2010 Minnesota Duck Opener Report

See any ducks in this sky? 

Neither did we. 

Thus began the 2010 duck season in Minnesota.  While Saturday was a bust in the west-central part of the state as nearly all of our teal and wood ducks had migrated, Sunday was a bit better as the ring-neck population in the area was surprisingly high. 

I was lucky enough to be joined by my buddy Nick who drove all the way from Chicago to do a lot of sitting in a boat, listening to the dog whine and staring at mostly empty skies.  Despite our circumstances, Nick had a grin most of the weekend, and this photo was not atypical. 

Nick needed to get back to Chicago on Sunday afternoon, and since Monday was my birthday, I decided to stay up and set up in a position to take advantage of all of the ring-necks in the area.  That strategy paid off, as I took my 6 duck limit in about a hour and a half, and added a bonus goose as well. 

I wish we would have figured out that location earlier so Nick could have got into the action, but that’s part of hunting – always a day one way or the other, or at the other end of the lake.