Water conditions

[usar97]

Can anybody help me out with some water conditions at our wonderful WMA's or Refuges? I wasnt able to get out last weekend for the opener but plan on finding some quackers this weekend.
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[Jethro]

I hunted the bird refuge this last weekend and it has typical early season water. 1A is almost full, 9 has little to no water, 3A and 3B are about half full, the big pond on 2 has water and there is little to water in 2B.
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[usar97]

Awsome thank you for the input. Sounds like a pretty average water year so far. I really wish they would fill 9 a lil sooner than they usually do. Its alot of work if ya dont have a boat but we've had some really good shoots in there in the past. The pot holes in there can be amazing. How was the shoot? Average or more birds this year? Tons of hunters as usual?
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[Jethro]

They fill 9 last because they have no way to retain they water once they "fill" 9.

9 is a great late season duck hunting area. I usually head out there once the dike walking sky busters (swan hunters) surround my favorite huntings spots.

The hunt was amazing, on both days I could have shot a limit of teals in the first few minutes of the hunt.

I hunt out of a canoe so I can get away from the edges but there was a lot of hunters in the area.
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[usar97]

Awsome that what i like to hear. I love the small ducks. Nothing like a teal coming in at about mach 2. Wigeon and green wing are about my favorite shoots. Not saying big ducks arent fun, but those 2 are my favorite to eat.
Ill drop a line Monday or Tuesday and give the results
Thanks again for the input
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[Jethro]

No Problem.
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[usar97]

Ended heading out tp the swamp Saturday and Monday. Hunting was great. My shooting was a different story...
Lots of Greenheads and Pinnies. Quite a few teal. Because of my lack of scouting, just ended up pass shooting. Wasnt where the birds wanted to be. Picked up 5 Greenheads Saturday.
Since the shooting was decent Saturday, decided to head back out yesterday. Again, hunting was great, but my shooting still isnt up to par yet lol Picked up a hen pinny and a couple greenwings during the morining shoot. Decided to wait out the skeeters and see how the evening was. Finished my limit by 5 with greenheads.
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[markanthony]

what wma did you go to. I usually hit salt creek this early. On opener I ended up with five greenheads one canvasback and one teal. Sunday I got a mass of teal and a green head.

I have heard that willard bay, bear river, and ogden, and farmington areas got hit hard with the bocholism stuff. What a bad deal. I was talking with fish and game. He was sayin that willard bay area had a dead bird count of two thousand. I am not sure if it the stuff has hit harllods crane or not.

I also heard that perry is bad spot as well.
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[usar97]

I hit the Bear River Refuge. And yes the bocholism has hit there. Saw quite a few dead birds. Ive actually never hunted further north than the Bear becasue i used to live up in the Heber area. Was quite a drive to just get to the bear. How is Salt Creek? Or even Public? Tons of people and a few birds? Or can they be decent shoots? Im not asking for tips or tricks just a general overview. The bulk of my shooting experience is at the Bear and down at Fish Springs.
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[fishinfool]

I never liked Public to much to many skybusters on the dikes and limited area's where you can use a boat with a motor to get away from them.

Salt creek on the other hand can be one of the best places to hunt if you have a way to get to the main impoundment, I like to hunt the north side and is tough to get to even with the right equipment, I also hunt out of a Scanoe like Jethro,But I also have a 6HP mud buddy.I can get into spots big boats cant unless they want to get stuck, way to shallow and knee deep soft mud makes for a long day in the swamp. Im so lite with only a few dozen decoys and a few spinners that I just slide right over the stuff.I have seen hypers in this area and they get around but if they stopped they where toast.The mud is to liquified for them to get a bite and just make a big hole, and ruined more than one hunt for me.[:/] If you have a long tail you can get around better just not as fast. word of warning if you try to hunt out there, the mud is the worst you will find anywhere.
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[markanthony]

I walk the dyks to were I want to be. Then cross the islands out to were I want to be. Thought I did notice last sunday that they were already jumping the dyke roads. So if you go with that in mind. You will be set.

I like salt creek. its better then willard.
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[One_eyed_jack]

Cannot agree with you more. Salt Creek mud is the worst, most difficult mud to be in. It is not for the faint at heart or lazy. Ive been stuck there a couple times... UGH
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[fishinfool]

[quote One_eyed_jack]Cannot agree with you more. Salt Creek mud is the worst, most difficult mud to be in. It is not for the faint at heart or lazy. Ive been stuck there a couple times... UGH[/quote]

what are you running if you don't mind me asking. I will get a pic up soon of my rig, nothing fancy but gets the job done.and I haven't seen one hyper or big long tail follow me down the air boat channel at farmington, way to shallow and hard bottom doesn't mix with big boats,have seen a few hardcore guys walk there boats down it. [] and back up once, never seen them do that again. I can get out all the way to where the channel hits the lake,about 1/2 a mile out. great hunting late season.
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