September 9, 2005 – A tug-of-war between summer and fall will play out over much of the U.S. over the next few days and into early next week. How it will effect the early goose and teal seasons will depend on which end of the mercury swing you are on.
Hello folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
In the weeks and months ahead, please keep the victims of Hurricane Katrina in your thoughts and prayers. The need for charity and compassion for those in the storms path can not be underestimated. Please consider making a contribution to the American Red Cross or the charity of your choice. The need for support will far outlive the media’s attention to the devastated region. Though the headlines may fade, the need for donations will go on. Your donations, thoughts and prayers will make a difference.
Waterfowler.com News- Issue #17 of Waterfowler.com Journal is heading your way. Like many of our previous issues, this editon will contain a special contest with a handful of prizes for readers who can follow the clues and come up with the correct answer. The issue #17 secret answer “Pop Quiz” will be announced the last week of September so that everyone has a chance to receive their copy of the journal and study up for the test. Yep, it’s the Waterfowler.com Journal “Back to School Quiz”, so get out two, number two, pencils and get ready.
HuntersProshop.com, the new WFC online store, has extended our 2005 Gear-Up sale. Now through September 19th take 15% OFF an ENTIRE ORDER. (Discount not valid on boats, boat blinds or ammunition.) So, stop by huntersproshop.com today and stock up on the latest gear from names like Final Approach, Higdon Decoys, Cutt Down Calls, Rich N Tone, Mighty Layout Boys and more. Enter coupon code : gearup15 at check out to receive discount.*
Waterfowler.com would like to remind all our readers and members to visit www.jackminer.com to learn more about Jack Miner and the great work still being done at the sanctuary. We encourage all our members to help keep the legacy of Jack Miner and his “Missionaries of the Air” alive by visiting the Jack Miner web site and making a contribution that helps keep Wild Goose Jack’s vision alive.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
From across the upper Midwest and into the Northern Atlantic states, reports of early migrations of Canada geese have begun to come in. Despite warm weather, several early season band recoveries in both regions validate the reports that at least a few true migrators have begun to trickle down the Central, Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways.
News also reached our offices this week of strong duck concentrations across the upper plains and into southern Canada. Here again, despite the warm weather and early date, the reports have been validated and cross checked and appear to hold up to the light of skepticism. And to be honest, every report of this kind that we have received has come with a mention of, “You know it seems awful early for this…”, or, “In 30 years of hunting ducks up here I have never seen this many birds this early…”.
Teal numbers appear to have done well in response to the late rain that became so abundant across their breeding range. From Texas to Minnesota, anywhere these early birds are known to travel, that has a decent amount of water, is reporting good to excellent concentrations of blue wings. So despite the fact that the early counts showed their numbers in decline, it looks like this year’s teal migration should be worth hitting the field for.
Fall and summer will continue to battle for control of the upper reaches of the flyway’s this week. Short-lived heat waves and cold fronts will tease the northern tier from one side of the country to the other making patterning ducks and geese a bit on the tough side.
Cooler weather on tap for the upper Atlantic flyway and far western portions of the Central flyway should increase overall action and activity for early geese in those regions; while hunters in the upper Mississippi flyway will have to wait until next week for the weather to cool off before the goose and teal action can be expected to heat back up.
*(Offer void where prohibited by law. Not Valid with any other offer or coupon. Not valid on boats, boat blinds and ammunition. © 2005 Waterfowler.com LLC. All rights reserved.)
