# where are the ducks?



## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

I have been hunting Canada side on LSC and Erie since US season closed and surprisingly I have not seen any big flocks in middle of the lake and all my usual areas. I am sure Mallards and divers are not gone, last year this time, ice was every where, and there was lots of ducks around. Fishermen reporting also that there are no major raft in middle of the lakes. I am sure they have not gone south and all I can think of they flew back north. I think we are going to have a lousy split.


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## Lurker (Jan 25, 2009)

fsamie1 said:


> I have been hunting Canada side on LSC and Erie since US season closed and surprisingly I have not seen any big flocks in middle of the lake and all my usual areas. I am sure Mallards and divers are not gone, last year this time, ice was every where, and there was lots of ducks around. Fishermen reporting also that there are no major raft in middle of the lakes. I am sure they have not gone south and all I can think of they flew back north. I think we are going to have a lousy split.



Section 15 & 24


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

fsamie1 said:


> I have been hunting Canada side on LSC and Erie since US season closed and surprisingly I have not seen any big flocks in middle of the lake and all my usual areas. I am sure Mallards and divers are not gone, last year this time, ice was every where, and there was lots of ducks around. Fishermen reporting also that there are no major raft in middle of the lakes. I am sure they have not gone south and all I can think of they flew back north. I think we are going to have a lousy split.


There has been a lot of melting. The ducks that are here are widely dispersed. Last year with the ice the birds were confined to the few open areas. Scouting is key.


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

Lurker said:


> Section 15 & 24


so you are saying they flew north and northwest. Wonder how do you know that?


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

waxico said:


> There has been a lot of melting. The ducks that are here are widely dispersed. Last year with the ice the birds were confined to the few open areas. Scouting is key.


I am not talking about scouting a few potholes for a few mallards. Divers stay in big lakes and there is no sign of them any where on east shore of LSC and north shore of Erie.


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

fsamie1 said:


> I am not talking about scouting a few potholes for a few mallards. Divers stay in big lakes and there is no sign of them any where on east shore of LSC and north shore of Erie.


I didn't see them either. The bluebills probably left.


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## BFG (Mar 4, 2005)

They gone man. Just flat out gone. Like the wind. Gone like the Millenium Falcon when they pull the light speed control. Gone. Outta here. See ya' later. Sionara. Gone...


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## cotote wacker (Jun 12, 2012)

Campo Bay several rafts of divers look like ink on the water....one raft was 1/2 mile long couple hundred yards wide....large flocks could be see flying out in lake....


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## Natureman (Mar 9, 2010)

The peak migration was over weeks ago on Erie and St. Clair like every year at this time, its completely normal. Sure, you will still see rafts of ducks and run into a good shoot here and there but the majority of the birds continued on their migration route and are gone.


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

cotote wacker said:


> Campo Bay several rafts of divers look like ink on the water....one raft was 1/2 mile long couple hundred yards wide....large flocks could be see flying out in lake....


where is Campo Bay? I google it and it shows Saginaw Bay.

I had my best hunting days when ice was every where and flowing down rivers. I do not think they are gone south but with these warmer temperature, their routine has changed. They are either at middle of the big lakes or flew back north. I agree that BBs are gone but not mallards, redheads and cans.


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

fsamie1 said:


> where is Campo Bay? I google it and it shows Saginaw Bay.
> 
> I had my best hunting days when ice was every where and flowing down rivers. I do not think they are gone south but with these warmer temperature, their routine has changed. They are either at middle of the big lakes or flew back north. I agree that BBs are gone but not mallards, redheads and cans.


You did well in the ice because the birds were concentrated to what few spots were open. Same amount of birds scattered in open conditions makes for much tougher sailing. Cans and Reds will winter here if it stays open. There are Mallards but there is a ton of open water north of us. We won't see them next week based on the weather forecast.


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

Erie is still holding some # of birds but they’ll be pushed out on the opener at 0 dark 30 only to return in mass numbers 
On Monday


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## AaronJohn (Oct 18, 2015)

Idk my buddy sent me pics of huge rafts in st Clair shores all week.... HUUUGE 


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

Oh no....


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## Zorba (Jan 24, 2007)

There are still birds at the mackinaw bridge


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

Pro tip: please don't give locations of concentrations of birds, by city. Next time try to be a little more vague....


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## Neubys (Oct 18, 2011)

waxico said:


> Pro tip: please don't give locations of concentrations of birds, by city. Next time try to be a little more vague....


Correct... most people would rather have GPS coordinates instead!


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## AaronJohn (Oct 18, 2015)

waxico said:


> Pro tip: please don't give locations of concentrations of birds, by city. Next time try to be a little more vague....


Ya that was dumb way to say it on my behalf. I will update with the birds were much, much further north where he works not his city of residency.


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## Fowl Play (Nov 30, 2014)

Based on what I’ve seen on the inter web, they all flew to north Alabama, Texas, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Mississippi and Louisiana. Those southern boys are shooting a lot of redheads, cans and bluebills.


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## Buddwiser (Dec 14, 2003)

Check out this video of ice on Lk St. Clair. It has a huge flock of divers right around the 3:05 mark.


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## Fowl Play (Nov 30, 2014)

Someone didn’t see the pro-tip above.


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

Buddwiser said:


> Check out this video of ice on Lk St. Clair. It has a huge flock of divers right around the 3:05 mark.


I saw that. now the question is, where do the go after first shot is fired Saturday morning. I went out this morning layouting in Canadian waters, Zillions of ducks got up in one flock and went some place, waited in the spot for a while and not a single came back. I am sure that is what going to happens to these ducks in the video. All dumb ducks are dead and all smart hunters don't go out.


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

cotote wacker said:


> Campo Bay several rafts of divers look like ink on the water....one raft was 1/2 mile long couple hundred yards wide....large flocks could be see flying out in lake....


Dem were Coots and I ain’t shootn no dang Coots!


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## cotote wacker (Jun 12, 2012)

Divers Down said:


> Dem were Coots and I ain’t shootn no dang Coots!


Coot's are long gone.... there's Can's, Reds, Bluebills even some Mergansers....



Buddwiser said:


> Check out this video of ice on Lk St. Clair. It has a huge flock of divers right around the 3:05 mark.


Where that video was taken of the ducks is in Belvedere Bay its a Waterfowl Refuge...
....No Hunting....


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

cotote wacker said:


> Coot's are long gone.... there's Can's, Reds, Bluebills even some Mergansers....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Restricted Waterfowl refuge on LSC open waters? Do tell please


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## Tavor (Sep 10, 2011)

Divers Down said:


> Restricted Waterfowl refuge on LSC open waters? Do tell please


Belvedere Bay _used to be_ buoyed off as a waterfowl refuge. Also, the area around Grassy Island and a much bigger area at the mouth of Goose Bay were at one time off limits for hunting. All this ended 25 or 30 years ago.


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## TheHighLIfe (Sep 5, 2017)

tavor

yes, i recall the open water refuge off of goose bay, marked with buoys.
i think that went away more like 40 years ago, maybe

in another post, someone was suggesting adding an open water refuge
there is one, unofficial and unmarked - it is call lake st clair, especially the canadian side - haha
the birds know how to set up their own open water refuges


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

Tavor said:


> Belvedere Bay _used to be_ buoyed off as a waterfowl refuge. Also, the area around Grassy Island and a much bigger area at the mouth of Goose Bay were at one time off limits for hunting. All this ended 25 or 30 years ago.


Bummer some missed out on good hunting for 30+ years, D’oh!! Lol


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## Urriah (Jul 26, 2013)

Belvedere Bay is definitely still a refuge.


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## tgafish (Jan 19, 2001)

Saw 3 rafts totalling several thousand Cans on Sunday.


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

tgafish said:


> Saw 3 rafts totalling several thousand Cans on Sunday.


St Clair?


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## tgafish (Jan 19, 2001)

Divers Down said:


> St Clair?


Yup


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## Tavor (Sep 10, 2011)

Huh. I stand corrected. I haven't heard the Belvedere Bay refuge mentioned in decades and thought it was eliminated with the others. Funny thing too is that I routinely launch from the Clinton ramp and I haven't noticed any buoys or signs. It certainly isn't very well publicized. By whose authority was this refuge established? It is a state thing or a local ordinance? Just curious.


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## laterilus (Mar 18, 2006)

Just pulled into SANGB, massive raft of birds. Thousands. Can't tell what they are but the raft is huge.


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## Divers Down (Mar 31, 2008)

I imagine it was a private thing back in the day. But Great Lakes are open to hunting below the average high water mark, if the 450ft law is followed.


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## Urriah (Jul 26, 2013)

Tavor said:


> Huh. I stand corrected. I haven't heard the Belvedere Bay refuge mentioned in decades and thought it was eliminated with the others. Funny thing too is that I routinely launch from the Clinton ramp and I haven't noticed any buoys or signs. It certainly isn't very well publicized. By whose authority was this refuge established? It is a state thing or a local ordinance? Just curious.


There were definitely buoys out there this year and I know of guys who were ticketed for hunting in there.


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## Tavor (Sep 10, 2011)

laterilus said:


> Just pulled into SANGB, massive raft of birds. Thousands. Can't tell what they are but the raft is huge.


Well, alrighty then. Hey, at least he didn't name the city.


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

I think most duck hunters know by now where the rafts are. Wind is going to be not too high from west northwest about 10 or less mph for Saturday and Sunday. Good layout wind and I bet lots of layouts will be out. Remember when the raft gets up from tender boats noise early Saturday morning, they will not be confused, break up and fly all over the place. They get up in one big flock and go and land someplace that there are no boats. So if one thinks he sets up in the middle of the raft and they come back, it is not going to happen. My observation from hunting in Canada since US season closed is that the flocks are getting tighter and do not break up in 10 mph wind. Barely seen a flock of 10 or less divers. The main thing is lack of ice and there many places ducks can go. It is going to be a tough day for divers. Field hunters will do go for mallards if they know what fields they are using. Lake hunters will have a tough day for mallards also. Mallards will probably fly back from fields to refuges or go and sit in the middle of the lake. It is going to be a very interesting weekend with no ice and I have not decided where I am going to layout. One option I am considering is hunting Canada thinking US hunters will push the ducks to queen side. Good luch to everyone and be safe.


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

fsamie1 said:


> I think most duck hunters know by now where the rafts are. Wind is going to be not too high from west northwest about 10 or less mph for Saturday and Sunday. Good layout wind and I bet lots of layouts will be out. Remember when the raft gets up from tender boats noise early Saturday morning, they will not be confused, break up and fly all over the place. They get up in one big flock and go and land someplace that there are no boats. So if one thinks he sets up in the middle of the raft and they come back, it is not going to happen. My observation from hunting in Canada since US season closed is that the flocks are getting tighter and do not break up in 10 mph wind. Barely seen a flock of 10 or less divers. The main thing is lack of ice and there many places ducks can go. It is going to be a tough day for divers. Field hunters will do go for mallards if they know what fields they are using. Lake hunters will have a tough day for mallards also. Mallards will probably fly back from fields to refuges or go and sit in the middle of the lake. It is going to be a very interesting weekend with no ice and I have not decided where I am going to layout. One option I am considering is hunting Canada thinking US hunters will push the ducks to queen side. Good luch to everyone and be safe.


You are correct in your observations. The only way we get small flocks are migrators or massive weather changes.
Neither are in the cards. Yet I predict there will be layout rigs every 300 yards from Vernier to Brandenburg. Dry field for Mallards and Geese is the ticket.


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## Carpenter Bill (Jan 27, 2018)

I have heard PM is loaded, be hunters every 50 yards on banna dike.birds will be pushed out by shooting time lol,time to go north for coyotes and fresh fish. Good luck and be SAFE. Merry Christmas


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Not even shelf ice. Wanted to bust out the kayak and pull a few plugs around the river mouth!


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

We did good both days. a lot more ducks in US side mostly, BB, GE, and BH. Do not know where are Mallards, redheads and Cans. I usually do good on those when ice glowing down the river, not this year. very odd year.


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## Contender (May 18, 2004)

Scratched out 4 mallards Sat and 5 mallards on Sun. Tough hunting for the split. Anchor Bay area.


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