2025 Dove, Duck and Geese

Finished the regular season in Arkansas again just in time before this storm hits the south.. Had a good time shooting snows and specklebellys with a 410.  Now gotta wait a month to head back down for the conservation season in Arkansas..   

I went out with the camera again today and left the shotgun at home.  I was able to locate quite a few mallards in small open water pockets that had either springs or flowing water.  On one public hunting area I was able to get within 20 yards of 9 mallards.  That made me think for a second I should have brought the shotgun, but it was all good.  It was nice just to be able to get close enough for a pic.

Overall, 2025 was an excellent season for me even though migrating bird numbers were down.  Despite missing the first 3 weekends of the season (northern opener, southern opener, 3rd weekend), I was still able to harvest 14 different species and only had one hunt where I did not kill a duck. The puddle duck to diver duck split was 53%/47%.  For comparison, 22 species harvested (20 duck species) in 2024 with a puddle duck to diver ratio of 62/38.

Bird Watcher,
Being able to get out on LM from shore in a small rig is one of the advantages of living close to the big pond, especially late season.  A friend of mine owns a couple hundred feet of LM frontage and he does exactly what you do, provided the wind/wave conditions are safe.

Another cold but quick morning hunt..

Still birds around and I believe almost everyone else has put the decoys away for the season. I’m just not ready to hang it up yet.  Lake Michigan calmed today just long enough to get an evening hunt.

Still birds around and I believe almost everyone else has put the decoys away for the season. I’m just not ready to hang it up yet.  Lake Michigan calmed today just long enough to get an evening hunt.

Still birds around and I believe almost everyone else has put the decoys away for the season. I’m just not ready to hang it up yet.  Lake Michigan calmed today just long enough to get an evening hunt.

Still birds around and I believe almost everyone else has put the decoys away for the season. I’m just not ready to hang it up yet.  Lake Michigan calmed today just long enough to get an evening hunt.

Still birds around and I believe almost everyone else has put the decoys away for the season. I’m just not ready to hang it up yet.  Lake Michigan calmed today just long enough to get an evening hunt.

Still birds around and I believe almost everyone else has put the decoys away for the season. I’m just not ready to hang it up yet.  Lake Michigan calmed today just long enough to get an evening hunt.

Still birds around and I believe almost everyone else has put the decoys away for the season. I’m just not ready to hang it up yet.  Lake Michigan calmed today just long enough to get an evening hunt.

I found a couple small patches of open, moving water today.  Those all had significant concentrations of mallards and some black ducks.  Too bad I didn't have the thunderstick with me, only the camera.

Live on a S.E. lake. Ive had a half doz. mallards around all summer. Yesterday and today there are over 100. If you can fide a field or water it should be good!!

The cold weather and snow moving in has definitely pushed the last of the birds into the area. If you don’t mind the cold there are birds around. Did a quick layout hunt in Lake Michigan this morning.  Now time to get the ice off everything.

Gifting a couple harlequin ducks to someone looking to have them mounted,  message me if interested 

Today was just a little too windy. Couldn’t keep the goose decoys standing up… still fun to be out there.