Mid Season Slump
With the last of the states opening their regular waterfowl season this coming weekend, and the northern tier in the homestretch, waterfowling in North America is entering the mid-season stretch.
Hello, folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
After an early fall of timely cold fronts and below normal temperatures, the middle portion of waterfowl season got underway this past week with varied success and more seasonable weather. Southern states kicking off their regular season had mixed results and the northern portions of most of the flyways are still wondering if another push might be in the offing.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
PACIFIC FLYWAY
High winds moved in to the Pacific Northwest last weekend but the front that brought them seems to have left the birds behind. Waterfowlers along the Northern end of the flyway reported little in the way of new birds in the area and locals becoming more and more difficult to work.
Further south, the migration has yet to reach waterfowlers in California and New Mexico. Though some areas are still holding their early arrivals, most reports from the lower end of the flyway are of higher hopes than actual waterfowl numbers.
The next week looks to hold little in the way of major movement as temperatures remain in the normal range and skies clear. As any waterfowler knows, all that can change, and quickly.
CENTRAL FLYWAY
Geese are the best bet for hunters in the far northern portion of the Central Flyway. Moderate temperatures have left some of the smaller bodies of water open and hunters keying in on secluded fields near open water are having the best results.
Duck hunting in the mid-latitude states looks promising this week. A strong front moving in from the west will drop the high temps to near the freezing mark for much of South Dakota, and as the front pushes south and west, so should the birds.
The lower reaches of the flyway should also benefit from the freeze-up. The Katy Prairie of Texas continues to be a hot spot for light geese, and puddle duck numbers are better by the day. The eastern and southern regions of the flyway report mixed success but better then average overall bird numbers for most species of divers and puddle ducks.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY
Waterfowl in the flyway appear to be split into two main concentrations. At the top end of the Mississippi Flyway hunters from Minnesota report birds hitting grain fields hard, moving to any open water late in the morning if at all.
The second concentration of birds looks to be holding just around the Mason-Dixon, though hunters from Missouri tell of birds becoming hard to work. Low water levels for that state have concentrated birds and hunters, making pressure constant and the waterfowl wise.
Further south, Arkansas can expect an improvement from last year for the opener this weekend. The birds that were brought down by recent cold fronts have stayed around, feasting on the abundant rice and acorns of the state. In Louisiana, the East Zone opener last weekend came with mixed results. Light goose numbers continue to be high in the state but duck numbers are widely varied in both East and West Zones. The cold front that pushed south last weekend did not bring in the big push that hunters taking to the field Sunday expected. There were even reports of flight ducks moving back north just ahead of the falling mercury.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY
A low pressure system moving east into the upper reaches of the Atlantic flyway could bring snow and ice as far south as West Virginia by the weekend, and hunters heading out after the building flight of divers and sea ducks in the northern flyway should keep a close eye on the weather before hitting big water.
Puddle ducks are making their move down the coast but the recent tug of war between warm and cold weather has birds scattered and hard to pattern. States just getting their season underway should be able to count on their local birds to hang around for the kickoff, with a small influx of new ducks moving down the eastern seaboard on the heel of this latest storm system.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner and Christmas drawing near, waterfowlers should be checking their wish lists and making plans for getting out as much as possible in the holiday season. On our list for Santa this year, let’s all remember to ask the jolly old soul for some snow for the prairies and a safe and happy season for us all.
