Spring has sprung, and waterfowl are pushing north across the entire continent. Hunter success for the Spring Conservation Action is on the rise in South Dakota and Iowa, as the numbers of mid-continental light geese are good to excellent in those states at this time.
Hello, folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com
Whether you are taking advantage of spring hunting opportunities or heading to the field to see the birds returning north in full breeding plumage, now is the time to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors.
Members are encouraged to take their cameras to the field over the next few weeks and post their spring waterfowl and wildlife photographs in the member image gallery. As always, we invite our members and guests to input field information and waterfowl activity on the migration map to help those tracking the migration back to the breeding grounds.
SNOW GOOSE MIGRATION UPDATE:
Warm southernly winds have pushed geese off the wintering grounds and the birds are charging north against the receding snow and ice.
Show goose numbers in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois declined steeply over the past week. Incredible numbers of light geese were visible on NEXRAD Radar as they moved north into Colorado, South Dakota and Iowa.
Population surveys at Squaw Creek showed 293,000 geese were on the refuge on March 5th, and as of the 12th, the number had already declined to 182,000 light geese.
In Kansas, geese that normally stage in the area on their northern migration did little more than stop to refuel and move on.
While the snow-pack and ice remain in North Dakota and Minnesota, the first flights of snow geese arrived in southern portions of those states over the past few days.
To say the least, the northern migration of light geese is progressing at a fevered pace and ahead of schedule. If you have planned a light-goose hunting adventure based on previous migration trends, take time to verify goose populations before you travel.
Until our next report, make the time to get outside into the great outdoors.
