The ice has begun to form and snow is starting to pile up in much of the north; the race is on for waterfowlers in the northern tier. Conditions are right for a strong push of birds out of Canada and reports already indicate its beginnings in many areas. The question now is – will the early winter cause a lockout or a pile-up as the Migration of 2002 – 2003 gets into high gear?
Hello, folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
Winter looks to be coming early for the upper Midwest and North East while the West coast will have to be content with near normal weather patterns for the time being. After the early season forecast for El Nino conditions, it looks as though nature has again shuffled the deck for the 2002–2003 waterfowl season.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
CANADA
From Alberta eastward the freeze is on in Canada. Thickening ice and snow are shutting waterfowl and waterfowlers out of their favorite holes. Moving water or large lakes are the only game in town for much of Canada as winter takes hold. Field hunting in areas of lesser snowfall should continue to produce good hunting as light and dark geese feed up before making their journey south.
On the western edge warmer weather should allow hunters in British Columbia to retain what birds they have. Until the freeze sets in for BC, look for birds hitting shallow sloughs and small lakes. Field hunting should begin to pick up as the weather cools off and waterfowl begin staging for the trip across the border.
PACIFIC FLYWAY
Washington State hunters could not have picked a better weekend for their split. Warm weather kept numbers in the area stagnant, as scouting reports will attest. In Oregon, success was spotty. Inland hunters found the local birds and early arrivals hard on their nerves, while hunters on the coast fared far better. Wigeon made up most of the bags from this past week out in the salts. Idaho mallard numbers rose after cold weather spilled into the western portions of the Central Flyway last week.
Further south, California, Nevada and Utah hunters are getting underway with a good number of Gadwall and teal moving through. Local mallards rule the roost for now but hunters on the eastern side of the Pacific flyway can expect an influx of new birds this week as the cold spills down out of Canada along the western edge of their neighboring flyway.
CENTRAL FLYWAY
Snow was the big story this week for the Upper portions of the Central Flyway. Hunters who were out both days of the weekend saw a clear example of weather influence on the migration. Reports from across the Northern Tier read the same, strong flights and high success on Saturday left hunters eager for the next day’s hunt only to find that falling snow and temperatures had sent the bulk of waterfowl south under the full moon.
The good news for the upper reaches of the Central Flyway is that goose numbers are on the rise as waves of light and dark geese cross the border from Canada.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY
Puddle duck and goose numbers continue to climb in the northern reaches of the Mississippi flyway, but the big story from this past week is divers. Reports out of both Minnesota and Wisconsin tell of jaw-dropping numbers of Bills, Cans and other divers making an appearance. Snowfall and icy waters will have birds moving to the big lakes and rivers as temperatures remain low over the next week.
Further south, the Missouri Youth opener came with a fair supply of early mallards and enough teal and wood ducks to keep everyone happy. It looks as though the first wave of big ducks has already reached the upper reaches of the southern tier. Hunters scouting and working on blinds as far south as Louisiana report small but regular flocks of mallards and gadwalls already in the area.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY
Although cold weather pushed into Ontario this past week it did not appear to have a major effect on hunting along the Eastern Seaboard. Below average bird counts are reported in many of the region’s refuges and hunters reports mirror these statistics. Below normal temps and some snowfall for the region should increase action over the next week.
On down the coast, hunters waiting for their opener in the mid-latitude and southern states may have to be content with local birds and teal. Scouting reports show spotty pockets of new ducks that have trickled down over the past week but no real concentrations moving as of yet.
Winter would appear to be arriving early for many waterfowlers this year. Already ice is edging out from the reeds and making boat trips into the marshes tougher with each passing day. As the snow begins to turn the landscape into a scene from a Christmas card, waterfowlers continue to look northward, their wish list well in mind.
Dear Santa,
Since winter has come early this year I was hoping we might bump Christmas forward as well. Please bring me a good waterfowl season and plenty of snow on the breeding ground.
And if it is not too much to ask, could I please shoot better than last season. Failing that how about an extra few boxes of shells.
I have been very good this year,
The Waterfowler
