where are the ducks?

[Dodge Man]

This is looking a lot better.


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[Bgoodman30]

Curious to know how the afternoon went for those hunting? Didn't go but hearing some thumping at the house.


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[Displaced_Vol]

I am curious some of your all's opinion on when they get up to move in relation to a big front. The one going through now has cold & a pretty good bit of snow. But even generally speaking, will they (let's say average mallards) pick up & move before the front arrives in their area? As it is moving through their area? Or, do they ride it out & "survey the damage" so to speak and assess the food availability after the snow before deciding to pack it up & head south?

I know that is an over simplification & there are too many variables not accounted (rather hunting seasons are opened or closed in a given area is a big factor) but I am interested to hear what some of you hands that have been doing this a while have to say.

I feel like in January, any decent warm shot with a south wind & we'll catch some ducks bouncing back up from below us.

I try to keep good notes every year but one thing I haven't done is record weather that's been happening north or south of us. I always jot down what our weather is like, but never make a note of what was happening else where in the flyway.

 

[Crosshairy]

I am curious some of your all's opinion on when they get up to move in relation to a big front. The one going through now has cold & a pretty good bit of snow. But even generally speaking, will they (let's say average mallards) pick up & move before the front arrives in their area? As it is moving through their area? Or, do they ride it out & "survey the damage" so to speak and assess the food availability after the snow before deciding to pack it up & head south?

I know that is an over simplification & there are too many variables not accounted (rather hunting seasons are opened or closed in a given area is a big factor) but I am interested to hear what some of you hands that have been doing this a while have to say.

I feel like in January, any decent warm shot with a south wind & we'll catch some ducks bouncing back up from below us.

I try to keep good notes every year but one thing I haven't done is record weather that's been happening north or south of us. I always jot down what our weather is like, but never make a note of what was happening else where in the flyway.

To me it seems like the cold front starts a "shuffling" of birds, but unless the front is very distinct, I oftentimes think they act like people do...some of them leave when the first flurry touches their butts, and some of them stick it out and don't leave until the ice starts freezing around their ankles - that's why if you have some unfrozen water in the middle of a hard freeze, you can often find wads of them still coming in (even when most have left). Maybe they are individually more or less cold tolerant? I wish I knew. I also wonder if the ones that migrate first are from more local regions, whereas the ones that stick around are perhaps from further away and are still resting from flying in from Canada or wherever.

I bet researchers have this data with all of the electronic tracking data, I've just never seen it.

 

[Displaced_Vol]

I am curious some of your all's opinion on when they get up to move in relation to a big front. The one going through now has cold & a pretty good bit of snow. But even generally speaking, will they (let's say average mallards) pick up & move before the front arrives in their area? As it is moving through their area? Or, do they ride it out & "survey the damage" so to speak and assess the food availability after the snow before deciding to pack it up & head south?

I know that is an over simplification & there are too many variables not accounted (rather hunting seasons are opened or closed in a given area is a big factor) but I am interested to hear what some of you hands that have been doing this a while have to say.

I feel like in January, any decent warm shot with a south wind & we'll catch some ducks bouncing back up from below us.

I try to keep good notes every year but one thing I haven't done is record weather that's been happening north or south of us. I always jot down what our weather is like, but never make a note of what was happening else where in the flyway.

To me it seems like the cold front starts a "shuffling" of birds, but unless the front is very distinct, I oftentimes think they act like people do...some of them leave when the first flurry touches their butts, and some of them stick it out and don't leave until the ice starts freezing around their ankles - that's why if you have some unfrozen water in the middle of a hard freeze, you can often find wads of them still coming in (even when most have left). Maybe they are individually more or less cold tolerant? I wish I knew. I also wonder if the ones that migrate first are from more local regions, whereas the ones that stick around are perhaps from further away and are still resting from flying in from Canada or wherever.

I bet researchers have this data with all of the electronic tracking data, I've just never seen it.

That makes a lot of sense. It's always a gamble when you're taking off work because usually you can't take multiple days every week and if you just wait for the weekends it doesn't really matter anyway. Thanks for chiming in, Crosshairy.

 

[MickThompson]

Based on what I've seen posted, all the ducks are on Dodgeman's duck strap.

 

[RUGER]

Based on what I've seen posted, all the ducks are on Dodgeman's duck strap.

Ain't that the truth! :super:

 

[Andy S.]

Based on what I've seen posted, all the ducks are on Dodgeman's duck strap.

Ain't that the truth! :super:

Ding ding ding.......we have a winner!

 

[Bgoodman30]

I am curious some of your all's opinion on when they get up to move in relation to a big front. The one going through now has cold & a pretty good bit of snow. But even generally speaking, will they (let's say average mallards) pick up & move before the front arrives in their area? As it is moving through their area? Or, do they ride it out & "survey the damage" so to speak and assess the food availability after the snow before deciding to pack it up & head south?

I know that is an over simplification & there are too many variables not accounted (rather hunting seasons are opened or closed in a given area is a big factor) but I am interested to hear what some of you hands that have been doing this a while have to say.

I feel like in January, any decent warm shot with a south wind & we'll catch some ducks bouncing back up from below us.

I try to keep good notes every year but one thing I haven't done is record weather that's been happening north or south of us. I always jot down what our weather is like, but never make a note of what was happening else where in the flyway.

Photoperiod, moon, snow, ice, food, water, pressure. Seems some birds come around the same time every year no matter what.

I think a common misconception is that ducks will be riding the north wind on each polar blast. I've seen many more ducks migrate in against the wind before a front especially if there is precipitation involved.


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[Displaced_Vol]

That's interesting, Bgoodman. Are you in a high traffic area for ducks? That's part of the problem I have is just living in an area without big migrations. Ducks around sure, but I'm never going to hear birds constantly flying over head through the night. Except for Sandhills of course.

From what I've gathered I think a lot of ducks make it south of us without ever stopping because they're going off photoperiod or full moons or what have you. Then we may catch them coming back up later.

 

[Bgoodman30]

Yes high traffic.. Where are you located?


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[Displaced_Vol]

Yes high traffic.. Where are you located?


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South Central KY. About 100ish miles north/north east of Nashville up I-65.
I see tons of Sandhills flying over on their way to Barren River Lake.

 

[Bgoodman30]

Yeah I have definitely seen all the sandhills that way. Not sure about duck movement that far off the flyway but if its anything like Old Hickory the colder the better.

 

[tickweed]

is anyone in west Tn doing any good now? pitiful for us. maybe 2-3 a day.

 

[RUGER]

is anyone in west Tn doing any good now? pitiful for us. maybe 2-3 a day.

We killed 3 greenheads, 3 susies and a pair of gadwalls Saturday at Reelfoot.
I came home this morning, didn't hunt. They killed 3 spoonies this morning.

Haven't heard anything about Gooch but I would imagine it isn't any better.

 

[drake799]

Heard Gooch was awful right now

 

[Crosshairy]

We had a pretty good morning in the flooded timber near the MS River on Thursday. Saw a lot of mallards working. Unfortunately, several circumstances had us arriving at the hole late, and we weren't finished throwing decoys when the woodies dive-bombed us for several minutes at first light. If we hadn't missed that, we would have come away with a few more birds. We had to break ice at the hole, but that worked mostly in our favor since a lot of the ducks coming in saw the open water we made and tried to land in our laps.


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[Bgoodman30]

I didn't even make the trip after looking at the weather. I'm good on cloudy no wind days... Buddies were singing the blues, single digits as well. Duck numbers are strong on the refuge with incoming backwater just not killing conditions...
Suns out tomorrow I'm heading over now..


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[Bgoodman30]

It was short and sweet few flights early then shut off... Backwater falling rapidly but ducks still not using it.. 60 plus degrees the skeeters and frogs can have it.. If these "winters" keep up might want to pick up crappie fishing or golf [FLAG IN HOLE]️


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[tickweed]

One word to describe this season. Pitiful. we started out decent, but with weather as it is, we are done for now. no matter how much you work, prepare all summer, it doesn't matter. Im really beginning to believe waterfowling in west Tn., as well as surrounding states is changing for the worst. 70 degrees on Christmas. Long range forecast has nothing to look forward to. Really disappointing for all us hardcore duck hunters.