Late season Bird Numbers

[HydeMarsh]

I have read post on other treads that indicate the birds over flew us on the last cold front and full moon. Just curious if South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida are having great seasons due to high bird numbers. My friends on the Chesapeake have not had a great year. the birds have to be some where.

By the way, it had been so warm that most of the puddle ducks in Hyde do not leave the refuge except at last light. when it is cold they leave to feed in droves. bad weather hunting a couple of weeks ago was really good.

[EastBound&Down]

Ducks are here just not in kill able locations with this crap weather we are having. Other week on the blow probably saw 10k+ puddle ducks making their way inland from somewhere out in la la land from out in the middle of the sound. Been seeing large amounts of divers also but for the most part they are playing the weather pattern are staying in safe locations. Had a big push of mallards in the swamps days before Christmas but they vanished with the warm up and haven't seen enough to get excited about since then. Been a tough late season for the most part.

[HydeMarsh]

thanks, your response mirrors my observations. I don't think they flew by us. The calendar migrators have been here all season, just not moving much during LST. I have seen a lot of red heads in big flocks early and late flying from OBX to Skeet and back again. No shooting opportunities. I have not hunted my Johnston swamps but about one a week and rotate. When I go I have seen good numbers of mallards. I guess they feel safe.

[steelsprayer]

I hunt right on NC/Va line in Gates Co. and Suffolk, Va, respectively. Saw a lot of birds in December. Literally hundreds of gadwall and widgeon in our beaver swamp. Not so much lately.

[Paul26]

Weird, weird season. I am actually looking forward to getting the crab pots out.

Duck hunting has been frustrating to the point of being burdensome this year..................never thought I'd say that!!!

[Darkmuncan]

Took a while, but good numbers in Davie County the last two weeks. Have had no trouble limiting out on mallards, woodies, and ringnecks.

[HydeMarsh]

I have heard there are vast numbers of redheads and canvasbacks in Florida, how can I find out if this is true and why it is so.
Are the grasses in our sounds the ducks came for gone like the grey trout?

[DuckMauler]

I hunted every day in the 3 weeks of the season with the exception of the final Fri and SAT. All the birds were in wide open water because we never got a strong gale or cold nasty weather to move them back into the bays the way we have the last several years. That being said, the migration still wasn't great. But if you were willing to hunt open water you could kill birds. The next to last weekend of the season I hunted a spot on Friday and killed nothing, came back to the same spot the very next day and shot a 4 man limit. Many limits were put in the boat over the last 3 weeks but it was tough. If you were on birds you were really on them and if you weren't then you got skunked. It was still a productive season for me but I know some good friends who are true duck killers that had their roughest seasons ever. Hopefully next year will be better. If there was one positive note from this season it's the fact that there was less hunting pressure at least in the areas I hunt.

[steelsprayer]

I know folks in Hyde Co. that tore them up last week of the season.

[Paul26]

Heard the same re: the last week in Hyde. I was there the last 2 days and can verify it. My hosts had a great full week.