Ducks?

Wak · 10-08-2002, 09:14 PM

Curious what peoples plans are for the weekend. I have never duck hunted before Thanksgiving. Is there much success this early in the season? Do the daylight hours have anything to do with migration? Just wondering????

Lured In · 10-08-2002, 10:06 PM

From what I have seen on scouting trips, etc...there are more ducks around than I have seen in the last few years this early. I am betting on a great weekend. Otherwise the migrants should be here around the middle of November in decent numbers.

Don't forget the hunting on the westside can be radically different late in the year than what goes on out east.

Perfect Drift · 10-09-2002, 03:37 PM

We hunted Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge last Saturday and today. We didn't even shoot today and Sat. only 2 birds. Today it was so slow most hunters bailed by 10am.

Crashin' Bait · 10-09-2002, 11:55 PM

Usually it is great waterfowling on the opener and tapers off until, like Lured In stated, the northern birds get here.

I was told that the migration is triggered by the availability of feed in relation to weather. Ducks and geese do not need water. I 've seen them using frozen ponds. But, when the food source runs out or is covered by snow then they out migrate in search of another food source. That seems to be why last season was not such a good one. The weather was too warm (Also, there was a drought in the northern plains of Canada which put a dent in bird production). Hope this helps.

skein · 10-10-2002, 10:13 AM

I usually go over to Warner Wetlands for the opener, and probably will again this year even though I'm worried about lack of water over there. I haven't had a chance to scout it so I'm going in blind. Anybody else been over there?

There's usually some good jump shooting early on, with the chance of getting into some chukers during the middle of the day. Sometimes I take the varmint gun and the ghillie suit and see if I can squeek up a coyote or two as well. Makes for a fun - and busy weekend.

It's a big area, not too heavily hunted, and pretty, pretty, pretty country. Watching the sunset light up Hart Mt is worth the trip alone.

Skein

MikeT · 10-10-2002, 12:19 PM

Skein,
I just got back from Warner Valley. We hunted Sat.--Tues. and got a few but it was tough. Water is low and not many birds using the wetlands.
Campbell and Flagstaff Lakes had thousands of birds but we couldn't get them. Tried setting up blinds on shore and hunting out in the lakes from Aqua Pods. The birds wanted to stay out in the middle and wouldn't come near the boats.
We did see some guys shoot a few geese pass shooting from the dunes along Campbell Lake. Didn't try it ourselves.
Good luck if you go.

Mike

[ 10-10-2002, 01:21 PM: Message edited by: MikeT ]

GutshotApe · 10-10-2002, 01:09 PM

A few years ago, back in the last wet cycle, I used my 11' Barnegat Bay sneakbox and set up with a few floating Canada deeks 100 yds offshore in Flagstaff Lk in the area geese seemed to be flying over when going to or from the big flock out in the center of the lake. Had to keep the boat parallel to the line of flight so it presented the smallest profile and the low-flying dumb ones would cruise right by.

Another time I camped near Flagstaff Lk under a bright moon on a calm fall night and, like Lewis&Clark when they camped at Sauvies Island, I had a hard time getting to sleep because of the terriffic non-stop din coming from thousands of ducks, geese, swans & cranes out on the lake. They kept it up all night

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