Hey MN and WI guys got a question for you on wild rice hunting.

Brandon Yuchasz

Brandon Yuchasz

Well-known member
So I am starting to think through my season plans a little more and some nice plump fat mallards for plucking are higher on my list this year then in the past. Normally I spend the late season chasing divers and loving it but I want some nice cooking birds this year. Mostly I shoot mallards until around October 15th and then its all divers for me in my area. Truth be told I have not put much time into looking for anything else in November but this year I would like to change that.

So... those of you guys in wild rice area's. Do the migrating Mallards use the rice when they come through? I know it falls down in early to mid October but I don't know if it remains a viable food source after that point. Reason I am asking is I live so close to the WI border I could easily border jumps and there are many many rice lakes within an hour drive of me down that way. I figure a day or two of hard scouting and I should be able to find a few options. That is if the birds will be using those lakes.

Thanks for any feedback you guys can offer up on this. Hopefully I get a few roasting ducks this year. These early season pin feathered birds just are not cutting it.
 
Brandon:

I'm sure you'll get better information from local hunters, but where we have lakes or freshwater tidal marshes with rice, we see ducks right up to freeze up. I don't know that the ducks are still feeding on rice, as there is plenty of other food around, but they sure fly into it nicely.

It gets a lot harder to hide the boat or a sitting hunter in the late season as the rice gets knocked down.
 
Thanks for the input Jeff. I didn't realize you had rice over on the coast. Very cool.

If someone does not want to post publicly about experiences in there area I completely understand. Feel free to send me a PM.
 
if they are not feeding directly on the rice, they are still using the cover/loafing areas so if the birds are still in the areas, they are still on those lakes.

word of caution...please, please, please read the STUPID concealment laws that WI has enacted in the last few years. Dumb Asses in Madison seem to really care how/where you hunt and are trying to make money of guys setting up slightly illegally. Just read carefully, then while scouting, look for areas that are both legal and illegal so you know which to avoid.

FYI, field hunting them is easier late season. your hide must cover you really WELL.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top