Got Ducks?

What are you guys seeing?

Been awfully slow up here. Seems like ducks are trickling through but not sticking around long or concentrating at all. Reports from out west suggest it's an "off" year with both the weather and migration. A recent report from Northern Manitoba on another board said there were no ducks.

I spent 5 days at the camp when we would normally be covered up in ringbills and woodies. 2 guns, 7 hunts. We got 5 birds!
We missed out on a decent evening hunt and shot bad the one morning we had birds come in, but still! Hardly any shooting heard. The last 2 nights we were there we had clear nights and wind out of the NW. Ducks moved out, nothing moved in... I skipped this weekend but my dad has been there since we left and is reporting more of the same. But he did see a flock of 'bills and a flock of whistlers. What's going on?

i went out saturday morning and got bored so i started paddling around in the canoe. i spooked a group of about 8 and had a super nice shot lined up, went to pull the trigger on my shotgun and.....forgot i had the bloody safety on. otherwise there was a whole buttload about a quarter mile away from where i had my blind set up but they weren't breaking cover for a handful of decoys and my overtures of companionship.

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Originally Posted by ben1983

i went out saturday morning and got bored so i started paddling around in the canoe. i spooked a group of about 8 and had a super nice shot lined up, went to pull the trigger on my shotgun and.....forgot i had the bloody safety on. otherwise there was a whole buttload about a quarter mile away from where i had my blind set up but they weren't breaking cover for a handful of decoys and my overtures of companionship.

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hehe. never gets old. happens to me often...

Almost 100 views and no replies? Edit; so I reply and then the new posts show up...

Took the dog for a good long walk tonight. Passed 2-3 real ducky lookin' beaver ponds. Put up 2 drake mallards and a lone drake woody (about the biggest I've ever seen). That was it. No geese.

Had him out Sat. and saw 3-4 mallards in a different pond and what looked like a group of 5 pintail fly over. Stayed out 'til dark.. nothing in the sky @ witching hour.

Got out for my first hunt in about 10 years. I had my chances and took a mallard hen. Lots of low geese over the house and I heard some guys in the fields firing away. I avoided the weekend hunt as I expect to hear a lot of shots but it was pretty quiet here west of Ottawa.
Attachment 39028

lol, legal light came around and there was enough noise to make an AA battery blush

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Originally Posted by Cameracutter

I had my chances and took a mallard hen.Attachment 39028

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I'm not entirely sure due to lighting, but it would seem your photo depicts an immature drake Mallard.

Plenty of birds around for those who are willing to put a little time behind the wheel!

Been doing well.

-Nick

Really? I can’t see his dick in that photo. Kidding! The photo doesn’t show her bill which was a dirty orange. I’m always looking to learn something, that’s why I joined this forum so educate me on why I miss identified it?

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Originally Posted by Cameracutter

Really? I can’t see his dick in that photo. Kidding! The photo doesn’t show her bill which was a dirty orange. I’m always looking to learn something, that’s why I joined this forum so educate me on why I miss identified it?

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Could be the lighting, but there appears to be drake side feathers near the foot in your photo, and the dark (almost black) feathers on the back near the tail are generally characteristic of drakes.

Maybe Gadwall can chime in and put it to rest! Always love a good bird ID puzzle.

-Nick

I would also say it is a young drake, the silver feathers near the leg sure do say that, but also see some white feathers showing in the scapular feathers, and the shape of the tertial suggests drake ... it looks like a late hatch duck in either case, really young

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Originally Posted by Gadwall

I would also say it is a young drake, the silver feathers near the leg sure do say that, but also see some white feathers showing in the scapular feathers, and the shape of the tertial suggests drake ... it looks like a late hatch duck in either case, really young

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Drake Mallard x Pintail Hybrid?????

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Originally Posted by teals

Drake Mallard x Pintail Hybrid?????

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No ... the wing is all mallard.

Good afternoon all,

Been a while since last posting. Check in from time to time.I have already hung up the decoys for the season and moved on to big game for the season.

In our area I noticed it was far slower than usual, especially with the Woodies. We faired out ok on Mallards and Blacks. The other thing we noticed was a huge number of divers kicking around to the point that we took a few of them, at least I got some good treestand jerky out of it. I had one morning that came together perfectly for a 10 minute limit of mallards and woodies but that was a fluke, the fog kept them circling long enough for a reload.

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So down here in Eastern Ontario, I am just starting to see the Northern Canada Geese and early Mallard in this region. Most of the local ducks have gotten wise, but the whole season seems about 2 weeks behind its normal patterns of Migration. So it sounds about right, to what you are experiencing .

I was out 5 times in Richmond over the weekend.

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Originally Posted by Cameracutter

Got out for my first hunt in about 10 years. I had my chances and took a mallard hen. Lots of low geese over the house and I heard some guys in the fields firing away. I avoided the weekend hunt as I expect to hear a lot of shots but it was pretty quiet here west of Ottawa.
Attachment 39028

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Well thank you for the education. It is appreciated. Wish I had a picture of the bill. It was a dirty orange which lead me to believe a hen. I’m here to increase my knowledge and your comments have done so.

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Originally Posted by Cameracutter

Well thank you for the education. It is appreciated. Wish I had a picture of the bill. It was a dirty orange which lead me to believe a hen. I’m here to increase my knowledge and your comments have done so.

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WELCOME to the forums, and yes, you WILL increase your knowledge of waterfowling here!
Especially if you follow the information from the gurus like Sprite and Gadwall.

I don't get many chances at all to go out ducking but I do learn new stuff all the time from reading the posts here. :)

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Originally Posted by oaknut

The other thing we noticed was a huge number of divers kicking around to the point that we took a few of them, at least I got some good treestand jerky out of it.

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Don't paint all divers with the same brush! I assume you're talking about birds from the Merganser family.

Bluebills, Redheads and Canvasbacks are some of the best eating birds out there. I target them in November and December quite regularly.

-Nick

Long Point Waterfowl Mgmt. Unit did fairly well on Opening day morning then the wind changed and things went quiet . Past week or so has been slow too due to bluebird weather down here on the south coast of Canada. Reports are lots of birds in the Turkey Point Club and of course Long Point Company marshes.

Seems to be plenty of ducks around my area,
Any of you guys know what this one is? I wish I took some better pictures.

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Originally Posted by dean.f

Seems to be plenty of ducks around my area,
Any of you guys know what this one is? I wish I took some better pictures.

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That there is a headless hen wood duck.

Well that's a first for me, I wasn't sure because the feathers were so dark compared to the pictures I could find.

The last few days have been kind of stale, but this weather should bring some new birds. We did ok the last 3 days, but nothing crazy. Too many nice days in a row.

S.

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Originally Posted by Sprite

Don't paint all divers with the same brush! I assume you're talking about birds from the Merganser family.

Bluebills, Redheads and Canvasbacks are some of the best eating birds out there. I target them in November and December quite regularly.

-Nick

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I wouldn't do such a thing, lol.

Mergansers was what I was speaking of. We don't see the Redheads or Canvasbacks here. Usually by the third weekend we are jammed up with ringnecks which I rather enjoy as table fare. This year it seems as though they are just beginning to make an appearance.

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Originally Posted by oaknut

I wouldn't do such a thing, lol.

Mergansers was what I was speaking of. We don't see the Redheads or Canvasbacks here. Usually by the third weekend we are jammed up with ringnecks which I rather enjoy as table fare. This year it seems as though they are just beginning to make an appearance.

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We shot a mess of Ringers around the same latitude as you a few weeks ago. They may be on their way out!

-Nick

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Originally Posted by Sprite

We shot a mess of Ringers around the same latitude as you a few weeks ago. They may be on their way out!

-Nick

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I agree. I also think most guys have no clue about the migration, or what makes birds move on. The time of year has little to do with it. Watch the weather, the winds, and the moon.

S.

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Originally Posted by Sinker

I agree. I also think most guys have no clue about the migration, or what makes birds move on. The time of year has little to do with it. Watch the weather, the winds, and the moon.

S.

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There are still birds that migrate due to photoperiod. We generally get our first wave of ringers within the same few days every year. This year that didn't materialize, but it seems to be the case across the board. We've seen a few trickle through but that's been it. Minnesota gets thousands of the little rockets every October. They have been delayed this year for sure.

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Originally Posted by Northhunter

There are still birds that migrate due to photoperiod. We generally get our first wave of ringers within the same few days every year. This year that didn't materialize, but it seems to be the case across the board. We've seen a few trickle through but that's been it. Minnesota gets thousands of the little rockets every October. They have been delayed this year for sure.

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I agree, were usually into them hard by Thanksgiving weekend. Ive seen 6 total so far.. tonights cold might bring more for tomorrow/sunday.

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Originally Posted by Northhunter

There are still birds that migrate due to photoperiod. We generally get our first wave of ringers within the same few days every year. This year that didn't materialize, but it seems to be the case across the board. We've seen a few trickle through but that's been it. Minnesota gets thousands of the little rockets every October. They have been delayed this year for sure.

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Yeah, but if you have hard south winds during that photoperiod, they won't go. Get a good banging north wind and they will pass us right by and keep on going.

S.

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Originally Posted by Sinker

Yeah, but if you have hard south winds during that photoperiod, they won't go. Get a good banging north wind and they will pass us right by and keep on going.

S.

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I agree. They won't push if conditions aren't favourable, but it's photoperiod and that stage in their breed/molt/migrate cycle that is giving them that urge. "Time of year has little to do with it" just isn't true. There are birds that will hold out and stay north much longer than others, just as there are hearty birds (like mallards and geese) that are capable of doing so but are in Arkansas by November.

We finally got a good push of ringers/ringbills/jacks. 200 in one of our holes Friday. Majority moved on that night though. Still more of them around Sat. than we've had all season and some new mallards finally made an appearance as well. Wood ducks appear to be done though.

We hunt pretty hard the first half of October. It's a fun time to be out and hunt more than a weekend. Sometimes we get crappy weather during that "window" and things get delayed. A break in the weather though and they show. Lack of a south wind and some stars is all they need, and they don't need it for long. We keep a hunt calander at the camp. More than once we've gotten fresh migrants on a new moon. This year was outta the norm for whatever reason.. late spring/breeding spurt, drier conditions out west pushing birds further north, who knows. But they are here now. Some years we don't get ringers at all.. interestingly when that happens, mallards take their place.

In Huron South Dakota right now...clouds of mallards and divers. a tonne of geese. Thinking they flew straight down from the north again and skipped the usual stop over's mid way....?

I have been seeing excellent numbers of wood ducks around the London area.

Things have been slow on my ponds. I usually hunt southern Muskoka area and near Barrie and up the 400 corridor.

G-Bay waterlevels all messed up. It has flooded out bays that haven't been flooded out for decades. Spots that used to be prime for wading are way to deep to wade in to this season. I think the ducks in my area might be exploring some new areas. Might have something to do with the slow start to the season.

Was waiting for 300 geese to lift off a field last night and seen likely 75-150 ducks come into the field. Havnt seen many ducks yet this year and still yet to shoot any. I havnt been putting any mojos or duck decoys out so only seen a few since the opener.

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Holy moly! Well I was wrong in my last post. Had to be 200 ducks and 300 geese tonight trying to land.

We were late after work and so many seen us setting up. O well we managed to limit on ducks and 4 geese for 2 guys. We had zero duck decoys too, first ducks we have shot this year.


Best part all the geese and ducks landed across the road in another wheat field we can hunt. We have hunted it 3 times already and they still pile in there Lol hunting it in the morning

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Originally Posted by SongDog

Holy moly! Well I was wrong in my last post. Had to be 200 ducks and 300 geese tonight trying to land.

We were late after work and so many seen us setting up. O well we managed to limit on ducks and 4 geese for 2 guys. We had zero duck decoys too, first ducks we have shot this year.


Best part all the geese and ducks landed across the road in another wheat field we can hunt. We have hunted it 3 times already and they still pile in there Lol hunting it in the morning

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Good luck, hope to get out myself...