Blue wing teal numbers have declined in the north as hunting pressure and cooler temperatures have driven the birds south. Hunters in the upper Mississippi Flyway continue to report a noticeable increase in wood duck numbers this season, with many reporting the best populations they have seen in years.
Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
Excellent hunting continues in Canada from Eastern Alberta to Ontario. Reports from duck hunters traveling north of the border are good to excellent with mallard numbers excellent in Saskatchewan at this time. Hunting conditions in Canada are much better than the previous years. A quick look at the North American Drought Monitor Map shows eastern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and western Ontario no longer suffering from abnormally dry conditions.
The recent full moon, cold front and favorable jet steam provide some new birds to the northern tier. Canada goose numbers are building from the Dakotas to the Great Lakes Region. Band recovery reports show that geese from the northern Ontario have already begun to arrive in northern Illinois.
Of course, these favorable reports and the continued success of duck production in the U.S and Canada is a direct result of good habitat. With 4.45 million acres of CRP set to expire this month, CRP enrollment is open again and the USDA is hoping to enroll a total of 5 million acres and reach the maximum allowable acreage in the 2008 Farm Bill.
In these times of economic hardship and deficit worries, an arm wrestling event is underway in the nations capitol over how the cash –strapped USDA will pay for the new enrollment. Whether the enrollment will receive funding from savings generated by the Crop Insurance budget reduction, or funds that were originally earmarked for hunter access and habitat programs and moved to deficit reduction by the Bush Administration is yet to be determined. As they haggle over the purse strings hunters everywhere should thank the continued efforts of our conservation watchdog groups for the continued growth and success of the CRP program.
Waterfowler.com’s Youth Hunting Initiative continues this week as we stress the importance introducing children to the grand traditions of waterfowl hunting. With the special youth waterfowl seasons still to come in a number of states, there is still time to extend an invitation and make plans to participate in this recruitment effort, so make a commitment to take a kid hunting today.
As the season progresses we remind our readers that the Waterfowler.com’s virtual, online lodge is always open in Second Life. Details on how to access this wonderful 3D hunting environment is located at the top on both the Guest and Online Lodge Open Forum. We look forward to your visits to our cozy cabin where you can enjoy shooting sporting clays and ducks, as well as real-time text and voice chat with fellow members.
PACIFIC FLYWAY:
The great brown duck shoot continues in Alaska as hunters await the final molt of breeding plumage in a majority of ducks. Hunting remains good to excellent from Anchorage to Cold Bay at this time. In Washington, the youth season was held this past weekend with hunter success and participation fair to good in most areas. Canada goose numbers continue to increase in Washington, Idaho and Oregon with all other species average for this time of year.
CENTRAL FLYWAY:
Blue-winged teal continue to push south to gulf coast and despite the full moon and good winds, only a smattering of new birds moved into the Dakotas the over the past week. As hunters in North Dakota prepare for the great gadwall shoot and season opener, duck numbers and habitat conditions are good to excellent across the state with water high and abundant in many areas. With teal season now closed in the central and southern states, hunters are preparing for the season by returning to dove hunting, which is good to excellent throughout the southern portion of the flyway at this time.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY:
Canada goose numbers continue to rise in the northern portion of the flyway and hunting is underway in Iowa. Teal, wood ducks and local mallards continue to fill the primary bag limit. Hunters in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan are preparing for the season opener and the Youth Hunt in Wisconsin and Michigan provided fair to good shooting for young hunters, with teal numbers down from the previous weeks. Hunters in Wisconsin and Michigan are reporting excellent numbers of Woodcock at this time – which arrived shortly after the full moon. Teal season has wrapped up in the south with hunter success varied. Drought conditions continue to plague areas of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi and hunters in the south are hoping deluge of rain over the next month as they prepare for their season.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY:
With the early teal and goose seasons now closed in the east, waterfowl hunters from Maine to Florida are making preparations for the coming season. Green-winged teal numbers are fair to good in the north and blue-wing teal good to excellent from Virginia south. Waterfowler.com reminds our eastern readers that the youth seasons are approaching and that participating in them is vital to the growth of the sport. We look forward to reading your reports.
Until next week, we look forward to your reports on habitat conditions and scouting reports until your season opens.
