SILVER LAB PUPS FORSALE!

Silver lab just gave birth to 13 pups in December (9 females and 4 males)! They have a great pedigree and both parents are AKC certified. $1,200/female or $1,000/male.

Call Andy (651-283-9919) for more details.

Ducks here!

Finally we have lots of ducks in Arkansas, Tennesee, and Mississippi. I have hunted in a few places the last 2 weeks going from public land in tennessee to private land in arkansas so i have had a few good opportunities to shoot ducks. Last saturday I met a few guys in a local spot here in TN and we had a good time shooting a few birds but should have had alot more than what we did. This week my friends who didn't have exams shot some ducks in the same public land so next week i will hit that land hard and try to kill some birds there as well as in Arkansas were i am leaving to in the morning for 2 days. The season in Arkansas, Tennessee and Missisippi are all going to be really good the next week or 2 due to the large amounts of ducks that have moved down for the winter. I have heard this week there will be the largest population of ducks that there have been in the last 15 years. At least in our area.

Ilinois Report

Duck season closed December 15 in Illinois' North Zone. The majority of ducks have moved on, but geese were migrating by the thousands. Though there are still plenty of geese in the northern zone, most of them are now in Central Illinois (aerial survey showed 17,000 plus or minus in Fulton County). Fields are very good. Ponds and lakes are frozen or starting to freeze; river hunting will still be productive for a couple of weeks.

I was out last Friday and Tuesday on the Des Plaines River and ducks were generally slow, with a few good flocks in between. "Blind Jumpers" (trespassers) ruined the hunt, shooting at ducks that were too far or shooting them after they landed on the water. I wish more hunters would stick together and be more sportsmanlike, we already have enough enemies.

All in all, the season has been fair compared to previous years, but it's still good to get out!

[ Aberdeen Dakota]

Here is a bit more information/photo corroborates what I continue to hear…. that they are stacked in northern South Dakota feeding in flooded, unharvested grain fields. Attached are pictures of mallards (mostly) this weekend in South Dakota.

That could be changing as the temperatures drop in Prairie Canada and northern U.S. states. This week will be the first time the temperatures do not exceed freezing. There continues to be a tremendous amount of water and flooded unharvested bean and corn fields in the mid-west/Great Plains. Even when that water freezes there will be open water available on the Missouri River. We will really need some snow to push the bulk of these birds away from the food and south.

Daryn Hanley

Cold in Montana

I didn't have much time to get out this weekend. A lot of our still water is now frozen. Some of our spring creeks and major rivers remain open and they are still holding birds. I had time to scout one of my favorite spots on Saturday afternoon and it was loaded with birds. My holiday honey dos are finished so I'll be back at them next weekend.

Dog tip for cold weather hunting: When hunting in very cold conditions it's very important to provide your dog with a little extra special care.

1) Make sure your dog is wearing a high quality neoprene vest.
2) Make sure your dog is well fed the night before the hunt with high carb dog food.
3) Bring an insulated pad or make a dry grass bed for the dog to stand/sit on during the hunt.
4) Keep your dog as dry as possible.
5) Watch your dog carefully during the hunt for signs of hypothermia. This might be any strange behavior including an unusual lack of attention, excessive shivering, stiffness, and a pronounced kink in the dog's tail.
6) Never hunt your dog in deep moving water when shelf ice is present. This has killed many a good retriever on cold weather hunts.

Good Hunting, Mark

Iowa, IA

Well this weekend was the end for the iowa duck and goose hunting. It stinks but more next year. Now im seeing more ducks and geese then ever, around here. But i think there mostly, northern geese flying south for the winter.
AJ

3rd week

Well I finally got to get out for another hunt after some time with sickness. We hunted yesterday and saw alot more birds than had been around in a while. The cooler temps have pushed quite a few divers in the area. We ended up taking some bluebill and some buffleheads man how humble can a man get. Those divers do make a man think about how he needs to get out in the off season and do alot of shooting.

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