A brisk north wind and Frost Advisory for Alberta, Manitoba and northern Minnesota have ignited another early migration event in the Central and Mississippi Flyways. Blue-winged teal continue to hopscotch down the Flyways, along with scattered reports of pintail and widgeon numbers increasing in the far north.
Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
While it may be difficult to imagine a frost and even snow flurries after the summer most have just endured, colder temperatures are griping the Prairie Pothole region of Canada this week and the annual migration has begun. At this time blue-winged teal are present and on the move from the far north to costal Louisiana and Texas.
Hunters who happen to reside in states that offer an early teal season have experienced good to excellent hunting the past week, thanks to back-to-back fronts that have kept a steady flow of birds traveling south.
Lower temperatures have also provided increased hunter success during the early resident goose seasons across most of the north. Cooler temperatures have resulted in increased feeding activity for local geese and provided additional shooting opportunities that is often stifled by the hot, muggy days normally associated with early season hunts.
While September is often just a warm up before the regular waterfowl season, a number of northern states will begin the regular season much earlier this year. The youth hunt in Minnesota has already past and hunters are quickly counting down to opening day. The first split of Iowa’s season is nearly upon us and the great “brown duck” shoots will begin.
Of course, brown ducks are not a specific species but describe the mottled-look that most ducks have as they begin the early part of the season in eclipse-phase plumage. Over the next month the brown ducks will eventual molt into gray ducks, which is our blanket description for green-winged teal, widgeon, gadwall and pintail, as their bodies are similar in color generally migrate at the same time of the year.
To remain within lawful bag limits by species, the early season hunter with test their duck identification skills for bids in flight and those brought to hand. Bill, feet, shoulder and scapular feather colors are critical components of successful bird identification. While it may seem inconsequential to trade an extra orange-billed hen with your buddy for one of his greenish, yellow-billed drakes to balance out a legal bag limit, that would be called “party hunting” and it is illegal. Waterfowler.com reminds our readers that proper bird identification is the key to a successful, legal hunt. Take time to review any number of online sources for bird identification and commit learning eclipse phase markings that will let you hunt safely within the limits of the law. When in doubt, pass on the shot. The season is just beginning ad there will be many, many more birds and opportunities to come.
Until next week, visit a local refuge area and practice your waterfowl identification skills.
