Two Words...

[Bird Watcher]

Mallards and cornfields.

Some of the best mallard hunting a guy can go is out there right now. I don't think we've shot a duck before 4:30pm either of the last two days but we've been limited on mallards before 5pm both days. I don't think we've worked a flock less and 100 birds. This is the time that I wait for every year. It's like duck season just started for me. Thanks to Billethead for the heads up to go look for some dry feeding ducks.

[BilletHead]

And we have been getting up at 5AM for what? Good going Chris! Just us guys went this morning and just as you thought no geese using our field, actually we did not see any canadas all morning. Hunted until 11:30 and brought in a group of seven mallards, got two. Then a lone suzie dropped in and did not leave. Ducks flew late. Do you all think with the full moon they had fed during the night? I have so much to learn and I have decided the ultimate is field hunting waterfowl but the window of opportunity for ducks is small. Company leaving in the morning. Will be taking the day off unless Mrs. BilletHead wants to try an evening

[Feathers and Fins]

Marty we hunted from 9am till dark and the answer is YES. saw lots of birds on the lake when we ran out that were loafing but alot of boat traffic pushed them out. Numbers were in the thousands. They trickled back in but super call shy and decoy radar on. This evening we saw thousands in the air again heading to the north toward the corn fields in southern Mo and North AR they started flying out about 3:30pm They are for certain on a night feed with the big white soft light.

[jdmidwest]

My two words, I'M DONE. Today was the last hunt of the duck season for me.

Out of bed at 1:30 AM, drive for over an hour, stand in line pulling pills, get a spot and arrive at 10 minutes to shooting time. Watch all ducks leave what little open water while unloading truck. Drag stuff 1/2 mile across rotten ice and mud with sleds and deer cart. Bust ice and make a hole. Sit till 10:30 before first pair passes dekes. Spent an hour looking for a downed mallard drake, lost him to the safe zone. Have a few others pass over. Hear the snows coming and realize it is 12:58, shooting hours end at 1:00. Snows touch down at 1:05 with me blowing dog whistle to warn others in the party not to shoot.

But, it was a great day with great friends. Made friends with a little pie billed grebe that appreciated the open water. Before the day was over, he was pecking at my water bottle next to me on the ice. He looked lonely when we pulled out.

Good news, there are alot of geese and I have been wanting to chase them.

[Bird Watcher]

And we have been getting up at 5AM for what? Good going Chris! Just us guys went this morning and just as you thought no geese using our field, actually we did not see any canadas all morning. Hunted until 11:30 and brought in a group of seven mallards, got two. Then a lone suzie dropped in and did not leave. Ducks flew late. Do you all think with the full moon they had fed during the night? I have so much to learn and I have decided the ultimate is field hunting waterfowl but the window of opportunity for ducks is small. Company leaving in the morning. Will be taking the day off unless Mrs. BilletHead wants to try an evening

Marty, I really think that when it's this cold and their roosts are trying to freeze up, they spend the better part of the day keeping the water open by bathing, splashing, swimming, etc. It seems like once the day goes on and they are sure their roost will not freeze, they will make a mad dash to the calories right before dark to gorge and then head back to the roost after sundown or so. I really don't think they stay out there much after dark though. We've been shooting this field and then running back to the truck leaving our gear out while the ducks swarm it. We've been letting them feed on it undisturbed until about 10 til six and by then we can see flocks starting to head back to to the roost.. I think I'm giving them a little too much credit for thinking in my above statement, but that's what I think happens. It just seems like the colder and more frozen it is, the more it's an afternoon shoot.

[Bird Watcher]

My two words, I'M DONE. Today was the last hunt of the duck season for me.

Out of bed at 1:30 AM, drive for over an hour, stand in line pulling pills, get a spot and arrive at 10 minutes to shooting time. Watch all ducks leave what little open water while unloading truck. Drag stuff 1/2 mile across rotten ice and mud with sleds and deer cart. Bust ice and make a hole. Sit till 10:30 before first pair passes dekes. Spent an hour looking for a downed mallard drake, lost him to the safe zone. Have a few others pass over. Hear the snows coming and realize it is 12:58, shooting hours end at 1:00. Snows touch down at 1:05 with me blowing dog whistle to warn others in the party not to shoot.

But, it was a great day with great friends. Made friends with a little pie billed grebe that appreciated the open water. Before the day was over, he was pecking at my water bottle next to me on the ice. He looked lonely when we pulled out.

Good news, there are alot of geese and I have been wanting to chase them.

Don't quit JD, you just have an acute case of Parkapainintheassiscitis. It's a common ailment among Missouri duck hunters. That's acutally one of the reason's I love this time of year is because I think the hard freeze will push them out of the duck park refuges.

[mhowerton]

Marty, I really think that when it's this cold and their roosts are trying to freeze up, they spend the better part of the day keeping the water open by bathing, splashing, swimming, etc. It seems like once the day goes on and they are sure their roost will not freeze, they will make a mad dash to the calories right before dark to gorge and then head back to the roost after sundown or so. I really don't think they stay out there much after dark though. We've been shooting this field and then running back to the truck leaving our gear out while the ducks swarm it. We've been letting them feed on it undisturbed until about 10 til six and by then we can see flocks starting to head back to to the roost.. I think I'm giving them a little too much credit for thinking in my above statement, but that's what I think happens. It just seems like the colder and more frozen it is, the more it's an afternoon shoot.

I have heard that same theory about ducks keeping the water open and not flying out until they believe it will not freeze up. In South Dakota this year we had the same experience with ducks hitting the dry fields right before dark. In Northeast Arkansas I only see ducks use dry fields when all the ones with water are frozen. You would think with a college degree you could figure out these durn ducks, but they have fooled me many times this year. Scouted a creek on Norfork that had a couple hundred ducks on it Firday Next morning only about 40 came back. Who knows where they went.

[jdmidwest]

Don't quit JD, you just have an acute case of Parkapainintheassiscitis. It's a common ailment among Missouri duck hunters. That's acutally one of the reason's I love this time of year is because I think the hard freeze will push them out of the duck park refuges.

But today was the last day for ducks in the middle zone. And the only spots in the south zone we have close require flooding from rivers to draw any birds and it does not look like that is gonna happen this year.. Our out of the park areas are all really private or dry this year. Our big lakes like Wappappello and Clearwater all sit in the middle zone, so they are done too.

I could take a road trip to the other side of the state, but don't really have time for that.

There is always next year.

[Bird Watcher]

But today was the last day for ducks in the middle zone. And the only spots in the south zone we have close require flooding from rivers to draw any birds and it does not look like that is gonna happen this year.. Our out of the park areas are all really private or dry this year. Our big lakes like Wappappello and Clearwater all sit in the middle zone, so they are done too.

I could take a road trip to the other side of the state, but don't really have time for that.

There is always next year.

Yeah, I forgot you guys have your own messed up zone boundaries over there like we do over here on the West side.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Yeah! Put Shawnee back in the South!