Home Forums Birds & Dogs Waterfowl What can you tell me?

Don’t know if I’ll get this done next fall but looking for outfitters in ND or MN for some dry field decoy Canadian shooting, maybe 2-3 days. Am not interested in hunting over water anymore other than small potholes maybe.

Any suggestions from personal experience or others’ recommendation would be appreciated.

Most of the MN outfitters I know are over in Rochester where I'll hunt in December. I'll visit them a couple times as it is more cost effective than for me to haul my equipment down. West line Guide Service (507-282-8375) I've dealt with the most with Premier Flight (507-990-2934) having been used too. These are fixed pit blinds so are typically a little more comfortable than laying on the ground. You will be shooting Canada geese only for the most part, ducks are not commonly seen, at least not in December. There are also a lot fewer geese than in the past so chances may not be as many.

I haven't hunted western MN much in the last couple decades but the Lac Qui Parle area is still a migration stopping point. When I guided there up to the mid 1990s, it was THE Place if one wanted a goose. Not so much anymore as goose populations took off and Canada geese can be found state wide. The opportunity for ducks is better and if winds are steady and strong from the west a few snows may be present. My best year for them was only a half dozen with most years seeing only one or two snows taken. Mytlings Bait would be the place I would call for suggestions. I no longer have their number but Steve still runs the place the last time I swung by.

I don't know of any ND outfitters offhand but there are a fair number out there. I have my own equipment and have a few buddies and local contacts I hunt with. There were some outfitters working the same areas I hunted but many went belly up after the crash in 2008. One will get plenty of chances for ducks and snows are much more likely. I would pick up a crane tag also as opportunities are not uncommon.

I mostly hunt the eastern part of Devils Lake or northeast of Bismark towards Wing but have done the Minot area as well as Rock Lake. Devils Lake to Bismark and up to the Canadian border should have plenty of outfitters and birds. If they've been around a decade or longer they should be fairly decent at least.

Good info Wm-. Thank you for the lengthy response.

Hunted with an outfitter in the Lac Qui Parle area one year and the outfitter who promised us a dry field hunt had us in water up to waists the first day. He had told us hip or chest waders weren’t necessary to bring. We had to make dash to Montevideo to find chest waders.

I understand other elements of waterfowl hunting can be highly unpredictable, but “no waders?”

I have also heard of good Canadian hunting the Rochester way. I will have to do more research. Thanks for the contacts.

I can't believed I forgot Northern Flight Outfitters out of Devil's Lake, ND. A buddy does work for the owner, Kyle, who runs a pretty good ship. One can get an all inclusive with lodging and meals or hunt only and you are on your own for room and meals. He is based in town so it is convenient to reach.

I've hunted the area off the east end of Devil's Lake many times and the waterfowling can be very good. I have 2 friends out of Lakota with access to numerous properties. Waterfowl is about all there is to hunt, upland birds have been rare when I've been out. It took a good 45 minute drive south before pheasants and Huns became common enough to bother chasing. There may be pockets around the lake but I never found them. We did find a fair number of jackrabbits which gave the dogs plenty of excersize!

The outfitter you used at LQP wasn't Ulitmate Bird Outfitters, was it? They came on strong but folded up quickly when they couldn't back up the claims. They upset a lot of people in the brief time they were around.

I can’t remember the name right off hand, or how I came to find him. In two days, we shot one honker and a couple of ducks. The one field hunt we did go out on, we got out there too late in the morning.

Thanks for the added contact.

I was part of a group that leased a farm about 2 miles off the SW side of the refuge. We later bought the house and I still own a share though I haven't hunted geese there in 20 years.

It was far enough from the firing line that the geese would begin to feel secure enough to think about feeding. Goose numbers would reach as high as 200k at peak so with a limit at the time of one goose it wasn't a very long hunt. Ducks weren't common either and there wasn't much to do after the morning hunt until mid-October when the pheasant season opened. There weren't many pheasants back then but that was OK as it took up the rest of the day.

I'll have to get ahold of a buddy regarding outfitters in North Dakota. He custom builds utility trailers and has sold at least one to everyone out there it seems. Those I remember have either closed shop, sold, or changed their name which can be a red flag to me.