Category: Migration Updates

If there is one thing you can count on in the world of migration tracking this season it’s change – and what a difference a new year can make. A warming trend during the first week of the year ignited a number of reverse migration events, and birds returned to a number of previously snow-covered states. Duck numbers in southern Illinois, southern Missouri, Kentucky and Arkansas rebounded significantly over the past week, as waterfowl totals on the Illinois Natural History Survey reached number nearly two times the 10-year average for the lower Mississippi survey area.

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With the final month of the General waterfowl season underway in the south, moderate to exceptional drought conditions persist in much of the south. With temperatures rebounding in the central tier of the United States, ducks that were driven south by ice and snow are rebounding northward into areas with better habitat conditions. Continue reading

Ducks and geese are on the move in the Atlantic Flyway as yet another “perfect storm” greets the 2010 waterfowl season. For the first time in over 100 years, areas in the southeast were treated to White Christmas and serving of migration a la mode. Waterfowl activity increased from Delaware to Georgia throughout the weekend with duck hunters in Florida receiving a special holiday treat as ducks head for the Sunshine State.

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After a series of perfect storms in the Central and Mississippi Flyways so far this season, it was hard to imagine the duck season could get any better for so many hunters. When snow began to fall in the southeast over the weekend, duck hunters in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama had a very good reason to do a happy holiday dance. While the storms may have forced the closure of multiple airports, it is clear that air travel for waterfowl would not be hampered or hindered in anyway. As reports roll in from the southeast, ducks and geese continue to scurry down the flyway in force and waterfowl activity is as good as it can get. Waterfowler.com encourages our members in the Atlantic flyway to post their reports as often as possible, to track this epic migration event in the east. Continue reading

As we approach the Winter Solstice and the lunar start of the winter season, we take a look at current weather and habitat maps to help explain the current state of migration. While the official start of winter is a few days away, Old Man Winter has done his job to move ducks south over that past week. Of course, he and Old Mother Nature seem to have opposing plans for the south – as the little water that exists in areas of the south has seen a lot of ice.

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With a few areas of the south between their split seasons, ducks are packing in to available water and the re-opening of the season is expected to kick of with a bang for many hunters this weekend. Continue reading

Snow and ice continue to build in the north as a small clipper system moves across the Great Lakes and towards the northeastern seaboard. As a second storm moves in, freezing temperatures will slide into the deep south this weekend bringing much needed rain and additional flights of ducks.

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The migration continues to move at a rapid pace as the snow and freeze line slides further south. Weather systems in the Pacific, Central and Mississippi Flyways this past week ignited migration activity, and fueled an increase in hunter success in many areas.

While hunters in the Central and Mississippi Flyway have been justifiably distracted by the task of hunting ducks, wildlife officials have continued to monitor clean up efforts in the Gulf coast, as migrating birds arrive in the areas affected by the spill. With a lack of water and drought conditions persistent across most of the south, coastal areas are expected to see an increased amount of waterfowl this season. Continue reading

Duck and goose hunters in the northern and central tiers had a lot to be thankful for this past holiday weekend. With mallards moving in mass over the past week, the Thanksgiving table was complimented by the sights of migrating waterfowl swirling over fields in that breath-taking tornado fashion.

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Reader activity peaked this weekend on Waterfowler.com along with the waterfowl migration in many areas. The ducks that everyone was waiting on have arrived and much needed rain has been falling in the south. Snow in the northwestern quarter of the United States has fueled the pace of the migration and the steady trickle of birds from October and November have begun to compress in the central parts of the continent and hunter success has improved dramatically in many areas. Continue reading

As Thanksgiving weekend approaches, the migration, number of hunters in the field and traffic at Waterfowler.com reaches it’s peak activity level across the U.S. While ice has locked up the far reaches of the Central and Mississippi Flyway the past week, ducks and geese have been moving south at a much better pace. With many areas in the south suffering from abnormally dry conditions, the question on every hunter’s mind is, “Where will they go when they get here?”

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With Thanksgiving upon us, duck and goose hunters across the U.S. have a lot to be thankful for. The migration pattern thus far this season as been constant with moderate levels of birds. With snow and ice confined to the far northern reaches of the Pacific, Central and Mississippi Flyways, birds are compacting in the middle tier states and expected to provide excellent hunting for the holiday weekend. Continue reading

Waterfowl activity has reached its peak in the northern Prairies and the Upper Great Lakes. The low pressure systems that dumped a lot of snow in eastern Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin has passed, leaving freezing temperatures and ice in it’s path. Hunters throughout the Central and Mississippi Flyway reported high-flying birds this weekend as migration activity kicked into high gear.

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A quick glance at the surface temperature and snow cover maps (links at right) reveal the forces behind this past weekend’s migration event. Of course, any duck hunter worth his worn, patched-waders knows that it doesn’t take a rocket scientist or website to tell them that good weather will move ducks. What Waterfowler.com is here for, with the help of the waterfowling community, is help determine how what moved and how far they moved. Continue reading

The roller coaster of storm fronts that has bottomed out on temperatures and then risen to record highs in some areas has provided a steady stream of ducks and geese to all four Flyways this season. While waterfowl hunters in the northern third of the U.S. have not been filling a limit everyday, there are enough ducks to make shooting interesting and keep hunters heading to the field. The great news is there are still plenty of birds to the north and good shooting yet to come…

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As temperatures remain above average in the central part of the United States, blustery weather in the Pacific Northwest and the New England coast have ducks and geese moving in the bookend flyways. As the low-pressure system creeps into the Central Flyway, Montana, the western Dakotas and Nebraska are expected to receive some snowfall, but little more than a dusting as it moves eastward. Temperatures in the northern Central Plains will stay below freezing each night and ice will begin to build and stay on smaller water impoundments. Continue reading