It's Getting Closer....

[Feathers and Fins]

JD, The ducks havent done nothing, Look at the counts in the Dakotas, they aint migrated yet. http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/waterfowl/counts/week04.aspx thats just Sodak

[Kayser]

FNF, those numbers are pre-front, from the fourth and fifth, front was 8-9th. I'd like to see the numbers from today/tomorrow.

[Feathers and Fins]

I doubt they changed much, Ive been waterfowling 37 years and major fronts that have no "weather" with it aka snow doesnt do much to push the birds, it takes snow cover to really push them out of an area. I use to get excited about big fronts like this one until i figured out is the food source is still there the birds will not leave.

Ag practices North have changed to grain crops and even though it was a bad year from what everyone is saying there is plenty of food up north from what friends say and what hunters are reporting in fields. Im sure less hearty ducks moved on this front but the Mallards and Geese probably stayed. Heck there are still guys shooting teal in Nebraska.

[Bird Watcher]

There have always been Calendar Migrators and Snow line birds. Some will migrate based on the photoperiod shortening and some will only migrate when their food gets covered by snow. It's two different survival strategies. Use the calories to migrate thousands of miles to more hospitable climate, or save the calories and use them instead to try and stay warm as far north as possible. The latter choice has become more appealing/successful to the birds because of chaging ag practices IMO, like Scott was saying. I also agree, the ones that migrate based on photoperiod will usually have the greatest diversity but the ones that follow the snow line will tend to be green headed and black headed with white cheek straps.

[Bird Watcher]

Im right there with you man, when im working im cold and miserable but put me on the lake with a gun in my hand and decoys in front im warm and happy. The one good thing about this front is it finally put me in the Christmas spirit. Ive got 10 days off and going down to the farm for 5 of them or more and a few in Dewitt so im pretty sure i will be killing stuff. Truth is I really like hunting the Big Water and small creeks around here more than the rice fields and flooded timber.

Maybe its the challenge or the scenry of these beautiful Ozarks but I just enjoy them more.

I've been getting daily text pics from Black River. Lots of limits, but lots of brown. Lots of sweat and mosquitos too from what I understand.

[Feathers and Fins]

I get those nasty pictures as well and throw in some White and Fels pics as well, looks like a lot of brown a little green a ton of whitey and the boys further south keep sending me RED pictures which i want to kick them in the nutts for. I love my Cans and Redheads I swear my camera shoots them more than my gun just something about those two in flight that makes me want to take pictures.

Im sitting at Frog Bayou right now and havent seen jack flying for over an hour, granted im just at the parking lot waiting to go to a job and not hunting but from what ive seen and heard not much hunting going on anyway well shooting anyway

[duckydoty]

nothing flying on upper bull shoals this morn

[BilletHead]

A few more ducks showing on my pond rounds this morning. One place had 57 mixed puddlers of gadwall and mallards. I would guess 75% gads and the rest mallards. Another place had four pintail, one drake and if he was a mature bird I might of put the sneak on him

BilletHead

[Clayton Bass]

Not as many ducks flying over my spot this morning, I blew several good chances then I managed to jam the gun by putting a shell in backwards. That was a bear to get back out. Ended up going home empty handed.

[Feathers and Fins]

Here is Squaw Creeks counts for yesterday and weeks before. Not much of a change post front http://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/Squaw_Creek_Waterfowl_Count_12102012.pdf