Bingo Working mallards.

And thats why you have a better quality hunts at shiawassee most of the times. And Maybe the clay bottoms that always seems to mess up my truck mats every year and never able to get it off...LOL.
Always nice work out there on there fields and the set up of them..
Just not going to make it happen this year, maybe next for sure...

 

Does the location of the neighboring strip's decoys impact the decision?

Three rows in the field. Winds are coming in such a manner that you should be on the west side of the strip. But everyone else is setup on the east side. Go to the west side, setup and get yours?

 

I would hope the powers that be at of the GMU's in Michigan are tallying total cards that are filled out per day, and that will be the number submitted to the State when it comes to determining hunter effort at the GMU's. 2020 is a screwed up year. It's the ultimate "mulligan" year for funding. It's not a matter of "how many hunted" it's more of "how many tried to hunt" for 2020. Be smart. Folks want to hunt, yet are being turned away. And...they continue to show up even though they continue to get turned away. DO NOT mess with the field/zone size. Don't turn them into another %$(&#^* like they did at PM.

Having said that, there is no way I would drive any distance at all for a less than 40% chance of getting drawn. It should come as no surprise that the hunting is vastly improved for 2020, given the pressure is significantly less over the entire GMU.

Enjoy your resources, especially in 2020.

 

My first few trips to St Charles almost soured me on the area for good. I was “lucky” in the beginning and got a “good” draw about every time I went. Of course I picked prior rd because that’s what seemed to be where everyone wanted to go. I saw guys shooting at birds 70yds up, shooting swing birds, and even had guys leave their spread to hunt mine. I thought it was just bad luck but after 4 times going to prior and 3 days I left madder than a wet hen, I said not again.

I couldn’t take it, and word on the street is if you rattle someone’s teeth up here the cops get called. The last time I hunted prior I exchanged words with guys for shooting at birds that where about to finish for us. I tried to meet them at the launch to “discuss” but they got a batch of gone. I guess it’s easy to pick up when you are hunting other people’s spread.
But the one hunt in the 60’s when the gentleman down from us had manners, was one of the most memorable hunts I’ve had anywhere. We all shot birds that day. I’m sure it could be like that if most duck hunters actually enjoy hunting birds instead of only enjoying burning shells and killing things.

Now I have to go vote so we can keep America Great! In all seriousness though, if you are alive and a US citizen please go vote if you haven’t already. Too many lives have been given and lives changed so we have the right to vote. Not to mention own guns, chase game and freely b!tch about people who don’t do it the same as we do.

 

Prior Rd draws all kinds. Some good, some bad.

Sunday night I was down there. With two CO's clearly sitting in their truck on the dike/ramp, as shooting time came to a close, one group in N. Prior was still shooting well after the close. Shooting ended at 5:26 PM. last shot I heard was at 5:29pm. I don't know how much leeway CO's tend to give for shooting time violations, but knowing the CO's around Shi, I wouldn't want to be those guys. The CO's did not look amused glassing the zone as I left.

I was at prior again last night, and there was one group/zone that was showing everyone else how to do it. They drew damn near every bird that flew over the field into their zone and dropped it. hats off to those guys. Nobody else was shooting squat, but those guys put on a clinic last night. Won't say which zone, but if you were at Prior last night, you probably know.

 

That zone has been on fire all year.

 

Is that the parking lot zone next to Backhoe? Were they shooting on person at a time? Problem with corn field is that ducks like certain zone at certain time no mater who is hunting there. I think they probably fed there the day before and go back there again. I have seen it thousand times that ducks come out of refuge high and set their wings to a certain zone and no one can get their attention.

 

Lmaooo

 

I was there Sunday night and was wondering if the late shooters got cited. The CO was asking us about a goose that got shot. We were bewildered and told him there were no geese that came anywhere near us. Not sure what that question was all about.

 

Lefty421, I was the group leader of a group that had an excellent hunt at Prior Rd the afternoon of election day. If you are referring to our group, thanks. We really enjoyed the way the birds worked & fell.

 

Awesome. good work!