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

[h2ofwlr]

40% grasslands in a township is the key for good grassland nesting production... it does not matter if 250 out of each 640 acre section is fragmented, it the overall % in big areas (townships to counties).


I saw more Mallards and geese today on local ponds than in the last 3 weeks. I'm not sure if they moved in from the bigger unfrozen water this last couple of days and/or if some trickled down from up Nort

[tornadochaser]

Bullet, been here 14 years. Get away from the closed basins in the coteau (day county) and the effects of drought are very noticeable. Areas like lake Thompson, white lake, lake andes, all areas I've hunted this fall, hundreds of shallow wetlands are dried up or just recently picked up water for the first time in nearly a year. One benefit has been the faster grouping up of ducks on more permanent water this fall rather than spread out across the landscape. Also helps confine migrators to the same waters.

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[Bailey]

[quote="tornadochaser"][quote="Bullet21XD"].

Bailey, i've hunted SD quite a few years now, and I concur, lower numbers. But I mostly blame that on degrading habitat caused by increasing water levels. If we run through a drought cycle and habitat increases, I expect a fast recovery.

Habitat won't increase as we dry out here in SD. Ever since water levels started receding in 2014 farmers have been tiling. I've got tons of spots we used to hunt waist deep water that are now pattern tiled in lake and Kingsbury county. Even with low prices these guys are putting tile in where they can. An now there is renewed interest in tile in a whole new area of the state from Parker southwest to Wagner as that area got pounded with rain this summer and had/has lots of flooded spots in fields. Our only hope out here is a new cycle of wet times and adding acres to crp in the next farm bill. Lots of guys would put grass back in right now if they could get it in the program.

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I don't know how long you've been out there, but maybe not long enough. There's many wetland complexes that are completely inundated now, that were once very good duck holes.

The landscape has changed drastically. But I do agree, another severe wet cycle would be beneficial as well. Newly flooded ground is always good. I'd prefer more flooding![/quote]
It goes both ways with water in SD. Some of the lakes and larger wetlands we used to hunt used to be just loaded with a variety of ducks and tons of bluebills. Tons. The high water really hurt a lot of these food wise and one were you used to see 10000 bluebills you might see a few hundred now. It also washed out a lot of the islands.

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[Bailey]

Bullet, been here 14 years. Get away from the closed basins in the coteau (day county) and the effects of drought are very noticeable. Areas like lake Thompson, white lake, lake andes, all areas I've hunted this fall, hundreds of shallow wetlands are dried up or just recently picked up water for the first time in nearly a year. One benefit has been the faster grouping up of ducks on more permanent water this fall rather than spread out across the landscape. Also helps confine migrators to the same waters.

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Makes sense I hunt in day county were we have had massive lake growth from water the last 20 years. It did start finally going down last year

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[Hansen]

Start at Dry lake Number 1 and work your way past, Antelope, Dry Lake 2, Thompson etc. There is a reason why they have tripled in size over the past 20 years. Not as familiar but I'm sure the lakes around Bitter/Waubay are much larger as well.

[Bailey]

Start at Dry lake Number 1 and work your way past, Antelope, Dry Lake 2, Thompson etc. There is a reason why they have tripled in size over the past 20 years. Not as familiar but I'm sure the lakes around Bitter/Waubay are much larger as well.

Bitter used to 2000 acres and you could wade most of it up until the early 90's It is now close to 15000 acres and 28 feed deep in some parts. One spot I used to hunt was like 2 feet deep and is now 13 feet deep. It had great islands for hunting up until around 2009. They are now all washed away or covered by water. It is great for walleyes though.


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[Bailey]

Bitter did start to come down this year but it would take a ten year drought for any meaningful reduction in levels.

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[lanyard]

I'm. In Rochester, the heart of the vaunted South Zone and goose central.....

.....all I see is hipsters.

[HnkrCrash]

I'm. In Rochester, the heart of the vaunted South Zone and goose central.....

.....all I see is somalians.

Fixed it for you.

[cstemig]

I'm. In Rochester, the heart of the vaunted South Zone and goose central.....

.....all I see is somalians.

Fixed it for you.

How did you fix it? Put a little white on their cheeks and butt and use them for decoys?