2023 DUCK and GOOSE REPORTS.

The 2023 duck season was definitely a grind but if you just keep at and go every day that you are able to you never know what can happen. We had quite a few days were we only shot a one or two birds, but also had a few hunts that I will remember for a long time. 

Finally got everything all put away this weekend.  The end of duck season (not counting the Open Water zone) is always a bittersweet time period.  I hate to see the season end, but there is a part of me that is glad that it does end (because the season can get to be a grind if you go a lot). Overall, the 2023 WI waterfowl season was a solid one for me.  It wasn't the best, but it also wasn't the worst.  Harvested 17 different species this season (16 duck species + canada geese).  I was fortunate this year to not have a hunt where I got skunked.  I was also able to introduce one of my SILs to how I hunt ducks and he really got his eyes opened to what is possible in WI.  My son also had his best WI duck year this season.

I definitely enjoy reading the reports and looking at the pics of those who do post on this thread.  Hopefully next year turns out to be a great one for all.

glad some guys hammered um, I hunted a small frozen pond sat and yesterday and no shots busted up a 10 ft hole sat AM ice was darnn near 4 in thick more than we thought, there is several hundred geese in the area but they are robots going from the river to fields on specific lines never giving us a look. o well slow season next year will be better.

Goodhuntin all!

Right place right time today!! Should’ve had the ultimate 2 man limit of black ducks and mallards but this will do!!

Nobody out? last hoorah this weekend, going to bust some pond ice open and hope for the best in the AM geese around and some mallards but mostly sticking along the big pond. and fresh cut corn fields. Goodhuntin all!

Just love a good snow hunt. 

Hi all, been fun seeing everyone's comments this season. Griz nice to see someone else from the northwoods. I live and hunt in Price Co. Never was a bow hunter so I chase ducks and grouse most of the fall. My season started great like it usually does for woodies. One thing I noticed this year was all my jump shooting beaver ponds and frog water were pretty dead, had the best luck on the larger lakes and rivers with rice. I couldn't hunt the big Halloween cold-front, but when I picked back up all the woodies were gone. Geese picked up on the rivers and became predictable. Drove up to Bayfield for a change of pace once and got into a few divers in a driving rain. Scouted a few lakes last week on the national forest between grouse walks. They had some ringers and mallards but were gone when I hunted. After the opener never ran into another duck hunter. That's maybe the best part of duck hunting northern WI away from the vacation towns, regardless of bird numbers, sunrises all to yourself.

It's been awhile but it's been a grind of a season. And I'm afraid it's not going to really improve before the end atleast in my area. I was out yesterday morning with only killing 2 a drake mallard and a black duck.On the plus side the drake mallard was a 5 curler. SM that block is right on point. 

I'm still chipping away at it.  I hunted Friday and based on that decided to sleep in today.  Despite the front that came through on Thursday and the stiff NW winds overnight into Friday morning, I only saw about 20 ducks total (but about 500 geese, a bunch of sandhill cranes, and some tundra swans).  3 ducks did it right, however, and came right up the middle of the decoy spread; a drake mallard, a drake buff, and a drake goldeneye.  Pic below of the drake goldeneye. He was a mounter.

I own one Herters model 72 decoy.  It originally was a drake mallard, but based on some pics Griz posted a few years back of some black ducks he painted, I converted that decoy to a drake black duck.  Friday, I decided to bring it out and use it.  It looked great on the water.

Abest, my son, who lives in SE WI, tells me all the time that when he sees a bunch of "new" mallards in the ponds and creeks down by him, the hunting back at home is usually good (based on my results I share with him).  So based on your observation, I may have wished I went out this morning.

Live on a south eastern lake. I have had 4 yo 6 mallards hanging around front of house the past month. This mourning there were 30. Maybe some kind of flight going on?

waupaca co:

hunted my home water sat am and never fired the benelli had 1 flock of mallards make a couple loops and then boogied out. Not a ducky day really with the cold and no wind, we need a push but i dont think the end atleast for northern zones going to be any good.  o well 

I've been chipping away at it this past week.  Been out 4 times in 7 days.  Bird activity has been somewhat slow, but had shooting each time out; taking 2 to 4 birds per day.  I could have limited on Thursday, but the sun glare off the water (even with polarized sunglasses on) was so intense I could not take a good shot at a flock of ringnecks that I landed in my decoy spread.  Pics from a couple of hunts.

Spent  the last 4 days out West. Three man limit each day. Hunting in the 40 degrees everyday was perfect!.

Hunted friday out on the bay and got 4 had some other swings and misses but flight really died by late morning and did'nt see the normal amount of ducks I usually do out there.  Monday hunted out near stoughton and we got 1 mallard and seen maybe 15 ducks all morning rather slow and mostly stale birds around now, we need another push soon.

goodhuntin all! 

Great job Griz.  Last Saturday, Sunday and Monday made my year.  Mallards and Gads.  Froze my behind.  Decided it was enough this year.  
My boys limited out a four man by 9 am this morning on their opener in Missouri.