Flathead Valley Waterfowl

[BearGuy]

New to waterfowl hunting. I live in the flathead valley area. I was curious what types of ducks any of you in the same area get into? I've really only seen mallards and divers but I was wondering if there was much else. Not complaining at all just curious.

 

[t_carlson]

Back when I lived around there, we shot mostly mallards and divers. However, we did get into some good Widgeon shoots down in the sloughs south of Kalispell from time to time.

 

[TuckTruck]

Mostly divers and mallards. Lots of WPAs in the valley

 

[Pony Soldier]

Early in the season - wood ducks and teal. Later widgeon but by vets day mallards and golden eyes. Even killed a pintail drake around xmas one year. Numbers have really declined in recent years.

 

[t_carlson]

Yep, teal early. I forgot about them.

Oddly, I know some waterfowlers who get a snow or a speck from time to time.

 

[BearGuy]

Early in the season - wood ducks and teal. Later widgeon but by vets day mallards and golden eyes. Even killed a pintail drake around xmas one year. Numbers have really declined in recent years.

Are you saying duck numbers in general have declined a lot?

 

[Pony Soldier]

I am at the lower end of the valley and in 40 years the numbers have declined substantially. I went out last weekend and saw 6 mallards in 45 miles of river. There might have been 40 golden eyes where normal would be over 100. Enough so that I am skipping this year entirely.

 

[BearGuy]

I am at the lower end of the valley and in 40 years the numbers have declined substantially. I went out last weekend and saw 6 mallards in 45 miles of river. There might have been 40 golden eyes where normal would be over 100. Enough so that I am skipping this year entirely.

Wow that’s rough. I feel like I see a lot of birds on the lake but I guess I don’t have a gauge of what it used to be.