A cold front is moving down from western Canada and is expected to bring cooler temperatures to northern states along with a push of new birds. Ringed-necked ducks are on the move in the northern Mississippi Flyway and providing excellent shooting for many hunters in Minnesota at this time. Hunters in North Dakota continue to struggle as many birds moved into South Dakota over the past week.
Hello, folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
Above average temperatures limited the hours of waterfowl activity and hunter success in the north this past week. In the absence of any major weather systems to spawn a migration event, bird activity was governed hunting pressure and diver ducks moving on the calendar.
In the Central Flyway, hunters are adjusting to another season of new migration patterns caused by excellent duck production in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region. With so many ducks being produced in North Dakota, their first flights move them into South Dakota early in the season – where they will sit until the first hard arctic storm moves them south. Due to South Dakota’s strict, lottery-based non-resident licensing system, for all intensive purposes, these ducks are “off the radar” for the traveling waterfowl hunters.
The migration pattern that left many waterfowl hunters scratching their heads last season in the Central Flyway appears to be developing again this year. In all likelihood, the bulk of ducks will drift slowly down from Canada over the next few weeks and join the masses in South Dakota until that harsh clipper arrives and drives them to the gulf coast. The place to hunt ducks now, and into late November will be South Dakota. While there is limited opportunity and licenses for tribal lands, as of this report, there were no remaining non-resident licenses available through South Dakota Game Fish and Parks.
South Dakota’s non-resident policy has long been a source of frustration in the waterfowl hunting community. As Federal Funding continues to pour into the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region to increase waterfowl and upland bird populations, hunters are becoming increasingly impatient with policies that deny them access to opportunities they are paying for. With approximately 1.3 million acres of CRP and over 25,000 acres enrolled in the WRP, South Dakota is reaping the harvest on habitat funding. As migratory patterns change, so should state policies. If the bulk of the fall flight in the Central Flyway chooses to spend the majority of the season in South Dakota, waterfowl hunters should have an opportunity to pursue them. While North Dakota does limit the total of non-resident license sales, there is flexibility for zones and times that allow for planning around something as unpredictable as the North American Waterfowl Migration. The program has proven to be successful for both the state and non-resident hunters and South Dakota should consider a similar model.
If migration activity in the Central Flyways mirrors last year’s trend, South Dakota’s non-resident policy will likely be the hottest off-season topic during the coming year.
PACIFIC FLYWAY:
Cooler temperatures and offshore winds in Northern California are expected to increase waterfowl activity during the coming week. Duck numbers are on the rise in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Wood ducks activity is expected to increase significantly over the next few days as staging birds being to move south out of Idaho, with goose numbers are average for this time of year in the northern portion of the flyway.
CENTRAL FLYWAY:
A good portion of the ducks raised on the North Dakota prairies have moved into South Dakota over the past two weeks. Scouting remains the key to success in North Dakota, as bird numbers are down and water abundant. In Canada, divers are staging in Saskatchewan and snow goose hunting is good to excellent at this time. Reports from Alberta and Manitoba are also good to excellent and cooler temperatures are expected to increase feeding activity and hunter success. The youth season in Nebraska was good to excellent in crop areas with standing water, with local mallards and teal good and all other species fair.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY:
Canada goose numbers are good to excellent throughout the northern Great Lakes Region. Ringed-neck ducks are moving in the northern portion of the flyway and are good to excellent in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Warmer temperatures has hampered hunter success with flights early and limited. In Illinois, the youth season was fair to good on ducks and better on geese with gadwall and widgeon numbers increasing over the past two weeks. Cackling Canada geese have arrived in force to the northern portion of the flyway and goose numbers are good to excellent at this time from Minnesota to northern Illinois.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY:
Canada Goose numbers are on the rise through the New England states, with green-winged teal, black ducks and wood ducks good to excellent at this time. Green-winged teal are increasing daily in Delaware and New Jersey with dark geese good and light goose numbers fair.
As you prepare for your coming season, be sure to restock and include a first-aid kit in your blind bag and check your state and local regulations for any changes.
Until next week, hunt safe and hunt often.
