‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the camp, the gun dogs where snoring, all muddy and damp. Members were pacing from reports they had got, migrants were moving on cold winds they’d caught. With mouse buttons clicking in the glow of blue screens, members were posting like you’d never seen. Come mallards, come pintails, teal and geese, on widgeon, on gadwall and spoonies the least. Their wings they will whistle and hens will quack, you’ll never sleep now, well, maybe a nap. So hang up your waders and nestle in bed, dream about decoys and big green heads. As the season continues and we wait for this night, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good flight!
— Happy holidays from the entire WFC staff.
Winter comes to the US with a strong cold front moving down the center of the country. With snow and freezing rain forecast as far south as north Mississippi, the front has all the makings of a real waterfowl mover.
Hello folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
It appears as though many waterfowlers in the US will be getting their Christmas wish, cold weather and ducks on the move. As the mercury drops and snow falls, a significant shift of ducks and geese may be arriving in the southern portions of the Mississippi, Central and Atlantic Flyways right on Santa’s heels, if not a little ahead of him.
The WFC ProSHop Christmas sale continues through December 24th. Members and guests receive 10% off an entire order during this limited time offer. Some restrictions apply, see the WFC home page for full details.
Waterfowler.com would like to wish all our members and guests the happiest of Holidays. Thanks for making this a great year here at Waterfowler.com. May the Christmas season be all you could hope for.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
PACIFIC FLYWAY
Northern coastal reaches of the flyway report good concentrations of waterfowl this week. Tidal flats and bays and their nearby grain fields have been producing well from the Canadian/US border down to central Oregon.
Inland, things have slowed a bit for Eastern WA and OR, but some movement of new ducks and geese is reported on the far eastern side of the flyway along the Snake River of Idaho.
Southern portions of the flyway, from California’s Central Valley inland to Nevada, report a steady increase in bird numbers. Higher concentrations of new birds are reported in CA, but gunning has been improving in southern inland flyway states as well.
CENTRAL FLYWAY
GEESE! Eastern Montana has seen a sharp rise in Canada goose numbers over the past week, and a huntable number of mallards and other ducks remain in the region as well. Moving east, the Dakotas are still holding fair numbers of geese and scattered pockets of ducks on the open waters of large lakes and rivers.
Farther south in the flyway, duck and goose numbers remain good with more light and dark geese arriving on a regular basis. While some ducks are moving into the region, others are bugging out. In many areas, the ducks have begun concentrating into large groups in what appears to be a staging for a big push south. Watch for these larger concentrations of birds to feed heavily for the next few days before beginning to move further down the flyway.
Southern portions of the flyway have had an increase in ducks and light geese in recent days. That trend should continue for all of Texas and Oklahoma as the most recent cold front moves south.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY
A vigorous cold front plunging down the flyway has birds on the move. Reports from northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan show a strong push of birds heading south over the past few days. Fair concentrations of birds remain in northern portions of the flyway, but with most states closed for duck hunting, it is the large numbers of Canada geese that are the primary source of excitement for Great Lakes area waterfowlers.
Central portions of the flyway along the Ohio and Illinois rivers have reported a major push of mallards over the last week. With arctic air invading the area, birds will be forced to settle on big lakes and moving water.
The lower end of the flyway has already begun seeing new birds. After the last front moved down the flyway, duck and light goose numbers rose and should climb significantly as snow and freezing temperatures move far down into the lower Mississippi Valley this week and through the Christmas Holiday.
PACIFIC FLYWAY
Sea duck numbers are strong in the upper Atlantic states and other waterfowl continue to be in fair to good supply from Maine down through the rest of the New England states. Inland dark goose numbers are steady and building slightly, but birds have become well educated and tough critics of even the most detailed decoy spreads.
Mid-flyway, divers and sea ducks are the top birds for the area. Mallards, blacks and teal are in fair supply but are reported to be in scattered concentrations and very susceptible to gunning pressure.
In the lower flyway, new birds have been arriving as far south as Florida over the past week and that trend should continue as the week rolls on. With freeze warnings in place for far northern portions of the citrus state, new birds should be around in time for Christmas in much of the lower flyway.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Waterfowler.com. It looks as though Santa has decided to bring on the birds, good luck, Happy Holidays and be safe.
