Just Duck Talk

[Jeff Olson]

just wondering if anyone has much for birds around? not much here in the Hollister area. I haven't seen much on the rock . was at upper bull shoals and lower taney yesterday and only saw a few birds. still learning the areas, are there still numbers of birds to the north? I hope there are, and these cold temps tonight will bring some down tonight as im going to try the rock in the am.

[JohnP]

Hunted BS this morning and only seen a pair on mallards in 2 and a half hours of sitting. They worked perfect and managed to drop the greenhead and let the hen go. Only heard one other shot and that was across the lake from me thinking at the hen as that was the direction she went and it was long after I shot. Thought it would of been a lot better atleast in seeing birds. Just got in from driving my scouting loop and seen maybe a dozen ducks total, hoping the freeze tonight will push the birds off the ponds and put em on the rivers/lakes. From what I'm hearing still lots of duck up north and now that those seasons are over their not being pressured. Also hearing reports of lots of birds just west in kansas.

[Feathers and Fins]

Jeff; I have cruised around Benton County today checking ponds, the smaller shaded ponds out of the wind are freezing over but still some open water, the ones not protected are showing ice around the edges. I looked at 72 ponds and counted 2772 birds not every pond had birds of the 72 checked 43 had birds the number 1 bird was Mallards followed by Gaddies, I did see birds on other ponds that I could not get close to the larger ones had Divers on them one pond I know had at least 100 Bluebills on it and a small raft of Canvasbacks but I could count those birds os did not include that pond in my count.

I also checked a couple small creeks and counted another 327 ducks on them Mallards and Gaddies again were the highest count with a few woodies on it. We have lots of birds but they are scattered on nice safe ponds, if the weather prediction temps hold true Wends morning will be a great day to be on Big Water, Open Water large ponds and most creeks and rivers. By Thursday ill bet they are pack to small ponds again. It is a typical pattern I see every year up here 3rd day of a freeze on till a thaw is highly productive.

[JohnP]

Good report FnF. Our biggest problem this season for us big water and river hunters is we haven't had a freeze that's lasted more than 3 days. Just when it starts to get good and it warms right back up.

[Jeff Olson]

thanks guys for the great info! that's encourageing, hopefully these temps coming will stay awhile!

[Bird Watcher]

I went and scouted some areas that were holding birds before the warmup tonight. Still plenty of ducks around. I think they just dispersed with the warmup last week. I was looking at some pretty impressive groups of birds getting grouped back up this afternoon. I think after the next two nights it will be back on in my areas. Actually, it could have been back on this afternoon if I would have been hunting instead of scouting. I can't go again until Tues. afternoon and then I will be off until the 22nd. Hopefully it will be strong finish on ducks and maybe mix some geese in too.

[Feathers and Fins]

Chris I had to go to Basspro Yesterday and if your looking for Geese. the field I was telling you about I went and checked and it is holding about 2 to 300 of the shorties and around 1 to 150ish of the longneck, Saw a few Mallards in it. Might want to go check that area as well. They were all in a field and im out of field hunts till next year my layout had an accident today.

[Bird Watcher]

Dang layout blinds. I've yet to have one last more than three seasons and that's doing good. I just keep buying Finishers and now I have a graveyard of parts in the shed. I can usually get it limped back together. Reminds me that I need to fix mine. I broke the bracket that holds the lower supports to the frame last time out. You mean the field that you mentioned being 2 miles NW of the Public Area? I wasn't far from there this afternoon but probably still 15-20 miles away.

Chris I had to go to Basspro Yesterday and if your looking for Geese. the field I was telling you about I went and checked and it is holding about 2 to 300 of the shorties and around 1 to 150ish of the longneck, Saw a few Mallards in it. Might want to go check that area as well. They were all in a field and im out of field hunts till next year my layout had an accident today.

[Feathers and Fins]

Thats the field not hard to find just follow the lines. Did see one tornado bout an F2 a little further west of it. Ya it was 7 years on my finisher so it was time.

[JohnP]

Found a few more birds today on Bull Shoals but still nothing like we'd expect to see with all the ponds froze. Seen a couple pics on another forum from the north and middle zones still loaded with ducks. Seen a good size flock of gads and teal (approx 100 or so) on the old ramp flat at kdock plus half dozen gads and a cross breed shoveler (poss pintail mix looking at the back feathers) in back of kdock cove, couple dozen gads and a few mallets and mergs in Beaver. 3 greenheads and a hen on the marsh at kissee mills park, 2 mergs up the creek. Didn't make it over to see snapps and cedar creek but guessing probably a few birds around in each as well. Going to hit it hard the rest of the week hopefully what birds we do have want to play

Also stopped at scenic overlook on y hwy at about 10am and glassed the Como for about 15 min's while eating some mcD's breakfast, flock of about 20 geese on the grass at the condos across the lake is all I seen. The stump row going down towards the ol' john the diver blind was empty of fowl other than a couple herrons and a bald eagle that kept flying back and forth. Some guy were hunting the point on the island across from the blind and heard them shoot once but never saw anything fall or fly out that I could see? Not a single duck in the cove by edgewater resort and half dozen gads in the cuts by the dam.