In one week the opening bell rings for many in the U.S. Hunting season is nearly here and it can’t come soon enough.
Hello folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
The kickoff to the fall hunting season is about to begin, and hunters everywhere are getting word of the final shape of their seasons. As we make our last minute plans and preparations, remember: safety first, and take a young person hunting with you.
The Waterfowler.com Migration Map is up and running. Last year’s addition of teal as a subcategory was a big success and with the map now sponsored by Ducks Unlimited and available at Ducks.org as of September 1st, this year promises another banner year for WFC real-time migration tracking. As you scout and get ready for the season, be sure to report your migration observations on the WFC Migration Map. Exciting new features are coming to the map this season and will be available by the opening bell of the regular waterfowl opener.
Issue #13 of Waterfowler.com Journal is off to the printers. If you want to see the latest, be sure to Join Today. If you are already a WFC member, be sure to update your mailing address by clicking on your username from the log-in menu. And be sure to renew your membership so you don’t miss out as the season kicks off.
One of our office staff has a great tip for those planning to attend the Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoor Festival this weekend. At any such event there are countless sign-ups and drawings everyone wants to get in on, so save yourself some time and keep the lines moving—carry a few return address labels with you. All you have to do is peel and stick and your name is in the hat. OK, so you might have to fill in your email or phone number, but it will still save you time.
Last Week’s WFC WingBeats, our bi-weekly eNewsletter, somehow managed to vanish into cyberspace. WingBeats #34 is posted in the Member News section of the site, but we will be re-sending an updated version as soon as we can locate the sinkhole in our information highway. Hang tight; the next issue of WingBeats will contain a special gear-up offer to all our members, and it’s sure to be worth the wait.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
ATTENTION CURRENT VFE’s : The season is ramping up and we are sure everyone is eager to start seeing reports. So, put on your writing hats and help out your fellow WFC members by filing field reports for your area. Also be sure to enter your migration activity observations on the Migration Map. Teal move down the flyways only slightly faster than they buzz your decoys, and the map is perfect for keeping up with these fighter jets of the duck world.
As the harvest season gets underway, resident geese are beginning to take advantage of waste grain. Look for a shift in the feeding patterns of local flocks as the harvesters roll. Rain and cool weather could push geese into a more aggressive feeding pattern early. So, if you are not seeing birds where you hunted them in the early season last year, try scouting some of your regular season haunts.
The teal migration is moving south, although slowly. Cool weather over the past few weeks had the earliest of the early birds bugging out for the coasts, but enough birds are still being reported all across the northern tier to make the upcoming teal opener worth the battle with mosquitoes and guns that somehow learned to miss over the summer.
In general, teal tend to gather in shallower waters where natural vegetation is in good supply. Keep an eye on newly inundated areas as the season approaches. Newly flooded areas will have more available food, and often draw teal in significant numbers.
By next week it will have begun, for most of us. Fall will not be long in coming and the regular season will be here before you know it. Last minute projects now take on a critical urgency as the nights get longer. ‘Tis the season, or almost anyway. Welcome back, good luck, and be safe.
