Sirius is moving away from the sun and the Dog Days of summer are over, though you might not be able to tell from the looks of the mercury. Less than a week remains of the off season for many North American waterfowlers. The Migratory Game Bird Season of 2003-2004 is just around the corner, and it couldn’t come a moment too soon.
Hello, folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
Yes, within a week lucky waterfowlers in Canada and the upper reaches of some of the Flyways will kick off their waterfowl season while their more southerly brothers warm up with a little dove shooting. The earliest migrants are packing up and heading south and the time for last minute repairs and projects is fast upon us. What a relief!
Show your support for our service men and women who are still deployed, both at home and abroad by picking up your own Waterfowler.com FLY THE FLAG twill cap, available in the Online ProShop. While you’re at it, why not send one to a fellow waterfowler who will spend his or her season overseas to let them know that they will be with us in spirit when opening day rolls around.
The SCWA and Camp Woodie are seeking to fill two full time staff positions. Openings are available for both Camp Director and Assistant Camp Director. They are both full time, year round positions with this great program. You may email Camp Woodie for more detail about these job openings at scwadw@ftc-i.net, or write them at: South Carolina Waterfowl Association, 9833 Old River Road, Pinewood, SC 29125.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
The current heat wave across much of the upper US should break by the end of the week with a short-lived cold snap moving down into the Upper Central and Mississippi Flyways as early as Saturday. The approaching cool weather should have even more teal on the move and increase activity in resident flocks of geese.
The buildup of teal in the middle and southern portions of the flyways continues at a slow but steady pace. Flock sizes still remain small but their frequency of appearance has increased over the past week.
In other waterfowling news the Arkansas Wildlife Federation released a report this week entitled “Improving the Quality of Duck Hunting in Arkansas”. The report proposes restrictions on seasons, bag limits, shooting hours and the use of spinning wing decoys paired with possible restrictions of the number of out of state hunters on Wildlife Management Areas within the state. The report also suggests limiting all public and some private hunting area to noon closures during the waterfowl season. The Arkansas Wildlife Federation is a non-profit conservation group founded in 1936.
The California Waterfowl Association also recently released a statement in favor of the restriction of use of electronic decoys and “…other ‘high-tech’ methods that produce self-propelled motion to attract waterfowl.” Sighting the rate of technological advancement and an inability for science to determine the effects of such new technologies in a timely manner the CWA requested “…a ban on the use of electronics and other forms of technology in waterfowl attracting devices.”
The season is drawing near, and in more ways than one, things are heating up for North American Waterfowlers. Be sure to check back each week for updates on these issues and the latest whereabouts of waterfowl.
Have a good week, a safe holiday and a great start to this year’s season.
