I quit about 12 years ago because every season kept getting worse. Geese no longer winter in Southern Illinois and most ducks seem to have shifted their pattern also. I still have an attic full of decoys but I don't think things will improve. Our central Illinois zone is open now.

 

Northeast South Dakota is Much the same as you have described. We have had a good opening weekend or two but minimal migration has appeared besides swans so duck hunting has been very spotty. Local ducks have bunched up into the areas they are not being hunted and the weather hasn’t been conducive for waterfowl hunting for the most part.

Just a hint of specklebellies in the area this week and a few cranes. Hoping the migration picks up quick or it may be a fly through year with the bulk of it happening in just a couple days.

 

Northeast South Dakota is Much the same as you have described. We have had a good opening weekend or two but minimal migration has appeared besides swans so duck hunting has been very spotty. Local ducks have bunched up into the areas they are not being hunted and the weather hasn’t been conducive for waterfowl hunting for the most part.

Just a hint of specklebellies in the area this week and a few cranes. Hoping the migration picks up quick or it may be a fly through year with the bulk of it happening in just a couple days.

I just keep wondering if they haven't moved in earnest or if the population is just super low this year. Even the first couple of weekends I didn't see a ton of local birds. No mallards. I shot only woodies, teal and wigeon.

The lake I hunted this weekend had maybe 20% of the rice it normally does. I had to buy an extension for my receiver and lower my boat bunks to be able to launch my boat becuase the water is so dang low too.

Please keep updating! I'm hoping for any good news to salvage this season!!

 

We bought a House in the suburbs of Houston. We face a lake. There are 100+ ducks in the lake. Can’t hunt them but I am really enjoying them.

 

Of course. That's how it always goes! Are these locals or did they move in recently? What species?

 

Group I hunt with has a blind on a local gravel pit where we shoot both geese and ducks and we drew 2 blinds on the Illinois River. I hunted the gravel pit alone on opening day and killed one goose right at shooting time - only chance I had. Boys hunted the pit next day killed 4 ducks - all early flyers. Both river blinds got skunked both days.

 

Sounds similar to up here, then... Dang hoping for some Canada reports to say there's huge waves headed my way

 

Mallards , gadwalls , whistling tree ducks, shovelers. Plus 5 roseate spoonbills. Til this year I had never seen one in the wild. And last Friday a beaver.

 

The last 5 years or so there has been a significant decline in the duck hunting along the Texas coast. This past weekend my dad and I had easy limits Saturday, but if you weren't in just a handful of spots that were holding a few birds, you maybe had 1 per man. Sunday we were lucky to kill a 2 man limit even with shooting doubles out of a flock and most of everything else that came by. Hardly any big ducks to speak of, almost all bluewing teal. Habitat and weather are factors, but seeing as how no one in the flyway seems to be seeing birds, I'm very skeptical of these "record hatches" USFW has said we've supposedly had the last few years.

 

Are you seeing any divers (if you normally get them down where you hunt)?

 

Season doesn't open until the 23d in Arkansas. It's been over 5 weeks since they've had rain. The Black river is about 8 feet below flood stage--which is necessary for the woods to flood. We have pumped up our rice fields but that's a moot point if there aren't any ducks in the county....and there aren't right now. AFG says mallard numbers are down 500.000 this year. But they won't lower the 6 duck limit.... Should be 3 IMO

 

We've only got a few more weeks to salvage up here. We close on 11/19 up where I hunt (11/24 in the southern part of the state).

Well shoot. AFG would indicate it IS a population problem.. probably in addition to nothing getting them to move down from up north. Weirdly, I didn't even see a mallard the second weekend of our season. I saw tons of woodies but no mallards.

The lake I hunted Sat & Sun--a natural wild rice lake--was down like 3'. We hadn't had rain in 8 weeks (though last week we got snow on Halloween and it's been raining a bit but still warm).

Thanks for the reply

 

Been raining here steady for 2 days now so that will fill all lakes and ponds (plus cause flooding).
We are, like most places, still very warm for this time of year. Future forecast shows 60's and 70's thru the mid November (So. Illinois). Friend that still hunts says it is real bad, no ducks around. Year after year seeing no birds is why I quit. Our local DU chapter folded up due to lack of members/interest. I believe duck populations are way down but not reported?

 

I read the MN DNR duck survey after the above post from Arkansas and they are reporting a declines in populations of mallards especially

https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/recreation/hunting/waterfowl/waterfowl_survey.pdf

"Mallard numbers were 41% below the 10-year average and 38% below the long-term average of 229,000 breeding mallards. The estimated blue-winged teal population was 160,000, which was 26% above last year’s estimate of 126,000 blue-winged teal, but statistically unchanged (P=0.27).

Blue-winged teal numbers were 9% below the 10-year average and 23% below the long-term average estimates.

The combined population index of other ducks, excluding scaup, was 87,000 ducks, which was 32% below last year’s estimate, 34% below the 10-year average and 43% below the long-term average estimates.

Scaup, Wood Ducks, and Ring-necked ducks were the most abundant species of other ducks (Table 3). The estimate of total duck abundance excluding scaup, was 387,000, which was 20% below last year’s estimate, 35% below the 10-year average estimate, and 37% below the long-term average estimate.

The estimated number of Canada geese was 106,000 and 7% lower than last year and 31% below the long-term average estimate."

 

Warm temperatures aren’t gonna help either. If a duck can set on soft water he usually ain’t gonna move unless he has to. Hard water locking up the food though is a different story.

 

Have you been out yet, and if so, where are you and are you seeing ducks?

 

Take this for what it’s worth - I am on the East Coast of Canada in the Atlantic Flyway. This year it appears that the numbers of duck and geese are up. Lots hanging around.

It’s also important to note that our weather has shifted. When I was a kid (30 years ago) we used to ski in early December. Now the hill (even with snowmaking) is lucky to get open the first week of January.

IMO The birds have no reason to move, open water and lots of feed

 

How was your spring--wet dry or normal?

Are you still seeing more birds right now than you would expect?

Yes, for sure weather changing. Guys I know selling their snowmobiles and ice castle tow behind ice houses due to a shorter and shorter snow and ice season. This fall in N Central MN has been ridiculously warm (and dry)

 

I've been to the Delta Marsh of Lake Manitoba regularly this fall. Early season was okay, enough ducks that we could shoot a pretty decent bag on 2 or 3 occasions. But the last 3 weeks or so have been very, very sparse for ducks. Geese on the other hand are as abundant as ever. The only trick is finding them and getting permission on private land.

 

Curious if anyone is the Champlain Valley of VT/NY and how the season is going here?

 

In central Florida I skipped early teal season again this year. I haven't been seeing enough teal to be worth the work to get out there. I did see our first ringers show up on a neighborhood pond this week so that promising. Still have another 2 weeks to go before season opens.

 

Shot a few this past weekend and got an amazing view of the Northern Lights setting up decoys:

Talked to guys that scouted a huge area and they said still no real birds. Our season ends in a few days. I'm going to go up this weekend to give it one last try

 

Veterans Day was our first productive hunt. Pacific Flyway, Central Washington. Few if any local birds earlier on the Columbia River. Bird numbers vetter to the North but still not like years past. Scaup and Redheads dominated with few Widgeon. Makes for tough shooting with critical bird identification. Had my limit of two of each of those two species too early.
We don't see Northern lights but have some nice sunset color. Still need more weather to push the birds. We too seem to be a month behind for weather. I used to ski Thanksgiving weekend.

 

Thank you for the report and that's an incredible picture!!!

 

Thank you. It amazes me what these cheap phone cameras will actually do. My wife loves sunsets so I take a lot of nice color shots to share with her.

 

Duck season in my area is dismal. We are in the third year of a major drought. Huntable water is scarce and so are the ducks.

 

Well, finished my season (unless I get one more down in SE MN on the River) on Sat. Shot one ringneck and missed a flock of goldeneyes. Probably my worst season in the last 12 years or so in terms of birds/trip. Still love getting out though.

Good luck to all you guys down south. We certainly didn't shoot them up here!

 

Found a few birds in my usual haunts today. Got very wet in the process. Still need more weather. Managed four with the 410. Yahoo

 

Went pheasant hunting yesterday and finally up here in Minnesota, the small water had ice on it. Too late for me, but maybe things will start moving

 

Still very much feast or famine down here in Texas. Be in a good spot AND able to take advantage of opportunities or it's less than a bird per man. Front brought a few greenwings in, hopefully we start getting some big ducks.

 

Weather finally did some good. Ringers and fresh Widgeon with the "poofy" heads. All but one with the 410.

 

Very nice!!! I think that's how many I got this whole season probably!!

 

We are currently in our 2 week split in Texas south zone. Hopefully a few more birds move in by the time the season reopens. If not, it's going to stay slow. Last weekend was like normal. A few birds in certain spots and lots of empty skies. I was one short of a limit Sunday and clean missed a pair of Canvasbacks. Might have said a choice word since we don't get many of those where I hunt.

 

Cans and Redheads late season for us. We usually don't have many until last of Jan. Last two years more Redheads. I like them. I did get three in two trips North of us in mid Nov. My buddy missed a Can on the first trip, I was afraid to shoot another diver as I had two Scaup and two Redheads already.

 

went out yesterday to scout for open water all the best access spots are covered in ice. had to put chains on truck to escape one area after winching back to level packed snow. there was a lot of geese on the open water big rafts of typical late season ducks. way to dangerous ice to let the dog hunt. think i'll go cougar hunting instead

 

think i'll go cougar hunting instead

Sounds like a winner to me.

Oh, wait, you mean the BIG CAT kind of cougar..........