Slow Start

[ghillie]

Greetings ladies and gents...been a tough go of it so far this year.  This dought has really hurt us up here.  Very LITTLE water around has made it very challenging to say the least.  The river close to me is so low that I can't even launch the boat!  There is one area in SW Iowa were they are pumping to flood the local area near the Big Mo or Big Muddy.  Has been spotty shooting there but birds are being taken.  Was there earlier this week and shot Gaddies, Widgeon, GWT, BWT, a few mallards and a really nice bull Pintail that is going on the wall.  Numbers just are not here yet. We don't see big pushes till around Armistice Day but usually we have a lot more calander ducks around for this time of year.  Watched wave after wave of Specks migrating south all week.  Weather up north is still pretty mild with open water but I hear tell birds are STACKED up in NoDak.  We need a big freeze in Sask and NoDak to get them on the move.  Good luck and pray for cloder weather up north.

[Old Gobbler]

The drought has screwed up the migration real bad this year . For example I have heard reports where the pintail migration   hit California extra early this year, as in the pintails passed up all the usual rest stops on the way down and showed up in August. So it looks like feast or famine with duck hunting this year

Worst part is most birds fatten up on the way back up to the nesting grounds up north, if  the feed /crops are poor we could be having 2013 hatch issues

[Old Gobbler]

Went out and scouted all day today....lets just say there is no shortage of ducks in Florida this year 

[ghillie]

Well...right on schedule.  BIG push of birds today with this new cold front with rain, sleet and snow, excellent reports from buddies all over.  Watched wave after wave of migrators.  Took a really nice mixed bag, Cans, Redheads, Ringnecks, Mallards, Pinnies.  Amazingly enough...there are still a TON of teal in the area!  Sure with I could put a bead on a Cinnamon, someday!