The minor cold front that dipped into the U.S. over the past week from Canada brought heavy flights of Cackling (Hutchinson’s) geese to the upper Mississippi Flyway. Divers are slowly moving into the upper parts of the Central and Mississippi Flyways – with the most notable activity from red heads and ring-necked ducks.
Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
The anticipated cold front arrived this past week but did little to fuel any massive migration of ducks as many had hoped. Continued hunting pressure and harvest continue to thin duck numbers in the north and the great “trickle” migration is underway until the next major cold front.
From the Atlantic to Pacific flyways, teal continue to fill the primary slots in the bag limit of most hunters. With frosty conditions across most of the north each night, temporary ice ups will be common in shallow marshes across the north. Cooler temperatures are expected to continue to push teal south, and hunter success will suffer a negative impact as they move.
As ducks reach the peak of the mid-season lull in many northern states, hunters who set their mind to chase Canada geese will likely find a flurry of great hunting adventure at this time. Canada goose numbers have been steadily building across most of the north over the past week, along with white-fronted goose numbers in the west, and the first appearances of snow geese in the upper Central Flyway.
While goose numbers are good to excellent in most areas of the north, the annual grain harvest is in full swing and the geese have an endless list of feeding opportunity and options. Of course, hunting on the “X” in active feeding fields will produce the easiest limits. For those hunting in active fields between roosting areas and active fields (running traffic), hunter success will vary. Huge spreads, aggressive calling and flawless concealment will be required to convince these habitual feeders to break their habit. In short, conditions like this define the difference between amateurs and pros if you want to decoy the big flocks.
When field hunting for geese, afternoon movements are common and often unpredictable. Waterfowler.com encourages our goose hunting audience to consult the Fish and Game Forecast at Waterfowler.com, as goose feeding-times often coincide with the Solunar activity tables and peaks. Whether you are a believer in the effects of lunar schedules on wildlife activity or not, in the worst-case scenario it’s a good excuse to spend a few more hours in the great outdoors.
Waterfowler.com is pleased to announce our new Migration App is now available FREE on the Android platform. This mobile app will keep you in constant touch with our Migration Mapping Services and also allow you to input your activity reports from the field at any time. To download the APP today, visit:
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PACIFIC FLYWAY:
Duck numbers are fair to good in the northern portion of the flyway for this time of year. Diver numbers are slowly increasing in costal estuaries, with mallards low across most of the north. White-fronted goose numbers are climbing in the Klamath Basin with snow goose numbers low but average for this time of year.
CENTRAL FLWAY:
Mallard numbers are increasing slightly in eastern Montana and northwestern North Dakota. Diver numbers are climbing slightly along with Canada goose numbers over the past week. Gadwall, teal, redheads and local mallards continue to fill the primary bag limit. Hunting pressure has increased scouting time significantly over the past week as ducks seek refuge off the beaten Path. In Nebraska, goose numbers are on the rise and all other ducks fair to good for this time of year.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY:
The great trickle migration is underway in the north as harvest and hunting pressure reduce bird numbers and fewer birds replenish the losses. Redheads and ringed-necked duck numbers are increasing in the Great Lakes Region and Canada goose numbers are goo to excellent across most of the northern portion of the flyway.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY:
Teal and wood ducks continue to fill the most slots in the daily bag limit, with all other species low to fair for this time of year. Canada goose numbers are on the rise in northwestern portions of the flyway, with hunter success increasing over previous weeks. With the first split of the regular season still a few weeks away for many hunters in the north-central portion of the flyway, hopes are high that birds will continue to arrive before then.
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