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South Dakota Trip

Date: 10/20/24

Time: morning

Location: 3/4 mile walk to a pothole

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: pretty sporty from the south

Temperature: warm. High of 78 but morning felt cool in the breeze.

Moon phase: waning but big.

Special Notes: first full day of hunting of the trip. Arrived at 3 pm or so the day before and though we weren’t surprised, we were disappointed by the lack of ducks we saw while scouting. Plenty of coots, which was our first indication the migration hadn’t occurred. Finally found a pothole holding several hundred ducks, albeit most were divers.

Waterfowl Activity: ducks all over the sky to start the day. It was a lot of fun to watch. Majority divers, but still fun nonetheless.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: Marginal early. Season had been open for a month and it was apparent these ducks knew the ropes. Was better once the sun got up good and we made a move to where I said we should’ve started but everyone else was in a hurry to set up.

Hunters: 4

Guns:

Malfunctions: only the wrong setup to start, but all’s well that ends well.

Dog(s): June and Dewey, on his first hunt. June acted like it was her first hunt. Plainly forgot all she’d learned last year. Progressed as the week went along.

Special Equipment: 2 mojos on timers and remote.

Curses: 78 for a high. I can’t stand hunting in warm weather.

Kudos: felt good to be back afield with guys I’ve known and hunted with for a couple decades.

Birds By Species: 2 mallards, 6 wigeon, 6 gadwall, 2 canvasbacks, and 8 redheads. (Plus one coot who surfaced in the wrong spot right as a crippled gadwall was being dispatched.)

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe:

I would take those redheads any day of the week!

Been waiting to see how the trip went. Now know it got off to a fine start.

Certainly couldn’t complain with that start, especially given the circumstances.

Date: 10/21/24

Time: morning

Location: smaller pothole

Cloud Cover: clear to mostly cloudy to partly

Wind Direction and Velocity: SSW 10-15

Temperature: too warm. High 78 again

Moon phase: big waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: better than expected, but not a lot flying after 830

Waterfowl Responsiveness: ok. Hindsight we shouldn’t have had mojos out at all

Hunters: 4

Guns:

Malfunctions: our hide became inadequate when the clouds showed up

Dog(s): June and Dewey. June found a gadwall buried in some brush that earned her a few pats on the head, of which she cared nothing about. She’s the least affectionate dog I think I’ve ever met.

Special Equipment:

Curses: clouds and warmth.

Kudos: nice to be out on a trip with the boys.

Birds By Species: 3 mallards, 3 gadwall, 3 teal, 1 shoveler. Had several groups of pintails booger on the last pass. Should’ve pulled spinners

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe: roosters were raising cane at daylight. Gave them a whirl after lunch and killed one. Dogs (and hunters) didn’t last long in the heat.

Date: 10/22/24

Time: morning and evening

Location: cut corn field

Cloud Cover: cloudy early with south wind. Frontal passage at noon. Sun peeking thru clouds here and there.

Wind Direction and Velocity: south early. Ripping and blowing decoys over after lunch.

Temperature: cooled off with front

Moon phase: big waning

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: found a feed of 200 honkers and as many or more mallards the evening before on a public corn field.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: better than it had been. Geese were leery. Saw more specks than Canadas.

Hunters: 4

Guns:

Malfunctions: couple mojos blew over

Dog(s): left them in the truck. Midday i took both June and Dewey on an unsuccessful pheasant stroll. Brought June back to find a chipped mallard the boys had hit, which she winded from 40 yards away and quartered right to.

Special Equipment: 4 dozen mallard full bodies, 5 dozen Canada silos, and 5 mojos.

Curses: wish more of the previous evening’s ducks and geese had returned but had enough to play with

Kudos: my first dry field hunt. It’s enough to make a man sell his boat and waders. So nice.

Birds By Species:. 10 mallards, one pintail, 3 teal, 3 Canadas, 1 speck.

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe: the pintail just appeared from nowhere over the decoys as we settled in for the evening hunt. One guy was standing up to pee, one was on the phone with his wife and another was sound asleep in his layout. I was more than happy to wake him with a gunshot.

Nice reports DE!!!!!

Duck Engr wrote:Kudos: my first dry field hunt. It’s enough to make a man sell his boat and waders. So nice.

I am a big fan on hunting dry fields. In my case, hopefully frozen and snow covered.

For us it takes cold weather to move the mallards south. For the Canadas really cold weather and then snow to move them south. The long range forecast (which is basically useless) doesn't bode well for ducks this year. Last few years, the mallards haven't come down in numbers until after duck season is over. Looking like that will be the case again this year Praying for a big cold front the end of November or no later than early December.

SpinnerMan wrote:

Duck Engr wrote:Kudos: my first dry field hunt. It’s enough to make a man sell his boat and waders. So nice.

I am a big fan on hunting dry fields. In my case, hopefully frozen and snow covered.

For us it takes cold weather to move the mallards south. For the Canadas really cold weather and then snow to move them south. The long range forecast (which is basically useless) doesn't bode well for ducks this year. Last few years, the mallards haven't come down in numbers until after duck season is over. Looking like that will be the case again this year Praying for a big cold front the end of November or no later than early December.

Local I ran into in South Dakota said the same thing. Mallards get there after their season closes now.

Dry fields are nice.

Date: 10/23/24. Realize I’m a month behind, but life and kids.

Time: morning till 1 pm just because we were putting the death march off as long as possible. One buddy called it for himself about 830 after we decided to move a second time.

Location: big whoopsie on my part. Went to the northwest side of day 1 pot hole and we Alabamians were introduced to cattail floatant in the dark. If I never tangle with that crap again, it’ll be too soon. Muck was also worse in the water on that side for whatever reason.

Cloud Cover: foggy early. Clearing to partly.

Wind Direction and Velocity: light northwest early that switch to stiff south earlier than forecast.

Temperature: low thirties early, thank the Lord. Search and rescue might’ve been looking for 4 bodies otherwise.

Moon phase: big waning.

Special Notes: had my little slough boat I call it. Might’ve saved this fat boy’s life.

Waterfowl Activity: not nearly what we saw day 1. Front pushed divers out. Increase in wigeons, but they were wary.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: poor at best.

Hunters: 4

Guns:

Malfunctions: the aforementioned floatant

Dog(s): June. Made a nice retrieve on a lively crippled mallard that worked out well.

Special Equipment: couple mojos. Ended up pulling them.

Curses: did I mention I’m no fan of floatant?

Kudos: we didnt die

Birds By Species: 6 wigeon, 3 mallards, 2 redheads, 3 gadwall, 2 Canadas.

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe: everybody was whooped by the end of that escapade.

Nice hunt. Made me tired and winded just reading that.

Haha I think I’m still recovering.

Flotant and what I think they call "loon shit" up there suck. But part of it.

Date: 10/24/24. Last day of trip.

Time: morning. Finished in 30 minutes.

Location: pothole we’d driven by all week that had 150 gadwall and a smattering of pintails

Cloud Cover: sun peeking through here and there.

Wind Direction and Velocity: SSE 10-15. The easterly component saved me from a bad wind setup. Birds worked well on a crosswind. All ducks were shot decoying, though I had the decoys farther out than normal in case weather man had been right (forecast SSW)

Temperature: 40 maybe

Moon phase: big waning.

Special Notes:

Waterfowl Activity: everything came early. Had 30 in the decoys 10 minutes before shooting light

Waterfowl Responsiveness: good

Hunters: solo. Everybody else decided the night before they were sleeping in before the long ride back. I’m not wired like that. If I have a chance to hunt, I’m going.

Guns:

Malfunctions: mistook a hen shoveler for a gadwall.

Dog(s): June. She was losing her mind at ducks in decoys before LST. Provided a good training session to be had. She did well on her 6 retrieves, tho all were in the decoys save one that sailed on me a little to the south before realizing it was dead.

Special Equipment: no mojos. Mostly hen mallards deployed.

Curses: nope

Kudos: nice way to end it

Birds By Species: was in “ducks is ducks mode from the start”. 4 gadwall, 1 pintail, 1 shoveler. Had mallards and pintails work the spread and some even land in decoys after I was done.

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe: it was a nice, easy 200 yard walk from truck to hide on firm ground. That was a nice change from the day before.

Sweet end to the trip ! Safe travels home

Duck Engr wrote:Had mallards and pintails work the spread and some even land in decoys after I was done.

Chamber of Commerce birds, "Y'all come back."

Great reports DE, and a sweet finish! As mentioned, safe travels back to Dixie

Nice hunt!

Always love those hunts when you make the other guys wish that they didn’t sleep in! Hopefully, if you put in next year, you get drawn for a license and the migration is a little more favorable for you or you can always keep the option open of crossing the border!

PorkChop wrote:Always love those hunts when you make the other guys wish that they didn’t sleep in! Hopefully, if you put in next year, you get drawn for a license and the migration is a little more favorable for you or you can always keep the option open of crossing the border!

Yep! tentative plans are to go first week of November next year, if drawn of course.

Date: 11/23/24 opener

Time: early am

Location: river

Cloud Cover: beautiful clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: very light and variable

Temperature: 30

Moon phase: waning crescent

Special Notes: My buddy and I took our 6 year old sons for their first out of state hunting trip. The boys had an absolute blast

Waterfowl Activity: steady but much less than day prior while scouting

Waterfowl Responsiveness: very good. Ducks had a little tough time figuring out how to get in the hole with no wind but worked out fine.

Hunters: 5 plus the two busybodies observing.

Guns:

Malfunctions: melted my son Beau’s jacket by having it too close to the heater.

Dog(s): Mae and June. Mae is a fine 6 year old black lab. Just a little 50 lb ace. Was a pleasure to watch. June, in contrast, acted an absolute fool, mouthy, wouldn’t take casts, refused entry a couple times. Finally just quit sending her.

Special Equipment:

Curses: no way

Kudos: fun to see the boys experience a hunt. They were absolutely baptized into chaos on this one but handled it with ease.

Birds By Species: 20 gwt, 6 mallards, 2 gadwall, 2 shovelers

Photo Ops:
Mid wrestling match, round 73.


Lagniappe: I hope the boys are old enough to remember this one. They got to see some ducks work absolutely beautiful front and center into the hole multiple times. We were fortunate to have a nice red oak with most its foliage still in tact to cover any of their sins.

Picture made me smile...Awesome hunt!

Should always be such as seen in that pic.

Nice duck hunting baptism for the boys, and y'all had action!!!!!

Date: 11/24/24

Time: morning

Location: little more out of the way spot on the river this time

Cloud Cover: clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: south 5 strengthening to 10.

Temperature: 40

Moon phase:

Special Notes: didn’t see much for scouting the day before but decided we’d go back to a spot we’d had success in similar conditions in past years.

Waterfowl Activity: surprisingly good. Flight was a little higher than I’d like. Needed more callers to break more ducks than we did

Waterfowl Responsiveness: ok. Some couldn’t be bothered but did have a few want to play ball.

Hunters: 3, including a 9 year old on his first hunt shooting. His dad didn’t shoot, just focused on watching him. Still had the little ones observing too.

Guns:

Malfunctions: young gunner forgot to take his safety off on a prime mallard opportunity early, which upset him. Had to remind him we’re out there to have fun, it happens to all of us, and he’d have another opportunity (which he did).

Dog(s): June did much better today even though I forgot her collar in the truck. However, Scout the black lab left his manners at home. He fully barked at a couple groups of working ducks, ultimately causing them to leave. That elevated my blood pressure. Hoping he becomes a yard ornament, though I didn’t voice that as Rick’s guest did.

Special Equipment:

Curses: ultimately none, but did some cursing when the dog was yapping.

Kudos: the young hunter connected on his first duck, a mallard! He was ecstatic, and so were the rest of us.

Birds By Species: 3 mallards, 1 gadwall, 6 teal. Had the young fella’s dad been on the gun we’d have had a few more, but him getting his first duck far and away out did anything a few more birds on the strap would have.

Photo Ops:

Lagniappe: We decided only to hunt two days this trip so as not to over do it. Seemed to be the right call, as my son slept 6 hours on the way home.

Nice outing.

DComeaux wrote:Nice outing.

Indeed.

Great reports DE