Despite the arrival of the Winter Solstice, warm air continues to embrace the nation. With temperatures averaging 25-35 degrees above normal this week, areas in the U.S. Prairie Pothole region could reach record temperatures this week and coddle and already stalled migration of northern birds.
Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
Whether you call it Global Warming or simply cyclical Climate change, warm and dry conditions continue to plague hunter success in the southern half of the nation. While waterfowl hunters remain hopeful that the duck driving Clipper System will rear deliver ducks before the end of the season, data available at the Climate Prediction Center does little to fuel those hopes.
With the exception of the Pacific Northwest, temperatures across the rest of the nation are expected to remain well above average through January, with the epicenter of unseasonable temperatures radiating outward from southwest Missouri. Precipitation will remain below average for most of the south, but above average for the Great Lakes, including the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys.
The bulk of the late season migration continues to hug areas along the 40th parallel. While the bulk of migrating waterfowl are and have been on their southern most wintering grounds, the absence of duck moving weather continues to hamper hunter success in most areas except coastal hotspots.
Just how odd is this year’s migration? On the stomping grounds of WFC staff here in Northeastern Illinois, according to the most recent INHS waterfowl survey, mallards are nearly six times the five-year average and the duck season has been out for nearly a month. Of the four flyways, the Atlantic Flyway has struggled the most during these unseasonable temperatures. In short, in a year where a record number of birds are migrating, hunter success is at all time lows in many areas and late season states are not experiencing the success the upper Central and Mississippi Flyways did during the onset of the season.
While the hunting may not be easy in the south there are still birds to be had. Filling the strap will take extra time, scouting and tenacity. You can wait for arctic winds that may never come or play the hand that’s been dealt. Of course, in our mind there is never a bad day of hunting, only days with lower harvests.
PACIFIC FLYWAY:
Bird number remain below average in the northern portions of the flyway with hunter success fair to good in WA, OR, ID and western MT. Hunter success is fair to good from the Klamath Basin to the Sac Valley with bird numbers good but little weather to move them. Hunter success varies from southern California into Arizona with bird numbers near normal for this time of year.
CENTRAL FLYWAY:
Goose hunting remains good to excellent in eastern Colorado and Nebraska. Mallard numbers are on the rise in the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma with hunter success improving over previous weeks. Bird number along the Gulf Coast remain substantially above aver and hunter success is good to excellent at this time.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY:
A substantial number of mallard remain scattered across Iowa and northern Illinois and portions of the upper Mississippi River. Mallard number in Arkansas increased over previous weeks in localized areas with hunter success good to excellent. Duck numbers are up in central Indiana and the Ohio River Valley. In Louisiana duck numbers remain good to excellent on all species except mallards.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY:
Duck numbers remain below average from the Chesapeake Bay to North Carolina. Migration activity increased in upstate New York and other areas in the northern portions of the flyway. Hunter success remains fair to good in South Carolina and Georgia for early migrating species with all others low. Alabama and Florida hunter success varies from fair to excellent with few areas holding substantial numbers of birds.
