Opening Day in North Dakota

[Josh_Flem]

Well Friday, September 21st led me and two buddies from the NDSU hunt crew "Bleeding Feathers" into the field in search of some hot waterfowl action. After classes were over at 1 pm Friday we left NDSU and headed west about 30 minutes past Jamestown. Upon arriving we scouted the area for about an hour and a half and put about 60 miles on the truck and we didn't find anywhere we wanted to hunt in the morning. Well we decided to head back to where we hunted in the early goose season, there were a lot of resident birds in the area, and plenty of fields to hunt. Well this area was about 50 miles the other side of Jamestown, just south of the town of Alice.

Upon arriving at the new destination we had about 30 minutes of light left adn the birds were flying everywhere. We drove to a roost that we had seen a ton of birds in before and they were still there, and after watching a flock leave we decided to follow them. Well they led us to the field that we would hunt in the mornign as it was holding 400 geese and about a hundred ducks.

Feeling pumped up and ready for opening morning we decided to go to bed, and three people in an extended cab pick up is not waht its made out to be. We rose early around 2:30 to get a head start as we knew other people knew about the birds in this field, and I am soo glad we did. At about 3:30 a truck and trailer roll up, sop we shine a flashlight at them and they drive away, then at 4 another truck rolls up in a different location, but this time he proceeds to drive really slowly past us. Well we were done setting up around 4:15 and the truck was still there so we decided to go talk to him, it was a couple of 21 year olds that had a little too much fun at the bar the night before and were upset we beat them to there field. They tried to tell us that because we were from Minnesota we couldn't hunt which would have been true except because we attent NDSU we get resident status. Being nice we offered to let them hunt with us, the declined so we pointed tem in the direction of a field that we seen a few geese in the night before we found this one.

Sitting out in the field when it is pitch black and listening to the coyotes and all the other sounds of nature is what hunting is about to me, and we got plenty of that as we still had 2 hours till legal shooting to just relax. We had two more trucks roll in, one left, adn the other decided to hunt a schlough about 800 yards from us, but they would not really affect our huntuntil they decided to leave.

The first sign of light brought a spectacle that was something unlike anyhting I have ever seen before, the sky was filled with ducks that were leaving their roosts. Ducks flying in every direction, something that you would have to see to believe. As shooting hours started we had mojo (which are allowed in North Dakota) on, and ducks filtering into a 100% goose spread. Our shooting was absolutely horrible, and left us feeling pretty bad as we each went through a box and a half of shells in less than 45 minutes.

After a while of missing many ducks and killing a few the geese started flying which was what we wanted to see. Several flocks would set into our decoys but would then flare at the long end of our "J" so we decided to completely change the spread and turned it into a rainbow with our blinds in front of the decoys instead of in them. This worked and we had a few more geese come down and take a look, but like I said our shooting was really off.

THe morning lead us to 7 ducks (4 Drake mallards, one hen, a Gaddy, and a BWT) and 2 geese, here are the pics.

This is Kyle and I with the morning harvest


This is Adam with the morning geese


This is just a picture of our blinds and mojo


Since we had shot more than what we were expecting (Never leaving home unprepaired again) we had to drive 20 miles to valley city to get some more shells. My best advise to all of you is never buy shells there, there is one shop and the guy is really anal, he made us take off our un-muddy boots at the door in fear they had mud on him, but whatever. Well needless to say the fasted shell he had was remmington 1375 fps for $24.95 a box, well we needed them so that guy made some money off of us.

The night hunt left us hunting the same field, but the action was a lot slower. In Nodak you can only hint geese at night on Saturday and Wednesday which I thought was kinda wierd but its the law, and being that it was saturday night we were ok. Hit the field around 4, and the birds didnt start flying until about 6. This time our shooting was a lot better, must have been the $26 shells, made us pick our shots a little better. All in all we tagged two more ducks and two more geese, well short of a limit but still a good time with some good buddies. Here is the only pic as it was getting dark and the other ones don't look very good.

Kyle with the night geese


We will be heading to lake sachacowea (cant pronounce it let alone spell it) in two weeks,a nd most likely every weekend after that so will ahve plenty more reports and pictures to come.

Sorry so long.

Josh

[MikeDebner]

Great report. Looks like a lot of fun.

[Josh_Flem]

Honestly words can't describe it, if you are ever up here send me a P.M, there is always room to come with.

Josh

[Jonesy12]

Great report! I know exactly what you are saying. I go to ND every year and reading your report makes me want to go now! We go for a week in mid to late October. I can't wait!

[Josh_Flem]

What area do you head to, as I will for sure be out every weekend in October?? maybe if you are close we could meet up for a burger.

Josh

[bass12]

Nice geese guys!!!

[Chris Wallace]

You lucky SOB!

[Senkos42]

Those are some nice birds. Good job

[Crappiekeith]

No matter how hard a trip is or over coming the issues ...it's
still a blast doing it!
Keep in mind that I'm drooling all over your post...yes I'm sooooo jealous!
Great post!

[Crappiekeith]

oooops doubled up!
Ya see what geese do to me?

[Juan Arellano]

Ck you should stick to fishing that hunting waterfall is for the birds....
Fishing in the fall is way better.....

[Chris Wallace]

Should I bring up some more decoys to shoot?? haha.

Tell Captain Onz to get some different colored pants, unless hes hunting those "metro" birds.

[Josh_Flem]

thats what hte blinds are for bud, bring as many decoys as you want to shoot, because you I would appreciate it if you didn't shoot mine haha

Josh

[Chris Wallace]

I got a couple left of them bobb'n heads.

[Josh_Flem]

those will work for sure


Josh

[Nova]

Josh, great report. Really gets the blood going with open here in MN is only a couple days away.

[Crappiekeith]

Ck you should stick to fishing that hunting waterfall is for the birds....
Fishing in the fall is way better.....

Sorry Juano....I've been fishing since last Dec.1st with a week off during ice off and a week for drag racing.Other than that it's been 5-7 days a week.
Now that I can take a break and bust hump hunting for 2 months ,those birds and deer need to watch out.
Waterfoul in the a.m. and grousin the rest of the day then waterfoul am & pm with grousin in between,then deer /rifle comes and for 3 solid weeks it's in the stand after work and all weekend long.

After deer is over I'll go back to fishing.
I wish I had country around here like Josh has for geese ,but I do not so I'll settle for ducks with a few opps for those geese.
Again great report Josh!!!

[Josh_Flem]

Thanks guys, will be hopefully heading out midweek for some local duck and goose actino around fargo, but will have to get out and scout first. I ahve a feeling my birthday tomorrow will involve a lot of driving haha. Trip might get cancelled due to classes as Im sure you can understand, but I will for sure be out by Lake Socacowea next weekend and hopefully get in on some migrator action as they are starting to filter through. Will definately post a report and anybody that is looking to come up here, let me know I will let you know of some areas I have scouted adn hopefully help get you on some birds. Enjoy the rest of the season boys and shoot'em up.

Josh

[Josh_Flem]

Another good weekend of hunting, will post a report and pictures very soon.

Josh

[Strat-o-caster]

Heading up that way next week!!! A gruop of us guy's have been going up there for 35 yrs. I've missed 2 year's, last year being one of them. We hunt up by Granville/ Buffalo lake lodge and the Towner/ Rollete area's... Strat