The holiday weekend brought the first waves of mallards through the northern tier of the United States – and not a minute too soon for states on the cusp of their season’s end. As ice begins to build on the larger impoundments, the approaching snow is likely to push these stubborn birds south in a grand fashion.
Hello folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
Storm systems in the northwest and southwest will collide this weekend and bring heavy precipitation from the coast, all the way to the Great Lakes. While the holiday push of birds was significant, it appears the biggest push of the season will happen during the next few days.
With the changes in agricultural practices and milder weather trends over the past decade, snowfall has become the single most important factor in the mallard and goose migrations. With snow stacking up in the Pacific Northwest, and on its way to the upper Central and Mississippi Flyways, waterfowl will be on the move and now is the time to take advantage of this great hunting opportunity.
Waterfowler.com’s migration updates are assembled using a variety of sources, including member reports, field-editor reports, aerial surveys, and state and federal sources. Over the past few years, Ken Torkelson of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has provided vital migration information to the waterfowl community about North Dakota. From the time the first ducks arrived, until the ice prevailed and the last few ducks and geese left the prairie, Ken’s detailed reports have been an invaluable resource. WFC would like to thank Ken for all of his efforts and wish him happiness and good fortune, as he retires from service at the end of this month. His passion for the resource and dedication are an inspiration to us all.
PACIFIC FLYWAY:
With snow falling in the Pacific Northwest, waterfowl are on the move throughout the flyway. In Washington, mallard numbers are on the rise each day and hunter success is good to excellent across the state. Divers are good to excellent and goose-hunting success has improved dramatically with the weather. In Idaho, goose numbers along the Snake remain excellent, and duck numbers in the southern portion of the state are good to excellent in areas with open water. In Utah, ice is building and hunting activity has moved to larger bodies of water holding ducks and the surrounding fields. In California, duck and goose numbers continue to climb in the Sacramento Valley, and hunter success has been good to excellent over the past 7 days. In southern California, hunter success has been poor, despite teal, spoonbill and pintail numbers good. As always, hunter success in southern California is dependant on weather, so the approaching storm system should improve harvest totals dramatically. For hunters in Nevada and Arizona, the coming rains will be welcomed with open arms, as drought persists in that region – where gadwall, teal, pintail and widgeon numbers remain good to excellent in areas holding water.
CENTRAL FLWAY:
As the freeze tightens its grip in the Dakota’s and snowfall looming on the horizon, the remaining waterfowl are expected to surge south over the next few days. While marshes and lakes are frozen in South Dakota, as of the 27th, snow geese and ducks were still moving through the state, and Sand Lake Refuge was still holding birds in areas of open water, despite the mass exodus on the 22nd. The bulk of waterfowl remaining in South Dakota are along the Missouri River corridor, and are expected to push into Nebraska in the coming days.
Goose hunting in Colorado remains good in most areas, though numbers have been declining since the 24th. In Kansas and Oklahoma, teal, widgeon, gadwall and pintail have pushed further south and mallard numbers are fair to good in areas with open water. Goose hunting remains good to excellent across the region in the fields and over open water; snow geese are on the move in the southern portions of the flyway.
In Texas and New Mexico, snow goose numbers are increasing daily in the southern portion of the state and duck numbers are good to excellent on all species from the panhandle south.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY:
Hunters in Minnesota braved the cold and ice (as Minnesotans do) for the remaining days of the season and hunter success was good to excellent for those finding open water. As the ice tightens it grips over the next few days and snow arrives, the remaining ducks in the state will move on. Goose hunting will continue, and as always, the Rochester area will provide some of the most spectacular shooting in the coming weeks for area goose hunters. In Wisconsin, mallard hunting is excellent in the southern portion of the state near larger lakes with open water, where rafting birds are providing excellent shooting in surrounding fields. Goldeneye, bufflehead, bluebill and canvasbacks are good to excellent through the southern portion of the Great Lakes Region.
In Iowa and Illinois, mallards are hugging the hard freeze-line, and moving south only when the last hole in the ice closes. Hunter success is best for those willing to scout and move to areas with huge concentrations of birds and less hunting pressure. Field hunting is providing the most consistent bag, and hunters hoping to enjoy the presence of these big, field-feeding greenheads must be willing to scout, and gain access to active fields.
Hunting in Indiana and Ohio is good to excellent on Mallards, Gadwall, Widgeon and divers. Goose numbers increased significantly over the past week and lake effect snow should improve hunter success over the next few days.
Missouri continues to enjoy consistent shooting and mallard numbers increased significantly over the past week – with the best, yet to come. From Arkansas to Louisiana duck numbers continue to build and hunter success is good to excellent, and limits more common than not. Snow geese continued to move into the south over the past three days and hunting is simply ON FIRE in the southern portion of the flyway. If you are south of the Mason-Dixon line and not getting a limit, scout and move. The ducks are south in force.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY:
Migration activity picked up slightly in the New England states as hunters entered their second split of the season. While mallard numbers are good, black ducks remain low from New York through Delaware. Goose hunting is good to excellent in eastern Pennsylvania with diver numbers increasing slightly over the past week.
Along the coast, sea duck hunting remains good to excellent in Maine, with diver numbers on as far south as Chesapeake Bay. Snow goose numbers are good and climbing in Delaware and Brandt are good to excellent in New Jersey – where they are still shooting wood ducks.
Teal have finally moved out of the northern portion of the flyway and are searching for water in the dry southeast. Rain is expected again in the southeast over the next seven days and hunting conditions should improve slightly.
In the Carolinas and Georgia, wood ducks, teal, red-heads and ringed-neck duck numbers are good to excellent in areas holding water, with the first ringed-neck ducks arriving in Florida over the past few days.
WFC members are encouraged to update their email address in their user profile to ensure they receive our coming Migration Alerts. To update your email address, simply click on your name in the login box to access the user profile page.
Until our next update, hunt safe and hunt often.
