2022 thru 2023 Hunting Season

[PorkChop]

Been a while since I’ve been on the reports forum. Looks like I have lots of reading to see how you guys fared this past season.

We had a very mild January and February has been pretty mild. 22 below this morning and maybe two or three more days of cold but then it warms up again. Definitely not complaining about this winter as a guy that works outside. Also the warm temperatures have been good for the upland birds. I was worried because with all the 30° days the snow is more like ice but the birds are still able to find feed. My daughter had a basketball tournament down in Mandan and there’s still plenty of big honkers using the Missouri River up here.

Southern part of the state is getting snow right now. We started off getting good amounts of snow but it’s tapered off. We will definitely need good snow at the end of March beginning of April or good spring rains to fill up the potholes again.

Hope everybody is doing great and hopefully sooner than later I will be posting spring snow goose reports. I am trying to get hip surgery. Have an appointment with the VA on March 1 down in Fargo. Going to try to wait till May to get it done if they grant it. This way I can get some Snowgoose hunting in.

[Duck Engr]

Good to hear from you PC! I thought about you today when I saw a blurb about the big snow storm across the Midwest. Hope moisture conditions improve up your way.

[5 stand]

I'm also glad you posted PC!
I keep up with you and your YouTube shorts...
Good to hear about those upland birds holding their own...
Keep us posted on those snow geese...

[PorkChop]

I'm also glad you posted PC!
I keep up with you and your YouTube shorts...
Good to hear about those upland birds holding their own...
Keep us posted on those snow geese...

If you watch all those dumb shorts you’re gonna have to find a new hobby that keeps you more busy ha ha ha I will have to admit I’ve kind of fallen into the YouTube trap just because it fascinates me what people will watch. I put those ones of my truck in the snowbank and they took off. But if you put a video of the kids catching a fish you’re lucky to get 40 views. I think people enjoy seeing other people having bad luck. haha. I will be adding more videos after Easter. Taking a break during Lent.

[PorkChop]

Good to hear from you PC! I thought about you today when I saw a blurb about the big snow storm across the Midwest. Hope moisture conditions improve up your way.

I feel bad for South Dakota but at least they’re getting good moisture. It’s going to be a good roadblock for the snows but once they figure out they can fly over I will be waiting for them in North Dakota

[Darren]

I'm also glad you posted PC!
I keep up with you and your YouTube shorts...
Good to hear about those upland birds holding their own...
Keep us posted on those snow geese...

If you watch all those dumb shorts you’re gonna have to find a new hobby that keeps you more busy ha ha ha I will have to admit I’ve kind of fallen into the YouTube trap just because it fascinates me what people will watch. I put those ones of my truck in the snowbank and they took off. But if you put a video of the kids catching a fish you’re lucky to get 40 views. I think people enjoy seeing other people having bad luck. haha. I will be adding more videos after Easter. Taking a break during Lent.

Sounds about right, the public loves to see others in a jam

Good on you for taking that Lenten break. I've given up all of my social media (but not here on WFF) for Lent myself.

[Duck Engr]

“One minute you’re on the road, lookin at the scenery. Next minute you’re in the scenery, lookin at the road.”

[PorkChop]

“One minute you’re on the road, lookin at the scenery. Next minute you’re in the scenery, lookin at the road.”

The funny thing to me is I would consider myself an above average driver. That second video though that I posted you can see I just kind of slowly make my way to the right hand side of the Road and then end up right in the ditch. First thing I did when the vehicle started going to the right I let my foot off the gas and nothing happened then I tried doing the steering wheel both ways as far as it would go in hopes that I would start to fishtail and lose control and nothing happened. Even did the forbidden hit the break and nothing happened. She was going in the ditch and there was no stopping it. I didn’t even try to dig out of that one. Called my guy that plows out the wells and he came with the loader and pulled me out.

The first video I was looking around for coyotes and took the icy corner too fast. Sideways right into the ditch. No one to blame on that one but me. And since we are in the Lenten season I will be honest and admit that’s not the first time I’ve done that on that corner haha

[PorkChop]

I'm also glad you posted PC!
I keep up with you and your YouTube shorts...
Good to hear about those upland birds holding their own...
Keep us posted on those snow geese...

If you watch all those dumb shorts you’re gonna have to find a new hobby that keeps you more busy ha ha ha I will have to admit I’ve kind of fallen into the YouTube trap just because it fascinates me what people will watch. I put those ones of my truck in the snowbank and they took off. But if you put a video of the kids catching a fish you’re lucky to get 40 views. I think people enjoy seeing other people having bad luck. haha. I will be adding more videos after Easter. Taking a break during Lent.

Sounds about right, the public loves to see others in a jam

Good on you for taking that Lenten break. I've given up all of my social media (but not here on WFF) for Lent myself.

Good on you as well!! The last time I had given up everything social media wise. But I wasn’t on YouTube so I did not think it was very hard. These last couple days have been pretty tough. Probably just because I am so used to hitting the app on my phone. It will be a good break.

[PorkChop]

Had a little snafu at work today so I was able to drive some different roads in the daylight. Upland birds are hanging tough and it looks like some Hungarian partridge are starting to pair up which is very early I think. Still great to see all the birds especially with how hard The snow is out in the fields. They are obviously getting food somehow!

[Pennydog1]

do you ever see your freddy fox anymore ?

[PorkChop]

do you ever see your freddy fox anymore ?

I’ve only seen her one time since. She was sleeping alongside the road and I thought I was recording her. She got up and walked about 15 feet and took a crap. Then when I hit the button to stop recording it made the recording ding and I was pretty mad at myself. Still seeing tracks so I know the two foxes are around but with all the snowmobile activity I think for the most part they’ve gone nocturnal.

[5 stand]

I've been curious about the fox also, I'm glad Pennydog brought it up...


Good to hear the update about the Huns, if they're starting to think about pairing up, I would think they're on the healthy side?

[PorkChop]

Yup all birds are looking pretty healthy. Our temperatures are going to kind of roller coaster but for the most part we will be warmer which is good.

[PorkChop]

My buddy that lives in Kansas has a guide friend that lives in South Dakota and it sounds like the snow geese have arrived there. Southeast part of the state but they are only a state away now. I have seen snow geese up by me the first week of March but that is pretty rare. But there’s a good chance I can be sitting in the decoys in 30 days or less.

[Ricky Spanish]

My buddy that lives in Kansas has a guide friend that lives in South Dakota and it sounds like the snow geese have arrived there. Southeast part of the state but they are only a state away now. I have seen snow geese up by me the first week of March but that is pretty rare. But there’s a good chance I can be sitting in the decoys in 30 days or less.

Don't forget your blood goggles.

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[PorkChop]

I never leave home without them

[Rick]

Poop goggles might be more appropriate, 'cause it do rain under the tornado when the guns go off. In the "Way back when..." I was running big white spreads, I had a guy get a lens of his glasses plastered. Don't know what the odds of getting hit in the eye are, but those of wearing glasses when it happens have to be a lot greater.

[PorkChop]

Yup it’s amazing how fast nice clean decoys can get trashed under those big flocks

[Ricky Spanish]

Poop goggles might be more appropriate, 'cause it do rain under the tornado when the guns go off. In the "Way back when..." I was running big white spreads, I had a guy get a lens of his glasses plastered. Don't know what the odds of getting hit in the eye are, but those of wearing glasses when it happens have to be a lot greater.

That's true but blood goggles sounds way cooler and implies success which isn't always true.
You can burn up your barrel or not shoot at all.
I used an unplugged wingmaster.

[PorkChop]

As some may know North Dakota lost a lot of CRP acres the last 10 years. Tonight they had a little story on the news that they are increasing funding and incentives for farmers to enroll in CRP again. This will be great news for all hunters especially waterfowl hunters if more farmers do enroll again!

[5 stand]

That is good news... Hope the increased funding and incentives are substantial...

[Duck Engr]

Great to hear!

[Rick]

Or...it could just be a way for farmers to cash in on land they've found marginal or worse for cashing in on the ethanol incentives created, anyway.

[Ricky Spanish]

Or...it could just be a way for farmers to cash in on land they've found marginal or worse for cashing in on the ethanol incentives created, anyway.

It's money.
I've seen a guy in hip boots dig a trench by hand for a quarter-mile to drain about 80 acres of corn that was flooded. If we all pitched in and gave him whatever 80 acres of corn is worth he'd tell us he let it go for the ducks but at night he'd be out draining it for the money.
By the way what is 80×175×$14?
$196k. Gasp.
To save an eighty acres cornfield for ducks might cost some loot.
Pass my hat around the room.

[PorkChop]

Several chances of snow in the forecast mostly for the southern part of the state. The one mid week looks like it could be a doozy for quite a bit of the country. Really wouldn’t mind if it went north of me into Canada. That would be wonderful news for the ducks. It’s that time of year!

[PorkChop]

Well this could be more good news for the ducks

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[Duck Engr]

Snow snow snow! Bring it on for the potholes!

[Ricky Spanish]

I'm always optimistic <--another lie.

. Ducks make holy hell lotsa babies if the conditions are right.
It's lining up to be right.

[PorkChop]

Looks like we could get about a foot of snow Friday night into Saturday. Definitely good news for the ducks. This system actually extends up into Canada a bit so that’s good news for them as well. Not sure what this will do to our upland birds but they continue to hang tough in my part. The southern part of North Dakota has been getting hit pretty good with snow. Some spots are close to breaking records. It should be warmer on Saturday so that should mean more moisture content in the snow. I was going to buy more snow goose floaters but I will wait till we get the snow. Last time I bought a bunch of floaters we went into a drought.