Category: Migration Updates

PACIFIC FLWAY:

Waterfowling action continues to Washington, Idaho and western Montana — with goose hunting best. With snow falling in higher elevations and ice building in the eastern portion of the flyway, good could become poor with the flip of a switch. Utah hunters — go hunting now or forever hold your peace. The first waves of ducks have been arriving since the 15th and with ice building in some areas the peak of the season could come and go in a hurry. Waterfowl numbers are steady in northern and central California. Few new arrivals have made hunting educated fowl a tough prospect at best. In Nevada ducks are fair and goose hunting presents waterfowlers the best opportunity for success. To the south, Arizona and southern California hunters will find the best opportunities along the Colorado River corridor. Continue reading

PACIFIC FLWAY

As the next storm system moves into the Pacific Northwest, duck and goose hunting remains good to excellent in most of Washington and Idaho. Duck activity has slowed in western Montana and goose hunting is fair to good in most areas. Hunter success in Utah is improving but remains poor to fair in most areas. In Californian, hunter success is limited to new arrivals. Lingering masses of pintail, mallards and gadwall have resorted to extreme nocturnal schedules to avoid hunting pressure. Hunter success is best in areas with the least pressured and educated birds. Hunting improved dramatically for Arizona hunters over the past week with an influx of disoriented arrivals including mallards, gadwall, wigeon and teal. Continue reading

PACIFIC FLYWAY:

If you are in Washington, Oregon, Idaho or northern Nevada it\’s time to get out and go hunting. Hunters in the northern portion of the Pacific Flyway have experienced the most consistent mallard shooting of the season over the past 4 days. Goose hunting remains consistent in most areas with new geese arriving daily.

In Utah, hunting remains slow and pre-freeze panic is not uncommon among hunters in the state. In all likelihood new birds will arrive as hunting pressure increases to the north. If the next front brings ice along with it, expect a rapid here today and gone tomorrow peak season in Utah. Continue reading

Pacific Flyway:

Washington hunters continue to struggle on ducks and goose action has tapered off considerably in the northern portion of the flyway. Snow in Idaho and Western Montana has produced the best mallard hunting of the season but birds have yet to move into northern portions of Utah. The hotspot of the flyway continues to be northern California and Nevada as hunters maintain consistent bags of teal, widgeon, sprig and geese. To the south, Southern California hunters continue to see an influx of snows and the recent weather has kept birds moving in front of the gun. Sprig numbers are good and all others fair. Arizona, of course, needs water and ducks. Continue reading

Pacific Flyway:

The lull continues on ducks in the northern portion of the flyway with goose hunting still providing waterfowlers with consistent action. Duck activity has curtailed in southern Oregon and Northern California with Utah hunters begging for a touch of winter up north. If there is a bright spot in the flyway southern California gets the star as pressured northern birds continue moving in with gadwall, greenwing teal and wigeon being the primary arrivals. Southern California hunters are reminded these are educated wary birds so hunt accordingly. Snow goose numbers remain steady in the south with few reports of any notable influx of new geese. Continue reading

PACIFIC FLYWAY

Duck activity in Washington and Idaho is low as the mid-season lull settles in hard. Honker shooting is good from Central Oregon north to the Canadian border and remains a waterfowl hunter\’s best opportunity for a successful hunt. Mallard numbers are increasing in both southern Oregon and Northern California with wigeon and gadwall numbers steady. In southern California, pintail numbers are improving dramatically with Canada goose numbers low and Snow goose numbers fair. Continue reading

PACIFIC FLYWAY

The trickle effect has taken hold in the Pacific Northwest as each weather front drops a few new birds and much needed water in the region. Mallard and greenwing teal are providing the best duck action though the largest groups of mallards are inactive in protected areas. Goose hunting is providing the best consistent shooting in the northwest and field hunters are experiencing fair to good success.

In the southern portion of the flyway, goose hunters are also experiencing great success. Speckbellies continue to provide the hottest action in northern California and snow numbers are on the rise in the south. Duck hunting is hit-or-miss at best. Recent rains were much overdue in California and the front did provide a spike in hunter success with teal, sprig and the ever-present spoonbills (aka Hollywood-mallards) making up the primary bag. Continue reading

Pacific Flyway

Recent storms have northwest hunters singing in the rain — and not a moment too soon. Rains in the Pacific Northwest have arrived just in time to hold the first flights of northern mallards in Washington and Oregon. Gadwall and wigeon continue to rise in the northern portion of the flyway. In Idaho hunters continue to struggle with educated local mallards and greenwing teal numbers remain steady with influx and exodus being equal. In California the opening week frenzy has ended and hunter success is sporadic with reports from excellent to poor. Hunting pressure begins to be the primary motivation for bird movements throughout the state. In northern California, teal, wigeon and sprig make up the primary bag with mallard numbers fair for this early in the season. In southern California the first Specs have arrived with scattered early snows. Teal numbers are holding steady as pressured birds move in from the north. Spoonbill populations are increasing daily making identification of flight birds critical for those hoping for an edible bag. With snow predicted for the Pacific Northwest over the next few days, conditions could change rapidly. Continue reading