A series of low-pressure systems have moved across the U.S, plummeting temperatures in the southeast. The arctic air has ducks on the move in the Atlantic flyway, and a number of storms approaching the west coast are expected to improve hunter conditions in the drought stricken areas of California.
Hello, folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
While drought persists in the southeast and southwest, winter expands it’s icy-grip into the deep south this week, moving the freeze line and ducks to their southerly most destinations.
With less than a month remaining in the 2007-2008 waterfowl season, there is still tremendous waterfowl hunting opportunity to be had for the adventurous waterfowl hunter willing to travel south. Hunter success continues to be good to excellent in the southern portions of the Central and Mississippi Flyways. Now is the time to take advantage of WFC’s member network, and contact your online friends for a last minute hunt in their home state.
With the spring snow goose season fast approaching, be sure to begin your planning soon to insure a great spring hunt during the coming months. Waterfowler.com encourages all of our members to take advantage of this expanded hunting opportunity, and participate in the expanded harvest program to protect the fragile habitat on the tundra.
WFC’s Trade-A-Hunt program and state-by-state message forums are a fantastic way to extend an invitation to fellow WFC members, so post your listings today.
PACIFIC FLYWAY:
A series of low-pressure systems are expected to slam into the Pacific coast over the next 5 days, bringing high winds and precipitation to most of the west. As exceptional drought conditions persist in the southern portion of the flyway, hunters will welcome the rain with open arms, and with any luck at all, hunting conditions should improve in the southern portion of the flyway. At the very least, the weather will put them on the deck and in the pot if you’re shooting straight. From Oregon to the Sacramento Valley, mallards, widgeon and pintail are all good to excellent, with dark geese average for this time of year. In central and southern California, white-fronted goose numbers are fair to good, with snow goose numbers good to excellent for this time of year. In Arizona, mallards are good, widgeon, teal and gadwall numbers good to excellent, and pintail fair.
CENTRAL FLYWAY:
In Colorado, safety officials rescued four waterfowl hunters from the icy Colorado River on New Years Day, as their holiday hunt nearly ended in disaster. Reports confirm that the hunters were attempting to start their outboard motor when a wave capsized their boat and dumped them into the frigid ice flow. Three of the hunters were able to reach the shore on their own; however, the fourth hunter floated nearly 4-miles down river before being rescued, and treated for hypothermia. With the water temperature at 32-degrees and the air temperature hovering around 19-degrees, the outcome of the situation could have been far worse. WFC reminds our members and readers that nature can be an unforgiving force during the waterfowl season. Accidents happen and you can never be too un-prepared to deal with an emergency situation. Always wear a coast guard approved PFD and carry a survival kit that includes emergency blankets, dry clothing and medical supplies when venturing into the field.
From Colorado to Oklahoma, mallards are concentrated on larger impoundments and rivers with open water. In New Mexico, waterfowl numbers are good to excellent for this time of year, and in Texas, duck and goose hunting is good to excellent on all species from the Panhandle to the Gulf Coast. In Kansas, hunters continue to struggle from a major early season and late season fly-over. Mallards, widgeon, and gadwall are fair to poor, with divers good.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY:
Goose hunting continues to be excellent from central Missouri to northern Kentucky and central Indiana. In Illinois, goose hunting is fair in the north where ice and snow have food sources covered, and good to excellent from Central Illinois south.
Duck numbers are good to excellent in Arkansas at this time. Above average water levels have waterfowl widely dispersed, with mallards best in the central portion of the state. Hunting pressure continues to be the single most influencing factor for hunter success in Arkansas, with rested areas providing the best opportunity.
From Tennessee to Louisiana, gadwall, pintail, teal and wood duck numbers are good to excellent for this time of year, with mallards good. Mallards continue to hold hard to the freeze line and move with each advancing or receding storm front. While the current arctic temperatures have improved mallard activity south of the freeze line the past few days, they are likely to fly northward with the warming trend that will move in from the gulf this weekend.
In summary, there is no shortage of ducks from the Mason-Dixon line south. If you have ever dreamed of a late season waterfowl hunt in the southern end of the Mississippi Flyway, now is the season to go.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY:
Canada goose numbers are good to excellent from eastern Ohio to New Jersey, with mallards fair. In Ohio, geese are concentrated in areas with open, or moving water. Field hunting continues to provide the best shooting when hunting in active fields. While cold temperatures have prevailed in the east this past week, plummeting temperatures into the 20s in Florida, a warming trend is expected to follow swiftly behind the cold front and raise temperatures back into the 50s in the northern portion of the flyway.
With the extreme drought conditions continuing in the southeast, waterfowl riding ahead of the current low pressure system are expected to quickly retreat to the north again (in search of water) as the temperatures rise over the next 5 days.
Mallards, blacks, and green-wing teal remain fair to good in the northern 3rd of the flyway, with Snow goose numbers average for this time of year. Diver shooting is good to excellent from the Maryland coast to Chesapeake Bay. With ringed-necked ducks, wood ducks and pintail concentrated from Virginia to the Carolinas.
Until our next report, consider re-stocking or creating an emergency kit to carry with you into the field this season.
