Splitting into zones was the best decision ever by the MNDNR.

When I hunted in North Dakota a couple weeks ago we did our typical morning tactic. We take the boat and hunt for ducks in a long shallow finger slough that runs off of a larger pond (about 20 acres of water) at first light. Usually do really well on ducks right away. We use this tactic day after day in ND and replicated it for years.

Then once the canada geese that are roosting on the bigger pond start making a lot of noise we start picking up our duck decoys. As soon as they start leaving in waves, we motor over to the bigger pond an set up (takes about 10 minutes to get there at half throttle). There are geese that start coming back within an hour and we'll shoot the remainder of our ducks in that spot too.

Until they raised the limit this year to 8 canada geese per day, we ususlly killed our geese by 11am and were done. This year it took a bit longer and two days we didn't even limit on canada geese in that hole because shooting is over on geese at 1pm and we were not full by then.

I've used this tactic in Nebraska a dozens of times at sandpits that are right off the Platte river. As soon as most of the geese leave the sandpit we go and set up on it and sit all day until we're done.

To the other point- I like hunting ducks the most when you have to break a couple inches of ice to get to your spot. There are almost no hunters out and the ducks come to the open hole like a magnet. Hunting with ice is the most rewarding for me.

The weather is definatly changing all our ponds and big stock dams are locked up... Moving on to the Yellowstone to finish out the season... The birds are stacked in there.. And yes time to start setting some steel

Well, we got here today and there were plenty of ducks on the open holes in the ice, but I don't think they left the pond all day. And then roosted on it. How the hell am I gunna kill ducks like this?

Well, we got here today and there were plenty of ducks on the open holes in the ice, but I don't think they left the pond all day. And then roosted on it. How the hell am I gunna kill ducks like this?

I've seen ducks in kansas sit on frozen ponds as long as the grain fields weren't covered in snow.

sent from the former Republic of Texas.

I find snow cover will make birds move more than ice. They can always find an open hole. Everyone says the season is over when it freezes but it just gettin good for me.