I know fronts bring ducks, but how often do they bring about dramatic changes? Have you ever found that a place that had basically zero ducks before a front could have good hunting after?
I have the opportunity to hunt an east TX swamp Saturday. Normally holds woodies and a few gaddies and even mallards. I could only scout this place before the front, and I was surprised to see basically no ducks. OK, one hen woodie. Usually holds some birds even in October. I'm thinking it would be a stretch to expect a miracle. I'm thinking if it was holding no birds six or eight hours before this front, it's not going to be loaded after.
What does the brain trust think?
I could only scout before the front, and I can only hunt Saturday.

Good luck. Hoping to get a Deer Sat morning then duck Sat evening and Sun morning.

...

I had zero ducks on my property since early this year before it started warming up. I showed up at the gate last weekend to see one of my ponds full of ducks. The last front certainly brought ducks to my property.

What time did you scout? I hunt multiple places that will hold very few ducks after 12:00, but come morning they are everywhere. If this area is close to a flyway, it could easily go from 0 ducks to loaded with a good cold front. When I scout I look for food sources and feathers, not how many ducks I kick up. If you find the right conditions, the ducks will be there.

Thanks tdogg. Scouted early this morning. Not long before the front. Did look for feathers, and did not find them. Did see some groceries. Oddly empty. It was foggy, but I don't know if that would have kept birds away. This is a place with only one boat launch, and so I am basically certain I was the first one in. Paddling, so I know to be quiet, and normally I jump a bunch of ducks. Getting too old to paddle a mile for one or two woodies. If I go Saturday, it will basically be on the gamble or hope that maybe the front would have filled the place up.

But I am also interested in the more general question. How often do people on here find that a front can make things go from famine to feast, from zero to loaded?

A lot of it has to do with weather up north. Snow and freeze up move a lot of ducks south with fronts. Early migrators move with the full moon at night. I've noticed in my area in Texas, excessive water amount scatter the ducks to more favorable areas. These are not the only times they move, but are the ones I notice most. Why they stop using a body of water in favor of one down the road they haven't used before is a little mysterious to me. Other than hunting pressure.

Lots of variables, but it can and does happen. Did to our place with the last front. Literally 0 to 100+ puddlers on a 4-5 acre ranch pond over night.

On a really strong cold front, such as the one we have coming Monday, new birds will fly all day. Some of my all time greatest hunts have been at 1-2:00 in the afternoon hunting a strong north wind. If I ever have a chance to hunt a cold front, I will. With that being said, I don't have to worry about paddling or walking in. If I had to pick between hunting this front or the next, I'd definitely be hunting the one coming Monday.

The link below shows the low temperatures across the united states. Once everything starts freezing above us, it's go time.

https://weatherstreet.com/states/u-s-min-temperature-forecast.htm

Certainly wont kill any in bed. Go out there and give it a shot.

1/13/1997 there was an ice storm that hit southwest LA. We drove 25 miles of icy roads at what felt like a crawl to get to our lease. I can remember getting to our hunting hole and so many mallards rose it looked like a giant cloud of mosquitoes. We held off shooting right away because my dad was afraid we'd shoot too many. To this day it is still the best hunt I've ever been a part of. It was truly what you would call a "Grand Passage". By no means does it look like the next couple fronts are going to be that crazy but birds can, will, and do show up on fronts en masse. Give it a go!

My small farm pond went from zero ducks to 50+ with one cold front. I was kinda worried too for a bit.

Last Friday I drove by a lake in the town I live in. Had zero ducks that afternoon.

Drove by the following morning and OMG it had more ducks then you could count.

Bottom line is if you don't go you won't know.

Better believe I have already taken off for Tuesday morning. Gotta get out there and see what's coming in with the front.