# horrible season



## SBE II (Jan 13, 2009)

just ducky said:


> Not arguing at all. I understand it's different there, and maybe there's an inherent disadvantage. But it seems like way too many people think the Bay, Fish Point, Shiawassee, LSC or wherever east of them lies the "valhalla" of duck shooting, and I'm telling you it's not. Sure, there are more ducks on Saginaw Bay than many parts of the west side, and there are days that are really good. But they get awfully smart awfully quick, and it's still duck hunting. LSC? Sure, there are probably more birds than in Muskegon County (as an example). But there are also 10x the duck HUNTERS there too. Everything is relative.
> 
> My point is don't kid yourself into thinking if you drive 120 miles east you will find a wonderful duck hunting paradise...it's not. And that's no spin



That's MI hunting in general. The hunting I did this year wasn't good and where I typically go to do well was a sure lack of numbers. Bad year for me in MI, yes, but it's not related to dates because the weather was there


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## Dahmer (Jan 22, 2007)

After the season I had on the east side, im selling all my equipment!!!!! Thinking about taking up tennis. I can wear my tennis shoes all year long then. 

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## PhilBernardi (Sep 6, 2010)




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## Mike L (Sep 8, 2003)

Dahmer said:


> After the season I had on the east side, im selling all my equipment!!!!! Thinking about taking up tennis. I can wear my tennis shoes all year long then.
> 
> Sent from my MB855 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


Me and you both......golf for me.......


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

Times have changed. 10 years ago the mere suggestion that the solution for lack of success might be more scouting would make a 20 page thread of people complaining that they didn't want to scout. Anyone can pull a rabbit out of their hat once in awhile for a limit, to do it every day takes 110% effort all season, a network of friends and the willingness to drive if need be.


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## jonesy16 (Sep 19, 2011)

TSS Caddis said:


> Times have changed. 10 years ago the mere suggestion that the solution for lack of success might be more scouting would make a 20 page thread of people complaining that they didn't want to scout. Anyone can pull a rabbit out of their hat once in awhile for a limit, to do it every day takes 110% effort all season, a network of friends and the willingness to drive if need be.


Well stated!


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## adam bomb (Feb 27, 2006)

sswhitelightning said:


> I'd be right there with yea! On my way to Indy to shoot some honks in the corn. Well only after I catch a walleye this week.


I didn't see many going through Indiana but I'm sure there are plenty around. Illinois had more Canada Geese than you can shake a stick at. They were out in force yesterday afternoon too. I'm sure you'll do fine. Good luck


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## sswhitelightning (Dec 14, 2004)

adam bomb said:


> I didn't see many going through Indiana but I'm sure there are plenty around. Illinois had more Canada Geese than you can shake a stick at. They were out in force yesterday afternoon too. I'm sure you'll do fine. Good luck


I wish ms could play video uploaded from a phone. I'd show you are field. It's been hot for quite awhile I guess. I took a guy out layout shooting this year and promised walleye trip. turns out he has some great land for geese and a few hundred acres of flooded crops they hunt mallards on.


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## SBE II (Jan 13, 2009)

adam bomb said:


> I didn't see many going through Indiana but I'm sure there are plenty around. Illinois had more Canada Geese than you can shake a stick at. They were out in force yesterday afternoon too. I'm sure you'll do fine. Good luck


Hahaha...welcome to IL, I have about 5-7k geese in my area currently. Pretty fun hunting to say the least. Wish you could shoot more than 2


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## adam bomb (Feb 27, 2006)

sswhitelightning said:


> I wish ms could play video uploaded from a phone. I'd show you are field. It's been hot for quite awhile I guess. I took a guy out layout shooting this year and promised walleye trip. turns out he has some great land for geese and a few hundred acres of flooded crops they hunt mallards on.


Awesome. Sounds like a great hunt coming up. Will be looking for the pics.


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## adam bomb (Feb 27, 2006)

SBE II said:


> Hahaha...welcome to IL, I have about 5-7k geese in my area currently. Pretty fun hunting to say the least. Wish you could shoot more than 2


If I come down then 4 can take a dirt nap!!!&#128513;


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## SBE II (Jan 13, 2009)

adam bomb said:


> If I come down then 4 can take a dirt nap!!!&#128513;


Welcome any time. 

Tiny roost about 1/4 mile from my fields









Shooting consistent 12-13 lbs now


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## Matthuntsall (Feb 21, 2013)

icemaniax said:


> Wow people on here really take things so serious haha
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Ohub Campfire mobile app[/QUOTE
> 
> ...


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## icemaniax (Dec 27, 2013)

Matthuntsall said:


> icemaniax said:
> 
> 
> > Wow people on here really take things so serious haha
> ...


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## Matthuntsall (Feb 21, 2013)

Personally I had a great year. I scouted some new spots only got skunked once, but I blame that bad luck on IH772 LOL. But from most of the people I talk to they say it was a slower year on this side. We definitely lost some day due to the early freeze. But on a good not I hit my limits a few times (I NEVER had in 7 prior years of duck hunting). The late season split seemed to be RED HOT for almost everybody. If you want to try some of the managed hunts on the west side, you find out they are about the same, 1 or 2 have great hunts, a few more parties have decent hunts, most people shoot 1 or 2 birds per group, lots don't even fire the gun. If you ever want to try the west side, I'd be more than happy to take you out in SFSGA. I need to get my feet wet at Fish point too. It's not that far for me, but its hard to beat SFSGA when its only 10 min drive away.


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## bigpapa8108 (Nov 1, 2012)

We didn't shoot alot of birds this year, but I will tell you that we had alot of fun. One of our hunts this year birds kept flaring on us and we couldn't figure out what was going on, we look over and one of our hunting party member decided to be a blue jean queen. He forgot to put on his camo bibs at the launch and was sitting there in his jeans. That day we would have laid the smack down on some birds. Must have had 15 or 20 flare before we looked at him. I will tell you having a story like this tho is just as good as having a story about a limit hunt. This happened in October and all year long we have been ragging on him since. I will say tho that even with all of my scouting this year I saw alot more birds by just driving 40 SE then I did in muskegon. But if I only have to drive an hour to shoot some birds its better then sitting around bitching about how I didn't see many birds and the season was bad.


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## Matthuntsall (Feb 21, 2013)

bigpapa8108 said:


> We didn't shoot alot of birds this year, but I will tell you that we had alot of fun. One of our hunts this year birds kept flaring on us and we couldn't figure out what was going on, we look over and one of our hunting party member decided to be a blue jean queen. He forgot to put on his camo bibs at the launch and was sitting there in his jeans. That day we would have laid the smack down on some birds. Must have had 15 or 20 flare before we looked at him. I will tell you having a story like this tho is just as good as having a story about a limit hunt. This happened in October and all year long we have been ragging on him since. I will say tho that even with all of my scouting this year I saw alot more birds by just driving 40 SE then I did in muskegon. But if I only have to drive an hour to shoot some birds its better then sitting around bitching about how I didn't see many birds and the season was bad.


 
Had the same thing happen over the split. Except it wasn't 15-20 ducks it was 300-400 at a time flaring. I look over and I see the guys blaze orange collar showing. And his realtree deer camo was about 25 shades darker than any of the cover we were in. I wonder if that's why we only took 5 birds for 8 guys, and when I went by myself the next day I hit my limit in 45 min.


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## blackduckkilla (Jul 14, 2013)

The man asked for help about a lease company: not a critique about why he had a tough year or that he needs to tower hunt pheasant. If you don't want to help him about the company than shut up. Geez some of you guys are so arrogant and think the rest of us want to be critiqued by you. Two of you guys rip everyone apart instead of answering the question posted in the thread. No wonder why I post nothing: to many arrogant idiots to tell me what I did wrong without knowing the entire story.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

blackduckkilla said:


> The man asked for help about a lease company: not a critique about why he had a tough year or that he needs to tower hunt pheasant. If you don't want to help him about the company than shut up. Geez some of you guys are so arrogant and think the rest of us want to be critiqued by you. Two of you guys rip everyone apart instead of answering the question posted in the thread. No wonder why I post nothing: to many arrogant idiots to tell me what I did wrong without knowing the entire story.


making a post bitching about the bitchers. :yikes:

leases suck. better yet, take the lease money and send it directly to me and i'll put you on birds every weekend...

if you have to lease in this state to kill waterfowl, your doing nothing besides ensuring you are gonna go suck it up on a private lease alone instead of sucking it up where someone might see you.


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## icemaniax (Dec 27, 2013)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> making a post bitching about the bitchers. :yikes:
> 
> leases suck. better yet, take the lease money and send it directly to me and i'll put you on birds every weekend...
> 
> if you have to lease in this state to kill waterfowl, your doing nothing besides ensuring you are gonna go suck it up on a private lease alone instead of sucking it up where someone might see you.


The lease wasnt strictly for fowl as stated before i lost all my good deer and turkey spots so i was asking about basecamp leasing if i find deer land with a pond or somethin itd have been a bonus

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## SBE II (Jan 13, 2009)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> making a post bitching about the bitchers. :yikes:
> 
> leases suck. better yet, take the lease money and send it directly to me and i'll put you on birds every weekend...
> 
> if you have to lease in this state to kill waterfowl, your doing nothing besides ensuring you are gonna go suck it up on a private lease alone instead of sucking it up where someone might see you.


Let him spend the money he'll figure it out. Id take the money and go somewhere you can kill more birds in one week than you will all season in MI. Oh Canada...


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## jonesy16 (Sep 19, 2011)

SBE II said:


> Let him spend the money he'll figure it out. Id take the money and go somewhere you can kill more birds in one week than you will all season in MI. Oh Canada...


Canada, Nodak, down south, Chesapeake Bay, Alaska, Texas gulf coast....lots of places to explore compared to one lease. 

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## icemaniax (Dec 27, 2013)

jonesy16 said:


> Canada, Nodak, down south, Chesapeake Bay, Alaska, Texas gulf coast....lots of places to explore compared to one lease.
> 
> Sent from my DROID RAZR using Ohub Campfire mobile app


Been to canada many many times wheb i was younger but being 21 and working full time and goin to college part time it makes actually goin anymore then 12 hours away kinda hard.....tho 5 of my buddies and i are scheduling a vacation to go duck hunting in argentina the way they talk about it sounds like itll be a blast

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## jonesy16 (Sep 19, 2011)

icemaniax said:


> Been to canada many many times wheb i was younger but being 21 and working full time and goin to college part time it makes actually goin anymore then 12 hours away kinda hard.....tho 5 of my buddies and i are scheduling a vacation to go duck hunting in argentina the way they talk about it sounds like itll be a blast
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


I had that same problem....to many other distractions during college. Once I graduated, had a nice pay check and got time off, the disease came back pretty strong.


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## icemaniax (Dec 27, 2013)

jonesy16 said:


> I had that same problem....to many other distractions during college. Once I graduated, had a nice pay check and got time off, the disease came back pretty strong.


Haha yeah plus where i work now has the most crazy mandatory overtime policy so on mornings i thought i was gonna get to hunt id get mandated to 3rd shift the night before...what can you do 

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## boomstick (Aug 31, 2010)

I've had a lease for 20+ years. I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm lucky I have 3 square miles of Edison across the road. The pond used for cooling holds birds until the freeze or fields are covered deep in snow. Are deer and turkey hunting is just as good as the waterfowl hunting. Weather and crop rotation are the driving factors. Bean years are slow waterfowling for us. Cover is tough. Which was this year. But I spent more time deer hunting with the crossbow. Corn next year which comes off early now with all the ethanol plants. Should be a good year. If u spend enough time scouting for a lease as much as other scout for there next weekend hunt, you'll have success and be away from the crowds.


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## icemaniax (Dec 27, 2013)

boomstick said:


> I've had a lease for 20+ years. I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm lucky I have 3 square miles of Edison across the road. The pond used for cooling holds birds until the freeze or fields are covered deep in snow. Are deer and turkey hunting is just as good as the waterfowl hunting. Weather and crop rotation are the driving factors. Bean years are slow waterfowling for us. Cover is tough. Which was this year. But I spent more time deer hunting with the crossbow. Corn next year which comes off early now with all the ethanol plants. Should be a good year. If u spend enough time scouting for a lease as much as other scout for there next weekend hunt, you'll have success and be away from the crowds.


In previois years i hunted leased land for multiple things and it was some of the best hunting i had done ive been looking for a good lease but havent found one yet

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## jonesy16 (Sep 19, 2011)

boomstick said:


> I've had a lease for 20+ years. I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm lucky I have 3 square miles of Edison across the road. The pond used for cooling holds birds until the freeze or fields are covered deep in snow. Are deer and turkey hunting is just as good as the waterfowl hunting. Weather and crop rotation are the driving factors. Bean years are slow waterfowling for us. Cover is tough. Which was this year. But I spent more time deer hunting with the crossbow. Corn next year which comes off early now with all the ethanol plants. Should be a good year. If u spend enough time scouting for a lease as much as other scout for there next weekend hunt, you'll have success and be away from the crowds.


That is a nice piece of property. Phil took JD and I there last year. Having the cooling ponds is a big bonus ...cover was tough but we managed some nice birds. Thanks for letting us have access to it for the day.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

SBE II said:


> Let him spend the money he'll figure it out. Id take the money and go somewhere you can kill more birds in one week than you will all season in MI. Oh Canada...


correct. same with deer hunting. for a few tanks of gas and a $100 tag you can shoot your daylights out on free range public deer. guys paying thousands for deer leases in michigan (outside of some really good southern counties) is a waste of time. I guess you buy the experience with a lease. fun.


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## icemaniax (Dec 27, 2013)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> correct. same with deer hunting. for a few tanks of gas and a $100 tag you can shoot your daylights out on free range public deer. guys paying thousands for deer leases in michigan (outside of some really good southern counties) is a waste of time. I guess you buy the experience with a lease. fun.


Well we kno where shikid stands on leasing land so atleast we dont have to hear from him nemore...thanks for all your powerful wisdom shikid 

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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

icemaniax said:


> Well we kno where shikid stands on leasing land so atleast we dont have to hear from him nemore...thanks for all your powerful wisdom shikid
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


your welcome, anytime.

leasing is like a disease. once you pay a farmer once, you ruined that land from ever being freelanced...ever. you can either contribute to the disease or not. it just kills opportunity in the future.

obviously there is exceptions like the guy above whos got prime hotpond area...but that really isnt the norm.

we had a field here that is good for 2-3 days a season. we hunted it as kids forever....some guy one year leased it for $1k for couple seasons. Now the farmer sits with a lease sign on it and no one will pay 1k so no one can hunt it.


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## icemaniax (Dec 27, 2013)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> your welcome, anytime.
> 
> leasing is like a disease. once you pay a farmer once, you ruined that land from ever being freelanced...ever. you can either contribute to the disease or not. it just kills opportunity in the future.
> 
> ...


Can u give me the contact info for that field?.....
Haha jk
I understand where coming from tho

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## Blacklab77 (Jun 21, 2006)

Dahmer said:


> After the season I had on the east side, im selling all my equipment!!!!! Thinking about taking up tennis. I can wear my tennis shoes all year long then.
> 
> Sent from my MB855 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


 
NO CRAP LOST 3 week due to ice can I WHINE about that some!!!!

BUT we did smoke'm in missouri for 3 days straight. So thick you could close your eyes an kill'em


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## icemaniax (Dec 27, 2013)

Blacklab77 said:


> NO CRAP LOST 3 week due to ice can I WHINE about that some!!!!
> 
> BUT we did smoke'm in missouri for 3 days straight. So thick you could close your eyes an kill'em


Yeah u can whine bout it but if u were hardcore ud have used some ice melters and melted it down...smh people these days dont wanna work for ducks 
Lmaoo

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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

Leasing chains you to locations. If you don't have enough other places, the lease gets overhunted and burned out.

We used the pay as you go plan, $20.00 per gun per day.

I'm betting this wouldn't fly in today's market.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> ...leasing is like a disease. once you pay a farmer once, you ruined that land from ever being freelanced...ever. you can either contribute to the disease or not. it just kills opportunity in the future.....


Hunted in November with Fish Point Lodge. Doug used to lease some fields in the immediate area of the point for his business, but several years ago he got outbid by some big money from SE Michigan. Obviously he's in the guiding business, so he can only pay so much and still make it work. He said the very thing SK said...once a farmer gets a taste of leasing, it only goes downhill.


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## PhilBernardi (Sep 6, 2010)

just ducky said:


> Hunted in November with Fish Point Lodge. Doug used to lease some fields in the immediate area of the point for his business, but several years ago he got outbid by some big money from SE Michigan. Obviously he's in the guiding business, so he can only pay so much and still make it work. He said the very thing SK said...once a farmer gets a taste of leasing, it only goes downhill.


Just a quick point. This is probably true of many farmers, but most certainly not true of all. 

I know of two that don't lease because of the general issue of lessees having an attitude of "the land is mine". The farmers/land owners don't want to deal with that and so they don't lease. They let people hunt - thank god - but they don't least their land.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

PhilBernardi said:


> Just a quick point. This is probably true of many farmers, but most certainly not true of all.
> 
> I know of two that don't lease because of the general issue of lessees having an attitude of "the land is mine". The farmers/land owners don't want to deal with that and so they don't lease. They let people hunt - thank god - but they don't least their land.


Always exceptions Phil. You guys are fortunate


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> your welcome, anytime.
> 
> leasing is like a disease. once you pay a farmer once, you ruined that land from ever being freelanced...ever. you can either contribute to the disease or not. it just kills opportunity in the future.
> 
> ...


I agree with you. I hate leasing. Leasing screws everyone. It is slowly coming to tha in my area due to the moron wood goat hunters. I refuse to lease and many others I know do to. They will be digging their own grave. I will just save my money and go out of state where the hunting is actually good and you can kill more birds in a week then a year in the mitten. People quit hunting due to leasing, license sales go down, money dries up, and then you have a problem. The state has a problem.


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## Bellyup (Nov 13, 2007)

Welcome to the site. For my area the hunting was the best I have seen in 30 plus years. I actually did not hunt any private land this year, all public. The publics spots actually held more then the two private spots i have permission on. I will be the first to admit, we were lucky to find birds and stay on them, it does not happen like this normally. It is usually the scrape out one or two a weekend and call it a good weekend. I can tell you this, those of us that did do better than normal in the west side did put the time to scout and got lucky and found birds. It is not easy to have good hunts where limits are the norm. This year the season dates were close to being where they need to be around here. Most likely as close as we are going to see. 

If winter comes later than it did this year, I think the hunting will be mediocer at best. Just some food for thought. 

As far as leasing goes, you do what you feel you need to. You have every right to lease if that is what you want to do, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. While I don't agree with it, I understand the need for it around here. If you have more time than money, then it is likely a bad decision, as it effect the entire waterfowling population. 

Oh, and remember, it takes a thick skin to put up with some of the posts on here. Just smile and agree with them, makes for a lot less stress.


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