Chasing Ducks in Northern Minnesota in Oct. 2012 Part 2

Disclaimer - Over the 4 year run of my previous blog "The Ethereal Garage," I received some negative comments criticizing both my use of specific place names and  my overly detailed posts.  Here's the bottom line: duck hunting in the Arrowhead Region of Minnesota is NOT great, and despite the countless pages of glossy propaganda printed by a variety of conservation organizations AND the MN D.N.R. stating otherwise, it seems to be declining steadily.  There are no locations described in these posts that aren't commonly known, and if you want to drive north from the Twin Cities or Chicago, beat me to the landing on Big Rice lake, get to the blind before me, and freeze your a$$ off for 6 hours without seeing a single duck, have at it. 

Excluding the border waters, Pelican Lake near the City of Orr MN is the 11th largest lake in Minnesota with a surface area of nearly 11 thousand acres.  Its wide, shallow bays are filled with navigational hazards, and only a light steady breeze will produce dangerously large waves.  Though slightly more tarnished every year due changes in migration patterns resulting from unusual weather trends, the lake's long-standing reputation as a premier waterfowling destination attracts numerous duck hunters every fall...including me.  Though I have yet to enjoy a notably successful day there, the lure of big water and the potential to see a lot of ducks keeps me coming back.  Empty game bag or not, it's hard to return home from Pelican Lake feeling like the trip had been a waste of time.

By the morning of October 5th a nasty weather system that crossed North Dakota entered Minnesota and produced 10 or more inches of snow and school closures in the western part of the state, yet there was only a dusting in the Arrowhead - and winds gusting to 35 mph - when Lucy and I motored out of our driveway at 3:30 a.m.  Keenly interested in the progression of the storm, I checked the weather nearly twice an hour on Friday night, but between my 11:00 p.m. bedtime and 4:00 a.m. arrival at the landing, the N.W.S. changed the forecast, and the wind was blowing a full 90 degrees off from the expected direction - the calm and sheltered landing that I'd based the whole trip upon on was being pummeled by large waves.  After sorting through my reservations and setting aside some doubt, I decided that driving 60 miles back to a safer "Plan B lake" would be nothing short of lame, and I set about the work of carefully loading my canoe to handle a bit of chop.  Pushing off into the waves, I smirked at my loyal dog and said, "Rig for dive, Lucy!"  It was funny to me.

After what turned out to be an enjoyable 30 minute paddle in rolling waves with a light snow driven by an 18 mph wind (gusting occasionally to 30) at my back, a change in the silloutte of the treeline against the night sky signaled that my destination was near.  I quickly recalculated the position of the blind and orientation of the decoy spread to adjust for the wind, and as I set about dropping fake plastic ducks in place, the air temperature dropped slightly.  By the time the light of day slipped over the lake, it was a balmy 25 degrees...and then it really started to snow.  Unexpected outbreaks of bad weather often tend to push large numbers of ducks around, but unfortunately that wasn't the case on this particular outing.  There were some birds moving, but no more than on any other trip to Pelican Lake given the time of year, and I heard a tellingly limited amount of shooting from the other 5 or 6 parties within earshot on the bay.  My efforts to put some birds in the bag were further complicated by my nemesis the Mergansers who were flying around in great numbers and effectively running interference for the Scaup and Ringbills in the environment of limited visibility created by the snow and fog.  More than a couple ducks went safely on their way after being misidentified as Mergansers - my eyesight isn't what it used to be.

Around 8:00 a.m. the snow became heavy to the point that it started to pile up on the decoys, but the few ducks and mergansers flying around didn't seem to mind.  A couple minutes later, I had an interesting encounter with 10 or more Pie Billed Grebes, and later on a really nice walleye swam in within a couple feet of the rock on which I was sitting.  After a morning of sitting and chatting and sharing sandwiches with Lucy, a full hour without seeing a single duck passed, and my foot started to tap.  It wasn't long until I decided to "pull the plug" and pack it up.  Whereas the the trip to the blind with the wind at my back was fairly easy, the trip back to the landing - struggling into a fairly stiff breeze with good sized waves and difficult gusts - was challenging and a bit harrowing at times.  I had one large wave slosh some water over the side of the boat and another break slightly over the bow, but I made it back to dry land no worse for the wear.  With two ducks in the bag and a lot of good exercise under my belt, I was safe at home by 1 p.m. and already planning my next adventure...for that very afternoon.

Stay tuned!