# Nodak 2019



## bfaber (Apr 17, 2010)

Whos going? Our group heads out in less then 2 weeks. From what i have been seeing its wet this year. Any reports from the opening week out there post em up. 


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

i got guys in the house this week. 2 hunts in, they are at 84 birds and 4 geese.


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## huffduf41 (May 31, 2006)

Headed that way 10/19, any word on rooster numbers?


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

all indicators are numbers are up. hard saying this early. none of my guys are chasing them yet.


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## wavie (Feb 2, 2004)

Dont worry about the snow that fell north of the border. Most has already melted with highs next week predicted to be in the upper 60s in Regina. Should be very interesting as talking with farmer yesterday some areas in southern Saskatchewan are so wet harvest probably wont happen. A sloppy mess.


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## bfaber (Apr 17, 2010)

We start our week the 12th. We are in ne corner we got froze out last time last week in oct. I’m hoping it’s not to wet. Tossing around the idea of haulingn a quad out but really don’t want to. It will be polar opposite of last time we were out there year. It was dryer then a popcorn fart farmers were lighting fires all over burning cattails.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

watch weather. if its wet or gonna be rain....get a quad ASAP and tow it out there. my guys are having issues getting in field, its wet. quad and like 3 jet sleds can ferry guys in and out and haul lots of gear. we daisy chain them together and haul most the spread out in one trip...then come back and get blinds....then come back and get guys.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> watch weather. if its wet or gonna be rain....get a quad ASAP and tow it out there. my guys are having issues getting in field, its wet. quad and like 3 jet sleds can ferry guys in and out and haul lots of gear. we daisy chain them together and haul most the spread out in one trip...then come back and get blinds....then come back and get guys.


SK's advice is pretty sound. NoDak soils hold water well because they have a high clay/marl content. When wet they get really greasy! A few years back I took a run up a slight incline on a work road, barely making the top with the Tundra canted at a twenty-degree angle to the centerline, after a three hour sit in a field for cranes and waterfowl. Had to come back the following day and repair the road with a drag we borrowed from the rancher.

Section roads, in these conditions, can be really treacherous!


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## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

I've heard that there are a lot of corn fields that have standing water up to 2 ft making them unharvestable.

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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

bheary said:


> I've heard that there are a lot of corn fields that have standing water up to 2 ft making them unharvestable.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


What area...Devil's Lake?


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

fields holding water like that...specially corn...oh my, that places is awesome.


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## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

Cork Dust said:


> What area...Devil's Lake?


South of Devils Lake

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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

bheary said:


> South of Devils Lake
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


Good luck! Leaving in an hour for Carpio.


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## mihunte (Nov 23, 2014)

I was out there this past week in central ND, definitely very wet as others have said, which made it pretty tough for me personally. This was my fourth year hunting out there so I admittedly don't have the years of experience as others that have posted. I usually hunt small bodies of water, targeting puddlers. Most of the sloughs were void of puddlers and I ended up hunting divers mostly, which I enjoyed. I believe the ducks are scattered, with so much water they have lots of options. There is a lot of sheet water and Im sure many puddlers are using those instead. 

Most people i talked to had similar struggles, but again keep in mind that myself and those hunters are used to setting up on small sloughs, and those just didnt have birds like previous years. If a guy committed to finding them in the fields Im sure they could have some great hunting for mallards and other puddlers.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

guys did good every day. hunted wheat/barley most days...layouts next to sheetwater for a couple days.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

Gadwalls will provide...


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## zoombaiter25 (Oct 27, 2011)

Just got back from my first trip ever. It was a soupy mess trying to scout the backroads out there, but lots of gadwall were put on ice.

5 days, 4 guys:
78 ducks
6 geese
19 snipe
2 coot


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## bfaber (Apr 17, 2010)

Looks like the weathers gonna take a turn. Lows in the mid 20’s highs just above freezing I hope some of the holes don’t start to freeze


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## wavie (Feb 2, 2004)

For giggles. Let's scare every duck hunter heading to ND this weekend. No drama implied by the meteorologists. It'll just keep the birds in Canada longer.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)




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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

I can't remember the year, around 2009, give or take 5 years, (they all kind of run together) we had a fairly strong snow event come through with temps dropping from the 50's to the teens out there. We had spectacular shooting the evening before. Watched the biggest feed of my life - easily over 50K birds, maybe double that. Hunters, non-hunters, even farmers pulled over the side of the road to watch the duck extravaganza. We got 10" and made 1.5" of ice on all but the biggest sloughs overnight. Most of the birds packed their bags, but there was still shooting to be had after that, just had to work for them.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

was 2009 TNL,


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

or 2010 (october 29th was this picture).


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

The Kid comes through again! I'm thinking it was 2009, but that snow in 2010 looks familiar. I think it might of been the year you shot that giant swan. That feed was due west of you, right before the hill country.


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## bfaber (Apr 17, 2010)

Yea when I seen that forecast my heart sank. Been planning this trip since the day we left there 2 years ago. I can deal with snow but not that much snow. We get there till sat s hopefully we can salvage the rest of the week.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

TNL said:


> The Kid comes through again! I'm thinking it was 2009, but that snow in 2010 looks familiar. I think it might of been the year you shot that giant swan. That feed was due west of you, right before the hill country.


swan was 2009. i put my dad on the train home in fargo, came back to the camper and got snowed in for 2 days. i only hunted one of the snowy days...then stayed in the camper waiting for my buddies to roll in the next day. we tore them up after the snow melted.


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## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

We are supposed to arrive in camp on Saturday. Last year the same thing happened only a couple days sooner. You have be a certain type of hardass to live out there in the winter. My hat is off to those that do.

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## huffduf41 (May 31, 2006)

I arrive 10/19, hoping birds are still in the (un-frozen) potholes!

Good news is that if they are gone we'll just chase roosters all day....all good


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## TNL (Jan 6, 2005)

Just saw the latest European model forecast. 40+mph winds with up to 2, maybe 3 feet in the PPR. I hope they get the beans off in time. Corn might be a bust this year. 

My advice to travel light, bring tire chains, and use caution off the road. Plan on a stay in a motel off 94 until conditions allow travel. Drifts out there are no joke. Birds will be there, but you'll have to put some hard earned miles on to get on them. Good luck!


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

early storm like this would not change my plans other than the drive out. i would either leave early and beat the storm or wait til 24hrs after it hit for roads to be clear. hunting will be stellar after storm.


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## bfaber (Apr 17, 2010)

We went balls in trailers packed and ready to roll. Leaving Friday morning 8am and driving to at least Duluth for the night. We live in Michigan what’s some snow on the rd. Hell las trip back from out there we had crap roads and snow from the time we hit Minnesota to home. We did add tow straps and gonna toss a shovel or 2 in the mix. I just hope we keep some open water. We are n.e of devils lake talked to one of our farmer contacts today they still have half there crops left to harvest.


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## wavie (Feb 2, 2004)

Heck, plane tickets are booked. Not changing a thing and I'll be way north of that mess. Be safe!


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## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

Corn in the Carrington area was a bust as of 2 weeks ago. Had 2ft of standing water. Report from 2 hrs ago said everything is hunkered down and lots of wind. Anticipate 55mph after midnight. Most beans and alfalfa is cut with standing water in the fields. With emphasis that lions have a better shot at the superbowl than hunters do at driving in the fields.

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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

bheary said:


> Corn in the Carrington area was a bust as of 2 weeks ago. Had 2ft of standing water. Report from 2 hrs ago said everything is hunkered down and lots of wind. Anticipate 55mph after midnight. Most beans and alfalfa is cut with standing water in the fields. With emphasis that lions have a better shot at the superbowl than hunters do at driving in the fields.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


Jumpshoot some small potholes...you will be surprised by who is there!!!


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## lefty421 (Dec 7, 2012)

Cork Dust said:


> Jumpshoot some small potholes...you will be surprised by who is there!!!


Agreed, jump shooting potholes out there on windy days can be very productive. The birds will usually be hunkered down on the leeward side of the cattails trying to get out of the wind. If you approach from down wind, they won't even hear you coming over the wind noise. 

We've shot lots of birds off potholes on windy days out there.


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## nelsonjr89 (Aug 9, 2014)

bheary said:


> Corn in the Carrington area was a bust as of 2 weeks ago. Had 2ft of standing water. Report from 2 hrs ago said everything is hunkered down and lots of wind. Anticipate 55mph after midnight. Most beans and alfalfa is cut with standing water in the fields. With emphasis that lions have a better shot at the superbowl than hunters do at driving in the fields.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


We'll be hunting SW of you near Cleveland, ND. Starting sunday!
Its only our 2nd year out there, this storm will make it interesting for us new folks!

Good luck to ya!


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

high wind, 35mph+ i'll hang out in camp. not worth it. its miserable. will go out after the blow to completely different birds. most will ride it out....but others will ride it in.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

lefty421 said:


> Agreed, jump shooting potholes out there on windy days can be very productive. The birds will usually be hunkered down on the leeward side of the cattails trying to get out of the wind. If you approach from down wind, they won't even hear you coming over the wind noise.
> 
> We've shot lots of birds off potholes on windy days out there.


 Plus, the wind "covers" your shots out to about the edge of effective range!


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## JPizzle 09 (Apr 24, 2013)

We were to leave Friday but the storm had our local contact advise us to push the trip back a couple weeks. The “warm up” after the week of freezing temps should keep it interesting!


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## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

Just heard there is no more than 6" on the ground near Woodworth.

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## grassmaster (Jan 10, 2009)

_Friends of mine just got back from saskatchewan and said 25% juvie snows and amazing numbers of decoying ross geese ._


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## bfaber (Apr 17, 2010)

We just got back home this morning at 2 am. When we left yesterday morning snow was almost all gone and the sheet water in the fields were bad. We took 29 down and from grafton to grand forks it’s fooded along both side of the rd as far as you can see. 8 guys figure we got between 50-60ducks. We spent a lot of time scouting but couldn’t find much over half a dozen ducks in any one spot. We did find one goood pod of mallards but they were in accessible. Shot Mostly divers but we shot a couple mallards and a single snow goose. Hunting fields was almost impossible and hunting water was miserable. Most ponds have a lot of slush before you get to he water.Still seen a lot of game moose, ton of deer (2 of witch were the biggest bucks I had ever seen), lot of coyotes, Fox and jack rabbits.


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## huffduf41 (May 31, 2006)

I’m in south east nodak right now. Shot a two man limit of scaup today with a mallard, buffie, and a spoonie. Finally found a pot hole with a good (typical) variety of puddle ducks today, will try it later this week.

Ducks are hard to find and most that we do find are blue bills. The blue bills are fattys, probably about 3/8” of fat on their breasts. When do you guys think the ducks will start to migrate in good numbers? Not seeing much in the sky right now...


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

huffduf41 said:


> I’m in south east nodak right now. Shot a two man limit of scaup today with a mallard, buffie, and a spoonie. Finally found a pot hole with a good (typical) variety of puddle ducks today, will try it later this week.
> 
> Ducks are hard to find and most that we do find are blue bills. The blue bills are fattys, probably about 3/8” of fat on their breasts. When do you guys think the ducks will start to migrate in good numbers? Not seeing much in the sky right now...


That storm swept in from the southwest and swung north of Lake Superior...basically, what you want is a deep cold front coming-in from the northwest to move birds off of prairie Canada sheetwater and potholes, birds are trickling out based on what I have seen thus far.


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