With their bellies full of turkey and dressing, waterfowlers took to the field for the long Thanksgiving weekend in hopes of a few early Christmas presents of the duck and goose variety.
Hello folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
A Holiday snow maker moved across the upper Mid-west last week and brought with it high hopes of a major migration push. Though the storm doesn’t appear to have shoved all the ducks south, it has improved hunting in some key areas.
With Christmas hovering just on the edge of the spread, Waterfowler.com has a special Holiday offer to all our members and guests.
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And now, on to the Migration Report.
PACIFIC FLYWAY
The song remains the same for much of the upper flyway. Bird numbers are holding steady in and around the I-5 while water is locking up east of the Cascades.
On the west side of the area, better hunting is being had along the coast where gunning pressure is lower; inland, the lack of new birds is making hunting tough. As waters freeze birds in the area should concentrate on the remaining open waters of big lakes and rivers.
Average to slightly below average temperatures will keep the movement of birds down from Canada at a slow trickle until the snow begins to build above the border.
Central portions of the flyway continue to hold huntable numbers of divers, puddle ducks and geese. Latest reports show a marked increase in dark geese along the Washington-Oregon line.
California and inland portions of the southern flyway are experiencing good duck numbers with a slow but steady influx of new birds each week. High gunning pressure over the holiday weekend has made birds somewhat tougher to work, but as the pressure backs off and the new birds arrive hunting should improve for most of the lower flyway.
CENTRAL FLYWAY
According to sources with Delta Waterfowl and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, most ducks have moved out of the Dakotas on the tail of last week’s cold front. Some birds can still be found on large waters and rivers and scattered concentrations Canada geese appear determined to hold along the upper flyway as long as they can.
On the upper-western portion of the flyway, some ducks and geese continue to hang around on the rivers and streams of Montana and are likely to remain there until the water locks up. These birds are scattered, but offer the die-hard waterfowler some good shooting as winter moves into the area.
Snowfall across some of the central portions of the flyway has shifted birds around a bit. Early migrators appear to have bugged out for the coast while new arrivals from parts north have begun to arrive in some areas of Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas. Colorado is also reporting a good push of new birds over the past week.
In the southern flyway, flooding in parts of Texas has been a stumbling block for a lot of waterfowlers, but as the waters recede, birds should concentrate on the traditional lakes, rivers and marshes. New birds are reported, and in good number from North Texas to the coast and from the Texas-Louisiana line west into New Mexico.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY
Snowfall has finally moved into southern Canada and some of the upper reaches of the upper flyway. As the ground has turned white and some waters have frozen, birds have moved down from Canada and into most areas of the northern tier. With some states already closed and others of the upper flyway nearing the end of their seasons, it looks as though the “big push” is running a little late this season.
The long delay in migration has many of the new birds moving into and out of northern states quickly. Daily scouting and last minute sick leave will be the name of the game as the north zones close while these new birds make their way down the flyway.
Central portions of the flyway are hoping the new birds don’t hang out to long at the edge of the snow line. Fresh birds have begun moving south, but the majority of the migration has been of light geese, with the divers and mallards holding tight to the remaining open water and clear fields of the upper flyway.
Some new ducks and a lot of new geese have been reported throughout the lower flyway, but as of now, duck concentrations remained scattered due to an overabundance of water through most of the lower flyway.
The good news is that mallard numbers are on the rise from Arkansas to Louisiana, but with a world of water options open, the birds can and do move with even the slightest pressure.
Some cooler weather for the lower flyway should have birds more active over the next few days, but a warming trend for early next week may bring more rain and tough hunting conditions.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY
The far northern flyway remains the best bet along the east coast. Duck numbers are holding steady and there has been an increase in light geese and dark geese moving into the area.
Weekend snowfall forecast for as far south as southern Pennsylvania should bring new birds into the upper flyway while moving some birds farther down the coast.
From Virginia southward, duck numbers are scattered but on the rise for most mid-coastal and southern flyway states. As more snow piles up on the upper flyway, a renewed push of ducks and geese can be expected in lower flyway states, though the severity of the cold front will dictate the intensity of the migration.
Winter looks to be making a move into much of the US, and for many it is a welcome sight. Long awaited snowfall could make for a major migration push as we inch closer and closer to the end of the year. But as with all things waterfowl-related, the weather can change in the beat of a teal’s wing. Day by day, hour by hour, it is the anticipation and potential that fuels the heart of waterfowlers from coast to coast.
