Freeze up. Ducks?

[rides bike to work]

What changes in duck behaviors happen when the temp drops and the fields freeze up.

[lorneparker1]

find where the water isn't frozen and kill them. They will be stacked.

[Ron.C]

I'm no waterfowl expert by any definition, but I agree with Lorne. Where I grew up in Southern Ontario, those equipped to hunt in big open water did awesome when the smaller lakes/rivers froze up and the fields were covered in snow.

[rides bike to work]

Mill lake it is

[Cdn-Redneck]

Is it worth busting up ice In the fields to open up some water.

[Fella]

Mill lake it is
Stay out of my honey hole! :D

[lorneparker1]

Is it worth busting up ice In the fields to open up some water.


If you are in a high traffic area sure! But remember birds are going to fields to eat. My theory take it for what its worth, is during a big freeze the food in the fields gets harder to dig up and digest. Ever try to pick a piece of corn up that's frozen solid to the ground? There fore they spend more time on the water eating water based foods. Lots of ducks have died in fields during a freeze up but it changes there behaviour. IF you do bust open a hole do your best to make it look "open" instead of "busted open" i.e remove the big chunks of ice if possible.

[Dutch]

The fields freeze then the ditches and they head for the bay. Still a little jump shooting out the valley in the ditches that are not froze solid yet. The marsh should be filling up now...

[Kudu]

The fields freeze then the ditches and they head for the bay. Still a little jump shooting out the valley in the ditches that are not froze solid yet. The marsh should be filling up now...

Sounded like WW3 down there this weekend - lots of "good ol sky busting" going on - as usuall!

And - yes the marsh is filling up with birds.

[Sako 75]

Should be good shooting this coming weekend and next week for my group of duck hunting buddies. No more ice on the (ponds) fields. Ducks are going to be dumb again.

[f350ps]

The fields freeze then the ditches and they head for the bay. Still a little jump shooting out the valley in the ditches that are not froze solid yet. The marsh should be filling up now...
The marsh has been a tough slog, not nearly what it should be like with a hard freeze like this! If ya wanna kill widgeon you will do well. It's been very sporadic! K

[Dutch]

Well there back out the valley ground was still pretty stiff for robo but layed on the stand to get it in (122K), then kneeled in the corn they did not care , toooo hungry I guess