Posted By:
brian j. donovan
Field Editor
North Texas 07-30-2009 09:36
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
TP&WD is currently conducting a survey of waterfowl hunters seeking input on the proposed season frameworks and elimination of the Hunter’s Choice program. You can find the survey here:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/feedback/public_comment/proposals/200908_late_migratory.phtml
Posted By:
brian j. donovan
Field Editor
North Texas 06-29-2009 08:00
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
DOVE, TEAL SEASONS SET
AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service SRC (Service Regulation Committee) has approved the 2009-2010 Texas dove season, including a 70-day season and 15-bird daily bag statewide, and a 16-day early teal season.
Additionally, the SRC approved moving the Texas South Zone dove season opening the Friday nearest Sept. 20, but no earlier than the 17th. This year the season will open Sept. 18.
Texas dove season in the North and Central Dove Zones will run from Tuesday, Sept. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 25 and reopen Saturday, Dec. 26 through Sunday, Jan. 9, with a 15-bird bag and not more than two white-tipped doves.
The South Zone dove season will run Sept. 18-Nov. 3, reopening Dec. 26-Jan. 17 with a 15-bird bag and not more than two white-tipped doves.
Possession limit is twice the daily bag for all migratory game birds except light geese, which currently does not have a possession limit.
The Special South Texas White-winged Dove Area will open to white-winged dove afternoon-only (noon to sunset) hunting the first two full weekends in September running from Sept. 5-6 and 12-13 and reopen when the regular South Zone season begins on Friday, Sept. 18 through Tuesday, Nov. 3 and again from Saturday, Dec. 26 through Wednesday, Jan. 13. The Special White-winged Dove Area season takes four of the allowable 70 days, so when the regular season opens, this area most close four days earlier than the rest of the South Zone. The daily bag limit is 15 birds, not more than four mourning doves during the first two weekend splits and 2 white-tipped doves. Once the general season opens, the aggregate bag limit will be 15.
The Service also approved a proposal to give TPWD the option to adjust a portion of the boundary of the Special White-winged Dove Area. This change would remove portions of Jim Hogg and Starr counties.
Texas’ 16-day September teal season will run Sept. 12-27.
The season for rail and gallinule is Sept. 12-27 and Oct. 31-Dec. 23; for snipe, Oct. 31-Feb. 14; and for woodcock, Dec. 18-Jan. 31.
Posted By:
dwilliams3
Web Member
Hubbard 01-24-2009 18:35
Cloudy, High Winds – 35-40 Degrees
Hunted the Hubbard area for the first time ever. I was surprised with what I saw. The area has about 5 or 6 major flocks of snow geese that probably total around 75,000.
For central Texas, that’s a pretty fair number of geese.
We’ll try them again during the electronic call season in February.
Interested: Try www.HOTguidedhunts.net
Posted By:
rdwaterdog
Guest
North of Kemp,TX 01-13-2009 14:32
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 35-40 Degrees
high NW winds from the front that hit on Friday night, we didnt think we were going to do that good on a private ponds we have been hunting all season. Turned out we got two out of the three limits just had to be sitting in the right spot(we moved once to get in a better position). We have been killing a consent 9 or 10 birds in the split season. Before the break we were taking 4 limits of widgeon, woods, gadwalls and mallards. Now were are just taking ringnecks, goldeneyes and gadwalls. Have not seen any widgeons for three weeks. A first time was a black bellied whistling ducks came thru with two passes we took three of the four.
We have not been putting much repeated presure on these ponds, not more then once a week and I think this has been keeping the birds in there.
Good luck
from East Texas
Posted By:
brian j. donovan
Field Editor
North Texas 01-09-2009 17:16
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – Over 70 Degrees
Sorry I’ve been scarce this season, but there hasn’t been a whole lot to report.
North Texas has been feast or famine for the majority of the season, with current conditions leaning rather heavily towards famine. While large numbers of mallards were present on area lakes (and all over North Texas, for that matter) after the second split opener, those numbers have steadily dwindled over the course of the last month. The bird of the hour is the gadwall, which has been the staple duck on both large and small water for a number of weeks now. The one bright spot is the number of pintails being taken in the area for the last two to three weeks. Many pinnies appear to have short-stopped on their way to the coast to enjoy the mild weather we’ve been having. What birds remain in North Texas are extremely stale and the best bet is a small spread on a small piece of water with little to no calling.
To delight of winter wheat farmers and the irritation of hunters, snow geese have failed to congregate in the Whitesboro to Dorchester corridor the way they have for the last couple of seasons, though there are a few more Canadas around than there have been. On the whole, the goose outlook is dismal right now and absent some very heavy snowfall in the middle Plains states, the conservation season may be a bust in this part of Texas.
Low water conditions persist in near West Texas and have limited duck hunting opportunities for many hunters in that area. There are, however, good numbers of geese with heavy straps being taken both in the fields and over water. Large numbers of sandhills are also being taken from Benjamin all the way up through Lubbock and beyond.
Posted By:
tylersmcdaniel
Guest
Cedar Creek 12-28-2008 11:21
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
You couldn’t have had more of a blue-bird day. My last time to hunt this spot was 1 week ago. There were lots of birds last time but there wasn’t ANYTHING to speak of expect for one area about 1000 yards away from us bird were going in a straight line to the area and I had my ideas.
We only shot at 1 group of mallards (8 total in the flock) and missed. I scouted after the hunt in the area I saw all the birds flying to. It was loaded with ducks. I didn’t disturb them so that so pay big dividends. I’ve thought that a couple of times this season so I better be due.
This year has been awful. I know this year they said the bird numbers are down but they seem way down to me. I’ve hunted many spots and it’s close to the same story in all the areas I’ve hunted.
I’m headed down to Choke in a couple of weeks. It’s been about 6 years since I’ve had the chance to make the drive from Dallas down there.
Posted By:
John-Donelon
Field Editor
Crowell Tx 12-26-2008 19:32
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Anybody read posts on this state.?Anyone that hunts have any information on Water conditions and birds in Cromwell area.
Posted By:
John-Donelon
Field Editor
Crowell area 12-22-2008 16:25
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A few years ago,when I had son living in Wichita Falls Tx.,my sons and I would get together every January and hunt that area.Always had fairley good success.Sayed at the Motel in Crowell.How has the water conditions been in that area?Are birds using the area?May plan a trip later in January.Any information would be appreciated,my friends and I will driving from Missouri,helpful if we had some information on the area.
Posted By:
tylersmcdaniel
Guest
Cedar Creek 12-21-2008 13:24
Cloudy, Heavy Fog – 60-65 Degrees
Really warm and foggy morning. There was consistent bird activity all morning, but the birds were very wary.
I like the area we hunted, but even being as concealed (camo-wise) as we were, we still stood out too much. There’s just no cover where we were at. I’m going to have to build out a natural blind as that would have paid very big dividends yesterday.
We only managed to scratch out a greenhead and a hooded merganser. If I would have had a blind made we probably would have been able to get our limits.
I was surprised that we didn’t run into any other hunters. I guess many folks have given up on this season.
Posted By:
tylersmcdaniel
Guest
Cedar Creek 12-16-2008 20:01
Arctic Blast – 25-30 Degrees – Open Water
Many more birds in an area I have hunted in 3 weeks. I need to get back out there for the morning hunt. There are such goods numbers that I should be in for a good hunt next go round.
The weather is just perfect for it. I really should have gone out there this morning.
I took some shots tonight but they were passing shots. I had my full choke in for that very purpose but I wasn’t hitting squat.
Concealment will be the key for the morning hunt. They are pretty wary. A few minutes building out a temporary blind will go a long way. The next two mornings should prove productive will all of the cloud cover.
There many more mallards than last time. I would say that was the predominant duck. Widgeons, wood duck and teal were out there too.
