# Late season



## ducksarge (Jul 3, 2011)

With the temps this week warming up into the 50's, there is going to be a lot of open water around. Had a spot pretty much nailed down, but will have to scout again at the end of the week as the birds patterns will most certainly change.


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## Fall Flight Punisher (Aug 14, 2008)

Definitely will be a crap shoot. T shirt hunters everywhere.


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

Super Duper poop show....


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## HopHead42 (Jun 27, 2019)

Looking forward to the split, but expectations are low. Any scouting before thursday will be just about useless as water opens back up and birds change patterns. Geese have been flying at hours lately and there is not many ducks around, it will seem like even less with all the open water. 1 greenhead for the pup and i'll call it a success.


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## walter sniper (Jan 21, 2010)

Seeing lots ducks.....I just won’t be around


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

The 2000 boats in the morning may change their pattern a bit.


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## onebad800 (Apr 28, 2003)

Yes if it stays this warm I’ll take my kids out may as well join in the fun on LSC maybe throw a line or 2 in the water !! Was on Erie yesterday didn’t see a single duck though


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

onebad800 said:


> Yes if it stays this warm I’ll take my kids out may as well join in the fun on LSC maybe throw a line or 2 in the water !! Was on Erie yesterday didn’t see a single duck though


Cuz u darn fisherman keep pushing the rafts offshore!
Kiddn...but not really


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## ice ghost (Jan 17, 2015)

Im predicting mallard limits will be quick.


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## R.J.M. (Jun 10, 2007)

Divers Down I sent you a PM


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## BillBuster (Apr 25, 2005)

My creek spot will be useless with this thaw


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## Canvsbk (Jan 13, 2013)

My creek spot will be spectacular.


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## BillBuster (Apr 25, 2005)

Canvsbk said:


> My creek spot will be spectacular.


I hope your right ! Gonna be to much open water around me to concentrate them.


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

I think split is going to be disappointing simply because there are not any ducks around. The cold snap in November really screwed thing up.


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## Highball28 (Oct 17, 2014)

The coldfront in november made things REALLY good...

Sent from my SM-S767VL using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## Canvsbk (Jan 13, 2013)

Yes it did.


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## fishinfanatic19 (Jun 4, 2014)

Anyone seeing any birds? I walked a ways today didn’t see anything. Might just flip a coin at this point and go just to go .


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## Zofchak (Jan 10, 2003)

fishinfanatic19 said:


> Anyone seeing any birds? I walked a ways today didn’t see anything. Might just flip a coin at this point and go just to go .


 I spend just about every Christmas at my aunt's place that overlooks lake St. Clair. Normally it's covered in thousands of Redheads, Mallards and a ton of other ducks a far as you can see. This year there were about two dozen mallards, ONE single Redhead and two bluebills swimming by the seawll. I literally didn't see one single flock flying there in 3-4 hours.


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## HopHead42 (Jun 27, 2019)

Took about an hour drive this morning in sw michigan. Saw maybe a dozen mallards, and my normally reliable late season geese have ditched the river and moved to a now thaw farm pond which messes everything up. Its going to be tough sledding for ducks for most, theres always geese if you can track them down.

Sent from my SM-J727V using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

Zofchak said:


> I spend just about every Christmas at my aunt's place that overlooks lake St. Clair. Normally it's covered in thousands of Redheads, Mallards and a ton of other ducks a far as you can see. This year there were about two dozen mallards, ONE single Redhead and two bluebills swimming by the seawll. I literally didn't see one single flock flying there in 3-4 hours.


“Once they all migrate south, they ain’t coming back north” ...Yogi Berra Lol


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Walked my fool proof ditch. Well, if every thing else is locked up, which it's not. Saw one dove. Salvaged the trip by cutting a truck full of wood on the way home. Boat is packed for this afternoon but I had a tree split and catch my knee and bend it funny and its about the size of a grapefruit.

So I'm leaving in about an hour.


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## BumpRacerX (Dec 31, 2009)

Somewhere in Pennsylvania on our way to DC for a short getaway. Kids and I are eating a variety of road trip junk food while the wife drives. It's 56 degrees here.

Shotgun and a box of cheapy Winchesters are under the seat. Better to be prepared and not need it then to wish I had one and stumble into a pile of ducks somewhere.


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

Well I knew it would or figured. X wasn't near us. Birds were like clockwork last 2 days and last night. They never left the lake today. And the 1000 or so that left the other lake flew straight to the lake we were waiting for them to fly from if that makes sense. 3 geese for our efforts. The swarms of mallards were a no show.


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

Found em!!
who’s up for it? Let’s go...! Lol


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Watching a log float down the river, it's twisted and looks just like Nessie with three humps. While focused on that hen buffie piles in at forty. Miss the swat and the jump. Sigh. I can always tell how many times I've gone diver hunting just by looking at my kill percentage.


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## ice ghost (Jan 17, 2015)

two man on mallards and they just kept coming, and coming. Calling and spinners and more calling. My kind of day. Hope weather man is wrong for tomorrow.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

ice ghost said:


> View attachment 474727
> two man on mallards and they just kept coming, and coming. Calling and spinners and more calling. My kind of day. Hope weather man is wrong for tomorrow.


Maaaaaan! All of them Mallards coming in and you didn’t go for an all green shoot?!


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## ice ghost (Jan 17, 2015)

Haha, we both said all green before hours. I even commented on how I've shot plenty of hens this year. It's my new dogs first year so I could care less but Yea, green was the plan. Then two minutes after hrs we get a flock of maybe 30-40 in and we both killed a hen and a Drake. Plan got flushed after that. We should have done better your right


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## goosehunter31 (Sep 22, 2009)

ice ghost said:


> Haha, we both said all green before hours. I even commented on how I've shot plenty of hens this year. It's my new dogs first year so I could care less but Yea, green was the plan. Then two minutes after hrs we get a flock of maybe 30-40 in and we both killed a hen and a Drake. Plan got flushed after that. We should have done better your right


Tough morning to id i don’t care who you are. Low light made it hard even at 30.


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## duckcommander101 (Jan 14, 2003)

Divers Down said:


> Found em!!
> who’s up for it? Let’s go...! Lol
> View attachment 474673


They were there yesterday as well


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Well another crew showed up drove all over the place and I watched birds fly out over the trees and then never come back. Then they set up 135 yards down wind of me and killed a bird from the only flock that came by. 

About five two geese fly by. 1/4 mile out hauling away when I dig the call out of the gear bag. Got two dozen diver decoys and a spinner I can't turn off. Wail on the call, they turn, bank over the woods and I lose them. Pop out right over head, bank back towards me, and cup up. Throw the call into the woods grab the gun and dump the lead bird with 3" 3's at about 45. Didn't even think to try the other.

At that point I just packed it in and called it blessed. Neighbors were probably pissed that birds were flying while I picked up but if you set up that closely to someone, that's too bad. I had a party with Pabst, pork carnitas, and a horrible football game to get to.

If my season ends on that note, it doesn't owe me a thing.


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## West side shooter (Jan 22, 2015)

Focused on ducks and couldn’t buy one-
then this guy piles in like a box truck
One is better than none in my book


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## Outdoor Gal (Sep 9, 2008)

It wasn't hot and heavy but I'm pretty satisfied with today's hunt, especially considering what my scouting had looked like. Yesterday, my hunting partner found birds using a pond that had thawed and we have permission on. Not a lot, but enough. 

The morning started with singles and pairs of mallards. The way they trickled in made things fun. We ended with four. With an even split between drakes and hens. A 5th duck was shot. It looked hit hard so I sent the dog, but as he got close it's head popped up and then it drove. We never saw it pop back up and even after searching all around the pond with the dog we couldn't find it. That always sucks.

As the ducks slowed up, the geese started to fly. We had one 4 pack come in and somehow they made it back out. Lol. Had a group of 20 commit from way out and as they were about 10 feet off the water they aborted hard and presented a crappy shot but the guys managed to knock down two. After walking around the pond later I think the must have seen the shadow of Bravo's dog blind opening. I made the mistake of setting the dog on the downwind side of the spread where he could mark falls better. Lesson learned. Next time we're upwind. 

It was a nice hunt to end the season, especially given the slow November I had. Bravo got a few retrieves and earned himself a cheeseburger on the way home.


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## Garandsrus (May 18, 2017)

My buddy and I didn’t fire a shot today. Saw about 10 ducks total. We were on a river in Jackson county. It hasn’t been a good season.


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

Missed out on the duckies. Up at Boyne, chasing educated December Grouse. Happy to get 1.


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## Outdoor Gal (Sep 9, 2008)

A late season grouse is always a prize!


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

You said it. It was dead still and they were running and flushing 60 yards out. They could hear us coming a mile away.
The dumb ones are long gone.


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## duckcommander101 (Jan 14, 2003)

Better today than it was yesterday


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

duckcommander101 said:


> Better today than it was yesterday


WTG Matt! ...Solid finish


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

nice shoot. always wanted a cut corn field that mallards feed on. Must be super tough to find one with all corn field around.


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