# What do the duck #'s look like now?



## Double Ott Buck (Oct 5, 2005)

I was out Sat in MN and there were birds galore, but iced up bays on the slough we hunted.
Went out again today since the weather seemed more favorable before another cold front pushes through and there was virtually nothing!!! Multitude of species for 2 weeks and just a couple Mallards today.

With the weather in Canada, has the push started yet?


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## camogun (Oct 17, 2006)

Is the weather changing in Canada? I have not heard the report but if it is, send those birds this way. I know they need birds down the flyway because Dad's are getting a little edgey.


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## grancan1 (Sep 24, 2003)

Just got back from northeast ND. It was like a ghost town. Not many ducks or geese. We did see one large group of sandhills. It was one of my worst hunts in 13 years.


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## eyes to the skies (Mar 8, 2006)

hunted se mn tue morning and not a duck or goose in the sky checked a lake about 10 ne of where i hunted and 10k + coot and good sized flocks of ducks cruising around still at 930 am willl post a report if i go out tomarrow morning. the cold in the north part of the flyway and weather/temps the next few days look promising


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## scarrott73 (Apr 13, 2005)

I live in south dakota and went out sunday night and seen a lot of mallards...

Cody


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## shawn114 (Aug 22, 2003)

what are the numbers like in N central, ND, north of Devils Lake?


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## twopopper (Sep 24, 2006)

Hunted SE of Devilslake 3 weekends in a row. 1st two weekends saw lots of geese and some ducks. Last weekend nothing. Did see a few snows on Sunday afternoon.


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## grancan1 (Sep 24, 2003)

I hunted near Devils Lake and the only place we saw birds was around XXXX. Really tough hunting.

-- No internet scouting please.

-- edited by Ryan


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## eyes to the skies (Mar 8, 2006)

saw the first big numbers of mallards all year so far seen very few mallards. this morning i saw 1000 + roosting on the lake i hunted and feeding inside the refuge in grain fields. will be hunting adjacent fields keep you posted  se mn


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## camogun (Oct 17, 2006)

The weather is going to work for everyone for the next few days. Sounds like the birds are heading south.


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## Field Hunter (Mar 4, 2002)

This thread is why the internet is BAD. Come on out to ND and find your own birds......everytime someone says there are X number of birds in one area of the state the are is overrun the next weekend. If you don't find any birds thn that's the way it is...It's called HUNTING and finding your own birds is part of the game!

There are some ducks but its the worst hunting I have seen in many years. I've hunted ND for 35 years.


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## camogun (Oct 17, 2006)

I am coming to ND but I guess we can't ask questions on the internet. Thought that the weather change would have an effect on the birds, but can't seem to get the straight answer I'll find birds and will have a great time in doing so.


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## Double Ott Buck (Oct 5, 2005)

I started this thread to ask in general if the push started down from Canada yet. Not looking for the "x" , just broad-based off the compass.
I'm trying to time hunting with work and the weather....not going to ND, have a great spot in MN already.
What's the point of a message board if you cant ask a broad, open-ended question. :eyeroll:


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## Bigswede (Sep 28, 2006)

Seems to be a divers arriving by the minute. I have an office right on the lake and most of the fall has been quiet. Last night and today I have been seeing more and more Divers and BIG Mallards on the lake along with some huge Honks too.


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## slough (Oct 12, 2003)

Scouted the greater Lakota area this morning, reaaaaaallllllllyyyyyyyyyy poor for ducks, might have seen more grouse than mallards. Quite a bit of frozen water but still bigger sloughs open, although a few more calm nights may be trouble.


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## duckslayer (Oct 30, 2003)

Birds are around, just have to put on a LOT of miles to find them.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

*Double Ott Buck Wrote*



> What's the point of a message board if you cant ask a broad, open-ended question.


DOB To a degree I tend to agree with your above post until you start to look at the dynamics of this site and any other large site.

This site is growing rapidly and the site gets thousands of hits per day. Just as an example lets say that someone came on and said the birds have started a push and they are in Northern ND and MN. This is anecdotal evidence from one person who may have seen a flock of ducks that he thought were from Canada. But to many who lurk on this site they don't know if it is true or false which will bring on a flurry of more questions. Many will take it as a true statement and plan accordingly, If the report was false you end up with some people that are ticked off because of a bad report.

What is the answer? What should we do on this site to be fair to everyone. I would really like to hear your solution. I mean that sincerely.

The information you asked for does get posted on this site, it is in a weekly updated migration report by the USFW that is posted by the owner of this site, Chris Hustad. He does post it on every waterfowl forum.

I tried posting info at the top of the Duck Hunting Forum to inform hunters of the conditions with some info about the site written by northdakota kid It aparently is not enough info and I will look at adding topics.

Believe it or not the people that actually post messages on this site are a vast minority of total site members.

Bob


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## slough (Oct 12, 2003)

duckslayer, totally agree with you. I've put on well over 1000 miles the past 3 weeks with little luck finding much for duck feeds. It's getting a little frustrating but o well it's better than work or class.


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## Double Ott Buck (Oct 5, 2005)

I look at the MN DNR's website at their report every week, as do I view the USFW reports and some stuff posted on Tony Dean. I can never really rely too heavily on them though, since some DNR area managers report on Monday, Tuesday, Wed, etc., as they compile the report. Thus, my general question as to what guys out hunting each day are seeing.
As I had mentioned, trying to time hunting around kids schedules, work schedules, and the weather is quite a task. Thus, you have to ask questions to be efficient sometimes.

FieldHunter said: ("This thread is why the internet is BAD. Come on out to ND and find your own birds......everytime someone says there are X number of birds in one area of the state the are is overrun the next weekend.")
I feel that's crazy since this isnt fishing when the hot bite is on one lake. Ducks migrate around everyday and the dedicated hunters that do their homework will do well.

I scout just like everyone else and already have land to hunt and feel the same about others doing their own scouting too. Just was looking for a general answer to a general question of "are you seeing enough birds to feel the push south has started yet from out of Canada?".

Anyway Bob, I'd say you will never find a perfect solution to these questions, because some hunters feel threatened to be over-run with NRs if they answer. Like we're all going to drive 13 hrs to ND because someone said the ducks were flying today. Geez


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## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

Double wrote,



> Like we're all going to drive 13 hrs to ND because someone said the ducks were flying today. Geez


It's the pure number of hunters. Of course everyone is not going to drive 13 hours on the drop of a hat. But there are a hell of a bunch of guys who have had trips planned for a year and those guys are coming no matter what. Guys exactly like you.

So you drive 13 hours and you don't find birds in the area you normally hunt. What is the next logical solution? You start driving around or because you heard on the internet that there were birds in an area you head that direction. Most guys, after driving 13 hours aren't going to turn around and head back home because the first area they hunt doesn't have birds.

Yes ducks move everyday but so do duck hunters. An area that had no hunters one day may have 40 the next. If you don't think it happens you are sadly mistaken. If there were infinite opportunities people would give out info but thats not reality.



> As I had mentioned, trying to time hunting around kids schedules, work schedules, and the weather is quite a task. Thus, you have to ask questions to be efficient sometimes.


The rest of us have the same issues, why would we want to make it more difficult on ourselves. Its about being more efficient.


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## Choclab (Nov 19, 2004)

Well said DOB! I have a group of 8 that come north every year and because of the travel time we have to schedule time off and make it a vacation. When we ask if there are any movement of ducks, it is a general question of the mass migration. I couldn't care less if someone saw a hundred mallard's in Sven's field.

It is the same as going south on vacation and what the weather will be. I look at the 10 forecast for something to look forward to. Do I trust that, no! I'm going regardless, the same for ND ducks and geese.

Look forward to seeing the boys next week, come low water, ice, snow, no ducks - doesn't matter. See you soon guys.


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## Triple B (Mar 9, 2004)

if you are coming anyways why ask?????? do what we all do and scout it out when you get there. :huh:


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## Triple B (Mar 9, 2004)

why don't we give you guys our house, the shirt off our backs, and hell take our wives, and g/f's. anything else you need to make your trip more convenient just ask. :roll:


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## Choclab (Nov 19, 2004)

Looks like selective reading to me.


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## tshelmer (Oct 16, 2006)

I for one, like to ask and I also monitor the 10 day forcast and the migration report. Since we have done well over the past several years we changed our trip form the third week of October to 10/28 to 11/06 this year. And with the weather being what it is, I dont want to have my expectations crushed after driving 24 hours from oregon.

In general all I am interested in is the Migration report and if there are birds around. I do not mind having to drive if I need to.

Aftter all, this is my vacation to spend with family and hunting buddies while the wife stays home. :beer:


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## Double Ott Buck (Oct 5, 2005)

OK, guys, back to the point. I asked in general on migration because I hunt in MN and you are all mostly well north of where I hunt. I'm not going north when the ducks are going south right over my same hunting spot of 20 years in MN!
I understand your concern, but man, if you dont want to give an answer, fine. But why blast away at me? I havent been to ND duck hunting for 7 years and dont plan on driving up 13hrs tomorrow because you saw some ducks....I'm wondering if they are getting closer to coming south.

If you asked me if the walleyes were biting in MN, I'd say "yes, for the past 2 weeks". Does that mean all of SD & ND will be fishing here tomorrow? NO. There's 10,000 lakes, I'm sure you'll do fine if you really wanted to come here and nobody's gonna crowd you for em, just like there are 100,000+ potholes and vast farm fields to hunt in ND. We havent got greedy with the walleyes in our lakes, and they cant swim down south for the winter.


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## Northshorebull (Oct 11, 2006)

I agree too disagree. I agree that no one should give exact hunting locations, but the info on this site is useful to alot of guys. I am a duckaholic. I now have 3 young kids and need to be home ALOT. I had the opportunity to go on my annual ND trip to the NE corner. I have been watching forums and weather for two months. I realize i'm going to put on a ton of miles, but because of my lack of time its nice having a LITTLE bit of help on scouting. If a guy asks are the ducks down from Canada RELAX. I would've waited until the big pushed happened too. :beer:


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## Timber2005 (Jul 8, 2005)

Triple B, 
Choclab appears to be a supporting member of this site. You, as a local, are a guest. I am a guest also but it is members like this that allow us to even use this site so I think they demand respect. We are all using this site for the same reason, general information. If somebody asked you how many decoys you use in your spread will you respond as you did in this thread!!


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Just a reminder stay on topic and Lets all keep it civil please, Discuss the issue and the pros and cons please.

Bob


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Geez....he only asked a general question.

By the way,went out looking for a rooster or 2 this morning.Heavy frost.EVERY pothole I went by was frozen over except the larger ones where waterfowl were keeping it open.


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## Triple B (Mar 9, 2004)

green jacket, gold jacket who gives a ****, i don't care what kinda member anyone is, its the same here for everyone. and no i woudn't tell how many I use, find out the tricks of the trade on your own, thats what i'd say.


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## Bandcollector02 (Oct 4, 2005)

Holy geeze!!!! I'm even gonna think twice about talking to guys at the boat landing from now on after reading all the posts on this topic. :shake:


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

I love it!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## twopopper (Sep 24, 2006)

I live in east central ND and I don't see what the big deal is. Here we have a few canadian geese, more ducks this week then last, and lots of snows past few days. You guys complaining about out of staters better remember we fish MN and want fishing reports, and I usually try to get atleast one pheasent hunt in SD and I usually call ahead to find best locations. The more the hunters the more the birds jump slought to slough. 
I run across a couple guys from Mighigan earlier this year for some goose hunting, and they are welcome to hunt with me anytime.


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## GooseBuster3 (Mar 1, 2002)

twopopper said:


> I live in east central ND and I don't see what the big deal is. Here we have a few canadian geese, more ducks this week then last, and lots of snows past few days. You guys complaining about out of staters better remember we fish MN and want fishing reports, and I usually try to get atleast one pheasent hunt in SD and I usually call ahead to find best locations. The more the hunters the more the birds jump slought to slough.
> I run across a couple guys from Mighigan earlier this year for some goose hunting, and they are welcome to hunt with me anytime.


WOW............ :eyeroll:


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## hoosier dhr (Jul 24, 2003)

Triple B,
Since you are offering up your wife, could you post her pic
so we can decide if we want to take your house too! :jammin: :rollin:

Ok im sorry i couldnt help myself!!! :beer: 
Ill be Staying in Starkweather Oct. 21 to 28, I guess if i cant find them in the fields ill hunt the roosts since i cant get the gps coordinants to the best spots  :******:

Oh man i bet im tickin people off oke: 
I dont really hunt roosts and scouting is one of my favorite parts of the trip

Happy hunting to all :beer:


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Sorry guys. If you want to argue internet scouting you've got dozens of threads to choose from in the hot topics. Keep it in there.

LOCKED


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