# Rate the season



## Jeff Bringhurst (May 20, 2009)

I know the Utah duck season isn't over quite yet (it is for me). So on a scale of 1 - 10, how would you rate the 2011-12 duck season. 10 would be the highest.

I would have to give this season a 10.


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

a 20!!!!!!!!!! best season I've ever experienced. most consistent as well. I actually got a little burned out and have been ice fishing the last two weeks.


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

I've been out three times I think.... maybe four. I've shot a total of four birds. Not bad.... going out next weekend for a hunt so we'll see how it goes. In terms of being out and the people I've gone with, this season is as good as any. Obviously time spent in the field and my total take home numbers aren't very good this year.


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## nickpan (May 6, 2008)

For ducks, 10. Most birds i've seen in a season as far as i can remember.

Geese, 2. saw very few birds all year until this past week compared to usual.


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

i never really felt like i saw that many birds, and i went out somewhere around 50 times. there were days there were a few more around than others, but over all, i was a little disappointed. dont get me wrong, it was a good year, better than most. i just had higher expectations with the awesome spring and duck numbers we were suppose to have. i'd have to give it a 7 for ducks and a 3 for geese.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

10 all the way.Did not get out as much as I wanted to but when I did get out it was a great time with friends. Thanks To all that I hunted with.


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## Donttreadonme (Sep 11, 2007)

No question it was a 10. Found new places and made new friends, shot a few birds and picked up after other slob hunters. It was absolutely fantastic and I just hope I can pull together a couple more wonderful hunts this week.


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

I went out more this season than all seasons before combined...a solid 10 for me.


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

I'm giving it a 10 as well, and an 11 for divers! Never seen so many bluebills and cans around. Shot my first drake bluebill and drake canvasback, explored lots of new spots, got to help out a lot with a buddy in his first season, shot my first birds over my own homemade decoys, and according to my journal managed to shoot 11 different species of ducks, along with some geese. Can't get much better than that, and it really makes me appreciate how lucky we are to have so much public access to great waterfowling here in Utah.


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## Josh Noble (Jul 29, 2008)

10+!!


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## Greenhead_Slayer (Oct 16, 2007)

I'll give it a 9. Shot a lot more ducks than usual, but the geese sure seemed harder to fool this year.


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## Swaner (Sep 10, 2007)

Definately a 10! 
Lots of birds around that stuck around throughout most of the season. Got my first drake can. Shot my first all drake limit. Hit the greenheads and the pinners hard on the ice this winter. Hunted with some new people. Got a friend on his first limit of ducks. Got my 12 year old brother out for his first hunts. Oh ya and got to do it all out of my new mud boat  

I'm sad to see the season ending. Although I can't say my fiance feels the same.

I may have to call in sick one day this week if anyone wants to head out


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## duck jerky (Sep 8, 2007)

A 10 for sure


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I will rate it by month.
October 5
November 10
December 10
January 7 (so far)

I shot lots of mallards, teal, gadwalls, and pintails but very few wigeons. I shot a handful of redheads and ringnecks but didn't get any scaup, goldeneyes, buffleheads or canvasbacks. I did manage to get 1 wood duck this season and I was happy about that. We are fortunate to have a 107 day season here in Utah.


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

Fowlmouth said:


> We are fortunate to have a 107 day season here in Utah.


+100! and to think some people out there want to cut our season or split it to "make it better"... -)O(-


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## NothinButGreen (Dec 4, 2010)

Fowlmouth said:


> We are fortunate to have a 107 day season here in Utah.


Very fortunate to have a 107 day season in Utah. Also with a bag limit of 7 ducks. Some days im glad its that many and not 4... Except on them slow days _(O)_


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## Gaston (Dec 6, 2008)

A 5 at best for me. The last two years have been the worst I've ever had. I hunt mostly Utah lake and I just have not seen many birds. Something is wrong with that lake! By looks of everybody else...... I need to find a new place to hunt !


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## Leaky (Sep 11, 2007)

Ok, I'm the outlier. I rate it a 5-6, only because of my own hunting techniques and unusual water conditions. I only hunt the weeeb. now and with the unusual high flows, it's been tough for me


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## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

Gaston said:


> A 5 at best for me. The last two years have been the worst I've ever had. I hunt mostly Utah lake and I just have not seen many birds. Something is wrong with that lake! By looks of everybody else...... I need to find a new place to hunt !


Its not just you! Utah lake was ROUGH this year. It had its days, but for the most part it sucked.


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## richard rouleau (Apr 12, 2008)

well here in southern utah i would rate this season 8 here it was good from mid oct. to dec. 20th lots birds last couple of weeks been a little slow. the only thing i would like to see change is the scaup season run to the end of season


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## katorade (Sep 23, 2007)

richard rouleau said:


> well here in southern utah i would rate this season 8 here it was good from mid oct. to dec. 20th lots birds last couple of weeks been a little slow. the only thing i would like to see change is the scaup season run to the end of season


I agree on the scaup season moved later!
It was a great season!!!!


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## roseman (Sep 19, 2011)

I give the season a 9 and myself a 1. I couldn't hit the broad side of a semi. I did however see bunches of ducks and geese. You won't beleive this even with photos, but last week we had a big group of geese fly in. After they cirlcled us three or four times we jumped up and between 3 shooters we took 7 shots and killed 8 (one was banded). We're still fighting over who got the double, and who get's the band.


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

katorade said:


> richard rouleau said:
> 
> 
> > well here in southern utah i would rate this season 8 here it was good from mid oct. to dec. 20th lots birds last couple of weeks been a little slow. the only thing i would like to see change is the scaup season run to the end of season
> ...


I agree with you guys 100% on the scaup season. I don't understand why we don't do like Idaho and have scaup closed the first 3 or 4 weeks of the season (can't remember the exact dates, but the feds set the days we can hunt scaup and then leave it up to the states to decide when those days are) and then open the rest of the year


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## stuckduck (Jan 31, 2008)

I'll give it a 10 here... not hard to find and get into the birds!!!


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## MattA (Nov 30, 2011)

I have to say it was an absolutely awesome season to start hunting waterfowl for me! I give the season as well as the great people who showed it to me a 10, you all know who you are. Thanks again for paying it forward and being willing to share your passion.

I am addicted! That means some job security for Longgun


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## Fiction32 (Feb 21, 2011)

Started out slow for the ducks, excellent the last few weeks 8. Geese, best year in awhile 10, easy!!!!


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Some days I would give it a 9, others I would give it a 7. This has been a strange season in my eyes with the weather being as warm as it has been, but all in all just getting out makes it good in my eyes


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## Wounded Coot (Dec 18, 2010)

Mine was a 9. Sooo much better than last year.


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## diverfreak (May 11, 2008)

I have had a great season but then again i have never had a bad season! I have seen huge numbers of different species of ducks like never before and also have seen The lowest numbers of species of ducks.
All in all it was a very very target rich environment this season. :mrgreen: Got to hunt with alot of new friends as well as a few old friends. My bursitis has been acting up with as many decoys i throw out and my trigger finger has been pulled since opening weekend, i am sleep deprived, my knees are shot from walking thru the muck, and last but not least my kids have mercury poisining, JUST KIDDING! 


I give the season an 8 

DiverFreak


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

This season I lost my favorite late season spot to phrag and had to find a new one, so I spent a lot of time driving and walking instead of really hunting. I didn't even make the death march to my secret spot this year; I couldn't find anyone crazy enough to go with me and it's not exactly the place for a solo hunt. I spent five days elk hunting that I really should have spent waterfowl hunting (we never even found any). Overall, I really regret not chasing waterfowl more. 

On the positive side, I got to share two great hunts with a good friend of mine who rarely gets out. On one hunt we sat out in a beautiful marsh for a few hours and he nailed the only greenhead that came in. It was a great day. We went out to our favorite pond on a snowy day and had a blast! Birds came in all day long and he made some of the best shots I'd ever seen. It's been a long time since he had such a hunt, and that day with him practically made my season. 

As far as finding the birds goes, I'd say it was an 8. As far as getting out and hunting goes, maybe a 4. 

Next year, I'll have a little more free time, I should have a swan permit, and I'm not even putting in for elk. The future looks bright indeed. 8)


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

I had a very good one, but it always can be better, I rate it a 8.


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## LETTER-RIP (Sep 14, 2007)

Hands down a 10 on ducks!!!! Killed more ducks this year than I ever have in a single yr. Hunted with some new people, and some very old hunting buddies. Got to ride on airboats, canoes, bikes and the Mudd buddies. Hiked through 12foot tall phrag more times than i care to admit, all to kill some ducks.
Hope next yr is just as good for everyone.


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## kailey29us (May 26, 2011)

I would have to say a 6 on ducks, just didnt do all that great this year. I would give geese a 10, I only shot 4 this year but thats the most I have shot in 1 season since I moved down south.


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## kailey29us (May 26, 2011)

richard rouleau said:


> well here in southern utah i would rate this season 8 here it was good from mid oct. to dec. 20th lots birds last couple of weeks been a little slow. the only thing i would like to see change is the scaup season run to the end of season


I think they need to split the season again and run it a little later in the south for us. It really doesnt get good and consistent until this time of year anyway.


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## castnblast15 (Dec 23, 2011)

Wow. I am kind of surprised here. I would rate the season a 6. Maybe that is because of the spots I hunt in Southern Utah. I agree that the early season was good, but I usually see A LOT more geese.


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## Mallardhead12 (Oct 17, 2011)

Going to miss duck hunting... but id have to give it a 7. As for geese... 1/2 Goose season was terrible!


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## APD (Nov 16, 2008)

i had two excellent seasons and then this one seemed really slow to me. i only enjoyed my days in the field but did not see many birds decoying. i had friends that hunted opposite days that i did who had great hunts. i always seemed to have the wrong days off from work. i also hunted less this season than the past 4 due to other obligations. i'd rate it a 5 with a solid opening day.


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## twopoles (Nov 29, 2011)

Didnt make it out as much as i would have like to get out but i would give it a 7.


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## 1BandMan (Nov 2, 2007)

Great for geese early, but then down hill from there when we hit freeze up, which in the past has been the opposite. Lots of great hunts on the ice and fields that I've yet to have this year. 
I don't hunt ducks, but the opportunity was there most of the hunts I've been on. 
I'd rate it a 10 up until freeze up and since then a 3..........so far as I do still hope for some weather if I hunt south this year.
Hunting overall a 6. I didn't get out with as many friends or family that I would have liked to have this year, so I didn't get out as many times as I would have liked either. I could have, but I don't like to hunt alone.


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## Goosem (Nov 2, 2011)

I'd give it a 10 for ducks but a 3 for geese. just couldnt seem to get into the geese this year in utah. It seemed like there patterns were totally different from years past probably due to the unusually warm weather but still a great season overall.


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## duck_mojo (Dec 18, 2011)

8 its been a very slow year but still cant get made i shot my first drake canvasback and my first drake redhead so i cant complain hopefully next year is better thats forsure


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## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

This was my first season hunting waterfowl. I only made it out 3 or 4 times and took 4 birds (on one hunt), but it was great to meet some new people, catch up with some and just enjoy the scenery. Thanks for helping out this noob, Phil & Dune. Now it's time to hit the ice.


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## 10Tenner (Oct 7, 2007)

Big fat '0'. Have not shot a duck in 3 seasons.  Still after that elusive coot.  A 10 for geese. :O•-: 10Tenner


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