The "big push" and tail end of the duck & Goose season for 2016

[Bailey]

It's not just us not seeing them, I was reading that many other places, SW, S and SE of MN was barren skies over the weekend.

Skim ice in 6' of water this AM,
Snow storm is coming but yet temps in the 30s for the next week. Coldest is 26 in the next week for TC area.
The lakes up north are freezing up from photos I've seen. But should still be open in S Mn for the the next week.

As for Canada, Regina had 10-12 for 3 days over the weekend. Lows in the lower 20s and teens for the next week - no snow storms predicted up there. Brandon, MB had 9 for a low yesterday, but looking the same as Regina for the next week, One would think it is freezing up north of the border, but if they have no snow and lots of feed, we all know what that means Mallards wise....

Yep the birds don't leave Canada anymore until frozen out. Mallards that is anyways.Buddy in SD says all gadwalls, spoonies, and most bills have left. He said they have lots of buffleheads though lol. I guess im just glad that I did SD in late october when grey ducks were thick. Tried doing the mallard thing two years ago in SD and a blizzard hit and it was a bust.He said some mallards now but nothing crazy. Love to hit Saskatchewan one of these years but don't have the field spread nor the time right now with kids sports. Fowler you ever do canada?

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[h2ofwlr]

Tried doing the mallard thing two years ago in SD and a blizzard hit and it was a bust.

Fowler you ever do canada?

Had that happen twice in SD about 10-12 years back

Yes, I usually went early in late Sept. But also have done Oct too. I do know that 3" of snow and swathed unharvested barley fields WILL keep the ducks around up there in late Oct. with mid 20s in the AM and 30s for highs.

[Bailey]

[quote="Bailey"]
Tried doing the mallard thing two years ago in SD and a blizzard hit and it was a bust.

Fowler you ever do canada?

Had that happen twice in SD about 10-12 years back

Yes, I usually went early in late Sept. But also have done Oct too. I do know that 3" of snow and swathed unharvested barley fields WILL keep the ducks around up there in late Oct. with mid 20s in the AM and 30s for highs.[/quote]
Yeah it's weird when I was a high school kid in the early 90s SD always was full of mallards in late October and froze shortly after. Then the water came and lakes got crazy big. Plus with the migration then later each year it became a mid November thing. Of course the one year I wait until then we get a blizzard lol. The last two years I went late October and shot bills and gadwalls. Not risking it anymore for the mallards. Maybe when I'm retired and free I will but i suppose I won't be nearly as ambitious then.

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[h2ofwlr]

but i suppose I won't be nearly as ambitious then

Yup. arthritis and aches and pains in cold weather certainly can put a damper on it, so does needing 6 hrs of sleep to remotely feel like a human Vs my 4 hrs of sleep I could run on 20 years ago...

You young guys, please protect your hearing, otherwise you will be like me - What did you say? huh? Did you say something? Can you speak louder?
Also protect your hands from the cold water. For me between construction work, trapping and waterfowling - which entailed all too often getting my hands wet repeatedly, I am paying the price in recent years. ouch.



I noticed today ice in the shallows where the cattails are on lakes in the north metro.

[lanyard]

I noticed today the pond behind my house opened up and filled with mallards.

Degenerative hearing loss here. Can't hear golden eyes any more, let alone da beer wings. Can still catch the "tear" of diver wings if they're close and it's quiet.

Loading guns up tomorrow, just in case. Can pull 3 mornings this weekend.

[gimpfinger]

I noticed today the pond behind my house opened up and filled with mallards.

Degenerative hearing loss here. Can't hear golden eyes any more, let alone da beer wings. Can still catch the "tear" of diver wings if they're close and it's quiet.

Loading guns up tomorrow, just in case. Can pull 3 mornings this weekend.

Thinking about hitting it myself, at least as much as the back will allow. I made it a whole hour last Saturday before my friend said we had to go because I couldn't stand up straight and was hurting. Damn friends always try to be the fun police.

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[maplelakeduckslayer]

Might head west Friday scouting for one last hunt but my spots typically only hold large numbers after solid freeze up and guys are out ice fishing. Might be a waste to even look, may just hunt close to home and hope something comes in.

[Trigger]

Skipped getting snowed in at the deer shack and for the first time in years i actually tried hard the past 5 days in the west metro. Failed. Miserably. In all my hunting and scouting i saw a total of maybe 75 ducks that were on huntable waters, and that includs a flock of 50 ringbills. Hunted all day friday, scouted/hunted all day saturday and sunday. Yesterday morning. and "worked from home" today, so I hunted most of the day, shot one drake mallard. I'm going to Iowa.

[lanyard]

I'll likely scout after dark tonight to find open water. The wind isn't going to play very well into my Thanksgiving weekend spot. If it would stay NNW I'd have a chance of keeping the water open assuming I can get a spot developed. Typically it will take out another half acre over night. But tonight is the last of the NNW and tomorrow it goes calm, the SSE. Brutal for my location with overnight lows dipping back to mid-20s.

Of course, it's 45 next week. With any luck, bigger water is open in the area and some geese/mallards and occasional stragglers are around. This weekend is typically hit and miss: sometimes there's stuff around to hit, other times there's nothing to miss.

[h2ofwlr]

Rob, they are only talking dropping to 30 T day morning and a light W wind.

Word of advice for those heading out - bring white camo like Tykek coveralls, etc, even take the white camo from your lay out blind with on the water to help conceal your boat - as I had HEAVY wet snow last night, 4" of it. That will flatten the cattails and there will be a lot of snow on top of them, so you'll really stick out with all brown/tan camo.
FYI https://www.camo-netting.com/product-ca ... o-netting/
Also for those that made their own wind socks, as I recall it came in 54" wide rolls of soft tykek, that'd work too.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ultralight-Tyve ... 2a64db65d6

0-3" of snow for the southern 1/2 of Mn Thurs night. metro 1-3