Winter is still AWOL for much of the country and the hunting has become more and more challenging as warm weather remains in place. But, the season isn’t over yet and hunters who have put in the time and effort to scout hard have kept up a reasonable level of success.
Hello folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
Late season waterfowling, it is the section of the season that puts even the most die-hard hunters to the test. Call shy birds and heavy gunning pressure can test the limits of any duck and goose hunter. But when it is done right, the rewards are well worth the effort.
Waterfowler.com encourages all our members and users to fill out regular field reports and submit data to our Migration Map, while the final weeks of the regular season play out. By contributing to these areas you are helping make sure that the most up to date and accurate information is right there at your fingertips.
While the regular season may be winding down, the special light goose conservation season is still ahead. It is time to start making plans to put yourself in the path of the “White Wave” when the return migration begins.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
PACIFIC FLYWAY
Rain, rain and more rain. Hunters in the upper flyway have been soaked to the bone over the past few weeks. But despite the uncomfortable conditions waterfowl hunting has been good for much of the upper coastal and inland parts of the flyway. As the rains put water in previously unflooded areas, birds have shifted their patterns and gotten away from the more traditional and highly pressured grounds.
Hunters with access to these temporary wetlands have been doing very well, so long as they manage their pressure and do not overshoot any one location. Smaller spreads and extra attention to concealment are the tricks of the trade for these ‘out of the way’ places.
Rain will continue for much of the upper flyway, with some snowfall in eastern, inland areas. As the fronts again roll in from the Pacific, a slow but steady influx of birds out of British Columbia and Alberta should keep waterfowl concentrations steady for the upper flyway.
Southern and interior flyway states have seen a bit of a slow down in migration. That being said, the overall bird numbers are still good in California, Utah and Nevada, but the birds are reported to have become increasingly hard to pattern and decoy.
Here too, hunting a bit less can mean bagging more. By limiting gunning pressure some areas have been able to hold waterfowl longer and take more limits of both ducks and geese on the days when they do elect to hunt.
If that option is not available, try hunting fringe areas and setting small spreads a short distance from your main decoy spread and hunting over the smaller set. Late season birds often become “blind shy” but can be coaxed into landing nearby. A second spread and a mobile blind can quickly change out of range birds to in your face shooting.
CENTRAL FLYWAY
Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas all report a new rise in waterfowl numbers. From most reports, it appears that the bulk of the duck increase is from a reverse migration. As temperatures in the southern flyway warmed into the eighties, many larger puddle ducks and a fair number of light geese, moved back north to take advantage of thawed water and ample food in the snow free grain fields.
In the southern flyway New Mexico is reporting a large concentration of new mallards, despite the spring-like weather that move ducks north out of neighboring Texas. In the Longhorn State, coastal hunters are still seeing large concentrations of redheads and pintail, but goose and other duck numbers have declined in the past week.
Other portions of Texas are seeing widely varied reports. Ducks and geese are both very tough to pattern here and pressure has been intense on localized concentrations of waterfowl. Low water levels have made gunning tough in many areas, but even water availability is not a guarantee of birds in the blocks. Warmer weather has most waterfowl acting a bit lazy but as temperatures ease back down, general waterfowl activity should increase.
A front moving across the upper flyway later this week has the potential to kick the migration back into gear. As colder weather and some snow spreads across the mid flyway the reverse migration may go into retreat and start heading back south, as it should this time of year.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY
From southern Wisconsin to Northern Ohio waterfowlers are reporting a major movement of ducks and geese moving back up the flyway. With the season already closed in many of these areas it goes without saying that these birds will find little reason to head south again until winter weather returns.
Slightly cooler weather is in the forecast for the upper flyway as the weekend nears, but from all accounts the migration has pushed well north into the closed zones of many upper flyway states.
From south Louisiana to the upper Mississippi Delta, hunters report seeing large flights of birds heading north. Some areas are still holding good duck and light goose numbers and with the addition of recent rains the potential for the southern flyway to hold birds is increasing. As the birds have moved back north, some mid tier states such as Tennessee have seen a dramatic rise in duck numbers. With a little luck and some cold weather the next week could be fantastic for areas from Tennessee to northern Arkansas.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY
Despite the warmer weather, gunning has remained good for much of the upper flyway and mid-coastal states. Diver and sea-duck numbers are high as far south as North Carolina, but the puddle ducks appear to be very scattered and spooky.
Goose numbers are mixed throughout the upper flyway. Concentrations of Canada geese have remained in the northern tier states, but from all reports their patterns have been out of kilter in the past week. The tried and true fields and waters of the earlier part of the season may need to be downgraded to plan “B” as the birds adjust to a late season pressure pattern.
Central and southern portions of the flyway are holding fair numbers of waterfowl. Rain and cooler weather over the next few days should make for better gunning, as new food sources are flooded and birds are forced to increase their calorie intake as the mercury drops.
As in all other flyways, late season hunting is likely to require a shift in plans and procedures to increase your chances of success. Mobility, versatility and concealment with a willingness to scout hard and hunt late will go a long way in improving late season shooting.
With winter still waiting in the wings, the late season is shaping up to be a real test of hunting skills. When its seventy degrees and sunny, it takes extra effort to stay on the birds. But, if it was always easy, waterfowling wouldn’t be as much fun. So here’s to the late season, where the die hard waterfowler puts their best game in play. Good luck, scout hard and may the winds of winter find there way back to us all soon.
