Blue-winged teal are on the move in the Central and Mississippi Flyways. The first migrants reached Louisiana over the weekend and numbers in the northern portions of both flyways are above average for this time of year. With early teal and goose seasons opening in just a few weeks, the timing couldn’t be better.
Hello folks, and, as always, Welcome to Waterfowler.com.
The dog days of summer are reaching their peak but the coming of the autumn season has been marked by the start of the 2009 Waterfowl Migration. Yes, blue-winged teal are on the move and some have already reached their southern wintering grounds.
This migration event was ignited by favorable migrating winds. The jet stream that brought cooler temperatures and a break in the heat over the weekend also carried these early migrants down the flyways. The jet stream has since flattened across the U.S. and Canadian borders again, slowing the pace of this first push.
The abundance of teal this fall is already evident in the northern portions of the flyways. Shallow ponds and marshes in the Dakotas, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois are holding with a visible abundance of birds – with more to come.
As we count down to the dove and resident Canada goose seasons that open in many states on the first of September, hunters across the U.S are making preparations for the coming season. Now is the time to dig the decoys out of storage and clean, repair and ready them for the coming season. Now is the time to dump out the old blind bag and discard the left over snacks in the side pockets and stock up on ammunition. As you sort, clean and repack your gear for this season, Waterfowler.com encourages members to make sure their bag includes ample emergency gear and a well-stocked first aid kit. The cost to assemble a life-saving emergency kit that includes space-age emergency blankets, fire-starting materials and medical supplies will run less than a box or two of shotgun shells. Be sure to include a compass, emergency whistle and spare batteries for electronic devices. Another invaluable aid in a time of crisis is a list of medical and veterinary facilities in the areas you hunt. Take time to research the information and include maps and addresses of these locations in your blind bag and the glove box of your vehicle. When seconds count, having the information at your fingertips can make the difference between salvation and disaster.
Waterfowler.com would like to thank all those who have visited the Virtual Online Lodge in Second Life over the past two weeks and made the launch of this new feature a success. The staff enjoyed mingling with the members and helping introduce them to the clay shooting course, and other hunting games and features in the lodge. Members are reminded to check the Online Lodge Discussion Forum often for event announcements and competitions. We look forward to breaking a few digital targets with you all this season and giving away some great prizes in the process.
Until next week, make plans to hunt the youth waterfowl season in your area and introduce a new recruit to the sport.
