Minnesota Waterfowl Hunting

How is the wild rice crop in your area? I scouted some spots in Aitkin County this weekend and the rice crop is terrible. At first glance it looked good because there are good stands of it but there is not much seeds on the stock. The stocks that had seeds didn't have a good kernel in them. I talked with a buddy of mine who rices and he has traveled several hours to multiple different areas in St Louis, Aitkin, Itasca and Cass counties and has found the same thing. I think all the rain we got in late summer destroyed the crop. The amount of ducks was pretty pathetic. Has anyone found any decent crops and if so what general area of the state?

I just talked to a buddy who riced a few lakes and he said it was the best crop he's seen in 10+ years. Weird. He's north west of you.

I thought the rice was good all summer until lately I realized the same thing you did. And people are saying the same thing - storms knocked off the rice near the end of the growing period.

But i don't know crap about wild rice. Just know that there are more, thicker patches of stocks than usual on my normal waters.

The 5 places I hunt that have rice are insane... one so thick with it you cannot even get a boat out yet.



Even if the rice is off the stock its in the water and they will still find a way to eat it.

You are right Harold they will eat it if it has fallen in to the water/mud.

I believe the rice got ruined in the areas I checked by the late summer rains we got. The stands were thick in areas just like your photo but there wasn't any kernels on most of the stocks. The stocks that did have kernels had very small ones that do not provide much food for the ducks. The rice was cranking along great until it was time for seed production and the water rose. We have had this happen in years past. The rice looks good at first glance but it is crummy when you take a closer look and it is mostly void of ducks.

The heads of the rice look pretty good in your pic. Was there ducks using it? General area of the state? I have heard reports that the rice in the Western part of the state is good.

NW/North central part of MN has great rice.

There were ducks on the only open water that I could see, had to get on top of the truck to see it. This rice is in the extreme WNW part of state.