As ducks and geese poured down from Canada last week, Waterfowler.com’s servers reached peak capacity as thousands upon thousands of waterfowlers flocked to our site for the latest migration news, mapping and field information.
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And now, on to the Migration Report.
PACIFIC FLYWAY
Last week’s cold spell brought new birds into the upper regions of the flyway, but with them came the challenges of cold weather hunting. Hunters in the region found shallow ponds and marshes icing up and some extra work was required to make the birds commit.
Further south, the cold front brought only a trickle of fresh activity and hunters on the lower half of the flyway found the ducks and geese that were around to be increasingly difficult to work.
With temps for the next week hovering just below normal, no big push of birds is expected but a small but steady influx of birds should continue to move down the flyway as more and more of the northern waters lock up.
CENTRAL FLYWAY
As winter takes an early hold in the upper Central Flyway, waterfowl and waterfowlers are moving from potholes to larger bodies of water and rivers. Reports from North Dakota tell of a constant stream of birds moving into and out of the state, stopping to feed up before moving south. Other than big water and rivers, the best shooting for the northern portion of the flyway will be a matter of catching flights as they stop over for “fuel”. Regular scouting will be the key to success as the birds moving into the “here today, gone tomorrow” phase of their migration.
Moving south a bit, freeze-outs are still a matter to be dealt with, but waterfowl seem to be holding in the mid-flyway states longer. Here again, larger bodies of water and rivers are the best bet. Grain field hunting should continue to produce for the next week but locations nearest ice-free roosts will be the hottest.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY
The Northern Tier of the Mississippi Flyway continues to be a story of extremes. While hunters in the western portion continue to have better-than-average success the rest of the flyway just keeps waiting. Divers on big water are about the only sure bet for the upper reaches of the flyway, while mallards seem to be holding to the far western edge and getting harder and harder to work.
Mid-latitude states are holding good numbers of puddle ducks from the last push. Gadwall numbers are running high but the mallard count is not far behind. Along the Big Muddy, reports are of large concentrations of light geese. Puddle ducks have begun to take up residence in the rice fields of Arkansas and North Louisiana and hunters can look forward to an early season that will go a long way toward erasing the painful memories of last year’s season.
The eastern side of the flyway is still waiting for a big push of birds. Goose numbers are fair but puddle ducks have yet to put in a big showing. Kentucky, however reports a new influx of mallards with numbers rising by the day.
At the far southern end of the flyway heavy rains and high water are making for a tough start to the season. Though bird numbers are fair to good, the sheer amount of water in the marshes and fields of the Texas and Louisiana have birds and hunters at a loss for where to settle in.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY
Scoter are the big story for the upper coastal potion of the Atlantic flyway while inland hunters in New York and Pennsylvania have had a good concentration of puddle ducks building over the last few days.
Further south, the story is one of waiting. Though small bands of ducks and slightly larger flights of geese have made it down, the flyway it looks as though another strong front will be a must before gunning along the coast of Virginia and points south will pick up. In Florida teal and other early ducks are sticking around but no major presence of other waterfowl is being reported.
Almost midway through the 2002 – 2003 regular waterfowl season it is still too early to tell how this year will stack up in the record books. After predictions of a warm fall and winter, we are again reminded that the weather has its own plans, and our best guesses are often for naught. With more cold fronts lining up for a trip south out of Canada it might just be a banner year for the lower end of the flyways, but as they say “You ain’t got ‘em ‘til you got em.”
