With all the cold fronts moving through the entire country, I took some time to scout new areas tonight for ducks. I headed over to Dawson Forest to check the wetlands, waterfowl refuge, and scout for swamps. We walked several miles and found a fair amount of bear scat throughout the trails. I would think that they would be hibernating by now, but may still be too warm. On the 3+ mile walk, we saw squirrels, a turkey, and the dog chased a deer. The area was beautiful with tall hardwoods and pines. Unfortunately, all the back creek areas and wetlands have dried up in the drought. Even with the significant rainfall from last night, they were dry.
Just before dark, we headed over to the waterfowl refuge pond. We got back there about 30 minutes before dark. We walked down to the waterfowl viewing blind. We sat down in the blind and scanned the pond with the binoculars. It was very overcast and difficult to see. The wind was blowing snow flurries. Across the pond, I saw some movement. Looking through the binoculars, I saw a small flock of wood ducks. They continued to swim around the back side of the pond and down towards the creek. The wind picked up and a familiar sound came through the blind. It was a snow/sleet mix hitting the aluminum roof and splashing in the pond. Right at dark, they let out their calls which sound like a cry, but no other birds landed on the pond. Snow was blowing hard at this point, although it was far to warm to stick.
No geese or big ducks yet, but with the temperatures across the country dropping, they will be here before long. Keep scouting and be ready when they get here.
Dirt Road Dispatch 