Fall is off to a roaring start and northern tier states kicked off their openers with better then expected bird numbers and weather.
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And now, on to the Migration Report.
CANADA
Weather along the western portion of Canada will be mild for the near term and bird movement is likely to reflect the less than ideal conditions. With little movement expected, hunters will find themselves chasing an increasingly wise population of waterfowl until the next cold front sends in web footed reinforcements.
In central and southern portions of the country, a brisk cold snap had divers and geese moving. Diver numbers in particular have jumped in and around The Pas over the past week. Both light and dark geese have been on a slow but steady buildup, but the most recent reports out of the mid-country show concentrations beginning to build and flock sizes on the rise. With another freeze expected in areas along the US / Canadian border, conditions should be right this weekend for a new wave of birds to arrive.
Western Canada will see a drop in temperatures as the weekend approaches, though a freeze does not look likely. Mallard numbers in southern Ontario and Quebec are building and hunter success has been fair to good in and around the great lakes.
PACIFIC FLYWAY
Moderate weather will do little to bring new birds down the flyway this week but the good news is that early arrivals and local populations appear to be in good concentrations from Washington down to northern California. Reports from Idaho are of strong numbers of mallards along the Snake River and nearby sloughs and fields.
Southern portions of the flyway should see an increase in teal numbers but these may be only quick fly-bys as the birds hightail it to points south. With a chance of snow and freezing conditions in the upper Midwest, a new batch of birds should be on the way, however.
CENTRAL FLYWAY
Northern Tier states that opened this past weekend report better than average success with ducks and fair hunting for geese. Dry conditions in South Dakota and southern North Dakota concentrated ducks on available waters, but the conditions also concentrated hunters educating flocks at a rapid rate.
There has yet to be a strong push of light geese into the upper flyway but the approaching cold front should begin sending respectable numbers of both light and dark geese down out of Canada.
Southern states wrapped up a stellar teal season this past week and are now on hold for the regular season opener. Already small numbers of pintail, gadwall and other puddle ducks are being seen as far south as coastal Texas.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY
Along the northern tier, waterfowl numbers are on the rise but many areas are still drier than usual, making conditions less than favorable for both hunters and the birds. Cold weather and rain are forecast for the upcoming week and if the mix comes together just right the gunning should be fantastic.
Eastern portions of the upper flyway have already begun seeing nice numbers of puddle ducks and success for most hunters has been good. The same freeze that is invading the Dakotas will move east by the weekend and should reinforce bird numbers in and around the Great Lakes and push less hardy local birds down the flyway some.
What appeared to be the mother lode of teal blew through the southern end of the flyway this past weekend. Hunters reported a dramatic rise in teal numbers early in the weekend only to see those birds vanish before the season closed. Most hunters in southern states reported a shift in the color of their teal bag from blue to green before the season went out on Sunday.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY
Despite the lack of colder weather, duck and goose numbers are high in the northern portions of the flyway, both inland and along the coast. Further south, reports vary widely with some hunters as far south as North Carolina reporting nice concentrations of new birds while their neighbors tell of empty skies.
States along the lower end of the flyway have wrapped up their teal season and now must wait and cross their fingers as fall eases down the coastline to them.
The season is underway and no matter where you live it feels good just to know that someone somewhere is out there hunting ducks and geese. Before long the migration of opening days will stretch from coast-to-coast and border-to-border and we will all share the glory of a crisp autumn sunrise in the company of our fellow waterfowlers across the nation.
