# Farmington Bay WMA opener



## Rich Hansen (May 18, 2011)

HI,
I just wanted to give everyone a fair warning that it is going to be a tough, tough opener at Farmington Bay WMA! Jason just did the count and we have less than 30,000 ducks on the whole area. We usually have over 100,000 ducks right before the opener. However, Willard Spur, Bear River bay and Bear River Bird Refuge are holding really good numbers of ducks right now.

Good Luck!

Rich


----------



## Jeff Bringhurst (May 20, 2009)

Thanks for the update Rich. Do you feel the birds just haven't shown up yet?


----------



## duckkiller29 (Oct 7, 2010)

How come so low #"s I thought this year was spouse to be the best in years LOL.


----------



## Greenhead_Slayer (Oct 16, 2007)

duckkiller29 said:


> How come so low #"s I thought this year was spouse to be the best in years LOL.


All the areas with large bodies of water are holding lots of birds. I think it will be pretty tough on the WMA's until some of that water ices up a bit. With all the water on the GSL, spur, Bear River Bay, etc.. those birds are going to stay out there as long as they possibly can. All the growth this year will give them plenty of feed. It'll be interesting to see how the high bird numbers and high water levels play out.


----------



## Donttreadonme (Sep 11, 2007)

duckkiller29 said:


> How come so low #"s I thought this year was spouse to be the best in years LOL.


Breeding in the northern areas, where the majority of our birds migrate from, had a great breeding season. Here locally, with the cold very wet spring, we had a very poor year for production. Once the migration starts up it should be good, but with abnormally high temps from here to Alaska, the migration may take a while to get going.

I know the Cache Valley goose population is very similar to what Rich has told us about FB. Last year for the youth hunt, I had a roost I was watching with over 700 geese on. This year, the most I ever saw was ~350. Right now there are less than 200 and it will get shot out on the opener. :?


----------



## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Thanks for the info rich.


----------



## Markthehunter88 (Nov 5, 2010)

Rich! yes this is what he was saying while we were out there hiking around.


----------



## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Joel Draxler said:


> Breeding in the northern areas, where the majority of our birds migrate from, had a great breeding season. Here locally, with the cold very wet spring, we had a very poor year for production. Once the migration starts up it should be good, but with abnormally high temps from here to Alaska, the migration may take a while to get going.


+1 Spot on.......It's really all about the weather currently and what happens in the spring. I would guess, like everything else this year, it will be about 3 weeks for things to pick up.


----------



## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

As long as I have coot to shoot at I'm good!!


----------



## duckkiller29 (Oct 7, 2010)

well that really sucks. I'm going to be in logan for the opner. I hope we have something to shoot at.


----------



## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

duckkiller29 said:


> well that really sucks. I'm going to be in logan for the opner. I hope we have something to shoot at.


recent scouting trips say... "bring the suntan lotion and a good comphy chair."


----------



## fish-n-fool (May 26, 2009)

Due you guys take the count from the rest area only? I think the ducks are spread out more this year.


----------



## Donttreadonme (Sep 11, 2007)

Longgun said:


> duckkiller29 said:
> 
> 
> > well that really sucks. I'm going to be in logan for the opner. I hope we have something to shoot at.
> ...


SAD but true! O|* -#&#*!- :O---: To all of you who will be on Cutler, best of luck to you. We saw <25 ducks TOTAL on the youth hunt. Thanks to a friend's invite I will be hunting the one place I have consistently seeing ducks......and there are very few there as well. We'll scare them over to you.


----------



## shaun larsen (Aug 5, 2011)

im sure theres a pile of birds in the clubs. every year it seems like theres not many birds around the actual FB WMA before the opener, but the minute shooting starts in the clubs and anywhere else people migrate to thats off the beaten path, theres birds everywhere, even on the "slower" years. guess we'll see!

either way, im EXCITED!!


----------



## KennyC (Apr 28, 2010)

fish-n-fool said:


> Due you guys take the count from the rest area only? I think the ducks are spread out more this year.


fnf- I think you may be spot on. I seem to have seen more than 30,000 on the youth hunt out there. Plus after jumping all the ducks in the phrag I would say it is impossible to count even 1/3 of what is out there. I don't need to know how to count that many anyway, I think 7 is the magic number to get to. I have one free hand and my daughter, so 7 is do able.


----------



## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

Yeah that mean when I limit out I'm just that much better of a hunter!!


----------



## huntingbuddy (Sep 10, 2007)

Either way I am just excited to get out in the marsh again, its been way too long.


----------

