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Anyone seeing numbers
#8753685
12/09/22 02:37 AM
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 7,201
jhenderson
OP
THF Trophy Hunter
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OP
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 7,201 |
Been rough duck hunting this season so far. Not seeing the numbers and definitely with this typical Texas weather not holding any either. Anyone having luck in east Texas? Only have access to public land otherwise I’d probably be doing a little better. Not seeing many hunters where we’ve been either so I don’t think that’s the issue. Of course water is so low that’s limited a lot of the places I’d normally be.
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8753700
12/09/22 02:52 AM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 598
loki112
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 598 |
At least half of our ponds are low, but the ducks don’t seem to care. I’ve seen several Spoonbills and Redheads for the first time in a long time.
Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8753706
12/09/22 02:58 AM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,793
TDK
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,793 |
Not seeing much, and we have flooded woods and acorns.
Not accepting gun work.
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8753721
12/09/22 03:13 AM
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 7,201
jhenderson
OP
THF Trophy Hunter
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OP
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 7,201 |
There are several spots I’d normally hit but as low as the water is I can’t get there right now. I’ve heard some luck but very little so far this year. Good thing I’m not counting on them to be able to eat, we would be hungry right now. Hopefully it will pick up soon. I’ve even talked to some guides and they are not having great consistency either.
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8753729
12/09/22 03:27 AM
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,157
jnd59
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,157 |
Seems like the coastal area is doing ok and some areas in netx that have water. I am seeing more birds after the split. I'll start scouting and hunting them again next week.
Last edited by jnd59; 12/09/22 03:27 AM.
No matter how high a duck flies a hammer still breaks a window.
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8754068
12/09/22 05:10 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 897
PiePuncher
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 897 |
I'm near Aledo on private land and am seeing quite a few birds on large ponds. No huge numbers yet but can easily get limits if wanted. Mostly seeing red heads, gadwall, a few green teal, a few mallards and saw spoon bills for first time on Tuesday. I don't shoot redheads or spoons.. don't like eating them.... Think we need some cooler weather. Numbers are definitely down this year.
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8754083
12/09/22 05:39 PM
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Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 108
steventtu
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 108 |
I'm in NTX and hunt a relatively small piece of public land. Overall, it's been a pretty great season so far. I never see a huge amount of birds where I hunt, but this season has definitely been more consistent—lots of wood ducks, gadwall, teal, some mallards, a few ring necks, and even shot my first wigeon this year. Of course, I haven't been hunting very long, so I don't have a lot of reference against the "good old days" that everyone talks about.
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8754087
12/09/22 05:50 PM
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 7,201
jhenderson
OP
THF Trophy Hunter
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OP
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 7,201 |
Put it this way. So far I’ve shot 1 time all season and it was an unrealistic distance. See them but not like normal
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8754190
12/09/22 09:11 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 27
Skilletshot
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 27 |
Pretty good wave of Mallards came in early this year. Another boost with the last front a week ago. Limited on green heads last Saturday then only 2 on Sunday. Wood ducks pushed out with that last front also. The early cold weather helped since the area I hunt is pretty much Mallard only. This continued warm weather is dispersing and sending them all directions. I hunt sloughs and bottoms in Cass county. I have been hunting this area over 30 years and bird numbers are way off now compared to the 90's and early 2000's. Migration patterns, short stopping and habitat changes in my property due to beaver damage all have had a negative impact. Hopefully we will get some hard fronts soon.
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8754222
12/09/22 10:24 PM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 661
Sinkey
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 661 |
Started off the season covered up in birds. Lots of mallards. Then last weekend they moved out. Been shooting limits and last Saturday killed 4 and Sunday only saw 1 bird.
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8754251
12/09/22 11:22 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 18,398
ducknbass
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 18,398 |
If you’ve not been on birds this season you simply need to look harder.
Sinkey’s birds did not move out. Fork just got a lot of water and spread them out.
From next Thursday/Friday on through the end of the forecast it should be as good as it’s been in years.
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: ducknbass]
#8754292
12/10/22 12:25 AM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 59,294
BOBO the Clown
kind of a big deal
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kind of a big deal
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 59,294 |
If you’ve not been on birds this season you simply need to look harder.
Sinkey’s birds did not move out. Fork just got a lot of water and spread them out.
From next Thursday/Friday on through the end of the forecast it should be as good as it’s been in years. We have a ton of water but no feed, except in flooded wheat fields
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8754310
12/10/22 01:04 AM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 18,398
ducknbass
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 18,398 |
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: ducknbass]
#8754395
12/10/22 03:35 AM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 59,294
BOBO the Clown
kind of a big deal
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kind of a big deal
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 59,294 |
We = me west of DFW Everything we had when dry until Oct
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8754474
12/10/22 12:39 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 18,398
ducknbass
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 18,398 |
That’s basically desert south west region anyways
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: ducknbass]
#8754510
12/10/22 01:55 PM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 59,294
BOBO the Clown
kind of a big deal
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kind of a big deal
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 59,294 |
That’s basically desert south west region anyways Lots COE private roosting pond in that country so they typically get pretty good pushes. Ramball is next door
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8754532
12/10/22 02:34 PM
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 8,138
BradyBuck
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 8,138 |
I am seeing more ducks around Abilene than I’ve seen in years. I had 50 mallards on my small pond a few days ago.
HRCH Washita's Kimber Locked N Loaded GRHRCH Firefly's Rally The Troops MH
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: BradyBuck]
#8754624
12/10/22 04:52 PM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 59,294
BOBO the Clown
kind of a big deal
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kind of a big deal
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 59,294 |
I am seeing more ducks around Abilene than I’ve seen in years. I had 50 mallards on my small pond a few days ago.
Did your ponds go dry? Everything in your old stomping grounds went dry from Melvin to Vallara
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8754847
12/10/22 10:31 PM
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 6,181
Mike Honcho
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 6,181 |
I’m in the Katy prairie so not same location but it’s been a tough year hunting even though we have had a lot of birds. They ain’t stopping. I’ve seen incredible amounts of pintail and more green heads than I’ve ever seen down here, but they are migrating and not stopping as usual. Funny thing is my buddy just east of seguin is hammering them on a 3/4 ac pond. Numbers seem good but behavior is erratic. The marsh had been on fire but having access to a 6 and 14 ac rice field pond I can drive my truck up to makes it hard to go back to 70+ decoy spreads on the coast. I think the 2nd split will be better than the first but it’s always been like that south of I10
“Two things that define an individual what you do when you have everything, and what you do when you have nothing."
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8754911
12/10/22 11:44 PM
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,029
2flyfish4
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,029 |
From what I've noticed this season, if you have birds you are loaded up. If you don't you don't. I've hunted a few areas that are traditionally very good to me and didn't see but 1 or two ducks. I've gone in blind in other areas and shot limits within 30 minutes.
We have a big front coming in wednesday/thursday. Typically I would think we will get a big push of birds. But im not so sure this time, I believe we have so many ducks bc they bypassed everything north of us bc it was all dry. Bc of that there aren't alot of ducks north of us for this system to push down to us.
Instagram - 2flyfish4
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8754940
12/11/22 12:22 AM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 492
RiverRunner
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 492 |
We had a really good first split. Didn't hunt last weekend, but still had a lot of ducks as we kept our eye on them. Slowly all week this week, they moved. Been looking for them since yesterday, several hundred miles on the truck and several miles on the boots....just not finding them now.
Going to wait until the front comes in this week and start looking again. With the rain and the front I am expecting things to change quite a bit.
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: BOBO the Clown]
#8755131
12/11/22 06:48 AM
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 8,138
BradyBuck
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 8,138 |
I am seeing more ducks around Abilene than I’ve seen in years. I had 50 mallards on my small pond a few days ago.
Did your ponds go dry? Everything in your old stomping grounds went dry from Melvin to Vallara Well, my ponds by the house did go dry but about a month ago I caught 8 foot of water off a 2 inch rain and then about 2 weeks ago another little rain topped them off. I haven’t been back over in Mculloch/Concho county area In a while. My two bigger ponds/lakes I hunt went dry and I haven’t even scouted them. Land owners just saying there isn’t anything in them and pumping them dry to fill other smaller stock tanks when they do catch water. It’s been weird, I can’t ever remember seeing numbers like this on my two little ponds by the house. They are even roosting one now that’s only 35x65 yards or so. Watched at least a hundred pour in at dusk.
HRCH Washita's Kimber Locked N Loaded GRHRCH Firefly's Rally The Troops MH
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: 2flyfish4]
#8756200
12/12/22 06:57 PM
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Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 108
steventtu
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 108 |
I've been reading reports in Kansas/Nebraska that they're seeing quite a few birds, so hopefully there are still some ready to come down! I know I'll be out Thursday morning.
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8757263
12/13/22 09:05 PM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,022
Greekangler
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,022 |
My big lake near Bonham has been great. Starting to see them south of I20 in shallow wetland. Had 200-300+ on on last Sat, 70/30 Divers puddle ducks, which we haven’t harvested 1 diver ever since I have owned property for 4 seasons. Had 75-100 teal dump in a few minutes before legal, then the rest showed up. Hate shooting a few ducks and blowing out the rest when they all arrive within 20 minutes in big groups.
Next time we hunt it, will be very aggressive at legal and shoot everything early, instead of watch show. Was pretty incredible. 142 harvested YTD vs 68 last year including early teal thru the 9th of Dec
![[Linked Image]](https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4327/35919199506_34a02ca8d5_q.jpg) Take a kid Huntin
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Re: Anyone seeing numbers
[Re: jhenderson]
#8757741
12/14/22 02:59 PM
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Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 3,582
Wytex
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 3,582 |
Should be loads coming down this week and next. We're frozen now and have a Siberian cold front coming Christmas week. If those -40 temps materialize you'll have all our ducks down then.
Good luck folks!
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