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The Dove and early Resident Goose Seasons are underway in various states across the U.S. and opening week harvests are reported to be below average in a number of states. Recent cold fronts, above average precipitation for the month of August, and agricultural harvest delays are contributing factors to the decline.

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Hunter participation for seasons beginning on the first of September was down in most states due to a mid-week opener. For many, the weekend will provide the first opportunity to head to the field and kick off the 2009 season. Hunter participation is expected to increase significantly over the weekend and the added pressure is expected to increase harvest and activity for doves, teal and resident Canada geese. Continue reading

Blue-winged teal are on the move in the Central and Mississippi Flyways. The first migrants reached Louisiana over the weekend and numbers in the northern portions of both flyways are above average for this time of year. With early teal and goose seasons opening in just a few weeks, the timing couldn’t be better.

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The dog days of summer are reaching their peak but the coming of the autumn season has been marked by the start of the 2009 Waterfowl Migration. Yes, blue-winged teal are on the move and some have already reached their southern wintering grounds.

This migration event was ignited by favorable migrating winds. The jet stream that brought cooler temperatures and a break in the heat over the weekend also carried these early migrants down the flyways. The jet stream has since flattened across the U.S. and Canadian borders again, slowing the pace of this first push. Continue reading

The 2009 Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM) and the final Waterfowl Population Status reports were published this week and the results echoed the promise of the preliminary reports. Waterfowl numbers are strong, duck production is up and the numbers qualify for a liberal season framework in all four flyways. Hedging your bets for a successful hunting season will require proper planning and prediction with regard to the current El Nino weather event. Thankfully, WFC members have access to hunting report archives for migration trends and data.

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As states rush to propose and approve their final dates for 2009-2010 waterfowl season, duck and goose hunters across North America are plotting and planning their adventures. Of course, having an incredible year of duck production doesn’t guarantee you’ll have an incredible season in your area. An El Niño weather event is in progress, and drought conditions persist along the west coast, gulf coast and upper Great Lakes region. Continue reading

The results of the 2009 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey have been published, and the results are nothing short of outstanding and a reason to celebrate. Pond counts within the survey area were up 45% over 2008 and 31% above the long-term average. Waterfowl numbers are up 13% over 2008 and 25% above the long-term average.

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With the exception of Widgeon and Redheads all other species experienced double-digit increases over 2008 survey results – with mallards up 10%, Pintail 23% and Canvasback 35%.

While Redhead numbers are down 1% for 2008, they remain 62% above the long-term average along with the other top contenders, with Gadwall at 73%, Green-winged Teal at 79%, Blue-winged teal at 60% and Northern Shoveler at 92% above the long term average. Continue reading

The spring breeding and habitat surveys are complete and the data will soon be released in the 2009 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey. Early habitat reports from the spring survey teams are good to excellent across the North American waterfowl breeding range – with most habitat conditions improved over 2008 and pond counts in many areas well above the 10-year average.

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The Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey that occurs each spring includes data collected from over 2.1 million acres in the United States and Canada. In short, it is one of the most intense and extensive wildlife surveys in existence. The heavy winter precipitation that played a significant role in improving habitat across the waterfowl breeding range continued into late May and early June in the northern most survey areas. Survey flights were often grounded and the crews struggled to complete surveys on time. Continue reading

While the northern breeding grounds capture the headlines and attention of North American waterfowl hunters, the Black-Bellied Whistling ducks have returned to their nesting grounds in the deep south – sporting their breeding plumage for potential mates and the camera of one avid waterfowl hunter.

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The May Pond Counts are underway across the North American waterfowl breeding grounds and pond counts are expected to be up significantly over previous years – due to the abundance of precipitation that accumulated over the winter season. Continue reading

Mid-continental light geese are on the move again and numbers in Squaw Creek dropped from over 500,000 to 40,000 in a matter of days. In the Dakota’s, light goose numbers soared over the past week as hunters in North Dakota face dangerous flooding conditions when heading to the field.

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The great outdoors are filled with moments of irony and light goose hunting is no exception. While the pristine, downy feathers of a snow goose can be pure-white, the spring pursuit is often plagued by an absolute onslaught of mud. While you may not fill your limit of geese on every spring hunt, you can count on getting mud on your boots, gun, clothes, layout blind and decoys. If you haven’t gotten your truck stuck at least once when snow goose hunting, perhaps you’re not hunting hard enough. Yep, spring snow goose hunting is a dirty job, but somebody has to do it. Continue reading

Another round of arctic storms in the Central and Mississippi Flyways pushed geese south again over the past week, as the light goose migration progresses in a two-steps-forward, one-step-back fashion. Light goose numbers that soared to over 1-million birds at Squaw Creek two weeks ago, has dropped to 500,000 according to the current survey.

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Unless you participate in spring snow goose hunting, there is very little reason to rejoice over the recent round of late winter storms. While your average citizen would welcome the spring thaw with open arms, snow goose hunters are dancing in the streets and enjoying the opportunities provided by the recent arctic weather.

It is a rare occasion when snow geese suspend their northerly migration and retreat. Just as hunters in the south central portions of the flyway hung up their hats for the season, the geese returned. Continue reading