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

Jeff Reardon

Jeff Reardon

Well-known member
Supporter
Those of us near the Canadian border are rapidly approaching (or may already have passed) the end of our seasons. We've had a fair amount of commentary here about a general lack of birds (except for the damn Alabamians, and this is not directed toward them).

So, on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the worst season you have every experienced or even heard about, and 10 being as good as the best season a market gunner ever had, how would you rank this season in terms of the number of ducks you saw?

My season is definitely a 1, living up to an old Yankeeism: "It wasn't the worst I ever saw. It was about half that good."

Although we have a little cold and even some ice making today, the forecast is for 50's again by Tuesday and above freezing temps even at night through Christmas. I'm going to try to make lemonade with an inland hunt tomorrow and saltwater hunts Tuesday and Wednesday, but I am not expecting much.

My median day this season has been zero ducks decoyed. (Statisticians on the board may tell me that's not possible, but that's only because ducks don't recognize negative numbers. If they did, my median would surely be below zero.)

There are four primary spots I hunt--ranging from an early season flowage for woodies and resident breeding black ducks to saltwater bays where black ducks overwinter. In most seasons I have a good outing or two at each of them mixed in with the usual slow days. This year at three of those spots I have not killed a single duck. And it's not like it was any good at the one spot I had limited success--and that was back in early October.

For the first time in many years I may need to buy CDC feathers for my flytying because I didn't kill enough ducks for the dry flies I'll tie this winter. It's been plain awful.

How's yours?
 
Only got out about 9 times with a limit over half the time. One outing I set out to shoot only one Pintail and I did. Twice I shot a limit of ducks and a limit of geese. Our duck limit is eight.

I am currently in Ontario where the season runs for another 3 weeks but don't expect I will find time to hunt with all the family commitments.

I would rate the season as not bad, not bad at all... a 10 for waterfowl seen, 5 for hunting days in the field, 10 for quality of hunts.
 
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I have been hunting ducks for about 30 years and this is the second worst year I have had.Been out 15 times and have six ducks and i goose. NO BRAGGING RIGHTS HERE!
 
It was what it was. I shot 3 ducks and 3 geese. I hunted more days this year than I've hunted in 15 years. Last year we were froze out before Nov 20th. The birds pasted us up. This year we had more days in the 50's and 60's and I have know idea where the birds were. I heard more reports of the Missouri river doing well and the Mississippi river was deserted. Then the Mississippi had abnormal high water in late November and many guys pulled their blinds and decoys before they lost them to the river and called it quits with weather reports not looking any better for December. I have more ducks in my back yard right now than I seen all season. Yesterday I had 3 black ducks in the yard. My wife asked are those small geese? Dang these were big ones. Have to hope for a better next year. Oh to answer the question it was a one for shooting and a 10 for hunting opportunities.
 
I have hunted every day for the last 8 seasons, by the worst I have ever seen. would love to see a second split here so we can have a few days after Christmas. every year its the same thing, the biggest push on mallards always comes after the season closes. but for some reason we cant get the late days for various reasons that make no sense other than fair weather hunters lose days at the beginning of the season. I have heard some pretty ridiculous stuff , it all boils down to they are afraid of losing money from the fair weather guys who wont hunt when its to cold. I have even been told that there aren't enough boat ramps open for every one to launch, they just don't know where to look !
 
A 3 for me. Had one or two fun days. But I have killed more
Deer than ducks.

I don't measure my season by body count anymore.

The only true disappointment this year is that I have yet to kill a bird out of my new rig over my homemade decoys.
 
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Opening day for early and late season was great, last day of early season was great too. Every other time was miserable.

luck of the draw(we just have shitty luck, lol). I would rather hunt till
February than in November. But our biologist won't allow that.

Over all this season was my worst. But it's still better than deer hunting
 
Overall it was a 2 for the season. The early season was below average, but I did fairly well. The late season is a disaster, just no ducks. I was hunting seven out of the last nine days and shot one duck. There are just very few to no birds anywhere. On the brighter side I had some real fun days out with my kids. Especially my daughter. We have one week left and I'm trying to stay optimistic. I hope to be out three or four more times before the closing bell and hoping some ducks will show up. One can wish....

Zane
 
Though no longer a Yankee, here in Florida it has been dismal at best.

Up until this weekend, we've been setting record highs or close to (80-85) throughout the entire state. The last (2) two days have been in the high 60's but they are calling for 80's beginning on Monday.

For the duck farms, all but (1) one of the (4) four STA's have been averaging 2.1 birds per hunter & TMG has also been close to 2 birds per hunter.

The marshes stayed wet throughout the summer so no burns were done to knock the grass back. Most potholes are now dry & grassed over. The recent burns & spray treatments came to late to help.

The Indian River Lagoon temps are at record highs & the flats are still covered in finger mullet, bunker & schools of (30) thirty plus pound redfish. The snook are still in the inlet & port. They should be down in WPB by this time of year. The flounder run which normally comes at Thanksgiving has not happened with few doormats even being caught.

This reminds me of 2010 when we had similar conditions & the first Alberta Clipper dropped the temps overnight, killing hundreds of thousand of bait & gamefish. We were breaking morning ice in the marsh & that spring they closed the snook fishery for (2) two years.

So far, I have cancelled all but (3) three days of charters & that was after warning the clients not to come. We did scratch out their (2) two Mottleds, (6) BBWD's & (1) one Fulvous.

I have also begun to cancel charters through January 1st.

I'm back to booking fishing charters for now.

Damn Democrats & Global Warming!!!
 
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Wetlands were mostly dry this fall but in the shallow muddy stuff, I killed a couple limits of teal and got into a few early season geese 7-8 for early season.

ND was warm and bluebird except when it was 35-40 mph winds. Ducks were pretty stale except the day after the big blow. ND probably a 3-4.

IL regular season from opening day to Thanksgiviving a 1-2. Thanksgiving thru today we have too much water. Hunting flooded fields is lots of work and the birds are all spread out. Duck closed on the 15th but there are still lots of mallards in the area. Plenty of geese around. Thanksgiving thru today 7. Lots of geese around this afternoon, 2 minutes after shooting time.
 
Was slow, but not crazy slow up until the start of December on the puddle duck front. Now it's been very slow as of late, especially compared to the previous few seasons. I recall one year when it was very warm all season and we had poor puddle duck hunting. I can't remember the year but perhaps another El Nino year... anyway I guess it's good our coastal season goes as late as it can this year. We'll see what happens in the next month or so. I haven't resorted to buffleheads and brant yet, but I've thought about it.
 
Opening 3 days were great in ducks shot and company kept. Middle part of the season was not so good. Last 5-6 days were average at best. Overall I would say less than average of about a 4. I put some of this on me as I didn't move around as much as I should have.

Next year I am moving to where the ducks are and the other hunters aren't. At least this is the plan.

Mark W
 
Craig, I'm ready to resort to buffies--and I actually love hunting whistlers--but even those are scarce this year.
 
3 ducks, 1 grouse, 1 woodcock and I saw A deer about the size of a big dog. 3 states and almost 4000 miles on the truck. This year probably scores out about a .025. That's just how it goes.
 
I have heard that this was a one box season..... I haven't been that lucky..


Many more years like this.. I will not remember those great days that keep you coming back.
 
This reminds me of 2010 when we had similar conditions & the first Alberta Clipper dropped the temps overnight, killing hundreds of thousand of bait & gamefish. We were breaking morning ice in the marsh & that spring they closed the snook fishery for (2) two years.
Click to expand...

Yep, I remember that well. I lived Off Tampa bay at the time. The fish kill was something else. I saw fish kills on the Mississippi River but nothing like the numbers of fish in Tampa Bay that year. I'll never forget the News reporters interviewing people on one of the causeways just berating the DNR for allowing that to happen and then just letting the fish rot there in the bay. I never laughed so hard in my live.
 
I'll give it a 5.
I wasn't able to hunt as much as I normally would.
The days I did get out birds were fewer in numbers than other years.
Still shot birds woodies, mallards, gaddies, buffies, eyes and bills.
It seems the birds are about a month late arriving.
Normally by thanksgiving we have good numbers here, I'm just starting to see
those numbers now. But we should have a lot more right now, still not seeing the cans or redheads.
 
so far, it has hoovered. Sporadic to dismal. El nino is being a mite petulant, for sure. It comes, it goes. We just have to live long enough to see the ups and downs.
 
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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