What the Heck Happened to Winter????

Carl

Carl

Well-known member
Staff member
Last weekend, we barely got above freezing, had ice in the boat.
This weekend, its been lows in the 50s, highs in the mid-70s.
Needless to say, the hunting yesterday was not too good.
We hunted Mobile Bay in a spot that is normally a go-to place this time of year. The scores of gadwalls we saw wouldn't come within 100 yards of the blind. Didn't see any redheads or bluebills. Had a few buffies buzz us and managed to hit one, so we weren't skunked.

Went down to MS Sound today. Slept in to let the fog burn off, got to the ramp at 9:15. Headed out to a spot I like to hunt and ran up about 100 redheads. Hurried up and parked the boat & got the blind up. Started to walk around and get the decoys out but something told me to carry my gun, which I rarely do setting decoys. Got my 2dzn redheads out. Got 6 out of 9 buffies out when I see about 30 redheads coming down the shoreline. I knelt down as low I could and the whole flock come in. Doubled on drakes. Sat for the next 2 hours and only saw redheads. Could have easily killed a 6 bird limit of them. Nothing else flying. Packed it up around noon.
Talked 4 other groups of guys at the ramp today, most have seen no bluebills this year, one guy had killed 2 early in the season. We are all baffled by the lack of bluebills in our area. 2 weekends left in the season and I still have not killed a bluebill, haven't even shot at one since opening weekend. We just don't have any scaup here this year. With no cold fronts in the forecast, it could be the first season since I started duck hunting in 1997 that I don't kill a single scaup.

Year of the Redhead:
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Pair of foam & mastic buffies I made the summer:
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Foam & mastic Bluebill with a Herters head, they float surprisingly well
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Carl new jersey has seen a winter of ups and downs as well as far as temps are concerned. Single digits last weekend with 6 in of snow which provided some very good hunting (frustrating with the ice but still very good) to temps from the middle of this past week to the middle of next week not getting below 50. It's a little frustrating. I'd gladly send you some of our broadbills (they magically morph into blue bills once they cross south of the jersey line) for some of those redheads. I know we have a few up here but finding them is difficult. Its the only species of duck that regularly visits new jersey that i have never killed
 
as Mark Twain supposedly said (anything brilliant was either said by Mark Twain, Ben Franklin or Will Rodgers --or maybe all three)

if you don't like the weather wait 15 minutes -----

its been one of those years here, everything except the big lakes were frozen earlier in the week, so thousands of mallards were on the open water - get some guys together, arrange lodging - and the day we get there - warms up over night to 55 degrees, the fragile ice is gone- the flocks go back to the fields and smaller water

one small flight of greenheads at first light and then at least the redheads showed up- the geese came in just in time to say goodbye

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season ended today - those of us in the north will be watching for reports and pictures from you southerners

so enjoy it while you can - its ten months to opening day
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Carl,No doubt about it the ducks like your decoys you have had a pretty good year.
My home mades are gathering dust till the river level goes down.
 
Same weather scenario here in North Carolina. I like your decoys, Carl!
 
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So Michigan is having the same wonderful weather fluctuations. Our season ended but it isn't help making ice for fishing on top of. Gonna be almost 45 today and rain over night. Thunderstorms this week and highs above freezing for the next 15 days. Need to get the camera out as we are holding tons of birds right now

Tony
 
Thanks Joe.
The burlap ones are holding up well, the ones covered in just mastic are OK but some chipping around the edges.

Looking at the weather maps, I don't think we will see a cold front move all the way through the southeast until next Sunday. Looking like what started out as a great season is quickly fizzling!
 
I know my family over in PA don't have enough ice to fish either. My brother was having to tow his sled up to New York to ride too. I think the snow melted even up there.
 
At least you hit your bonus goose, I've failed to kill one on both opportunities this year!!
 
And I would gladly take a few flocks of bluebills in exchange for some redheads!
Don't get me wrong, I love redheads but it would be nice to have some 'bills to add to the bag!
 
And I would gladly take a few flocks of bluebills in exchange for some redheads!
Don't get me wrong, I love redheads but it would be nice to have some 'bills to add to the bag!
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But carl, you can't shoot 3 bluebills out of a flock and have them all swing back around and try to land again!
 
I think we got your winter on top of ours-warmest it's gotten in the last 3 weeks was around 20, and the coldest it's been was -28 at my house. We also had nearly 3 feet of snow in a week in a half. Needless to say, spots that very rarely freeze were locked up tight. They opened up just a bit for the last day of duck season on Saturday, had a great day and got to watch several flocks of bluebill scream over the decoys-season is closed on them. Nice redheads-they are one of my favorite ducks, both to eat and to shoot!
 
From November 15th to January 31st, I want winter, even down here.
After that, it can be hot!!!
 
Carl - I hear thee. I feel the same way about winter up here. After the fall/winter hunting seasons I do look forward to Spring.
 
Carl - I hear thee. I feel the same way about winter up here. After the fall/winter hunting seasons I do look forward to Spring.
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The issue with that is the water table after last year's mild winter the trout streams looked like August in May. By June and July, the Oatka was a dry rock bed along the west half of the Oatka trail

After the 2014/5 merganser invasion, it's going to take a couple good years for the population to even begin to recover. And to think that was the year my wife decided she wanted to try fly fishing
 
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Rick - The drought last year and into this year, knocked the heck out of all streams, rivers, ponds and marshes.

The Oatka is very close to our home. All feeder streams into it were bone dry for many months. Not good for man. beast, fish & fowl.

For sure fish did not fair well and I'll be very interested to see how well insects did. It will not be long before Stone flies should make a appearance.

The insect decline began before the drought. All I had to do was check the tops of our vehicles and spider webs on our back porch to see what was hatching. That ended 4 years ago. There is much more to it than lack of water. I spend 6 days a week on area streams observing and fly fishing. The drop off of anglers is very disheartening. Not good for the resource.

The Mergansers are still around, but the best trout fishermen are the Mink. Even the Great Blue Herons give them a wide berth.

I await Spring but know the many feet of snow are needed until Spring arrives, or even afterwards. So in deep winter I do art and carve everyday until the fly fishing gear goes into the vehicle.

As for this Spring, we shall see. Hopefully you and your wife will get some good days on the streams & rivers.
 
Hmmm winter...here in Eastern Oregon the temperature hasn't been above freezing since November, and we're getting pounded again as I type this. Lots of sub-zero days. Spent yesterday getting about 2ft of snow off my folks roof and mine...Uggh....Every day is chopping holes in the ice for the cattle to drink, and putting out hay. We have to run a convoy, tractor plowing ahead and the feed truck behind. Then rush back home for hot showers to try to warm up. Cabin fever he-he. So it was pretty much a bust waterfowl hunting season for this kid.-Seth


ps. Turning a frown upside down, I'm making plans for heated shops, and insulated work bays he-he.
 
Wow, that's just nuts.
What breed of cattle do y'all have? Amazing they can hold up under those conditions.
 
Black Angus since 1908...they hair up pretty well for winter. In the storms like today they heap up, out of the wind. I've seen circumstances in the Mid-West where a blizzard can get'em though. The key is lot's, and lot's of hay, and lots of water to keep their furnaces running. We also pile up big straw mattresses for some of them to lay on. A few years back it was worse, minus 10F for a few weeks and we didn't loose any. But like I said you keep pouring the coal to'em and they usually fair pretty well. They are Scottish he-he.-Seth
 
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