The first flights of sandhill cranes arrived in North Dakota this past week, and the great brown duck shoot is underway in many northern states. Hunters in Minnesota and Wisconsin are reporting a primary bag of wood ducks and teal, with green-winged teal numbers increasing over the previous weeks.
Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
As we approach the first weekend in October cool, wet weather in the upper Midwest has brought rain to many areas in need of water. While the few inches that fell over the Great Lakes region will improve conditions slightly, most areas in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa remain below normal water levels. Hunters using mud motors and shallow running boats are reaping the harvest in areas where access is limited by low water. While bird numbers are fair to good in most areas, hunter success has varied greatly due to habitat conditions.
The month of October marks the celebration of Youth Waterfowl Days in a number of states across the north. Waterfowler.com encourages our members to take a kid hunting during these special seasons to introduce a child to the grand tradition of waterfowl hunting. While the Hunter Safety course is required in many states for first-time hunters, a number of states have begun to offer mentor licenses that allow youth to take to the field for one season before deciding if they would like to take the Hunter Safety class and pursue the grand traditions of waterfowl hunting throughout their lifetime. As a result, first-time access to the great outdoors has never been easier, so check your state’s regulations for these new opportunities and begin planning your youth waterfowl today.
Waterfowler.com will release the download information for our new iPhone and Android mobile application “iMigration” in the next week. This smart phone app will make Waterfowler.com’s Migration Mapping System available to Smartphone users for instant access and data input. The app will send data to both the mobile and website maps to provide the most recent data on the current migration.
While duck hunting has consumed our headlines the past few weeks, dark goose hunting and migration has progressed at a steady pace in the upper Mississippi Flyway, The first migrants have been arriving for the past few weeks and feeding in the few recently harvested fields throughout the northern portion of the flyway. Hunters are reporting delayed harvests in most areas and recent rains are expected to cause further delays. While goose hunting access is limited, the limited areas are providing world class shooting for those willing to walk away from ducks for a morning.
Until our next report, begin planning your youth waterfowl adventures today.
