Am scheduled to head up that way in 2-weeks (maybe). I'm hearing about lots of rain and not much more.

Where are you going Lloyd? I'll be shooting in Manitoba about that same time. FB posts from our outfitter look pretty good but you never know until you get there.

Stunning amount of rain in the last few days in Winnipeg. But the Great White North is a big place. It’s kinda like asking how the weather is in the US.

Lake-of-the Woods, as always. They've had something like 7-inches of rain in the last few days.

Lloyd, we're not looking too bad in north central WI right now. Certainly don't need any more rain! Got out this morning with the dogs, and they had a grand time. My old Llew, Chester, stuck 5 woodcock in half an hour. He'll be 11 next month and has hindquarter issues, but he still loves to do it. Kennelmate Brittany Joanie, my youngster at 6, found 3 more. One futile shot I probably shouldn't have taken. Ferns still up and green for the most part; pretty thick in the woods.

No grouse, but it had rained overnight and the cover was still wet until late morning. Grouse probably sitting in trees laughing at us.

The weather issue right now is mostly a question of what's going to happen starting next week. A couple forecasts show a lot of rain for both the UP and northern WI starting in about a week. One other forecast, which I hope is right, is more optimistic. We're still a week out, and I hope they're all lining up with less wet weather next week--when I either become a hunting guest in the UP or my buddies end up down at my place as hunting guests.

Mr. Brown, thank you. My brother is up there now and is reporting very wet conditions. Nicer day yesterday but more rain today. My situation up there has been complicated by major health issues for my father-in-law. Waiting to hear if I'll even be able to go.

Heading to the Interlake next month, but I won't be shooting because of eye problems. Chief guide and bottlewasher. I'm not too optimistic as ruffed were hard to find last year, but we did get a few spruce grouse. Sharptails seem to be coming back. Further west, some friends are finding very high populations of gray partridge in western Saskatchewan. Excellent duck brood production here in SE ND and season opened last Saturday, but who wants thin young birds?

I did hear yesterday that while everything is still sopping wet (ditches and low-spots still brimming), there are a few birds moving around. Having my brother tell me about his exploits is making me jealous. I can picture each trail he's walked and my hands itch for the feel of an English 16. Now, if only things can align...I did see a notice yesterday of the first snow of the season coming into Montana out of Alberta. Hope it stays there.

I just returned from Saskatchewan yesterday. It was still hot when I got there but it had cooled down some by yesterday morning when I left. I read there's a blizzard going on now.

We did not have great shooting. Lots of Canada Geese but few Snows and no Specks. Oddly, no ducks either. We also shot Sandhills and at few gamebirds. The Huns and Sharptails both seem to have recovered from the severe winters of recent years. I saw big coveys of Huns and more Sharptails than I've seen in years...Geo

That mess in Montana is wending it's way east. At my intended destination, it's been swamped with water. The next few days will tell the tale as to whether I'll get to go or not.

Yup, I was poking around some MT potholes last week, but thought the better of heading out last weekend. That front sure changed things, the hunting was probably miserable but good. The access roads, no thanks. Unofficially, there looked to be a good amount of ducks on the rolling plains, I'm curious if a few got pushed out by the weather.

I ended the month with 6 inches of rain....that is about a third of our average annual! Lots of wheat stubble, crops, and roads underwater and young ducks abundant. Mostly dabblers, but quite a few redheads and ringnecks. Should fatten up quickly and be worth shooting when I get back from MB mid-month unless we get some really cold weather. Regardless,it will be time to boat-hunt or pass-shoot migrant divers and try to fill my swan tag.
That has been very difficult around here lately as all my favorite duck lakes are now full of slimy fish and the submerged aquatic plants have all but disappeared.

Well over 7-inches in Baudette. My brother always wondered why the culverts were so big up there. I guess we now know why.

Well, lots more rain up there last night. My brother's boat is shoved up into the roof of his boat dock on LOTW. And....snow in Fargo! Looks now like I'm flying north on Saturday. Hope thing dry out a bit. I'll likely be wearing rubber boots instead of Russels for most of it now. Seems like alot of trouble to go shoot a grouse, but...I look forward to it all year. Hope it's not a swan song (big changes coming in my world up there).

Finally stopped raining here. Saw 5, missed 3...blast it. Rusty. Swore I hit 2, but couldn't find them. No feathers.

See you Thursday, Lloyd.

Best,
Ted

They're calling for snow here Thursday Ted. Be prepared.

Looking good hereabouts Atlantic Flyway. Lot of geese, blacks of the year, thin; waiting for the big red legs from the north. Fall about 2-3 weeks behind. Grape crop unlikely.

Driving to Nebraska on Thursday. Not looking forward to the trip once I pass the bottom of Lake Michigan. Rain and then when I get to western Iowa, temps fall off the chart. Oh well, things look for for the hunting for the week once we are through Saturday.

Just got back from a week on the North Shore, fewest grouse I have ever seen. Only shot 4 but more like 3.5 birds. Not sure about the rest of the arrowhead but on North Shore most of the chicks died this Spring and they had a late second hatch. Those are still pretty small I only count the juvi I shot as half a bird, hope they make it through the winter. Last week was rainy so not much moving and that didn't help. Hunted mostly Lake and South Cook County. Trees were really hanging on to their leaves, once they are gone will have a better idea of the real bird population.

Was midway up the Gunflint trail last Wednesday and it snowed 3-4". Vehicles coming down from the Upper Gunflint had quite a bit of snow on them. Leave this weekend for 12 days grouse hunting again this time mid and upper Gunflint in Cook County. Used to hunt the Birchdale area a lot between Baudette and the Falls not sure how that is this year.

Yesterday I couldn't hit anything, today I couldn't miss. Could have killed two limits if I had tried. Saw 15 birds, ranging in size from fairly small to big and mature. Beautiful fall day here, first nice day in weeks. Still...water everywhere and lots of nearly impassible roads. Tomorrow is another beauty and then...who knows.

Sitting at Fargo airport waiting on my flight. Not a great trip but good just the same. No fishing but...lots of other good stuff, lots of time in the woods with a good gun and nice trails to walk. I could have shot a bit better but...I still got my share. Had to buy some good modern rubber (Lacrosse?) boots because of all the water. My Russels would've been perpetually soggy if I'd used them regularly. Big changes coming to my world up at LOTW will mean very different modes of operating but...it should still be a great destination for many years to come. A lesson learned today is that you can't carry on home-made jam anymore. If you freeze it, evidently that's ok, but otherwise, youll need to check it. Also, empty out all of your shells from your hunting coat even if you do check it. When they load your jam into your checked luggage, they'll take your "loose" 16-gauge shells. Cost me 4 RSTs.

Lloyd,
Coulda’ been worse-I have visions of the TSA breakroom fridge, packed with Ron’s preserves, and your RSTs.
The jam is very good, by the way. Thanks.

Best,
Ted

Much of the Great White North is now white. Likely only temporary. Not sticking to pavement, and we're supposed to be high 30's by noon--so a lot will likely melt. I'll wait until afternoon to take the dogs out and see if the woodcock have moved as a result of the weather. It was very windy in addition to the snow, but the wind wasn't out of the north--so I'm thinking the weather change probably hasn't sent all the doodles hurrying south. (Or, if it has, maybe it's chased UP doodles down our way.) And the forecast for this week shows warming temps.

Mr. Brown: I had two land on the road in front of me while driving out of the woods last Tuesday night. It was almost dark and they really showed-up in my headlights. Beautiful russet- brown, w/big eyes & beaks! The road was the only dry place to land for quite a stretch and I'm guessing my light's heped them find a spot to put-down. I left them be and kept heading back to camp.

Totally snowed out of the Interlake area MB. Sharptails seemed up quite a bit, but still low numbers of Ruffed and Spruce. One dry day, then rain turning to heavy snow by Thurs. Lost power at the cabin Fri AM and got only 50 miles south before being snowed in. Two nights in motel waiting for roads to clear. Millions of acres of soybeans and corn now sitting in 8" of wet settled snow in a huge area extending from W. MB to South Dakota and W. Minnesota. None of the locals could remember this much snow this early. We got about 22" where we were. Sure ruined the Thanksgiving weekend for a lot of Canadians. But our dogs had a good time and made the trip worthwhile.

Another dusting of snow overnight here in northern WI. But temps will rise to mid-40's today and basically continue that pattern (getting even warmer) before the end of the week.

Moved 5 woodcock in a little over an hour yesterday. All pointed, but only 2 offered shots, 1 of which connected. Male showing hardly any excess fat. I'm guessing they're going to be around for awhile. Will do more field research today. Rain forecast for tomorrow. The dogs--or at least setter Chester with gimpy hindquarters--can use a day off. He overdid it a bit yesterday, but the bird we bagged was the only one he found.

"Had to buy some good modern rubber (Lacrosse?) boots because of all the water. My Russels would've been perpetually soggy if I'd used them regularly."

Lloyd3 - I think you're talking about these type boots. Every person hiking or hunting in Belgium that I knew in the 1980's wore these boots.....the sun only shines 60 days a year in Brussels. And these boots are absolutely waterproof.

Eis and I just returned from the U.P. where it was really wet with a couple of rainy days thrown in. The bird numbers seamed to be down from previous years, but with an abundance of Turkeys. We managed to get into Woodcock when we moved to the Lower Peninsula. I hope to get back out soon, as the Woodcock Moon is upon us!
Karl

Karl: like you, I thought there were less grouse in the UP than last year. Got home Friday after 5 days of hunting. Leaves were still as thick as ever....I’m guessing the UP is a week to ten days behind most other years in terms of fall. Food was everywhere for the birds. Gobs of acorns, viburnum (wild raisins) , cherries, thorn apples, hazel nut catkins, holly, etc. We probably had 25 flush days. Blew lots of holes in the sky and several trees jumped in front of the shot charge, but we did manage to harvest a few grouse. Had a good time, but bird numbers were down, I think. Or, maybe it was just hard to find their kitchen with food being everywhere?

Buzz,
With the wet conditions and the high winds, the birds seemed to be spooky. In spite of it all we had a good week away from the "stuff" at home. We still have a good month's worth of bird season left!
Karl

It was windy for us too. The birds were very wild. Wind does make them spooky. One thing I’ve noticed after 50 years of hunting birds.....when their numbers are low, the wilder they are. Survival of the fittest, maybe/likely. The birds I hunted were very wild, most were running and/or flushing at great distance away.

Wet, everywhere.

Best,
Ted

What Ted said. A rubber boot season.

Saw NO bearberries or rose hips in MB. Very strange. Does anyone know if sharptails or ruffed eat soybeans? There are 000's of acres unharvested, and many next to woodland and brushland. Quite a bit of swathed canola there also.

Found Canola in the crops of Hungarian Partridge in Saskatchewan this year.
Don't know about soybeans, but Sharptails surely love peas, lentils and chickpeas.

I would bet--although I can't recall for sure from the sharptails I've shot--that they'll eat soybeans. I've had people tell me pheasants won't eat soybeans. From what I've observed, they seem to have a preference for corn. But I've found plenty of rooster crops stuffed with soybeans.

Ditto. Almost every species of wildlife I've ever tested prefers corn to soybeans, but they prefer soybeans to everything wild that I have tested against them here in Iowa.

What different species will eat is determined, IMO, very much by the weather. Doves here feed on many different seeds, both wild and planted. Sunflower, corn, peanut, and wheat are favorites among the cultivated crops. The colder the temps the more doves will feed upon the high fat crops, such as peanuts. Have never seen doves actively feeding on soybeans, with one exception .............. when it snows here, for some unexplained reason, doves are attracted to harvested soybean fields.

SRH

A dove....shewww

A few of my buddies are up at the duck club in Saskatchewan this week. The moose season is in and they spotted antlers in a pickup:



...Geo

Moose is the best eating big game I’ve had. Better than elk, deer or caribou, at least to my taste buds. Tastes more like lean beef to me.

Properly cared for after the shot, nothing compares to moose meat.

Stopped for a beer and watched the Oilers get beat by the ‘Hawks.
Pick-up aged. Mmm mmmm.


__________________________
They all live on donuts and moose meat. Weird Al

I much prefer elk. Moose is bland and chewy by comparison.

I'll take moose every time over elk. Moose is top drawer to me, and not bland at all. Could be a bit chewy depending on the moose. But then can elk.

["Pick-up aged. Mmm mmmm."] Lonesome

I recognise where the pickup is parked. I'd guess the meat is headed just up the road to the abattoir for ageing and processing...Geo

Someone will need to be hungry this winter to eat up all that meat!

Moose is good, elk and deer are ok, but none of it comes anywhere close to Prime Black Angus Beef. A prime Angus NY Strip is difficult to beat....but, just imho. PS, if there was a season on Angus, I might be a big game hunter instead of a bird hunter. ;-))

I'll take the opportunity to feast upon doves or ducks, properly prepared, over beef any day. Beef is good, but it is common. I have to restrain myself when offered the opportunity to fill myself with dove or duck. With beef, as much as I enjoy it, its not much of a struggle to restrain myself.

One other point. Here, a couple of nice ribeyes will set you back $16 or better at the meat counter. When I subtract the enjoyment of taking the limit of doves and/or ducks, the meat is free.

Not arguing with you, buzz. Just my perspective.

Best, SRH

Hehe, no problem Stan. What’s your recipe for dove and duck??? In terms of wild birds, I’d just about rather eat anything but dove, and ducks don’t do much for me either. Now, ruffed grouse and quail, well that’s a different matter.

I enjoy a steak now and then, I think, for only one reason, because I'm just uninterested in how an average steak is supposed to turn out. I like moose, but don't run into it all that often. I think elk do a pretty good job at processing grass something tasty. Definitely though, I'm always open to cooking ideas for migratory birds that are meant to come out interesting and not try to cover it up into something it's not.

Well, I love the dark meat that doves and duck offers, so it's easy for me. I like to pluck a duck whole, bathe it in olive oil, then "cake" as much salt and pepper into the olive oil as it will hold. Then, either use a "store bought" rack, or make one out of a coat hanger, that will hold the duck upright on the grill. Slow cook it, I mean slow, until slightly pink inside.

Also like to cook duck breast meat the same way I cook doves sometimes, and that is to marinate the duck breast meat, or the dove breasts, in Italian salad dressing, then wrap with bacon and grill until the dove/duck is pink inside (again). Another way I enjoy doves is cooked in gravy for several hours, served with grits. I have eaten 17 doves at one sitting, cooked this way. Eleven is my top number when wrapped with bacon. (That was a bad night ............ eleven pieces of bacon doesn't work well with me, at night. I took Tums, drank a glass of baking soda in water, and took a Zantac, to get any sleep that night. Learning experience.

Never had grouse, but God meant for quail to be floured, salt and peppered, and fried.......... IMHO. And, served with grits and biscuits.

SRH

Grouse are delicious. For doves, I fillet the breast meat off the bone, roll in a seasoned flour/corn meal mix and lightly fry in a cast iron skillet. Really good. I can throw those down like popcorn. But there is nothing better than fried quail IMHO.

I'm with Stan when it comes to dark meat. I love both woodcock and prairie chickens/sharptails. I've converted my wife on chickens and sharpies, but I can't get her to try woodcock. I think it's because I told her the meat tastes something like liver--and she doesn't like liver. I do.

Actually, it's an evil plot on my part. I'm happy to save all the woodcock for myself!

Duck is good hidden in good gumbo...truth is most duck hunters don't eat them and Stan you know I'm being truthful.



At 16 bucks a couple the Ribeyes would have to be awful thin you must be shopping at Walmart agAin Stan....more like 30 bucks a pair for 1" plus at Kroger.

Best, LFC

Yer SAV didn't get wet did it Tedward ?

Best,
jOe

Boy, this thing really went off-track.

Yep.

Doves and ducks to steaks and moose....

Trying to get details on the news item from yesterday that Grand Forks radar showed what was initially thought to be smoke from a forest fire turned out to be a gigantic flock of 600,000 ducks in NW MN! Could be I guess with all the flooded soybeans. We have huge numbers of mallards, green-winged teal, and gadwall here in flooded beans with no way to get at them. Only the best gravel roads and paved roads are passable after 18" heavy snow last week added to the already abnormally wet conditions.

My kid sent the details:

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/10/17...r-aitkin-county

If the species identification is correct this has to be a big chunk of the entire North American population of Ring-necked Ducks!

Thanks for that link, Hal. Very interesting. Ringnecks are fun shooting.

SRH

When I shot ducks in Arkansas, the guides called ringnecks "termite ducks". I questioned why and he said because they'll eat through a box of shotgun shells like a termite infestation. I completely understood then...Geo

A lot more fun to shoot than to eat. Ringnecks often feed on minnows, which imparts an odor to them and affects the flavor of their meat. I keep all the woodies and teal, most of the mallards and pins, but give all the ringnecks away. It's all about the taste.

SRH

Stan, I grew up shooting more ringnecks than anything else. They were just what we had down here. Put enough barbecue sauce on them and they taste just fine.

The first time I went to Canada to hunt with visions of barley fed mallards dancing in my head, we stopped at a pothole on the prairie and got out of the truck to stretch our legs. Tactical as always, I had my shotgun in the other hand. A single duck flew over and I killed him. Guess what; a ringneck...Geo

Ringers will build up in number here, in the latter part of the season, on farm ponds. They're great flying targets, and I make no apologies for not enjoying eating them. But, there are some neighbors just down the road who will take all I bring them.

I ate ringnecks when I was younger ...............until I found out how much better acorn fed woodies, and corn fed teal are. Woodies are pretty ducks, and fine eating, but for many years I under-appreciated them, in my more salad days, for want of green timber mallards. I appreciate them more now, in my later years. There is no sportier duck shooting than a woodie diving into a beaver pond at first legal shooting light, twisting and jiving through the trees. I am humbled every season by them.

SRH

You guys ever think of talking on the phone ?

And miss out on the opportunity to irritate you ?

Nah.

I sure wish you had thought of that back when yOu and Amarillo Mike were looping your insults for page after page. Just saying...Geo

anybody flush a grouse north and east of virginia?

if so, dont molest it...

it could be one of the last ones left in the northeast...

I've never heard of Ring-necked Ducks feeding on 'minnows'. I rank this duck just below Canvasbacks and above Lesser Scaup and Redheads, as table fare. Indeed, Clarence Cottam shows their diet to be overwhelmingly plant material (82%), with another 10% insects. Mollusks make up most of the remainder and fish are not mentioned at all. Here in the fall they commonly feed on crustaceans (brine shrimp) in beds of sago pondweek along with the scaup in our formerly brackish or subsaline lakes that are now filled with freshwater fish. Canvasbacks and swans ate the sago tubers while scaup and ringnecks ate the shrimp.

https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/CAT86200638/PDF

I noticed in Arkansas around Stuttgart that every couple of miles or so there was another "minnow farm". That area must be the tuffy minnow capital of the world. I wouldn't be surprised if the ringnecks out there had been seduced into the easy life of raiding commercial minnow ponds...Geo

It wouldn't be easy for me to rank diver duck when it comes to table fare, but I always like the way Scaup can swing past decoys at warp speed. I haven't shot a Ringneck for quite a while, but I can clearly recall it was quite a bit tougher to get the breasts out of them than regular.

Ringnecks may feed on different things in different regions, but around here they hang around in fishponds where they dive in the deep water for a few seconds feeding. There is no vegetation on the bottom in 10-12 feet of black water, where the sunlight cannot reach anywhere near the bottom. When you retrieve them they smell of fish. Their flesh smells of fish.

They may indeed feed on a high percentage of vegetation in some areas, but I've observed and shot them for over 40 years here, and if you want to eat a duck that smells strongly like fish, you're welcome to do so. Some do not mind it, or I wouldn't have eager takers, but I do.

I be a long ways away from any shrimp they could feed on.

SRH

I can easily smell the shrimp when they are eating them. Many are sometimes found live in the feathers, and they come in on the decoy anchors that snag underwater plants. Never any shrimp taste to the skin or flesh after baking out the fat. I'd guess the ducks are grubbing the bottom for invertebrates. You should shoot a few and check. Like scaup, canvasbacks, and redheads, they just don't have the bill structure for grasping fish.

I grabbed my double 12 and scouted for four hours in the rain this PM. Only the wheat has been harvested; the remaining 90% is corn and beans, with hundreds of acres in snow and in standing water. Many roads closed. Water everywhere and rising. Saw very few ducks, but that is understandable as the bird stay undisturbed in flooded beans all day. Felt sorry for my GWP Gus,who wants to hunt so bad!

My experience with ringnecks on the table was that that they were fine. This was mostly ducks killed on a 110 acre reservoir in middle Georgia and on small ponds here in coastal Georgia. Freshwater Wigeon, Gadwall, Blacks and Mallards were fine dining as well, but the same couldn't be said about ones found in saltwater. The aroma of cleaning saltwater puddlers smelled like an overripe landfill. A friend who lived in Miami decades ago told me that the Everglades woodies he killed were full of snails which adversely affected their taste. You are what you eat. Gil

Amarillo Mike was tossing insults I was just along for the ride.

Again you weren't paying close attention George....read my signature line below real slOw if you need to.

I know they are divers, but didn't think they would go down 10-12 ft. to get to the bottom. Next opportunity I have to shoot some, that smell fishy, I will check to see what they're eating.

Returning from ducks in the South to the Great White North: Woodcock are still hanging around. Examination of yesterday's bag showed very little fat on the birds. They don't appear to be flight birds. Look like locals that haven't yet started to fuel up for the migration. Rain and wind today; more rain tomorrow. One day with wind out of the north. Will be interesting to see if that gets them moving. Hoping that it won't . . . or that it will bring birds from up North down this way. Once Tuesday's rain is out of the picture, looks like several days' worth of good hunting weather.

One tell we have on doodle flight birds is the breast bone is more noticeable in the hand due to muscle shrinkage. They've flow further than flight birds found in the north where it might not be more pronounced. Gil

Old Squaws can dive well over 400 ft., but the other deep divers like ring-necks and lesser scaup (bluebills) only dive to about 40 ft because they don't use their wings underwater like the Squaws do.

Thanks, Hal. Its a good day when I learn something new about ducks, and I did today..

SRH

'Tis interesting how we like to eat mammals and birds that mostly eat vegetation, but we shy from vegan fish (grass carp anyone?) and prize predators (like tuna, walleyes, and other fish that specialize in eating fish. A few folks know that some cats taste good, but generally speaking, i don't see folks lining up for coyotes and bears.

We tend to fish top-down in the food chain but hunt bottom-up.

....but generally speaking, i don't see folks lining up for coyotes and bears....

[/quote]

Bear is actually quite delicious.....being omnivores.

While in the U.P. of Michigan hunting Grouse I came across this:

further proof that Bears in fact " do it in the woods"!
Karl

Black Bears eat green oats like they are candy. Like humans, they also gorge on Viburnum (highbush cranberries). Dung piles look a lot like the pic you sent.

Age old woods philosophy question asked and answered:

I came across this while at one of the GEMS hunting areas, most accommodating of the DNR.
Karl

dal,
Maybe not coyotes, but the father of my German gunsmith friend still lived in East Germany and as a hunter had to turn in marketable game ( I'm not sure if they were allowed to keep the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys as per ancient tradition)but when he killed a fox he only had to turn the skin in. He would stake the body out in a creek overnight and in the morning the meat would be pretty and white. They were happy to have it and ate all they could kill.
Mike

Mail it to the Alabama skally'wAg...he'll cook it right up.