Poll for the northerners: How has this season stacked up?

This has been by far my worst season for seeing and shooting birds since starting serious duck hunting back in 2004. Opening day was great, saw the usual numbers of wood ducks and had a proud dad moment watching my son fold his first duck on his first shot. That alone made my season. After that things rapidly declined with only one other day (ok, 30 minutes of that day) that we saw ducks and they wanted to cooperate but we were foiled by a wayward retriever walking into the decoys while the gadwalls were locked up.

In my completely amateur waterfowl biologist opinion we were foiled by the weather this year. Snow in our area at midseason when birds normally move in caused the birds here to move out and held up birds wanting to migrate in. After the snow cleared and weather warmed the rains caused the rivers to swell and flow hard. The warm weather slowed the normal mallard migration and spread out the birds into flooded areas; the hard flow didn't allow the divers to rest on the pools like normal so they pushed on through. To sum it up, we got hit with a perfect mix of weather that created a very lack luster season at best
 
Indeed this could be called The One Box Season though in actuality I probably shot a box and a half. Over all this season averaged in the 2-3 range as the birds seen and chances had were slim to none with the exception of the couple of layout hunts I was invited on - those were good to very good for a couple of days.

The one area that was a 10 where the new people I had a chance to hunt with, always a big plus to me. Ducks come and go but the experiences with new friends or just re-acquaintances that I lost track of is priceless.
 
I did not hunt a ton this year but the hunts I did go on were 8's not because we shot a ton of birds but every hunt this year was with my 10 year old. It was my favorite season. Opener was a 10 in all aspects. We put a lot of time in preseason this year and it paid off. We had an epic hunt mid season this year. We didn't limit out but the way the ducks worked and the species we shot and the memories from that hunt will last forever. On that hunt I was working my dog away from the blind and I hear my son give a couple of quacks. I look up and see he has 3 mallards working. Couple of more quacks and bang one falls out of the air. The look on his face when I get back is something I will never forget.
As for numbers on the season I keep track of retrieves for Thor my dog. he retrieved 70 of 73 dropped birds. Again his successes made this a great year. Again not one day did we limit out but this was the best year in a long time. I would say we were more lucky this year than in that past. Some times the stars and moon line up for my benefit.
 
Same here in Northern Ny, very few new birds but some late. Goose season was fine plenty of birds. The good; didn't land up in the water, didn't almost get shot, Hunted with more people and had a great time. Season gets a 4.
 
Jeff, nice/ interesting thread. 7 out of 10 hunting and 4 out of ten for days afield. Started funny here midcoast. Opening was tough because of the heavy rain before the opener... Changed the patterns, but since has become predictable again.
Midcoast is not a destination for puddlers so I hunt some here but range up to an 1.5hr away. I was able to stay closer this year because of the temperate weather and the fresh water staying open. I don't target geese but killed more than ever and interesting birds too for us Mainers widgeon scup pintail as well as the usual teal woodies mallards and blacks. I've seen 2 goldeneye.
My only complaint is not going enough... But my wife has finished her CPA exams and so my schedule has loosened somewhat for the last bit.
Jeff and open invitation to scull should you like too.
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Frank, I think you are the only person I know in Maine who has reported a good season. Among the gang where I keep my MMB boat, we had one good day among us on Merrymeeting.

Maybe I need to head over to the midcoast more. I am headed that way on Wednesday--a little south of you.
 
The season started out OK, lots of little ducks. Hit a couple days that weren't bad during the season but nothing special. Then it stayed very warm until it snowed and got cold. I never really saw any late ducks so I just stuck with pheasant hunting.

Tim
 
Where I hunt in Ohio, the weather conditions made this one of the more difficult seasons especially during the second split. That said, maybe 40+ years of experience and some luck helped to overcome the weather and the ducks' wariness. From a numbers standpoint this was about as good a year as I've had ( rate it as an 8-9). The most amazing thing I saw was the fact that we had several thousand teal in our marsh Nov - Dec. They patterned to get up before shooting time and come back 30 min after. During shooting hours I may have seen 50 flying the marsh and only got to shoot half dozen. Every year I learn something new.
 
Jeff~

Easily the worst season I have seen - certainly in the 20 years I've lived here in eastern NY - and nothing like it in my 51 seasons. I would have to give it a 1 - because I have never seen fewer birds and would hate to imagine such is possible.

Late summer drought dried up lots of duck waters and seemed to push our local Wood Ducks out - and Mallards never showed up. We had one good showing yesterday - and still 6 days to go hereabouts.

Our Long Island season runs to the end of January. I am hoping cold weather finally arrives and brings some birds with it.

All the best,

SJS
 
1 overall-From Texas

Not a northerner but even here in Texas this is the worst season I have had in 30+years. This is not to say I have not had some wonderful shoots and taken in-some cases a limit of birds. Just by sheer numbers alone it seems we are at a 1/10th of the birds I have seen just in the past 5 years here. Pulled back on the number of days in the field because of not enough birds holding to even give you a look. I can say the "calendar" birds have proven consistent by the moon phase and in all cases my best opportunities of scratching out some birds. The only other times I have done well on birds is when NOAA has called a "tornado watch" for the area all awhile I was throwing decoys out in both days. Winds were so bad the birds just wanted down.

Regards,
Kristan
 
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While weather plays a role, I am going to say something that may not be too popular here.

I also believe the poor season has to do with man made interferences as well. Before the regular season begins we have early goose where you can shoot over open water and have early youth before the season begins as well. This coupled with no real early real season so if the weather is just off by a little bit, the early migratory are gone or weary.

Then we do not get a late season hunt either. Depending upon where you live in this State or the neighboring one, you may not get a spilt. If you get no split your season is done before Thanksgiving. Many birds have not been through by turkey day. Then in MN we close the hunting day at 4:00 for the first two weeks of the season.

I realize it that's been this way for many years and is not the reason for a poor showing this particular year. Those who make the rules around here just keep making it harder and harder to go afield.

Mark W
 
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It's been tough one....lack of water inland in the beginning and now lack of birds. The second half has been a little better.....have a friend that likes sea ducks {Long tails} and they are around. Also had a couple of good goose hunts. I would rate it a 3 or 4 so far, got about a month to go.
 
It is very annoying when "people who work for the public" don't listen.

The majority of the people who go to the state waterfowl meeting want to hunt until jan 31 instead of mid November.

But it won't change at least while he is controlling our season.

I can only dream of 107 days of ducks, you pacific flyway guys have me very jealous about that.
 
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No offense to the rest of you, but Jeff wins the "best response award".

Just for you Jeff, a free guided hunt the week after Christmas on duckless Casco Bay. There won't be any ducks, but at least the weather will feel normal for a southerner like you.
 
We're down to our last week of upland hunting with another three weeks or so of waterfowling to go but the options for the latter are fast becoming limited as the shelf ice builds on the rivers and the stubble snow deepens. Numbers wise, this year has been a good one but my timing has been off. Our window of opportunity for a really diverse daily bag is a pretty narrow one and I never managed to hit the big pushes despite burning some mid-week vacation time when the weather rolled in. The abundance of pintail flocks was mind-blowing at times but my diver outings were very much a bust. Days that seemed like the birds should pile in with the weather just didn't happen save for one good push of northern mallards on a snow squall. Here's hoping the weather allows for a few more gravel bar layouts before calling it a season.
 
This video was taken by a friend in Ferryville, Wisconsin on the Mississippi River last week. Well after the season was done. An impressive raft of canvas backs. Sorry, I'm not sure how to make the link active. Maybe someone can help. Merry Christmas


https://www.facebook.com/FlywayFowlingGuideServiceLlc?ref=hl
 
That raft was there all year. Certainly cool to look at, but Pool 9 never held more than 100,000 cans at any one time. During the peak it usually has 3-4 times that many. The open water on the Wisconsin side of Pool 9 is not huntable, and that is where they stay.
 
Yep, that spot has been a feed bed for years. At the first MLB "Convention" we layout hunted right there, in front of the motel. Amazing that they are still there this late in the year.
 
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