Reverse Migration - Missouri Duck Report

[artcarney_agr]

I have been duck hunting in southeast Missouri quite a bit over the holiday season.

Things were going well up until a few days after Christmas. It became very evident that what birds we were holding in the area were packing up and headed back north. We went from killing limits of mallards each day, to almost nothing. It was a sad story come Dec. 29th as it seemed pretty much everything was gone, and only a few stragglers remained and we saw temps in the upper 50s/low 60s.

On Dec. 30th, large numbers of green-wing teal moved into the area, which we haven't seen in over a month or so. Large migrating bunches of birds were also seen, all headed north. Apparently the reverse migration is happening and the birds think it's spring now. I wonder though how this latest cold snap is affecting it? What are you guys seeing?

Although it was 15 degrees here in Louisville this morning, we're looking at almost 60 degrees again by the weekend.....I'm thinking I'm done until this weather gets cold again and stays cold.......

[Bassman25]

Our ducks did the same thing. Its crazy, we are seeing snow geese right now in good numbers and they typically do not migrate this way until late february and early march. The earth is jacked up along with our weather.

[Roddy]

My son and his friends killed 12 in Ballard Co. Sunday. They did say the birds flew late.


Modified by Roddy at 9:31 AM 1/4/2012

[H2O_Fowl]

We lost a bunch of canada geese since Sunday. I can only assume they went north to the snow line or close to it.

[Roddy]

This was sunday.

[Stompy]

I wondered what the heck was going on. Have seen A LOT of Geese and Sandhills headed back north in the past week...Well, still wondering what the heck is going on.

[Paddybass]

Hittin' da webfoots in da marsh in da Mornin! If da webfoots ain't a flyin' i'll be sure to be sippin on da brown liquor all afternoon! Been a crazy season thus far.

[OzarkBassin]

Okay, I gotta ask....you list your location as IR..where in hell is "IR"?

[Paddybass]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by OzarkBassin &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Okay, I gotta ask....you list your location as IR..where in hell is "IR"? </td></tr></table>

Dis ole grunt be transported to da state o' Kansas from de muterland

[Chad]

Funny you should say this. Last week some time for a two day stretch there were flock after flock of geese heading due north over my house.

[H2O_Fowl]

Are you da olksgander by chance?

[clayrhye]

I too have seen a few bunches headed north. Our duck and goose numbers are on the rise however.. Not that it takes much. They are sitting their ass on the refuge, occasionally getting up to fly around and screw with the surrounding pits. Pretty sad situation. When we had backwater, we were chasing the ducks and killing a good many. Now its back to nothing. We need a weather change in the worst way.

[artcarney_agr]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by clayrhye &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">We need a weather change in the worst way. </td></tr></table>

We keep getting these "teaser" fronts....gets below freezing for a couple days, then right back up in the mid to upper 50s.........

I had planned on hunting this weekend, but am now skipping it as the reports still aren't very good.

It'll be the 14th/15th before I head back to the blind - should be some decent weather move at the end of next week and the week after...just hoping that it stays

[clayrhye]

Yeah..You and me both bud. This season is brutal. Our numbers are by far the worst ive seen in my waterfowling career.

[Allsup]

Shot a bunch earlier, Nov. and Dec. Not much action the last two weekends