[Buk_Huntir]

How is this year comparing to last year for everyone? So far this season has been a flop over last year which was less than stellar. Many of the birds that were here are gone and the last 3 weeks they have been few and far between.

What is everyone elses view?

 

[frank1969]

from hunting and oiling eggs the pop. is way off in pa migr. have been and gone

 

[Whackinducks]

Duck - same outcome as last year
Goose - I must have missed the migration

 

[Trout 2003]

While I can't say bird numbers are down the hunting has most certainly be much more difficult at least in my area. I haven't had this many 0-1 bird days during a season in a long time and I've been fortunately to hunt quite a bit. Pressure is WAAAAAAAAY up this season over the last. my eyes see a well over 100% increase in year to year pressure. Conversely the birds are much smarter. Even an X which used to be a sure thing has left me hanging 3 out of 5 times this season. They see the decoys, they see the blinds, and they're outtie. Still fun though and I'm certainly not complaining, just not as successful for Canada's. I dont take them quite as serious any longer though so I dont let it bug me too much.

I dont think the years going to get any easier. Just seems like once again we will really have no real winter. It's been weak at best thus far. I haven't went outside on single day and said "MAN!! Now this feels like winter". Not out here in SE PA yet.

 

[b0whunter1987]

Seeing a lot of geese there just getting harder to traffic hunt probably due to pressure

 

[djknyork]

I'm with buk huntir... Never have I seen this few birds and when they do show up at roosts that historically held birds all season they only stay for a week or so and then they're gone. Been tough for sure... As a group I think our scouting mileage has tripled! Which probably explains pressure in other areas because we've been following them to areas we've never hunted before.

 

[gheadboy]

Ducks started out ok with resident birds. Then became real slow. Around thanksgiving things picked up. Deer season came and became slower than ever, and finished out the last week of the season ok.

Goose hunting, was better than normal for us this year, as we started to hunt fields more for geese. We had a few days of nothing, but we normally saw birds and got a few limits this year, with hopefully only more to come.

 

[dmccoy1]

Saw high flyers today, but were heading north.....pretty much says it all. More birds here than last year, but don't really "need to feed" when it's warm like this, thus making them harder to hunt. All turning into "golf course" birds the last few days. Some evenings they just fly off the roost, make a big circle, and go back. Last night some came off about 5 pm., heard them going back over my house about 6:30, some of the birds are really messed up.

 

[Buk_Huntir]

Whew! I thought I was the only one... LOL We've blanked 4 times straight. Perhaps if we would have stayed out longer we may have scratched one or two, but ouch this year has been tough. Two years ago was stellar, last year-Bad, this year-terrible. Ive pretty much written off the season and will be focusing more on preds here on out. I will be heading out for some duck action tomorrow for one last fork to the ribs. I hope MD is better to me the week of the 21st.

 

[missedshot]

I've had the best year ever, until this week. The closest has been the 3 time fly over my decoys and off to greener pastures. I'm gonna reduce the number of decoys to see if that makes a difference. I'll also try having my decoys do my calling.

 

[Bigwoods Hunter]

Well around my area up around Pymy goose migration has been horrible. Im goin up for the last day 1/18 and hoping to shoot at ONE goose. Season goes out way to early...One of the worst seasons for geese ever.

 

[REDLAB]

We have had alot of birds around,but since we got all that snow (12"-14")and high winds and the temps being in the teens overnight and mid 20s during the day between xmas and new years the birds were not flying at all. I've watched hundreds of birds in the river just feeding on the bottom,on the island and on the bank edges. Feeding on any little bit of grass that wasn't covered with snow. In the past they use to fly out to the corn fields to feed, but not this year. As of today the birds started flying out and snowman locked down a field thats holding a couple hundred birds for us to hunt tomorrow. Maybe this season will go out with a bang. Hope to have some pics to post tomorrow of a great day.

 

[Buk_Huntir]

I have noticed similar behavior REDLAB. In past years you could drive around and find an X. This year there are no X's. IDK what has changed but the geese are not piling up in fields like years past. I remember two years ago we would crush a big limit and the next day there would be a couple hundred birds feeding in the same spot. Not this year. I havent found a solid feed all season. Here one day gone the next. Other than the obvious roosts geese are hard to find. There are TONs on the roost but they want nothing to do with my area this year. Oh well. I guess on the bright side Ive saved some money on ammo.

 

[Weimer]

This year has been horrible for me and my group, to the point that it's worse than last year. Only saving grace MIGHT BE February's RP goose season. Time will tell.

This year in PA, only killed 5 geese and 5 ducks ALL season long.
Last year in PA, 13 geese and 8 ducks all season.
Two years ago in PA, ..... we did 53 geese and 23 ducks. By no means is that anything remotely awesome, but the numbers are falling my friends. I've scouted more aplaces, obtained more land, and have gotten better at calling, etc .....

You tell me what has changed ......?????

Sure glad I went down to Eastern Shore this week. I was beginning to wonder if I could remember how to shoot my shotgun anymore.

We kicked butt down there Wednesday!

I love hunting, more so spending time with my son and just being outdoors, but it is nice to see ducks & geese while out. I don't really care anymore so much about killing anything, but I like for my son to be able to now and then so it keeps his interest level going would be nice.

I told my hunting partners 3 weeks ago, ..... thinking next year to book 3-4 trips down to MD and give up on hunting here in PA. All the gas, time, money, vacation days I spend scouting and hunting in PA could be put to better and more productive use at home and with the family.

In the end ..... it ain't gonna matter ...... Obama is going to have all our guns anyways.

 

[Buk_Huntir]

Im not about to give up but the numbers are way down over the last two years. 2010- (~240) 2011- (~90) 2012- (~40-45).. I hope next year will be better.

 

[KenBuck]

Stinks.

 

[Honkers51]

Worst season,i ever had...the last time ,i limted out was early season...but the geese were worked over hard in my area and guys just shot them up and killed most of the fields,i hunt in..

 

[murdock84]

The season is pretty comparable to last season for me. Possibly a little better and that is because the Buffleheads have been the saving grace the last few days. Wednesday we did alright but saw ZERO puddle ducks at all and we hunted till noon. I thought last season was bad, especially with all the greatest flight we'll see stories. We need cold weather up north before we get get the cold here and that doesn't seem to be happening.

 

[stevenstiegel]

no comment

 

[Goosehunter]

In South Jersey today I saw a flock of about 15-20 Robins.
I'm thinking they were just resident birds that never migrate. You could tell they were both call & decoy shy.