# nodak report



## wyle_e_coyote (Aug 13, 2004)

PahtridgeHunter said:


> Never get tired of these, D...keep it up!:coolgleam


May be someday someone will invite you to go, Jay!


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> i've never fished here, but...all the locals have ice houses for a reason. soon as they can drive out on the big holes they park the ice house and pretty much live on them during the winter.
> 
> some of the rivers/dams have good walleyes. some of the larger holes have great pike and bass. Perch is good on some holes (cormorants are everywhere so there's perch somewhere)


The farmers we stay with get some huge pike out of the pothole next to their farm (you know the one DB). It's probably 2-3 miles long, and 1/2 mile across. Funniest part about that is where this pothole is was actually dry pasture in the mid-90's before flooding in the late 90's...they had cattle in the pasture...now they ride jet ski's out there in the summer :lol:


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## D-Fresh (Feb 8, 2005)

wyle_e_coyote said:


> May be someday someone will invite you to go, Jay!


He won't show.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

only 6 ducks today. can someone fed-ex me some sun tan oil?


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

We scouted 170 miles yesterday and didn't find enough to get outta bed for, so we slept in. Took one of our guys to the airport today and scouted our way back. Nothin doin. So we hit a neaby pothole for some LBDs. Missed enough bw for a limit. Still took couple for the pot thouh. Gonna try and run traffc in the am. If no luck, back to that pothole with skeet choke, Faststeel, a stopwatch, and a net.


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## backroadstravler (Jul 12, 2006)

We will be heading out on Sunday. Saw about 30 roosters on our property when I was there two weeks ago. The guys from Grand Haven will be there ahead of me. Really want some geese. Have a new pup this season.


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## bombcast (Sep 16, 2003)

will call you today - we're headed out next Thurs. Wondering how long you'll be there.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> only 6 ducks today. can someone fed-ex me some sun tan oil?


When are you coming home DB? Gotta hook up with you on the phone at some point for an on-the-ground report. Sounds kinda ugly right now, but the weather forecast is predicting a bit cooler on the weekend there.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

you should be ok JD. the weather is actually in your favor. its so dry here and the grain trucks have the roads so dried out its a dust bowl. They are calling for rain tomorrow night and friday but with temps still high. Saturday talkin high of 65 here and thats about right IMO. wouldn't want it any colder. the birds are here, they will start flying the grain fields again if we could get some cooler weather. I've got some fields to show you that i know you can shoot birds out of if you can get some cooler weather...you'll have a weeks worth of wheat hunting. 3rd week of october i would be shifting to the beans to hunt tho.

its been hot and as much as i hate waders in this weather i actually put some on this morning and hit a marsh southeast of town (about mile away). drove truck to the edge, tossed our decoys over hte cattails and parked the truck about 100yrds away. Had 3 birds down in the first minute of shooting hours this morning. first hour was pretty fast and crazy. lots of birds down, dog doing double time in a nasty marsh. knocked down 18 birds this morning and called it a day. dropped 3 of em in some tough cattails that i couldn't find. Dog found quite a few birds today that no way in heck I woulda found alone.










and as usual there is more pics on my blog


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> you should be ok JD. the weather is actually in your favor. its so dry here and the grain trucks have the roads so dried out its a dust bowl. They are calling for rain tomorrow night and friday but with temps still high. Saturday talkin high of 65 here and thats about right IMO. wouldn't want it any colder. the birds are here, they will start flying the grain fields again if we could get some cooler weather. I've got some fields to show you that i know you can shoot birds out of if you can get some cooler weather...you'll have a weeks worth of wheat hunting. 3rd week of october i would be shifting to the beans to hunt tho.
> 
> its been hot and as much as i hate waders in this weather i actually put some on this morning and hit a marsh southeast of town (about mile away). drove truck to the edge, tossed our decoys over hte cattails and parked the truck about 100yrds away. Had 3 birds down in the first minute of shooting hours this morning. first hour was pretty fast and crazy. lots of birds down, dog doing double time in a nasty marsh. knocked down 18 birds this morning and called it a day. dropped 3 of em in some tough cattails that i couldn't find. Dog found quite a few birds today that no way in heck I woulda found alone.


Cool DB. Maybe I should call you later tonight and we can go over the maps so I can put an "X" on the fields? or just write down the GPS coordinates and I'll plug 'em in. HE HE 

But then again, we have Berntson's acres to hunt, and I'm betting we'll never have to move off it. Usually don't. But it's all good.

By the way, I em'd with Brandon this morning. He gets out there about the time you leave. I volunteered to guide his whole family on a hunt or two, so have a couple of those "X"'s marked on the map for him. I probably will just take my camera...lots of fun.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

just ducky said:


> Cool DB. Maybe I should call you later tonight and we can go over the maps so I can put an "X" on the fields? or just write down the GPS coordinates and I'll plug 'em in. HE HE
> 
> But then again, we have Berntson's acres to hunt, and I'm betting we'll never have to move off it. Usually don't. But it's all good.
> 
> By the way, I em'd with Brandon this morning. He gets out there about the time you leave. I volunteered to guide his whole family on a hunt or two, so have a couple of those "X"'s marked on the map for him. I probably will just take my camera...lots of fun.


ya i'll have something together for him before i leave tomorrow. i'll prolly just email him maps with big X's on them.


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## anon2192012 (Jul 27, 2008)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> ya i'll have something together for him before i leave tomorrow. i'll prolly just email him maps with big X's on them.


 

I could use that email as well Dan..


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## QuackCocaine (Nov 14, 2010)

Dan, JD should try to get into contact with the "wolfman" haha. Garunteed limit of mallards right there. Plus by us not hunting near it today they might stay on that area. I've still got the number 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

QuackCocaine said:


> Dan, JD should try to get into contact with the "wolfman" haha. Garunteed limit of mallards right there. Plus by us not hunting near it today they might stay on that area. I've still got the number
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


actually if JD had his farmer call up the wolfman, he'll probably get access. i'll show him the field.

on a side note. tonight we went out and finished off our limit, we were short like 6 birds so we scouted and hit a pothole the last 45 minutes. 

Now i've seen a lot of good hunts in my lifetime. Specially water hunts, some of my shiawassee hunts in the middle of the migration were second to none. Tonight i had one of those moments that just made you sit back and realize how good it can be. I probably had a top 3 water hunt of a lifetime (we only shot 6 birds needed to fill the limit). and we sat there for 45 minutes in awe of all the birds that dove through our little string of water we were on. Little matt was just smiling. I was just laughing. we had thousands of gaddi's, mallards and blue wing teal buzz through us in flocks of 10-20 birds all night. The dog was so confused as we put down a 3-4 birds at once....took us a while to get all them birds back to us cuz the marsh was so deep. this was an all time top 5 hunt for me.


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

Warm too. 65* at dawn. Went to our scouted field at O dark thirty and what's that glowing orange thing? Whaaaa? Somebody posted the land overnight (we triple checked the day before) with the new "No Tresspass" sign that seems to be all the rage this year. You've got to be kidding me. Crap. From a "sure thing" to we don't have a Plan B. So we hustle 10 miles north to some cut wheat bordered by a slough. We lucked out, the ducks were there. High winds made them hang in the air. 3 of us left got our limits. I got down to my boxers to get the last one. Winds were keeping birds out of the fields tonight. We'll see what tomorrow brings.


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## wavie (Feb 2, 2004)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> ya i'll have something together for him before i leave tomorrow. i'll prolly just email him maps with big X's on them.


You must be excited to get back for zone 3 opener. Sounds like you have a good tan, no worries on getting sunburned this weekend.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

TNL said:


> Warm too. 65* at dawn. Went to our scouted field at O dark thirty and what's that glowing orange thing? Whaaaa? Somebody posted the land overnight (we triple checked the day before) with the new "No Tresspass" sign that seems to be all the rage this year. You've got to be kidding me. Crap. From a "sure thing" to we don't have a Plan B. So we hustle 10 miles north to some cut wheat bordered by a slough. We lucked out, the ducks were there. High winds made them hang in the air. 3 of us left got our limits. I got down to my boxers to get the last one. Winds were keeping birds out of the fields tonight. We'll see what tomorrow brings.


yeah did a bunch of scouting tonight and noticed fields that held birds yesterday and 2 days ago were non existant. i seen a lot of geese standing on backsides of marsh cattails in fields protected by the wind....instead of the wheat.

we're heading back to the hole we found today and then rolling out for home around noon tomorrow. GL steve.


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## Bow Hunter Brandon (Jan 15, 2003)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> ya i'll have something together for him before i leave tomorrow. i'll prolly just email him maps with big X's on them.


I will be checking my email often.... 

Leaving in the AM I hope to get in before dark so I can do a little looking around. This is going to be fun I think my son is going to be spoiled though having his first duck hunting be in ND.

JD see you in a few days, Kid thanks for all the help!


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## 7Wings (Jul 24, 2011)

Am excited to read the posts. My crew is leaving Grand Haven tomorrow @7pm. Can't sleep. Looking forward to seeing Erv's new pup. Nothing better than seeing the "lightbulbs turn on" for a new pup that is being exposed to so many wild birds. It's awesome!!!


_OutdoorHub Mobile, the information engine of the outdoors._


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> actually if JD had his farmer call up the wolfman, he'll probably get access. i'll show him the field.
> 
> on a side note. tonight we went out and finished off our limit, we were short like 6 birds so we scouted and hit a pothole the last 45 minutes.
> 
> Now i've seen a lot of good hunts in my lifetime. Specially water hunts, some of my shiawassee hunts in the middle of the migration were second to none. Tonight i had one of those moments that just made you sit back and realize how good it can be. I probably had a top 3 water hunt of a lifetime (we only shot 6 birds needed to fill the limit). and we sat there for 45 minutes in awe of all the birds that dove through our little string of water we were on. Little matt was just smiling. I was just laughing. we had thousands of gaddi's, mallards and blue wing teal buzz through us in flocks of 10-20 birds all night. The dog was so confused as we put down a 3-4 birds at once....took us a while to get all them birds back to us cuz the marsh was so deep. this was an all time top 5 hunt for me.


Yeah our farmers know everybody well, including the Governor...seriously. So if there's a field we need access to, I can usually get it. Thing is though, they own thousands of acres themselves, which we have sole access to when we're there. So usually we don't have to go to far for birds if you get my drift.

Honestly I'm looking forward to having Bow Hunter Brandon and his family out there at the same time. Planning to guide them to one of my favorite holes one morning...probably won't even take a gun...just a camera.

Have I ever said....GOD I LOVE NODAK! Oh yeah...only about a million times :evilsmile


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