Attn: Waterfowl fanatics!

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Jmnhunter said:
any SD hunters out there?
We are heading out there for our 3 day NR hunt starting friday, DU migration reports are doom and gloom but who knows how accurate they are
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Look for open water, the ducks that are left behind will be in the open water.
 
OntarioHunter said:
I'm not seeing much waterfowl activity on the Montana federal refuge. We'll see what happens after this horrendous windstorm subsides. Already 48+ hours of 60+ mph winds. Got up to 82 mph some places. Supposed to drop to 15-30 mph later this morning so I'll head up there and see what's happening. I'm only after uplands but that place is a major stopping off point in the flyway. Usually packed with birds this time of year. Some swans were in over the weekend but no honkers and very few ducks. No cranes. It was shirtsleeve weather (actually Bermuda shorts would have been fine) so nothing is froze up. I think waterfowl is just a month late coming down. I've been here since 20 Oct. Strange because the honkers back in Ontario came through on time, albeit very quickly. They were gone by the time I left but that has become normal in recent years.
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I've been seeing lots of geese in NW MT, one lake that had several hundred mallards.
This morning the area I hunt pheasants was frozen and the geese have left that area.
Usually that is good for me jump shooting spring creeks.
Tuesday was tough with the wind...roosters flushing wild at 200 yards.
IMG_0028.JPG
 
Geese are piling into the refuge today. Flight after flight. Things are a bit froze up but the wind cleared most of the big lake. Shot two very old roosters but it was tough in 30 mph wind. Ashamed to admit I missed more than usual. Blame it on the wind. I saw lots of birds and surprisingly most were roosters. No one hunting the refuge now which is not surprising. There is no steel shot from Glendive to Kalispell to Great Falls, Butte, Helena, Anaconda, Lewistown. Didn't call Billings or Missoula but I doubt they are in any better shape. Ellie made absolutely unbelievable retreives on both birds. Dumped them in thick cattails and the wind blew them out quite a ways. She was behind me and we were in head high stuff (my head). I know she couldn't see anything when I shot. I marked where they fell and started bulldozing my way to them. Before I could get half way she's bumping into my leg with rooster in her mouth. "How the hell do you do that? Especially in a blistering hard wind." And she does it all the time! Never seen anything like it. In years past when hunting Pearl, Opal, and Puppy together I'd still lose almost every bird shot over cattail jungle, so I stopped hunting that way. Now I never lose them. I may have worked Ellie too hard today. See how she does with that sore leg tomorrow.
 
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AlaskaHunter said:
I've been seeing lots of geese in NW MT, one lake that had several hundred mallards.
This morning the area I hunt pheasants was frozen and the geese have left that area.
Usually that is good for me jump shooting spring creeks.
Tuesday was tough with the wind...roosters flushing wild at 200 yards.
View attachment 202087
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That dog could be Ellie's twin. Looks like Foys Lake area or Somers?
 
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bowhuntmontana said:
Have been out a few more times, bagging some redheads, shoveler, and teal. Was surprised to still bump into a cinnamon, but I wasn't complaining.

Currently butchering last weekend's big game harvest. Hoping to get back out after birds this weekend.View attachment 202035
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Wow, this is VERY late to find cinnamon teal still in the area. They are typically all gone before the opener.
 
OntarioHunter said:
Wow, this is VERY late to find cinnamon teal still in the area. They are typically all gone before the opener.
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I am new to waterfowl, but it was surprising to me too. I killed to drakes and several hens in early October when it was still warm. We haven't had much cold, but even still, I wasn't expecting to see one the second week of November.
 
I tried five dozen black and white silhouettes this past weekend mixed in with about six dozen bigfoots and five dozen regular silhouettes. It was a nice sunny day with about a ten mph wind, perfect scenario imo. I could not for the life of me get these geese to finish and I was on the x. Pulled the black and whites and we were done in about an hour. Any others have experience with the black and white silhouettes?
 
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