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

Jeff - I appreciate your post. My thoughts are the following...
  1. Every season has it's own personality. Every one is and always will be different.
  2. Adapt and Overcome. If the ducks aren't coming to you, be ready to travel.
  3. Do something different. Duck migration patterns change. Doing the same thing year in and year out has it's limitations.
  4. Hunt different species. Being a one note hunter limits results.
  5. Adapt different styles of waterfowling. Gotta be ready to hunt ducks where they are and give them different looks.
Just some thoughts and experience.

My season went well but, I hunted 6 different states and 2 provinces. And, many trips were done very reasonable economically. Sometimes we waterfowlers get caught in a routine. Venture out, go somewhere you've never gone, hunt a species you've never hunted... Dare to do something different...

Just my thoughts... Pat

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” Henry Ford
 
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Good thoughts, Pat. With the exception of eiders, for which I don't have a suitable boat, I do the best I can to mix it up with what we have here in Maine. Traveling to other states to hunt is not an option until I retire.

Within the confines of the state, I've hunted geese, teal, mallards, blacks, ringnecks, widgeon (actually saw two this year, rare here, and set up nearby the next day), goldeneyes, buffleheads and long tails. I've done it on water ranging from tiny beaver flowages to the open Atlantic, from boats ranging from a 10 foot kayak to a 20 foot Lund, and quite literally from the headwaters of the Kennebec River near the Canadian border to it's mouth on the ocean. I've sculled, pass shot, sat in a boat blind, sat in shore blinds ranging from a few collected sticks to a 2 story blind on stilts, and stood in the rice in my waders with water up to my waist.

All of that is normal. What's been surprising is the universal lack of ducks regardless of species, methods or location. It really has been remarkable.

I did finally find a few birds two days ago, and am thinking I may be able to pull off a few good hunts next week to close out the season.
 
Bwahahaha! Love the weather report Jeff! For once they got the forecast spot on. There are few, if any, divers over in our area. They just never showed up around here except for maybe a day or two earlier in the season. Went out to try for puddlers yesterday and saw pretty much nothing other than a high flying swan. I have a spot that requires a good hike in that I plan to try on Saturday. There were at least some geese in there during deer season. Hopefully something with wings is still in the vicinity.


Steve
 
North Dakota - Mid October 2 days as good as it gets, 1 day average shoot. Worked very hard and there was no dumb new birds around we worked hard to find spots that had birds.
Minnesota - Non existent as bad as I have seen after the first day.
Not in the north but was to the Coastal Bend area of Texas for the second opener and it was a redhead festival and a few other ducks but the warmth in the north has had a effect there too, pintails were scarce just a few had wheeled in before we were leaving.
 
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