Cold weather is moving down through the middle of the nation, and reports of migration activity are increasing for many southern states, but the big push of mallards still looks to be holding north of the US/Canadian Border.
Hello folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
All eyes are on Canada and the Northern Plains as we move into the middle of November. A short-lived but strong cold front has the potential to move birds over the weekend, and hopes are high for some major migration activity as we inch closer to the Holidays.
If you have not done so yet, be sure to Join Waterfowler.com Today, or renew your current WFC membership. With the first big cold weather system of the fall lining up for the week ahead, access to the WFC Migration Map, Migration Alerts and Field Reports can keep you in tune with the movement of ducks and geese as northern waters freeze and north winds blow. Join or Renew Today. For less than the cost of a dozen decoys you can have access to everything Waterfowler.com has to offer: real-time migration mapping and tracking, email migration alerts, exclusive WFC ProShop savings, four issues of Waterfowler.com Journal, and much more. Just click the Join Today button at the top of the WFC homepage or call 1-877-993-2389 to get in on “The best deal in duck hunting, online and in print.”
The Waterfowler.com Timber Hunt with Mallard Retreat in Stuttgart Arkansas still has a few openings, and the duck outlook from the area is good. Timber Hunt will take place January 14th -17th and will include:
1. Transportation for guests to and from the Little Rock airport.
2. Morning duck hunts scheduled for January 15th, 16th and 17th.
3. One afternoon snow goose hunt provided by Mallard Retreat through local snow goose guru Hoot Gibson.
4. One free round of Five Stand for each guest.
5. One (1) complimentary (free) taxidermy duck mount per guest, shipping not included.
Mallard Retreat is located in the heart of the Grand Prairie, just a stone’s throw from the fabled Bayou Meto. The 14,000 square foot lodge offers guests the highest level of comfort and amenities with a full bar, pool table, big screen television, sporting clays range and more. Call Mallard Retreat to book your spot today 1-870-873-0111. Full details are available on the WFC HomePage.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
CANADA
The story north of the US border remains the same, for the most part. Warm, wet weather has continued to stall harvests, and though some portions of the country have begun to ice out, there is still a large area where grain crops remain unharvested and the water remains open.
Most of the “fair weather” ducks seem to have hit the road, but the hearty divers, mallards and Canada geese look to be content to hang out in the ample grains until snowfall blankets the country, and that just isn’t in the forecast any time soon.
Hunters from many areas of Canada are scratching their heads and racking their brains trying to remember the last time their season ran so long without being cut short by cold and snow.
PACIFIC FLWAY
Strange weather over the last few weeks has bird movement along the Western US a bit hard to pin down. Wigeon numbers are strong along much of the northern coast, but mallard numbers, which appeared to be on a rocket trip climb recently, have leveled off. In many areas the birds have settled in and become wary as they learn the game of local hunters.
That being said, small pushes of ducks and geese are filtering down the flyway, though more likely due to pressure and the primal urge to head south than to frost on their tail feathers. With average temperatures forecast for the upcoming weekend across much of the flyway, migration activity will be light. Scouting for overlooked and out of the way places will bring better luck as the birds become more leery of blinds bristling with barrels.
CENTRAL FLYWAY
At long last it appears that the geese are on the move. In Montana, dark goose numbers are on the rise while North Dakota is seeing a sharp increase in the number of snow geese in both the Northeastern and Northwestern portions of the state.
Word has it that a lot of ducks have bugged out of ND. South Dakota saw a bump in mallard numbers last week, and there and points further south should see another fresh batch of birds as the weekend temps drop well below freezing in the upper flyway.
Central and southern areas are seeing fair to good numbers of smaller ducks, gadwall, shovelers and wigeons. Specs and snows are beginning to build in portions of Texas and pockets of teal and a few early divers are being reported from Nebraska down to the coastal marshes.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY
While duck numbers are on the rise for the lower end of the flyway, northern tier states are still waiting for the next wave of mallards and a good north wind to push divers down the flyway.
Reports from Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri and northern portions of Mississippi show a good build up of gadwall, teal and smiling mallards over the last five days, and more new birds can be expected as a brief freeze hits the upper flyway.
Northern states are also hoping this next cold wave will bring down more birds. Although Canada goose numbers remain high in and around the Great Lakes, divers and mallards are scattered and in short supply. With ample grain and no snow yet in Canada, it remains to be seen whether the big push will reach northern tier states before the close of the month.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY
New York continues to report a major buildup in mallard numbers and a steady climb in divers and sea ducks. In fact, hunters from NY are telling of duck swarms of legendary proportions on a regular basis. It still takes being in the right place, but from the buzz around the waterfowl world, the northern states of the Atlantic Flyway are the place to be at the moment.
Mid-coastal states have begun reporting movement of wigeon, teal and ringnecks over the last week. From South Carolina down to Georgia, fresh, fast flocks of these birds are being spotted with building regularity. Some reports even have the ringers as far south as Florida.
While southern states are in a rush to get their seasons going, many hunters in the north are hoping to slow down the clock. As Thanksgiving approaches, it is time for the calendar ducks to get on the road, and the potential for freeze out becomes more and more real. Anticipation is at the core of our tradition. Will this be the front? Will the birds hold or blow through? Can I convince the boss that I am sick if the birds do show up? If we always knew the answers, it just wouldn’t be the same.
