Preseason...

[Quack]

Saw two single ducks fly by last night about 5 minutes apart. Commented to wife it was odd to see a flying duck this time of year and then we argued about whether they were post-molt-drakes or pre-molt-hens. Damn I married a good one!

[lanyard]

5 pack of weak fliers +1 mamma came by the boat Monday night.

Also hammered the crappies.

[h2ofwlr]

Last night at 9:15 with the glow of the western sky as I was driving, movement caught my eye. It was 5 Mallards silhouetted in the glow of the sky, 1 bigger duck leading 4 slightly smaller ducks. Mama did well to get 4 to the fledgling stage.

[prairie hunter]

I have never seen so many late hatch goslings as this year.

[gimpfinger]

Seen fuzzy wood ducks tonight in a river bottom pond. Some bigger skimmers and some that could fly. Even a family of ringers which are an oddball duck down here.

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[gimpfinger]

I'll miss the August season. I always got a kick out of the noobs with their hero shots of flightless goslings. I'll never forget the detailed report I once read from a guy who chased around a family through flooded cattails picking off one at a time at close range.

I've seen this years duck hatch flying for a couple weeks now. No geese yet.

We shot them cupped up over alfalfa in august. Anyone that said nothing could fly by then was/is retarded.

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[Hansen]

Saw wood-duck ducklings last night that looks like newly hatched, over a dozen. Second batch?

[h2ofwlr]

^^^ likely yes. Remember that there is 80% predation on the wild nesting efforts. I've had them on the nest July 5th, by the 10th when I checked them again they had hatched - this was 2 yrs ago.


Remember guys that the nesting season start is at least 1 month difference between you 2 guys as SW Mn VS NE Mn is very different indeed for the respective ice outs... I get a kick when guys are talking of Geese in SW MN and in NE MN they are still driving on the lakes.


Saw two single ducks fly by last night about 5 minutes apart. Commented to wife it was odd to see a flying duck this time of year and then we argued about whether they were post-molt-drakes or pre-molt-hens. Damn I married a good one!
Yes you did! But if it's a hen by herself this time of year - it's extremely likely that the brood is dead or her multiple nesting attempts were raided.

[Hansen]

Also saw a good sized group of mallards pooring into the Minnesota river bottoms last night at dark. It's interesting how different first of the year ducks are in late July.

[lanyard]

To clarify, because I hear people misstate this often, and not saying it has been here, but:

A hen only rears one brood. A "2nd nest" occurs if she lost the first nest to predation/flooding/etc.

This is one of those that ranks up there with people calling GWT "cinnamon teal".