# Spring Ducks



## Jewish Mallard (Dec 20, 2008)

What are you guys in pothole country seeing as far as ducks returning this spring. What is your gut feelings on numbers,spieces,etc. Just curious.


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## H2OfowlND (Feb 10, 2003)

Scouting already! Gotta love it! Um, everything is still pretty much covered in ice. I was through western Iowa and Eastern SD last weekend, lots of ducks still waiting on warmer weather. Maybe by Sept. or Oct. we'll know the numbers.

H2OfowlND


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## Guest (Apr 20, 2009)

H2OfowlND said:


> Scouting already! Gotta love it! Um, everything is still pretty much covered in ice. I was through western Iowa and Eastern SD last weekend, lots of ducks still waiting on warmer weather. Maybe by Sept. or Oct. we'll know the numbers.
> 
> H2OfowlND


 uke: what kind of answer was that?


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## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

Saw some teal the other day..


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Have been seeing fair numbers of duck wherever floodwaters are present in eastern ND. Mostly Mallards, Bluebills and Canvasbacks. A few wooducks and spoonbills.


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## Jewish Mallard (Dec 20, 2008)

I am not scouting,just curious what guys are seeing. The reason I asked is I am not seeing much. A few canada geese of course but not many mallards and woodies.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Lots of ducks in the RRV with all the standing water.Lots of Spoonies around with large flocks of coot.Also thousands of Swans.Never seen so many swans in one place before.


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## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

bluebills are moving thru the UP (michigan) pretty good right now. Lots and lots of divers rafted up on our bays headin north.


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

Got lucky the other day and saw more ducks in a 3 mile square than I have seen in my life... by far the most ducks I have ever seen in the spring and it would rival any fall migration as far as sheer number and density.

Anyones guess though where they will call home but it was a sight to see in flooded corn fields.

There will be ducks this fall but we still need a good hatch ... don't count your chickens just yet but it will be nice if we keep SOME of this water to spread people out again.


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## benelliguyusa85 (Sep 3, 2008)

ive seen a mix bag up in northern mn already this year. mallards, pintails, wigon, bills, ringnecks, woodies, and even the hollywoods are back lol. Hopefully we will have a great hatch this year, because we all know how fun it is when the numbers are up :lol:


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## mmprescott (Sep 29, 2008)

When I was snow goose hunting over Easter I saw tons of mallards an equal amount of pintails plenty of shovelers, some bluebills and another ton of unidentifiable ducks that were flying around with the snows. Last year was only a mediocre hatch of ducklings, hopefully it's better this year. I can't complain though I shoot my limit almost every weekend of the season last year. Cross your fingers for this fall.


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## midwestwings (Mar 5, 2008)

this fall is looking pretty sexy...the pothole regions are looking to be about average with rain-fall. all spring during snow goose hunting i saw more pintails than i've ever seen before in eastern and central south dakota. i also saw more canvasbacks than i did last year in central south dakota.


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## Matt Jones (Mar 6, 2002)

I'll wait until they hatch before I start counting them. I've seen a lot of ducks this spring...but I see a lot of ducks every spring.

Last year in the NE part of the state there were a lot of ducks in the spring, good water conditions, but the hatch was lackluster at best. Don't ask me why.


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

Here in Sask we are seeing lots of mallards,pintails,shovelers and now that the big water is opening up the divers are back in force. I too have noticed a large increase in Swan numbers.


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## benellifanatic (Mar 31, 2009)

Most of the birds have moved thru, but what I have been seeing, water levels are good and have been seeing alot of mallard pairs...Earlier before ice out on some of the lakes, many fields that had runoff have a good number of pintails and spoonies, mixed in with the mallards...First time I've seen spring time pintails......


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I just hope that the ducks build their nests on alot of these "new sloughs", because they will dry up soon and they will lose their nests. Same goes for the geese too.


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## tango6 (Jan 29, 2003)

blhunter3 said:


> I just hope that the ducks build their nests on alot of these "new sloughs", because they will dry up soon and they will lose their nests. Same goes for the geese too.







:eyeroll:


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## woodpecker (Mar 2, 2005)

blhunter3 said:


> I just hope that the ducks build their nests on alot of these "new sloughs", because they will dry up soon and they will lose their nests. Same goes for the geese too.


You been in your "weekend baggie" again?


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## mhadda1 (Jul 3, 2008)

tango...that was by far the best retort i have read in any forum...EVER...kudos sir, kudos


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## benellifanatic (Mar 31, 2009)

LOL!!!


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## Bustem36 (Feb 5, 2008)

Geese will be fine atleast here in Minnesota...Give it a week and you will already be seeing gosslings running around. I bet money on it!


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## MDV89 (Sep 8, 2008)

haha thanks Tango!!!! :beer:


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