Walkable Ice?

F

Flushedup

Active member
Heading out on Saturday for the second half of the license, going to be in a group of 7 hunters (we mostly split up however thankfully) and was wondering on some current slough / ice conditions. Any reports from the past few days after the big cold blast would be appreciated. Its 16 degrees out where we hunt now, making ice. 2 nights ago it was 1 degree.... sure is nice walking on the inside of the cattails.

Thanks!
 
I can try to let you know on Friday afternoon. I'd guess edges will be fine. We received 4" of snow here in the northeastern part of the state last night. I wouldn't get too far out. Some of the ice formed and softened with the warm temps last week. This past Saturday (12-4), I could walk on some edges and others was busting through. Anyway, I'll try to let you know what I find on Friday afternoon.
 
I was in NE SD this past weekend, and never had to worry about ice holding me as there was almost none to walk on. Hunted cattails for 5 hours straight and was usually over my ankle and often over my knee in water/muck. To echo what was posted, the 4-5 inches of snow will NOT help. Not sure if the short deep freeze will be enough.

There was still lots of holes open in the center of sloughs. So there could be a few inches on the edge, but don't trust the center.
 
I can tell you that in the east-central / southeastern part of the state this past weekend, any ice that came into play wouldn't hold a 42-lb springer spaniel. But that ice was only around the edges of standing water. Most of the sloughs I hunt have open/low areas, & in many cases, the water has receded to those center areas such that there's no water/ice to be concerned with in the cattails themselves.

That said, in general, we've not had enough cold weather to make ice in cattails reliable, at least in my part of the state. I'm thinking the ground/water temp below any ice is still too warm to allow good freezing. Any snow on top would just make it worse.
 
A5's report is very accurate. I wouldn't trust any ice you find this weekend. It was all open water this Sunday, even on very small wetlands.
 
Like mentioned about, that snow is going to hurt ice production not help. I wouldn't trust any ice for probably a week if temps stay below freezing.
 
Well, may be a moot point, as I think I'm gonna have to drop out. I may be positive with the Fauci virus.... Hard to tell cuz we had 4 tests done in our household and got 4 different results. (Positive, detected, indeterminate and Negative) WTF, trust the science :poop:
 
truly sucks Flushedup. take care of yourself and family. Everyone reacts differently to this virus, if you & family members in fact have it. Hopefully you have a flexible schedule & can get out later this season. The wife & I contracted it out in SD last fall. Took 3 days to start feeling sick, fortunately we were done hunting by then; Came home Sunday and really sick by Tuesday - no way would we have been able to hunt during our covid stint.
again - everyone reacts different, some test positive and are asymptomatic. Tough decision! Good luck & good health
 
I just got back, last night, from Aberdeen area and I can tell you the ice is not safe. I tried a couple times to walk on it and it broke or felt weak. Just FYI.
 
A good rule is to never trust the ice for you or your dog. There have been a number of dogs and hunters lost in SD over the years due to breaking through the ice. Years ago I was hunting around Sand Lake in late December on a Saturday morning and the temp was -20. I was crossing from open ice through some cattails to the shore and broke through up to my chest. Darn cold walk back to my vehicle that was 3/4 mile away. 🥶
 
Dakotazeb said:
A good rule is to never trust the ice for you or your dog. There have been a number of dogs and hunters lost in SD over the years due to breaking through the ice. Years ago I was hunting around Sand Lake in late December on a Saturday morning and the temp was -20. I was crossing from open ice through some cattails to the shore and broke through up to my chest. Darn cold walk back to my vehicle that was 3/4 mile away. 🥶
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I had the same thing happen to me in the same area. By the time I got to the truck my hunting coat was frozen to the point I had to take it off to get in. I don’t think I have ever been that cold
 
I was out yesterday and this morning. Using Zebs scary experience as a rule of thumb, don’t walk on ice you aren’t willing to break through. Yesterday, I walked edges and one frozen area. I broke through in areas on the edge and some spots sported open water. These spots are typically less than a foot deep, so not a big deal. I’m willing to deal with wet boots. If you don’t know the depth of the water, don’t trust the ice.

That said, working slough edges/shallow water is doable right now, albeit the risk of busting through is very real. Be safe. There isn’t a rooster in the world with risking your or your dog’s safety.
 
Looking for a Snow report, heading out my son on the 19th returning to michigan on the 25th. Any snow to speak of in the redfield vicinity? Thanks long term forecast is predicting temps in the 20'swhich will be nice. Thanks in advance.
 
Miforester said:
Looking for a Snow report, heading out my son on the 19th returning to michigan on the 25th. Any snow to speak of in the redfield vicinity? Thanks long term forecast is predicting temps in the 20'swhich will be nice. Thanks in advance.
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My daughter lives in Redfield and I just sent her a text. No snow in Redfield.
 
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