then...but I don't see it in the forcast for this week.


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## Nolte (Oct 6, 2004)

No chance it will happen. The reason I know is that I'm on my way out Wed Night. The only way I could hit "the big one" is by sheer divine intervention. I've missed it almost every time by a few days either way. Or completely missed it by weeks. Sorry guys for bringing the black cloud out to ND. But I'm sure there will still be a few birds around.


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)

Where is all this frozen water at?


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Everywhere it freezes... check the weather map occasionally.


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## Niles Short (Mar 18, 2004)

The same one that had the extended forecast for last wekend for lows in the 20's for the DL area and the best it did was 30 for overnight -- that one  and the same one that calls for 50's and 30's for 3/4ths of the state for the next 10 days? Just trying to figure out if the "3/4ths of an inch" is somebodys icetray or drink glass :beer:


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## redlabel (Mar 7, 2002)

I was pheasant hunting around Lisbon and it was in the mid 20's during the night. A lot of the small ponds had a thin layer of ice on them this morning.

Wasn't thick enough to put in a drink glass but they didn't have any ducks sitting on the ice.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

As a matter of fact when I was outside I noticed ice in the bucket was about a half inch and that was around 5 this afternoon. Most of the water has been opening up during the day and freezing at night, at night is when the birds need it to not be frozen the most if ya know what I mean.


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

Nope. No Drink glass here Niles. Strickly a beer drinker!!  
We hunted a transition slough late saturday morning and since we didn't have floaters we just put our GHG field mallards on the stands and put them on the edge of the ice near the hole we busted open. Now this wasn't a deep slough by any means, a foot or so at most. We hit 21 at my place last night.
I guess you guys out east didn't get that 18 inches of snow that really cooled down the water up here! :wink:


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

Talked to friend in Regina yesterday and he reported it to be 70 degrees there, with birds stacked pretty much everywhere. Open water and a never ending food source in Sask. means no migration to speak of from that province.


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

I think I will take the "bike" and go for a cruise tonight because it is going to be so nice. What a great time to be alive. Indian summer rocks!


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

Looks like our best waterfowl hunting will be during deer season so with two doe tags to fill I might have to oblige.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Yeah you guys are right it's a balmy 40 degrees now and the birds all went back to Canada... make sure and tell your friends.. no birds in ND they will probably fly over and past after their bellies are full. You should get down south and set up and wait:lol:

The only birds around are those noisy white and blue things all over and a bunch of little and big darker birds some little ones (not sure what they are)with real pretty green heads too , some experts on here say they are not geese. :lol:


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## duckslayer (Oct 30, 2003)

Havent seen any snows yet. :huh: Went for a drive this morning and seen 3-5 thousand what appeared to be seagulls though.... :thumb:


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## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

Look at the weather reports today 10/27. The big push of birds will start next week. The major migration will start on about 11/4. I dont like the way it is setting up. It looks like it might be close to a grand passage. I hope I am wrong. Better get out and hunt if you can. good luck.


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

Old Hunter said:


> Look at the weather reports today 10/27. The big push of birds will start next week. The major migration will start on about 11/4. I dont like the way it is setting up. It looks like it might be close to a grand passage. I hope I am wrong. Better get out and hunt if you can. good luck.


Won't be the first time the "BIG BUCK TAG" had to wait!! :wink:


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

In other words the same as last year.....I watched 10's of thousands of snows and mallards with everyone hunting deer.


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## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

Yesterday the Bismark weather people forcasted a major change in the jet stream. It was supposed to drop drastically to the south. Today they tempered that forcast. They now call for a slow cool down. Looks like my prediction may be wrong . When the migration just gets going in November it is usually short. I think Ken is correct; We will be looking upward a lot while deer hunting.


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

Just got back home AND IT NEVER HAPPENED all last week.

Yes, more SOB's showed up BUT in smaller flocks. And, I started to give names to all the ducks I saw and never harvested since they were the same ones at the same potholes. sloughs, water-holes, etc., I saw all last week.

More later as I am just getting unpacked...


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## Lvn2Hnt (Feb 22, 2005)

Bob, glad to see you made it home ok, obviously things didn't get any better after I talked to you on Friday.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Same here Bob.....good you made it home safely.I gather you didn't do to well after I talked to you Friday.

Went out to that area looking for deer on Sunday....decent amount of snows in the Upham area....but few ducks.


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

While I have never had the pleasure to have met either of you in person, I sincerely appreciate your assistance, consideration and compassion for my dilemma last week.

It was just great to talk with others who share my passion and who offered their support during my travels throught ND.

I am still beat but have the Blazer unloaded and the dog resting. Here is a picture a new friend took last week of my Chunk and the beautiful Josie:


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

NDT posted that picture on the Refuge.....

He was trying to explain to us what a brute you have for a lab....big that is.I can see why you call him "chunk."

Josie isn't small.


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

Yep,

NDT and his better half took the picture.

And I named him Chunk when he was born. He was one of 11 pups and when he came out, I said "look at that Chunk!

Very prophetic!

He is not trained but is one of the best extended family members and hunting companion you can ask for!


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

Does he still like Black Licorice Bob????? :laugh:


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

What is he.....125 lbs or so?


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

Ken,

He was 124 pounds weighed at the Vet's on 10/14/05 but I bet he is more like 115 right now and back on the upswing due to my feeding him seven plain double cheeseburgers from McD's on the way home. uke:

Dan,

No candy for Chunk! As a matter of fact, I bet he didn't eat more than three meals the entire eight days. All he wants to do is hunt and be with me. Heck, it was dificult to even get him to drink water most days!

That makes me wonder has anyone had any health issues with themselves or their dogs from hunting the potholes and sloughs of ND???

I might make a separate thread about this issue once I get my bearings straight after my first day back at work...


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

You let him ride in the front seat didn't you?


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

KEN W said:


> You let him ride in the front seat didn't you?


There was NO room in the front seat as that was where I placed the cooler. However, he did manage to stretch himself to lie with his head between the front buckets with his head on or next to my side.

He has pretty well recuperated and will be ready for our season pheasant opener on Saturday. You all take care this weekend and be safe during deer season. Can't wait to read the stories and see pictures!


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