Teal season opens this weekend for many southern states, but Hurricane Ivan may put a halt to hunting in Florida and other Gulf Coast states.
Hello folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com
Issue thirteen of Waterfowler.com Journal hit the mail last Friday and issue fourteen is in the works. Be sure to Join or Renew Today to ensure that you receive the next issue. Members also have access to the very latest in waterfowl news, from migration reports, state-by-state field reports, email Migration Alerts and the all-new Advanced Map Features on the WFC Migration Mapping System. The new Map features enable WFC Members to zoom in on their specific location or anywhere on the map and query map data for details on specific dates or date ranges. These new features are currently being beta tested and are available to members by clicking on Advanced Map from the Migration Map page.
Northern Flyway states are only a few short weeks away from their regular season opener, so now is the time to stock up on your last-minute needs through the WFC OnLine ProShop. The ProShop offers WFC members huge savings on everything from boats and blinds to decoys and duck calls. More new products are showing up in the ProShop every week, so stop by today and start saving money on your waterfowling gear and gadgets.
With the season all but here, VFE selection will now be limited only to states having four or fewer current VFEs. Applications will be reviewed again on or around October 1st. If your home state is has less than Four VFEs, consider giving your time to help your fellow waterfowlers by submitting a VFE application, available under the Member Area Menu from the WFC home page.
And now, on to the Migration Update.
According to a report released from the IL DNR this week, duck numbers along the Mississippi River were up—WAY UP—from the yearly average. Hunter reports, however, continue to be spotty. Low water on some pools made hunting difficult, but hunters who managed to gain access to shallow areas found at least a few birds.
Further south, teal numbers have not yet spiked. Select areas seem to be holding fair to good numbers of teal, but no major concentrations are being reported over wider areas. Warm weather has birds moving less than one might hope, so pre-hunt scouting is crucial until cooler weather moves in.
Further west, Colorado hunters are reporting a major influx of teal over the past week. Across the state, teal numbers climbed over the weekend and the birds appear to be staying put, for now anyway.
Coastal hunters along the Gulf of Mexico will have to sit the weekend out as Hurricane Ivan moves inland over the next few days. Extreme caution is advised to coastal hunters as this powerful storm comes ashore. No matter where this storm makes landfall, the radical tide shifts and severe weather that are forecast for most of the coast are nothing to be taken lightly. Unless the storm forecast changes dramatically over the next few days, it may be best to sit this one out and stay well inland.
To all coastal residents—be safe, be careful, and may you come safely through this latest storm.
