A slight warming trend has the light geese on the move, and a cold front rolling south should stack the birds up in the mid-tier states. Winter does not yet appear to be ready to release its hold on the U.S., but as its grip loosens, the snow geese are heading north at last.
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And now, on to the Snow Goose Migration Report.
The move north for the bulk of the mid-continent light goose population got underway over the weekend as temperatures warmed. From coastal regions of Louisiana and Texas and as far north as the Arkansas / Missouri line reports are rolling in of large flights of light geese heading north.
The Texas Panhandle is still holding large numbers of geese and should pick up a few more as the birds from the coast make their way north. Arkansas and southern Missouri may see a small stopover as geese leaving the coast of Louisiana make their way back to the tundra.
The mid-tier states of both the Mississippi and Central Flyways look to be prime in the coming week for hunters looking to get into large concentrations of snows. This week’s cold front should stack the birds up along a line from west-central Illinois to southern Nebraska and possibly as far north as southern South Dakota.
The upper reaches of the Atlantic Flyway have begun reporting fair-to-good success with light geese over the past week. Hunters along the Atlantic Flyway are having their best success on coastal marshes and river estuaries. Waters along the New Jersey / Delaware border have been the best producers with the geese feeding on marshy islands in that area.
Spring seems to be on hold for most of the nation. As the geese move back north, our eyes turn to the breeding ground and the conditions returning waterfowl will find. Drought continues to be a reality for much of “the duck factory,” although recent fronts have brought some much needed precipitation to the region. Barring a wetter than normal spring, it looks as though conditions may again be tough this year for waterfowl on the breeding ground. With that in mind, it is more important than ever to support local and international waterfowl and wetland conservation efforts. It is also important that we as waterfowlers do our part to ensure the future of the sport. By teaching young and new hunters that cycles of drought leading to reduced seasons and bag limits are a regrettable part of our world, but no reason to abandon our most cherished pastime.
