Summertime Pre Season 2023 - 2024

[Duck Engr]

Seems we couldn’t have asked for a better spring/start to summer up there!

[PorkChop]

We received less than an inch in my area. Definitely could’ve used some of that 7+ inches that fell in other parts of the state. Guarantee that some nests got washed away.

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[Duck Engr]

Whoa! Too much of a good thing.

[Darren]

Looks to overlap with some drought areas so hopefully some good from it, though I'm sure they'd prefer it over a week and not a day.

[PorkChop]

All I have to say is ducklings ducklings and more ducklings. That being said we are drying out fast in my area. Other parts of the state are getting more than their fair share of rain. Definitely could use 2 or 3 inches up this way. Not seeing new bunches of ducklings every day but they are definitely hatching fast! Spotted three new broods today

[MARSH BEAR]

PC - I have 15 - 20 Woodducks behind my house every morning. There are also some young uns with them. I throw out corn every day - that might help them to keep coming back.
I never hunt the ones behind the house.

[Rick]

PC - I have 15 - 20 Woodducks behind my house every morning. There are also some young uns with them. I throw out corn every day - that might help them to keep coming back.
I never hunt the ones behind the house.

Funny how that works. Venison was a staple at my hillbilly grandfather's house, but shooting one in the little apple orchard where we could watch them feed from the porch would have been an unpardonable sin. Had to hunt them "out around the hill".

[PorkChop]

PC - I have 15 - 20 Woodducks behind my house every morning. There are also some young uns with them. I throw out corn every day - that might help them to keep coming back.
I never hunt the ones behind the house.

I am envious! Working for a place that I can enjoy wildlife in my backyard.

[PorkChop]

Combines are hitting the fields. Saw my first ones yesterday taking down wheat. Mentally this does a lot for me. Early goose season is right around corner. (15 August). Speaking of honkers, we saw a few new families this morning on our way to mass. When I say new I mean new to our eyes as they almost look like adults now.

[Rick]

Our combines have broken long tradition this year by not bringing meaningful rains with them. Sons of beeches.

Did also take note of our resident Canadas this morning when one stretched and showed off its almost fully developed new primaries. Shouldn't be long before they're flying again.

[PorkChop]

Definitely praying that this comes true. Thunderstorms this time of year can be risky though because they can bring lots of hail. Fields that get hailed out are considered baited so you can’t hunt them not to mention the devastation I could do to a farmer if they do not have hail insurance. And unhatched eggs and hail don’t mix. But one good thunderstorm can fill up the potholes pretty fast.

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[Darren]

(booking flight to visit ND next Tuesday)

[PorkChop]

Ha ha I didn’t even notice the temperatures! That’s gonna feel nice!

[SpinnerMan]

We had a scary line of thunderstorms pass through the other day. Thankful the hail didn't materialize and the winds weren't near as bad as feared. We did have one tornado but it must not have been too bad as I haven't heard anything about it since then. Thankfully it was to our southeast heading east when it popped up, so we didn't have to spend time worrying under the basement steps.

When the warning went off and I pulled up the details and saw we were not in the path, I went to the radar. I was going through the time lapse and saw the hook echo jump out clear as day A hook echo is a signature of a tornado and I had never seen one so crystal clear on the radar. Didn't take an expert to spot that worrying indicator.

My wife's friend is a meteorologist at Midway airport in Chicago. Twice she's spotted tornadoes from the tower. One being the other week when there were multiple tornadoes in the area. I'd kind of like to see one, but I would really prefer it to be somewhere like the giant concrete air traffic control tower than say my backyard. We had one pass through our apartment complex in Atlanta. That wasn't a fun experience.

[PorkChop]

I have always wanted to see one as well! I think it would be cool as long as there’s no deaths associated!

[Rick]

Make mine little ones going the other way:

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[Deltaman]

I much prefer to see them over water, well away from my location

[Darren]

Got pretty rowdy yesterday evening here in BR area and south of me in Ascension Parish, tropical storm+ winds, quite a bit of tree damage and power outages.

[SpinnerMan]

Make mine little ones going the other way:

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I much prefer to see them over water, well away from my location

A water spout would be cool. They are normally pretty benign.

I learned something a couple years ago. Water spouts are fair weather tornadoes that form over water and are not uncommon. There are also land spouts which are fair weather tornadoes that form over land as you would have guessed. They are much rarer and like the unicorn for weather people. My wife's friend the meteorologist actually got photos of a land spout in Chicago while working at Midway. Every little weather girl's dream come true

[PorkChop]

I would love for one of those water spouts to form over one of our big lakes and then fly around to all the potholes and fill them up one by one ha ha

Saw my first flock of flying honkers today heading out to feed in a cut winter wheat field. I say cut but they actually bailed it for some reason. Anyways at least 15 birds in the flock. Getting really excited now! Also yesterday and today spotted a couple flocks of ducks. guessing it's moms and their young ones.

[PorkChop]

Well most of the rain that we we’re supposed to receive last week went south and north of us. Some parts of North Dakota received more than 5 inches. Received a little bit of rain today that was not predicted and tomorrow it looks like there’s a good chance. Not sure on amounts yet but I’m sure it won’t be enough to fill the potholes. Been seeing and hearing honkers every day. The season opens up on Tuesday. It was 46° this morning so that definitely put me in the goose hunting mood. Starting to see ducks grouping up mainly because they are running out of water. But as I said we did not receive the rain we were supposed to but many parts of the state did receive more than their fair share so all in all I think things are still looking good.

[Duck Engr]

46 degrees, he reads, not crying on his phone screen or anything.

Sounds like fall is progressing PC! Thanks for the update

[5 stand]

46°. That does sound good... Good luck on those geese...

[5 stand]

How did the goose hunting go ?

[PorkChop]

90° today and a local farmer asked if I would drive truck for him so no hunting for me today.

[5 stand]

[PorkChop]

We were doing a Wheat field and across the way he has a Pea field that had about 50 honkers in it. They’re sitting on a little pothole there and walking out to the field to eat. Need them birds to get flying. I’m sure some kid will probably put a sneak on them.

[5 stand]

Pea field, would that be Black eyed peas, or Purple Hull peas...

[PorkChop]

[5 stand]

Awesome little basketball player in the making, would she be one half of Double Trouble?
https://youtube.com/shorts/xRvqzCYyDCk? ... 79J0Fkhe58