# 2012 Waste Water Hunt Thread



## LakeEffectMDHA (Dec 15, 2011)

Far Beyond Driven said:


> Here's a good read from one of my regular guests at the WW:
> 
> http://www.outdoorhub.com/stories/m...ater-management-area-a-waterfowling-paradise/


 

*That is an excellent article! Thanks for sharing!*




badercmu123 said:


> Well my Diver hunt on the bay just fell through. Now I'm scrambling. I don't have any scouted spots the would funnel birds into a SE wind haha.
> 
> Just moved back to GR and have yet to make it up to MWW to check it out. Thinking about giving duck bingo a shot in the morning to "scout." If I pick up a few scratch birds great if not I will know the lay of the land.
> 
> ...


It is an extremely large area and a layout blind or some sort of cover will be imperative this year. All of the corn and beans are 100% picked and fields tilled. Hay is cut as well, so not much to hide in.

You have to carry all of your gear into the zone too, so be prepared for some way to carry your gear from the parking areas.

You may want to consider a Saturday afternoon hunt for your first go around, just so you can get up here early and take a look at the area...its gigantic...or maybe someone will step up to the plate and offer for ya to tag along


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## LakeEffectMDHA (Dec 15, 2011)

98 Spots for the Weekend....All fields are open

Duck harvest are leading geese right now out there


Rain is on the way, so it should make it interesting for some of those plowed fields, who knows, maybe some ponding will be in the near future in some of them.

Best of luck to everyone over the weekend, many Lake Effect members will be here or there at the Waste Water Saturday and Sunday, make sure and grab a cup of coffee in the draw room and grab a decal

Lake Effect Chapter of MDHA


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## badercmu123 (Dec 29, 2010)

Thanks for the information. I have hunted several of the managed areas on the east side of the state so I am familiar with the "pack in pack out" setup. Some of them keep standing corn and ornamental grasses for hunter concealment so that piece of information is priceless to me. Afternoon hunt might be the ticket for me. 

Good luck this weekend guys. Be safe. 


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## waterfowlhunter83 (Aug 10, 2005)

Good luck to all out there this weekend, weather looks like it will make for a good hunt this weekend.

Chad


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

My first hunt up there in the dark started by driving back to the HQ with a map and saying "I am here, how do I get there?". That still comes up some 15 years later.

Good advice on going in the light for a pm hunt. Here's another one, when you pile all your stuff up after walking it out in the AM or before walking it out in the PM, put a flashlight on top of it pointed back to the road. Nothing better than walking around looking for decoy bags in the dark.......

(if you're only making one trip in and out, you need more stuff)


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## goosemanrdk (Jan 14, 2003)

Far Beyond Driven said:


> Good advice on going in the light for a pm hunt. Here's another one, when you pile all your stuff up after walking it out in the AM or before walking it out in the PM, put a flashlight on top of it pointed back to the road. Nothing better than walking around looking for decoy bags in the dark.......
> 
> )


Awe C'mon, I am all for giving out pointers, but that is just too good of an experience to prevent a newbie from learning on thier own.:evilsmile

Anyways, most have covered all of the basic information. From there, most(in regards to bird habits) come from experience.

I am always willing to help point the newbies in the right direction. I will try and post up in this thread anytime that I am going to be at the draw so that anyone that wants to ask some questions from me is able too, if they want. 

At this point, I will not be at the WW this weekend at all. Good luck to those that go out this weekend.


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## LakeEffectMDHA (Dec 15, 2011)

Waste Water Field Closures for Tuesday 10/16 : 5, 15, 21, 22, 45

Heard a few snows fell on the waste water this past weekend!


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## anon2192012 (Jul 27, 2008)

Getting any new birds? Bet there is some decent sheet water now 

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## LakeEffectMDHA (Dec 15, 2011)

Huntermax-4 said:


> Getting any new birds? Bet there is some decent sheet water now
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


 
Geese have remained right around that 4500 mark and seemingly harder and harder to kill as they travel out to private ground in the area more and more with the lack of food availability on the MWW this year due to the corn all being chopped and tilled.

Puddle Duck Numbers have slowly started to climb to maybe 1000 mallards/gadwalls/and an assortment of others. From what I hear, VERY little sheet water out there yet, just so darn dry that it soaked in just about before your eyes....a few more rain events though and there definitely will be some ponding out there.


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## LakeEffectMDHA (Dec 15, 2011)

Fresh batch of Lake Effect MDHA decals dropped off at the MSGA office today. Make sure and grab a couple of them and put them on your boat, trailer, car, truck, toolbox, gun, etc. with pride! Glad to see guys taking them, as we went through alot that first week!!


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## LakeEffectMDHA (Dec 15, 2011)

Slowwww weekend at the Waste Water Managed Hunt. Hopefully this later week shift in the wind and weather brings a few new birds and opportunities...no doubt puddle ducks have started climbing out there in the order of mallards, gadwall, black ducks, and pintails. Reminder: This weekend is the Youth Hunt day on Saturday...therefore, parties with a youth member will get to go through the draw first, then there will be a second drawing for all the remaining parties. A youth party = a party with at least one youth and no more than 2 licensed adults.


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## waterfowlhunter83 (Aug 10, 2005)

LakeEffectMDHA said:


> Slowwww weekend at the Waste Water Managed Hunt.


I can confrim that based on my scouting out there this past weekend.


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## tony starks (Aug 9, 2009)

Greetings West Siders-
I will be in Grand Rapids next week and would like to hunt a MWHA on the west side of the state. I see on the DNR website that permits are issued for parties with 2-4 persons... are there no singles zones or scramble zones to accommodate solo hunters?


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## stackemup (Oct 31, 2011)

Standby...there will be plenty of spots open after the draw


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## tony starks (Aug 9, 2009)

Thanks for the quick response stackemup, you are saying there should be some leftovers for a single on a Thursday? Thursday in the AM is what it is looking like.


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## norton shores killer (Oct 24, 2009)

yes there will be plenty of leftovers


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## waterfowlhunter83 (Aug 10, 2005)

norton shores killer said:


> yes there will be plenty of leftovers


 

Trust me there will be plenty of spots to choose from!


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

And you can sleep in an extra half hour as you don't need to be in line at the drawing. Still good to get up there ~ 5:45 and see what zones get picked.

Last year I went up solo twice and still got the zone I scouted and would have picked on draw #1.


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## goosemanrdk (Jan 14, 2003)

Far Beyond Driven said:


> draw #1.


What is this "draw #1" that you speak of. Can't remember the last time it and I crossed paths.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

It was a winter hunt on a Saturday afternoon about 5 years ago. We were the only two parties, and you drew 2nd and me 3rd as the dead ball drew first.

You went to 51 and shot a couple geese, 8 drakes and 2 blacks. We went to 50 and watched you shoot a couple geese, 8 drakes and 2 blacks. And then after you left, we watched 1000 more birds pile into where you had been.


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