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Early Canada goose season ended pretty well for us in NEA. We killed a 3 man limit before the sun was all the way up Saturday and the picture below was Sunday’s hunt, a 5 man limit.
Nice. Way to stack those early season birds. Thanks for the report.
We’re starting to creep in toward early canada goose and teal season. We should have plenty of water in north east Arkansas this September and if we have a few more mornings with temps in the 60’s I expect to start seeing a few blue wings show up. Hoping for a good season to ease the pain of a long wait until the real deal in November
Bad news! Rice Farmers have taken a hugh hit. Third rainest Spring in History prevented most in our area of St. Francis Co. from getting Rice in this year. Those that did were extremley late. And even they will have sit on Pins & Needles to see if a early Frost/Freeze ruins that.
There will be Little food for the Ducks this year sadly to say.
Birds in NE Arkansas are few and far between. Mass exodus last week and half after birds headed back to MO for the thaw. There doesn’t seem to be any major movement here up from the south. haven’t heard from South AR or Louisiana if they have any geese left, but my guess is they are finished as well. Any left down there?
YES THERE ARE MY FRIEND !!!!!
Thanks for the PM Anthony! What few birds we are getting from the south seem to be using areas to the north and east of Jonesboro. They are bypassing my areas West of there. Maybe they’ll swing around, but I think we are done! Oh well, we’ll catch em’ next year!
Was planning to take off today and hunt in the Jonesboro area, but my scouting contact tells me that we lost most of our birds over last week. Only just a few scattered groups left in the Jonesboro to Hoxie area. None in or near the fields he has permission for us to hunt. Unless we happen to get a few stragglers from Lousiana or south Arkansas, we may very well be about done for the C.O. Anybody still got birds in South Arkansas?
Hunted near Hoxie, AR yesterday until the afternoon heavy rain pushed us out of the field about 5:00. Good numbers rolled in from the north… these were migrators tired and wanting to sit down. 4 of us killed 20 or so in the morning before lunch, we left the field around 11:00 to eat and came back around 2:00 to find birds wanting to work. For the next hour or so we had large flocks trying to work… too many wise eyes, but we were able to pull smaller groups out and have some pretty good shooting and we killed another 30 or so. A large flock set down in a big rice field next to us (was mostly flooded with sheet water) and sucked in every flock for miles around… we pulled an occasional single or small bunch out but it was pretty much over by 3:30 for us… by the time rain drove us out, there were 10k or better in the next field. Ended the day with 55 geese… a very good day!! I have to work the rest of the week and have family plans for the weekend, but I hope they are still around next week! I’ve heard they have moved back south because of the snow in MO and are spread out from the SEMO down to about Weiner, AR.
Hunted yesterday near Jonesboro. Had geese in our face 10 minutes before shooting hours but couldn’t shoot. Killed a single 10 minutes into shooting time, then the winds increased from 20 mph up to sustained 30-35 mph with gusts over 40 mph. Now I like some wind when hunting waterfowl, but this was way too much of a good thing! Silosocks were popping like towels snapping and we had to take down the flappers. The decoys were bobbing around like geese on PCB!!! Needless to say, what few geese even gave us a look, by the time they got down wind of us, they struggled to fly into the wind and ended up moving on with the wind. Several huge groups of very high geese moving north with the strong winds at their backs. Few geese left in the area. Storms ran us out of the field late morning. Now waiting for new migrators!
Pretty Sunrise. Wish I could say I’ve never had to chase windsock tumbleweeds across and open field but I have. 🙂
More than once. Hahahaha
Squaw Creek numbers dropped from over a million back to 199,000. Did some drop all the way back into Arkansas?
Looking to snow goose hunt again on President’s day… next Monday. We may be hunting the same ol’ worn out local birds again (which is better than not hunting at all!) Anybody seen any migrators in the NE arkansas area yet? Hoping the weather will bring up some new birds.
Hey Dukguy how do you use that Jack Kite in that picture, we have one and we mounted ours so it was up all the time. Was wondering if you put it up than layed it down as the geese approached.
Thanks
Goosepatch from Iowa
It is actually a “double Jack kite” with two JK’s in tandom. Yes, It is usede like a long flag… raising it up in a long flowing motion (think a roll cast with a fly rod) and letting them flutter back down to the ground. It simulates the up and down movement of snows jockying for feeding rights. Seems to work good!
Dukguy — great pics, keep them coming. Snows are starting to move good. Squaw Creek numbers jumped to over a million birds in a week. You should be seeing some birds coming towards you from LA this week.
Hunted Snows yesterday on the tail of that big storm that blew through on Tuesday night. Had high winds and a significant temperature change… but it didn’t “stir” up the birds like I had hoped. Hunted south of Bono in a rice field… 4 of us killed 18, so it still turned out to be a decent day. Gonna waiot until migrators come up, only wise old local birds around right now.
As a bonafide yankee goose hunter I’ve grown up with goose limits of 1 – 2 per day on Canada Geese. 18 is great day in my book on any given shoot.
Great pic. Shoot em’ in the lips.
Dukguy, last weekend when I traveled through that area to our lease in Wynne area, I saw very few Snow geese from Hoxie on to Jonesboro. Does not mean they are not there, just did not see any while driving. Was not until I got south of Hickory Ridge that I saw numbers of any consequence. Hope I’m wrong
Anybody know if there are good numbers of snow geese in Northeast AR right now, particularly around the Hoxie – Jonesboro area? C.O. starts Monday and I’m ready to smack some white! DG
Last Sunday (1/27) I did see thousands using a field just east of Walnut Ridge at the junction of Hwy 67 North & Hwy 412 East. Good luck!
Arkansas Game & Fish Commission — January 23, 2013 Update
Low duck numbers for season’s final stretch
LITTLE ROCK – With just four days left in the 2012-2013 duck season, duck numbers in the state remain quite low compared to the last four years.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologists completed the annual midwinter aerial waterfowl survey Jan. 11 and counted about 665,000 total ducks in the state’s Delta region. Last year’s midwinter aerial count was more than 1.1 million. This year’s midwinter mallard population estimate of roughly 451,000 mallards represents about half of the four-year survey average for the species; by contrast, last year’s midwinter survey showed more than 750,000 mallards. AGFC observers have completed three aerial surveys so far this season – November, December, and early January – and duck numbers have remained stable with few of the surges in numbers that observers typically see each winter.
In the Arkansas River Valley region, observers noted a gradual increase in duck numbers during the three surveys, estimating a population of roughly 26,000 total ducks, including about 17,000 mallards, during the most recent survey. Numbers were much lower in southwestern Arkansas, where about 14,000 total ducks and 8,000 mallards were counted.
The midwinter survey was completed just prior to the heavy rainfall that dramatically increased stream flows and flooded bottomland forests in various Delta watersheds. But the fourth and final aerial survey of the season began earlier this week and preliminary reports from AGFC observers indicate numbers haven’t increased greatly since the Jan. 7-11 midwinter survey.
A full report and maps showing waterfowl densities based on the midwinter survey may be found at http://www.agfc.com/hunting/Pages/HuntingWaterfowlReport.aspx#1.
Hunted our lease last weekend in the Wynne area. Last big rain has scattered the ducks. Saw few Mallards, mostly Gadwall. Quite a few ducks flying over but appeared to be on direct line both going and coming back. Had a pretty decent season going until the 1st of the year and then it has fell off for us. January has what has made our season the last 2-3 years. Duck hunting, always changing.
ARKANSAS GAME & FISH UPDATE – Jan 16, 2013
Waterfowl habitat vastly improved after heavy rainfall
LITTLE ROCK – Last week’s rainfall has increased waterfowl habitat across the state, and most of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s waterfowl hunting areas now have reached or exceeded target water levels.
The Cache River overflowed its banks and has created additional hunting opportunities at Rex Hancock Black Swamp and Dagmar WMAs, two areas that mostly have been dry throughout the 2012-2013 season. Habitat conditions also have improved at Earl Buss Bayou DeView WMA, Bayou Meto WMA, Big Lake WMA, Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA and many other areas.
A few unseasonably warm days notwithstanding, cool weather has been in place in Arkansas for several weeks, a crucial component of waterfowl hunting success in the state. But ample water has been a missing piece of the waterfowl hunting puzzle for most of this season, and the recent improvements in water conditions should be a welcome change for the season’s final stretch.
To assist waterfowl hunters with the latest information, the AGFC provides links to sources on waterfowl location and abundance in Arkansas and other states. Maps showing graphical results of this season’s first aerial waterfowl survey are included. The links are available at http://www.agfc.com/hunting/Pages/HuntingWaterfowlReport.aspx#1.
This waterfowl report provides capsule information from agency staff in all corners of Arkansas and is updated each Wednesday throughout waterfowl season. To receive the report each week on your computer, send an e-mail to arkansasoutdoors@agfc.com and type “Waterfowl Report” in the subject line. Information on river levels can be found at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lmrfc/ or http://water.usgs.gov/realtime.html
Sunrise/sunset tables are available at: http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/data-services/rs-one-day-us and in the Arkansas Waterfowl Regulations Guide.
Good day today
A lot of smiles in that pic — even the dog. Nice!
Thanks just another day around or in Bayou- Meto
Waterfowl habitat vastly improved after heavy rainfall
LITTLE ROCK – Last week’s rainfall has increased waterfowl habitat across the state, and most of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s waterfowl hunting areas now have reached or exceeded target water levels.
The Cache River overflowed its banks and has created additional hunting opportunities at Rex Hancock Black Swamp and Dagmar WMAs, two areas that mostly have been dry throughout the 2012-2013 season. Habitat conditions also have improved at Earl Buss Bayou DeView WMA, Bayou Meto WMA, Big Lake WMA, Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA and many other areas.
A few unseasonably warm days notwithstanding, cool weather has been in place in Arkansas for several weeks, a crucial component of waterfowl hunting success in the state. But ample water has been a missing piece of the waterfowl hunting puzzle for most of this season, and the recent improvements in water conditions should be a welcome change for the season’s final stretch.
To assist waterfowl hunters with the latest information, the AGFC provides links to sources on waterfowl location and abundance in Arkansas and other states. Maps showing graphical results of this season’s first aerial waterfowl survey are included. The links are available at http://www.agfc.com/hunting/Pages/HuntingWaterfowlReport.aspx#1.
This waterfowl report provides capsule information from agency staff in all corners of Arkansas and is updated each Wednesday throughout waterfowl season. To receive the report each week on your computer, send an e-mail to arkansasoutdoors@agfc.com and type “Waterfowl Report” in the subject line. Information on river levels can be found at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lmrfc/ or http://water.usgs.gov/realtime.html
Sunrise/sunset tables are available at: http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/data-services/rs-one-day-us and in the Arkansas Waterfowl Regulations Guide.
Bull Shoals and Norfork Lakes are extremely low… Ducks (mostly gadwalls using the mudflats and are hard to hide from. We are having success using layout blinds out in the open on the mudflats, but the soft mud makes it difficult to put out decoys and retrieve ducks. Frozen ponds and shallow wetlands help concentrate the ducks on the lake… the colder it is the better the hunting.
Duckguy — If you know how you can resize images to 600pixels wide before upload. they will fit nicer. 🙂
Thanks, I’ll give it try and re-post
Bayou Meto is having some success, snow geese seem to be everywhere around the Stuttgart Lodge Corner area. Looks like last week should be good.
just got back from arkansas on friday. It was very slow, only ten ducks and two geese in three and half days of hunting. we were in the wynn area.
Hunting reports can have pics now. be sure to post one up.
ARKANSAS GAME & FISH UPDATE – Jan 9, 2013
Water levels should improve with several fronts moving into the state
LITTLE ROCK – The National Weather Service in Little Rock says there will be several rounds of weather affecting Arkansas over the next week. This should be good news for Arkansas waterfowl hunters.
On Jan. 10, a cold front will make its way across the state. Thunderstorms are likely to develop in association with the front.
Heavy rain is more likely to be the big weather story. Through Jan. 10, northwest and west central Arkansas should see 1/2 to 1-inch amounts as the most common. Elsewhere, totals of 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches are more likely. .
Another cold front should affect Arkansas from Jan. 12 into Jan. 13. At this point, it looks as though rainfall amounts of 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches will be seen in western Arkansas, with 1 1/2 to 3 inch totals elsewhere (largest amounts close to the Mississippi River).
After this cold front moves through, colder air will overspread Arkansas. During the first part of next week, the National Weather Service will be keeping a close eye on additional weather systems that would bring moisture into Arkansas. If moisture does arrive, temperatures will be cold enough for some wintry precipitation in the state.
To assist waterfowl hunters with the latest information, the AGFC provides links to sources on waterfowl location and abundance in Arkansas and other states. Maps showing graphical results of this season’s first aerial waterfowl survey are included. The links are available at http://www.agfc.com/hunting/Pages/HuntingWaterfowlReport.aspx#1.