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With Green-winged Teal at 79% above the long-term average and Blue-winged Teal at 60%, the stage is set for a very promising early Teal season in many states during the month of September. With those seasons opening just over a month from now, now is the time to make last minute plans to kick your season off on the right foot.

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September is fast approaching and there is still time to plan a last minute, low-budget trip to a state that offers an early Teal Season. While the best public access is often available to those with a good duck boat, there are literally millions of acres that provide walk-in access in states that offer early seasons.

Often times during September, canoe and boat rental vendors remain open along public waterways and offer additional access alternatives for the dedicated, traveling waterfowl hunter. Continue reading

Late December storms continue to provide excellent shooting opportunities in the southern portions of the Central and Mississippi Flyways. After struggling through mild winters the past few seasons, waterfowl hunters in the south are rejoicing in increased duck numbers, bag limits and activity.

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While hunters in the north may have been disappointed by the early departure of waterfowl, ducks are, as they should be, in the deep-south for the winter and Arkansas once again wears the crown, “Duck Capital of the World.” After nearly a decade of above average duck activity in Missouri, winter finally arrived in the “Show Me State” and waterfowl numbers were up 84% over 2007 through the month of December. Continue reading

Persistent cold weather and a favorable jet stream have moved mallards across the Upper-Midwest, Great Plains and the New England states over the past week. Ice is building in the north and hunters braving the colder temperatures are being rewarded with an increase in harvest.

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The first big push of the season provided excellent shooting across most of the northern portions of the Central and Mississippi Flyways. Early migrating species were driven further south and should provide excellent opportunity for southern states that are just opening. Continue reading

The tepid days of Indian summer have passed and arctic winds are dropping out of Canada into our nation, bringing ducks and geese south in force. This first big push of the season will occur over the next few days, as favorable migrating winds and snow drive waterfowl to their annual wintering grounds.

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With the exception of the El Nino years where migration trends ran extremely late, the first big push of waterfowl has occurred during the first two weeks of November for decades. Temperatures will plummet in the Pacific Northwest, the Great Plains and then the Great Lakes regions over the next few days and waterfowl activity is expected to respond in kind. Continue reading

With nearly 400,000 diver species counted in this week’s survey of the Upper Mississippi River, waterfowl activity in the northern third of the nation is heating up as temperatures drop. As canvasback numbers continue to increase this week to nearly 230,000 along the Mississippi River in Southern Wisconsin, hunters are reminded that the canvasback season is closed this season and to use extreme caution when identifying diver species for harvest.

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The annual waterfowl migration is moving at an increasing pace this past week, as calendar ducks begin to move south. These are the species that move more on timing as opposed to strong weather fronts. Canvasback, scaup and ring-necked ducks are trudging south in from the Pacific to the Mississippi Flyways along traditional migration routes. Continue reading

Lesser Canada geese are moving steadily in the Central and Mississippi Flyways and their calls are welcoming in the first days of autumn. With shooting underway in most states along the Canadian border, hunter success on local mallards and early migrants is good to excellent for this time of year.

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As many states prepare for the coming of opening day, youth waterfowl hunts are fast approaching for many, and in some states they are already complete. Waterfowler.com’s hunting reports recount the success of youth hunts that have already taken place across the country, in both harvest and, more importantly, the excitement introducing a child to the grand tradition of waterfowl hunting. Continue reading

With over 450,000 teal already in Louisiana, and a number of Youth Waterfowl Hunts already complete in some northern states, waterfowl hunting is well underway in the United States and Canada.

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While hurricane Ike brought an abundance of water to areas of the Gulf Coast and Mississippi Valley, the southwest, southeast and north central United States continue to experience varying levels of drought conditions. For the traveling waterfowl hunter, the heart of the Mississippi Flyway is offering exceptional conditions this season, and based on the migration trend thus far this year, if you ever planned to hunt the famed timber holes of Arkansas, this would be a year to do it. Continue reading

The 2008 Breeding Survey Results were released this week (link below) and despite the drought conditions across most of the Prairie Pothole Region, total breeding pairs remained 11 percent above the long-term average – and could provide yet another season of liberal framework for all four flyways.

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Total duck populations were estimated at 37.3 million breeding ducks on the surveyed area. This estimate represents a 9 percent decline over last year’s estimate of 41.2 million birds, but remains 11 percent above the 1955-2007 long-term average.

Pond counts were significantly lower this year – down over 2 million ponds compared to 2007. Mallards are down 7% compared to 2007, but remain 3% above the long-term average. Continue reading