Two weekends remain in the regular waterfowl season of 2004-2005. With weather ranging from heat waves to blizzards and a few floods thrown in for good measure, it looks like it will be an interesting finish during the weeks ahead.
Hello folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
Though the regular duck season is about to wrap up, there is still a lot of opportunity for some fine waterfowling in the months ahead. The light goose conservation season is about to get underway. If you have never taken part in this special season, you are missing out on some of the hottest waterfowling action there is. It often takes a lot of work, and mobility is essential, but gunning for light geese as they make their way back north is not to be missed.
WFC will be working hard to keep all our members in touch with the latest movements of the white wave as the special season kicks off in the coming weeks. So be sure to keep your WFC membership up to date. Join or renew today to stay on track with the latest migration activity.
The WFC TimberHunt wrapped up last weekend. Though high waters frustrated our early efforts, the final day was as classic a green-timber shoot as anyone could dream of. Over the weekend, members and staff toughed it out in frozen rice fields, muddy bean fields and high winds, with mixed results—but boy was that last day in the timber worth the wait! Special thanks go out to all our guides, hosts and friends for making this TimberHunt a success, even in some tough conditions.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
PACIFIC FLYWAY
Conditions are tough on the northern end of the flyway. Though duck numbers are rising, so to are the waters of the region. With more rain in the forecast, extreme caution is advised for waterfowlers venturing out in the coming days. The good news is that there has been a sharp rise in duck numbers from the Puget Sound to the Oregon/California border.
Central and southern portions of the flyway seem to have slowed down a bit over the last week. With warm weather forecast for the upper flyway, any new influx of birds to the lower states is likely to be light as the weekend rolls around.
CENTRAL FLYWAY
A warming trend for the mid-flyway states is coming to an end. With cooler weather, waterfowl activity should increase and again concentrate birds as waters freeze.
Southern portions of the flyway are fighting warm weather and lazy birds. Though duck and goose numbers are good from Oklahoma to the coast of Texas, spring-like temps have made hunting tough in nearly all areas expect the coastal bays of Texas where pintail, redheads and teal are in good supply.
Colder weather is on tap for the southern flyway this weekend, and should get birds back to a more active cycle.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY
Another clipper-type weather system is in the making for the upper flyway. As the cold and snow moves across the southern area of the Great Lakes, increased migration activity is expected for portions of southern Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. The flood waters in much of this area will make hunting difficult, but should keep waters open as the temperatures fall back below freezing.
Southeastern Missouri and portions of Arkansas, Tennessee and northern Mississippi should also benefit from the coming cold front. Reports from the bootheel of MO indicate strong concentrations of mallards in the backwaters of the flooded rivers and streams.
The lower portion of the flyway is also dealing with extremely warm weather and high waters. Colder weather is on the way, but the flood waters of the Mississippi River are not expected to crest until the very end of the season, making hunting tough. With over 2 million acres subject to flooding along the path of the lower Mississippi River, the ducks in the region will have ample hiding places when pressured. Mobility, flexibility and a big dose of caution will be the keys to success as hunters deal with flood conditions the likes of which have not been seen during the open season in nearly fifty years.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY
A major clipper system is bearing down on the upper flyway. Heavy snow and plummeting temperatures for the weekend will most likely send birds south as the weather gets tough. The mid-flyway states should expect to see an increase in duck and goose numbers as their neighbors to the north brace for the upcoming storm.
Southern portions of the flyway are holding out hope that the severity of the system will drive ducks as far south as Florida. Concentrations of waterfowl have been scarce during the recent warm weather, and what birds are around have not been very active. Some increased activity should be in the making as the weekend kicks off and freezing temperatures move as far south as Jacksonville, Florida.
The sprint to the finish is on. Only two weekends remain in the regular season and it looks like Old Mother Nature is pulling out all the stops. Record floods, warm and cold temperatures and snowfall are all a part of the waterfowling picture across the US. This should be a very interesting finish!
