Before beginning this week’s migration report, all of us at Waterfowler.com would like to once again express our deepest condolences to the family of Adam Miller, Waterfowler.com member and VFE for the state of Pennsylvania, and to the families of William Nurmi and Michael Jones. The three companions were lost in a boating accident while hunting the Chesapeake Bay. Adam’s fellow Pennsylvania VFE’s have established a memorial fund which will be divided equally amongst the families of all three victims. To contribute to their memorial, please send contributions to: Continue reading

Hopes are running higher than expectations as we enter the last week of the 2002-2003 regular waterfowl season. As more cold air spills down the continent, late-season waterfowlers are still wondering if the birds will put in an appearance before the last bell sounds. Hello, folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. The deepest condolences of all of us here at Waterfowler.com go out to the family of Adam Miller, Waterfowler.com VFE for the state of Pennsylvania, and the families of the other men who lost their lives this past week in pursuit of their passion for waterfowling. And now, on to the Migration Report. Continue reading

Fingers are crossed; last minute plans are being made and remade as the final two weeks of the regular waterfowl season play out. Hopes and dreams are all hedging on a new cold front piling out of Canada. Will THIS be the one that at last pushes birds? Hello, folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. The most recent cold snap brought a surprise to many of the lower tier states, and confirmed the belief that the major migration has stalled this year. Over the weekend hunters on the southern end of most flyways began to see their first real push of birds, and they were . . . teal?! Continue reading

With Mid- January only a few days away we have reached the wind down for the 2002-2003 regular waterfowl season. And though there have been reports of success in most regions of the country, this year will most likely be recorded as one of the most spotty seasons in recent memory. Waterfowlers around the nation have been and continue to be stunned by the ability of their prey to be so plentiful in some areas and utterly nonexistent in other, or even more frustrating the “here today, gone tomorrow” pattern that has been the norm for many states throughout this season. But all is not lost! With three weekends left in the regular season a strong Arctic air mass is poised to drive southward over the next week, and on it rides the hopes of many waterfowlers for pulling out a good season in the remaining days. Continue reading

The downhill stretch. The New Year is upon us, and as we struggle to remember to write 2003 on our checks and date books the last few weeks of the regular waterfowl season begin to unfold. Hello folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. The holidays saw many more of us afield, and if weather was what you had hoped for, there was all kinds of it for you to enjoy. From fast-moving snowstorms to slow driving rains, last week brought back the seesaw pattern of weather that the dreaded El Nino is known for. Continue reading

Waterfowler.com would like to wish all our readers the Happiest of Holidays. Here’s hoping Santa has brought you a great waterfowling season and for those of you with some of your season still to come, here’s hoping that the New Year brings new ducks. And now, on to the Migration Report. PACIFIC FLYWAY As yet another storm moves inland this week, waterfowlers along the Pacific Flyway wait and wonder if this will be the one that kicks the migration into high gear. Although the last front brought the action up a notch for much of the flyway, reports and surveys from Eastern Washington continue to be below expectations for this part of the season. Some improvement should come this week as the heavy winds move birds inland from the coast. Continue reading

Last week’s weather brought a mixed bag of conditions to waterfowlers across the US, and as we look ahead the chance of weather appears about the same for the week before the Holidays. Hello, folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. Yes, the weather outside is frightful . . . from snow skis to suntan lotion we have seen it all in the past week. But perhaps Santa will bring us all the weather we need, along with the other goodies on our wish list. Continue reading