The Big Push!

[Bailey]

It was an epic weekend to be a waterfowler in MN. Great reports coming in from all around the state. My dad really enjoyed getting on some good diver shoots. Reminded him of the old bluebill days at Red Lake.

Sounds like Al was at home checking weather forecasts during the big push.

I plan to hunt until the north zone closes. Should be able to head out ice fishing after the hunt this coming weekend. Skim ice on the lake out back this morning.

Fingers crossed at Thanksgiving we'll have ducks until 9:00, pheasants until lunch, then popping holes until an hour past sunset in SW MN.

The cold does suck, though. Buddy shut the water off at his cabin so had to bucket flush the toilet. Walking down to the wide open lake watching ducks fly every freaking direction while filling buckets from skim ice shoreline which all opened up with the NW wind yesterday.

Things are going to freeze, but to Hansen's point, this is the BEST freeze we've had in a long, long time. Nice and gradual with enough wind/weather. Wish I hadn't lost 6 hours on Thursday to a freaking household issue, would've made for a "blast" to hunt Thursday afternoon!

MN's Big Water issues might be a boon with NoDak and SoDak icing over. Better than any wind, no water in ND/SD should mean better hunting here. I should also add that the ducks I saw flying last night were heading North West, into the wind, for food and roost. Your honey hole might be locked up, but the game isn't over.

It is going to warm up again in a week into the 40's. The game will not be over in southern mn. I fully expect I will be hunting the last day of the season on the river as usual.

[9manfan]

The game will not be over in southern mn. I fully expect I will be hunting the last day of the season on the river as usual.

Thinking your river hunting will be fine and some of the deeper lakes down here (which are not many) may be open for awhile, but the sloughs I've been hunting , I'm thinking you'll be walking on them by this weekend........should be a few ducks around for awhile.......

[lanyard]

The game will not be over in southern mn. I fully expect I will be hunting the last day of the season on the river as usual.

Thinking your river hunting will be fine and some of the deeper lakes down here (which are not many) may be open for awhile, but the sloughs I've been hunting , I'm thinking you'll be walking on them by this weekend........should be a few ducks around for awhile.......

9Man, any idea why there aren't geese at Talcot anymore? Used to do a decent job of keeping some water open.

SW will need some flocks to keep a few things open I know a couple spots that have been lights out in years like this. What's weird, as soon as it warms up and the ice pulls back they're gone.

Good luck this week/weekend....

[Bailey]

The game will not be over in southern mn. I fully expect I will be hunting the last day of the season on the river as usual.

Thinking your river hunting will be fine and some of the deeper lakes down here (which are not many) may be open for awhile, but the sloughs I've been hunting , I'm thinking you'll be walking on them by this weekend........should be a few ducks around for awhile.......

The river will be fine since it is warming up. You need two or three straight nights below 10 degrees to lock up the river where i hunt and that is not in site. As far as the sloughs yes I would say those are toast within a few days. Guys will be ice fishing by the weekend on small lakes.

[9manfan]

The game will not be over in southern mn. I fully expect I will be hunting the last day of the season on the river as usual.

Thinking your river hunting will be fine and some of the deeper lakes down here (which are not many) may be open for awhile, but the sloughs I've been hunting , I'm thinking you'll be walking on them by this weekend........should be a few ducks around for awhile.......

9Man, any idea why there aren't geese at Talcot anymore? Used to do a decent job of keeping some water open.

SW will need some flocks to keep a few things open I know a couple spots that have been lights out in years like this. What's weird, as soon as it warms up and the ice pulls back they're gone.

Good luck this week/weekend....

That's a good question, I went to high school with couple guys who farm alot of land around there and hunted it for years, I don't think I've called them in the last 10 years as the geese never show like they used to, I still make a late season trip down usually but I don't remember the last goose I shot there, years ago it was always hot over MEA week and later, I believe LQP is in the same boat.....

[9manfan]

Guys will be ice fishing by the weekend on small lakes.

Yep....................

[Bullet21XD]

As for Bullet I hear he is currently standing on the ice at Marsh Lake and picking off greenheads as flocks of 200 to 400 drop onto the ice from hundreds of yards high. They are currently 2 short of a 9 man limit. The birds love Marsh Lake so much they will land on 12 inches of ice if need be.

That was yesterday.

Now i'm where you were...awaiting a bloodbath. Just as soon as the ducks come down.

[lanyard]

As for Bullet I hear he is currently standing on the ice at Marsh Lake and picking off greenheads as flocks of 200 to 400 drop onto the ice from hundreds of yards high. They are currently 2 short of a 9 man limit. The birds love Marsh Lake so much they will land on 12 inches of ice if need be.

That was yesterday.

Now i'm where you were...awaiting a bloodbath. Just as soon as the ducks come down.

Just make certain you are watching the weather reports, that will tell when they get here. I've found that freezing at Pembina with a low pressure system over Rapid City and an East wind in Winnipeg makes for lights out shooting on an MWA by Windom when the moon is in Waxing Gibbous.

Definitely works best for ducks hatched 45 miles NW from The Pas.

[gimpfinger]

[quote="9manfan"][quote="Bailey"] The game will not be over in southern mn. I fully expect I will be hunting the last day of the season on the river as usual.

Thinking your river hunting will be fine and some of the deeper lakes down here (which are not many) may be open for awhile, but the sloughs I've been hunting , I'm thinking you'll be walking on them by this weekend........should be a few ducks around for awhile.......[/quote]

9Man, any idea why there aren't geese at Talcot anymore? Used to do a decent job of keeping some water open.

SW will need some flocks to keep a few things open I know a couple spots that have been lights out in years like this. What's weird, as soon as it warms up and the ice pulls back they're gone.

Good luck this week/weekend....[/quote]The dnr stopped feeding them at talcot.

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[gimpfinger]

[quote="Nershi"]It was an epic weekend to be a waterfowler in MN. Great reports coming in from all around the state. My dad really enjoyed getting on some good diver shoots. Reminded him of the old bluebill days at Red Lake.

Sounds like Al was at home checking weather forecasts during the big push.

I plan to hunt until the north zone closes. Should be able to head out ice fishing after the hunt this coming weekend. Skim ice on the lake out back this morning.

Fingers crossed at Thanksgiving we'll have ducks until 9:00, pheasants until lunch, then popping holes until an hour past sunset in SW MN.

The cold does suck, though. Buddy shut the water off at his cabin so had to bucket flush the toilet. Walking down to the wide open lake watching ducks fly every freaking direction while filling buckets from skim ice shoreline which all opened up with the NW wind yesterday.

Things are going to freeze, but to Hansen's point, this is the BEST freeze we've had in a long, long time. Nice and gradual with enough wind/weather. Wish I hadn't lost 6 hours on Thursday to a freaking household issue, would've made for a "blast" to hunt Thursday afternoon!

MN's Big Water issues might be a boon with NoDak and SoDak icing over. Better than any wind, no water in ND/SD should mean better hunting here. I should also add that the ducks I saw flying last night were heading North West, into the wind, for food and roost. Your honey hole might be locked up, but the game isn't over.[/quote]Better have a plan B for thanksgiving. Lake I was hunting Sunday was was starting to turn to fine slush as we were picking up and the wind was still blowing pretty decent. I'm sure the 3"s of snow that dumped on me as I was heading over there put the water temps right at the edge of freezing but the 20 mph winds all morning Just kept it from doing so.

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