Dried up Sloughs/water

[Pintails]

Waterfowlers that are out hunting puddles - sloughs - creeks - small water bodies around the province, how are you finding them?
We were out scouting the week before opening weekend and found that about 50% of the sloughs and pot holes are gone and the bigger boddies are down 2 to 3 feet. We still managed to get out Sunday and Monday and come home with birds but driving home Monday after the hunt we started scratching our heads about where we might spend our next few weekends of early season when we like to hunt the local slough birds.

Being that I've only hunted for the last 12 years this is my first time going through drought years. Do you guys switch up during dry times and hunt fields exclusively or maybe turn to big water?

Happy hunting!

[Drewski Canuck]

It helps to know the area you are talking about!!

Drewski

[Pintails]

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

It helps to know the area you are talking about!!

Drewski

I was just talking in general. I usually hunt between Camrose and Fort Sask but was curious what people are finding.

[Hunter Trav]

Just keep driving around till you find the water thats left or hunt some fields. Not much else you can do...

[tikka250]

As much as it sucks we have just gone to field shoots unless we stumble upon a good slough which are few and far between. The big lakes can produce birds but its not the same. We have a blind we built in a awesome producing slough that has gone un hunted for 3 years now. Last year I was able to walk on dry ground right to the blind.

[MooseRiverTrapper]

The bottoms dropped out of the central Alberta sloughs over the last month. It will congregate the birds on the deeper water.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Many young ducklings and goslings die when sloughs dry up as they cannot make trek to larger lakes before coyotes, foxes, etc eat them for lunch.

[Pintails]

Originally Posted by tikka250

As much as it sucks we have just gone to field shoots unless we stumble upon a good slough which are few and far between. The big lakes can produce birds but its not the same. We have a blind we built in a awesome producing slough that has gone un hunted for 3 years now. Last year I was able to walk on dry ground right to the blind.

We're going to try a couple new spots but that's the feeling we are getting too. Going to have to put on the miles and start door knocking to see if we can find and get access to hunt some fields.
I have a similar story with a blind my brother and I built south of Fort Sask. 8 Years ago it was built in 2 feet of water and last year the water line was 70 feet from it.

[Pintails]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Many young ducklings and goslings die when sloughs dry up as they cannot make trek to larger lakes before coyotes, foxes, etc eat them for lunch.

That's something I hadn't even thought of. I wonder what the numbers are going to look like next year. We've noticed a big drop in teal numbers the couple times we've been out.