Category: Migration Updates

The spring snow goose migration continues at a furious pace. The bulk of the population has been passing through North Dakota over the past week. While some birds still remain in South Dakota, the numbers have been decreasing rapidly since the 24th of the month.

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The light-goose migration of 2010 will go down in the books as one of the fastest moving migrations since the Conservation Order was enacted to allow spring hunting. A number of factors can be attributed to the fast pace, with Mother Nature orchestrating the event in her own, unpredictable manner.

The extended cold and snow pack that held geese in the deep south through most of February, confined staging birds on wintering grounds much later than normal. It is likely the extended stay that held geese south until well after their internal and biological clocks said, “go north, it’s time to start nesting.” Continue reading

As warm winds begin to push up from the Gulf of Mexico and chisel away at the snowline, light geese are finally on the move and hunting success has improved under the Conservation Order. Snow goose numbers are on the rise in Missouri and numbers at the Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge are expected to climb for the first time this spring season.

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Spring snow goose hunting is underway, thanks to the ongoing Conservation Order, and light goose hunters are reaping the harvest of this extended season.

Each spring we turn our sights to light-goose hunting action and focus on the primary locator of snow goose activity; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Snow Cover Map (link at right). Continue reading

As the 2009-2010 General Waterfowl Season ends with a resounding bang, waterfowl hunters across the nation are storing their bags of duck decoys and packing up their trucks and trailers with a massive assortment of snow goose decoys. Before we fire the starting gun to our coverage of the Spring Snow Goose Conservation Action, Waterfowler.com takes time to reflect on the season past.

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While the ducks begin pairing up for their annual courtship rituals, waterfowl hunters across the nation are gathering for some old-fashioned, post-season armchair quarterbacking. Of course, the staff at Waterfowler.com revels in this wonderful time-honored tradition as much as the next hunter and there is never a shortage of theories, analysis or opinions to explain why ducks did what they did, or didn’t do, over the past season – with each thought fueled by that magical element of hind-sight.

While the nuances of the 2009-2010 Waterfowl Migration will be debated in our offices until the start of the next season, there are a few recurring themes that can be sorted into the bucket we call “the factual consensus”. Without a doubt, west of the Rocky Mountains, it was the oddest season of migration patterns since Waterfowler.com began reporting in 1997. From early cold fronts to mid-season heat waves, ending in piles of snow and ice that came hard and fast for many. While the progression of weather was somewhat typical, the timing of weather events and their severity was most bizarre. If that wasn’t enough for the Central and Mississippi Flyways, the odd weather coupled with the fact that so many ducks were breed in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region that migration events were vastly different than previous years and simply befuddling at times.

Quite simply, the season east of the Continental Divide was a statistician’s worst nightmare, and the results (albeit high or low for where you hunted) are the type of results you simply throw out of the trends analysis because it was such a far departure from historical records. In contrast to the oddities in the east, the migration patterns in the western-edge of the Pacific Flyway was shockingly typical – complete with the traditional Christmas fog that western waterfowl hunters remember so well.

As we progress through the years of tracking the annual migration, the only constant we can cling to, count on and assure our readers is that migration is wildly unpredictable and infinitely exciting. This season will be different from the last, and from the next. Looking back at our preseason prediction of an El Nino influenced migration was correct. When the anomaly weakened in early December (as expected) the wrath of winter arrived and ducks also moved when we had anticipated. What we did not expect was the early October cold front that drastically changed the timing and paths of the early migration of smaller ducks — which is the single most influencing factor to this year’s migration oddities. When the results of that early migration were combined with too little precipitation in the southwest and too much in the east, coupled with a plague of harvest delays across the U.S, the predictable suddenly became vastly unpredictable – but that’s duck hunting.

At the end of the day (or season) the waterfowl hunter realizes that the double-edged sword of unpredictability is the reason we do what we do. We head to the field and look at blank skies with the hope that we did our homework and put ourselves in the path of unpredictable chaos. When we succeed, we are greeted with the heart-pounding whistle of wings and the retort of gunfire in a crescendo of duck hunting bliss. Yep, that’s hunting and we’ll do it season after season, good day or bad, in pursuit of that perfect waterfowl hunting moment.

As we assemble our detailed flyway-by-flyway season summary, Waterfowl.com reminds our readers that the Spring Conservation Report area is open for spring tracking. If you didn’t get your fill of duck hunting this season, the Conservation Action offers the opportunity to feed your need. A spring snow goose trip is a few clicks away from your fingertips, so take time to interact with your fellow members and plan a light-goose hunting adventure.

Waterfowler.com readers are invited to join us in the Virtual Online Lodge in Second Life throughout the off-season – where the ducks are always flying and the season is always open. We have a number of sporting clay competitions and other events planned for the coming months. We look forward to sharing your thoughts and tales of the season in our 3D environment that includes real time text and voice chat. While you can access the lodge anytime day or night, the official rendezvous for members is Thursday evenings.

Until our next report, we’ll see you in the Online Lodge!

Another arctic blast is ringing in the New Year, bringing chilling winds, snow and ice to most of the south. With temperatures dropping below zero in the north to well below freezing all the way to Alabama by the weekend, the over abundance of water will soon be an over abundance of ice, which is expected to improve hunting conditions in many areas.

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While duck and goose numbers have been good to excellent below the freeze line, hunting has been difficult at best. The over abundance of water in the south has created a plethora of safe havens for waterfowl, providing an almost unlimited opportunity to find food and water away from hunters, decoys and guns. In short, having ducks does not guarantee a good harvest. Water levels in traditional hunting spots and leases are above average and the duck hunting dreams provided by well-managed food plots have been submerged or washed away. Continue reading

The icy grip of winter has taken hold of the marshes, lakes and rivers in the north. In areas above the snow and freeze line, ducks have departed to warmer climates and geese have congregated in urban areas and river systems that maintain open water. The resulting freeze has compressed waterfowl populations along the edge of the freeze line and hunter success has increased significantly in the south.

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A quick glance at the NOAA Snow Cover Map (link at right) provides a clear visual summary of where the storm has relocated the ducks and geese of North America. The bulk of the nations waterfowl have congregated in areas below the freeze line where water remains open and food sources are not blanketed by snow. In short, ducks and geese have arrived in the south in force. Continue reading

The arctic blast moving across the nation has increased waterfowl activity significantly from the Sacramento Valley all the way to Missouri. Snow, white-fronted and Canada goose migrations have been significant over the past seventy-two hours in the Pacific and Central Flyways. With ducks previously scattered from north to south, the most noticeable increases have occurred in the middle tier states as populations begin to gather in heavier concentrations.

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The winds are blowing snow and ice across various parts of the nation in a fashion that duck hunting dreams are made of. Since the onset of the storm late last week, hunters have flocked to their favorite marshes, lakes and rivers hoping for skies to be blackened by flights of ducks and geese. Quite curiously, this has not been the case in many northern states that were hoping for a final chance before the season’s end. Continue reading

As the holiday weekend approaches, a series of weather systems are building off the western coast and are expected to bring favorable migrating winds and weather to northern states. While the change is likely to spawn moderate migration activity, it is unlikely the storms will be powerful enough to ignite the massive migration waterfowl hunters are hoping for.

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Thanksgiving weekend marks the halfway point of the 2009-2010 waterfowl season. With the season opening in many southern states and states in the north on the cusp of closure, the effects of the El Nino weather anomaly couldn’t be more apparent. While the early cold blast in October ignited a flurry of activity and harvest, the tepid temperatures of November have resulted in a trickle migration pattern that has duck numbers near or below long-term averages in most areas, with waterfowl activity very low. Continue reading

Despite above average temperatures, the diver migration continues to follow the calendar as canvasback numbers reach their peak in the upper Mississippi River. Bufflehead, scaup and goldeneye are moving steadily from the Dakota’s through the Great Lakes and the upper Atlantic Flyway. Puddle duck activity is variable but numbers are near the long-term average in most areas.

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The migration is rolling along at a steady pace and the harvest is finally underway through most of the corn-belt and areas that were experiencing delays. According to the NOA Climate Prediction Center, the El Nino anomaly will keep temperatures above average through November and hunters in the north should expect to hunt through the end of their seasons without the fear of an early ice out – unless an unexpected arctic system should form over the next few weeks. Continue reading