From the Blind: Missouri and Oklahoma
Walker Davidson for SPLIT REED
We are back with our fourth edition of “From the Blind.” We have Nate Meyer with Valley Oaks and Clay Forst from the Stuart Ranch, their reports seem more of the same, but like the rest of us waterfowlers, we’re hoping that these last few fronts will bring the big northern birds and allow us to finish out our seasons strong!
Who: Nate Meyer
Outfitter: Valley Oaks Outdoors
Date: 12/18 – 12/20
Location: Western Missouri
Weather: “It’s been warm. And no wind. Not too conducive to killing geese, highs in the 50’s.”
Bird numbers: “We have a few migrators, mostly locals. We have killed some bands that came from Manitoba, but we haven’t been killing any big geese yet. We are way below average than what we should have right now.”
Harvest report: “When we have hunted, we have been fairly successful. But the reason is that I have only been hunting when we did get a little weather or once a week or so to really alleviate pressure. It’d be tough to string together four good days of hunting right now.”
Overview: “We’re pretty much in limbo based on what this weather does. Hopefully this next front with the strong wind will bring the birds we’re missing. I’m planning to scout Christmas afternoon and hope to see better numbers. Most of what birds we have are just pond hopping and not really feeding very hard so hopefully, that will change with this front.”
Stuart Ranch, December 2020
Who: Clay Forst
Outfitter: Stuart Ranch Outfitters
Date: 12/20 – 12/22
Location: Southern Oklahoma
Weather: “It has been warm and dry in southern Oklahoma. Highs have been ranging from lows 60s to mid 70s. No moisture in the past week.”
Bird Numbers: “Birds are here but very stale. For the most part, they are coming into cattle ponds before shooting light and trickling back throughout the morning. Or they’re finding their loaf/feeding areas and not leaving until they go to roost.”
Harvest Report: “We have been scratching out about 10-15 birds per day with a few hunts that didn’t go as planned.”
Overview: “Per usual, southern Oklahoma has up and down weather to this point and birds have become stale. Above-average temps haven’t helped things to bring new birds to our area. A cold front is blowing through currently 12/23 and the weather outlook for the next 10 days looks great. We are hoping for a solid push and fresh birds. Hunts after Christmas should be really good for us.”
Let us know what the birds are doing in your area through a DM on Instagram or an email and you just might get featured on a “From the Blind” article! Good luck to everyone for the rest of the season.
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