Light Geese anyone? Only one weekend remains in the regular waterfowl season, but the prospects look bright for several of the late season states and the conservation season is ready to roll.
Hello, folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
As the season draws to a close so does your chance to get your name in the worldwide waterfowling hat. Join Waterfowler.com before January 31st and you just might extend your season with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to hunt ducks and geese in South Africa.
Thanks to Waterfowler.com’s ongoing partnership with Frontiers International, one very lucky duck hunter will experience the grand pursuit of exotic waterfowl and upland game species with their hosts, Game Bird Safaris in South Africa.
The South Africa Hunting Adventure includes a 5-night/4-day hunt with Game Bird Safaris in South Africa. This trip is to be taken May through July of 2004, and will be a mixed-bag hunting trip for francolin, guinea fowl, doves, pigeons, ducks and geese. The trip will include round-trip economy air transportation from your closest metropolitan airport to New York and Johannesburg. Accommodations (based on double occupancy), all meals with wine, beer and soft drinks, all land transportation in Vryheid until departure; hunting licenses, services of professional hunters, laundry service, and 14% VAT applicable in South Africa. See the Waterfowler.com Home Page for full details and sign up today!
Though the regular season is nearing its end now is the time to renew your Waterfowler.com Membership. With the conservation season still ahead WFC will be keeping you up to date as the “White Wave” moves back north. WFC is also a great source for timely information on everything from the all important breeding conditions of North America’s waterfowl to the latest legislation effecting both waterfowl and waterfowlers. Renew now and keep your fingers on the very pulse of the waterfowling world.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
PACIFIC FLYWAY
Gunning has slowed a bit for the upper flyway. Hard water and snow appear to have moved a large portion of ducks to points south. Geese however remain in good supply for much of the upper flyway, both coastal and inland.
Central and southern areas saw a scattered migration of new birds over the last week. Pressure seems to be the number one limiting factor in hunter success. Smaller, less pressured, overlooked and under-gunned fields, sloughs and rivers are by far the best bet as the final weekend approaches.
CENTRAL FLYWAY
Dark goose numbers are still fair to good from the upper flyway into the midsection of the US. With another round of cold air on the way, birds should continue heavy feeding and remain on established patterns as the weekend draws near. Western portions of the flyway seem to be holding a slightly higher concentration of birds than their eastern neighbors.
The southern flyway states reported a respectable rise in bird numbers over the weekend. From the panhandle to the coast, hunters in TX saw better gunning this past week. That being said, the birds still appear to be somewhat scattered, but where they are found the numbers are improving, and just in time.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY
In the upper flyway, where a few states still have goose hunting available, bird numbers are holding despite cold weather and snowfall. Large spreads are crucial now, as the flock sizes increase and the birds become more concentrated.
Mid-tier and southern portions of the flyway both saw a rise in bird numbers as the weekend rolled around. Though overall bird numbers improved, some areas are still wondering if and when the birds will arrive. Portions of the southern flyway saw bird numbers rise only to have waters freeze, making hunting tough. All indications are, however, that a new batch of birds moved into the deep south over the past week. GW teal, Pintail, and Mallards are being reported in good numbers for the first time this season. The last week looks promising.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY
The upper reaches of the flyway continue to deal with severe winter conditions and bird numbers have fallen off in most states in this region. DE however is reporting large numbers of light geese.
Mid-Flyway states benefited from the recent clipper system that hammered their northern neighbors. Dabblers and Divers both moved down the coast this week, but not as far as expected or hoped. With more harsh temps in store for the New England states, the migration should continue as the weekend rolls around.
Southern states saw only a slight increase in duck numbers this past week. Hopes are running high that the final weekend will see new birds driven south. The potential is there for some last minute barrel burning action, but the only way to know will be to be there, just in case.
One last go and the regular season will be done. Light geese now will occupy those who just haven’t had enough. Late season youth hunts in some states will allow proud parents and mentors to share the blind with the next generation of North American waterfowlers, and the planning for next season will have already begun.
