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The roller coaster of storm fronts that has bottomed out on temperatures and then risen to record highs in some areas has provided a steady stream of ducks and geese to all four Flyways this season. While waterfowl hunters in the northern third of the U.S. have not been filling a limit everyday, there are enough ducks to make shooting interesting and keep hunters heading to the field. The great news is there are still plenty of birds to the north and good shooting yet to come…

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As temperatures remain above average in the central part of the United States, blustery weather in the Pacific Northwest and the New England coast have ducks and geese moving in the bookend flyways. As the low-pressure system creeps into the Central Flyway, Montana, the western Dakotas and Nebraska are expected to receive some snowfall, but little more than a dusting as it moves eastward. Temperatures in the northern Central Plains will stay below freezing each night and ice will begin to build and stay on smaller water impoundments. Continue reading

When a category-three Hurricane develops over the northwestern edge of the Great Lakes region, and the winds spiral out over U.S. and Canadian Prairie Pothole Regions, it’s a pretty safe bet to say that storm will move some ducks and geese. This storm combined with normal calendar movements of various diver species has created excellent hunting opportunity in the northern third of the Central and Mississippi flyways – where temperatures have warmed slightly and birds are holding.

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As the winds finally calmed down from this record setting low-pressure system (which had meteorologists simply giddy with excitement) the effects on the annual waterfowl migration have become apparent across northern states and Yankee duck hunters are simply whistling Dixie. Mallards along with every other species “are here” and fears of a great fly-by have diminished along with the high winds. Continue reading

A massive low-pressure system in western Ontario is creating storm conditions that could be stronger than the infamous “Edmund Fitzgerald” storm of 1975 and very similar to those in November of 1998. With arctic winds coming down from Canada behind the front, blizzard conditions are expected in the Dakotas on Wednesday and a major migration event is expected to occur over the next few days.

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While areas on the eastern side of the front will experience record high temperatures through the end of the week, a blizzard is expected to dump snow in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region of the Dakotas during the next 48-hours and ignite the first hard push of migration activity this season. Continue reading

There’s a hard frost on the pumpkin in northern states and waterfowl are on the move across the northern third of lower forty-eight states. Canvasback numbers are on the rise in North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin at this time, along with redheads, pintail and widgeon. As cooler temperatures descend from Canada and it feels more like fall, expect wood ducks and green-winged teal to hurry their journey south over the next week.

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Last week’s reporting on South Dakota non-resident waterfowl hunting policy incited a plethora of email both supporting and discouraging the state’s current policy. To clarify our position on the issue and save readers a lot of writing on unimportant opinions and positions, we have no interest in arm wresting over upland bird issues and pheasants. With specific regards to the non-resident lottery system, we believe that lottery systems in wildlife management are best used to govern a very limited number of harvest tags for species with very low populations. Continue reading

A cold front is moving down from western Canada and is expected to bring cooler temperatures to northern states along with a push of new birds. Ringed-necked ducks are on the move in the northern Mississippi Flyway and providing excellent shooting for many hunters in Minnesota at this time. Hunters in North Dakota continue to struggle as many birds moved into South Dakota over the past week.

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Above average temperatures limited the hours of waterfowl activity and hunter success in the north this past week. In the absence of any major weather systems to spawn a migration event, bird activity was governed hunting pressure and diver ducks moving on the calendar. Continue reading

Ring-necked ducks and redheads are moving in to the northern portion of the Mississippi Flyway and Canada goose numbers continue to build each day. Shooting is underway in Minnesota and despite poor predictions, hunter success and waterfowl activity has been better than expected.

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As we enter the month of October, hunting reports from the north help fuel the anticipation for the season further south. As the first strong flights of ducks begin to move down the flyways, hunters that are south of those states with open seasons scour the WFC hunter reports and begin to create a theoretical timetable and prediction model for migrating fowl. The process is complex, fueled by years of observation, hunting experience and trends analysis. Continue reading

Blue wing teal numbers have declined in the north as hunting pressure and cooler temperatures have driven the birds south. Hunters in the upper Mississippi Flyway continue to report a noticeable increase in wood duck numbers this season, with many reporting the best populations they have seen in years.

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Excellent hunting continues in Canada from Eastern Alberta to Ontario. Reports from duck hunters traveling north of the border are good to excellent with mallard numbers excellent in Saskatchewan at this time. Hunting conditions in Canada are much better than the previous years. A quick look at the North American Drought Monitor Map shows eastern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and western Ontario no longer suffering from abnormally dry conditions. Continue reading

Special youth waterfowl hunts were open this past weekend in various northern states. As expected, the jet stream brought cooler temperatures and even some snow flurries to North Dakota. As additional migrants arrived on these favorable winds, so did that hard-core feeling that duck season is here.

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The nation’s first youth waterfowl hunts were held this weekend in various states and we remind our readers that participating in these special hunts is vital to the future of waterfowl hunting. According to national surveys, over 85% of all hunters are introduced to hunting by a family member. In short, if you don’t take a kid hunting, there is no future for waterfowl hunting. Period. Continue reading