Waterfowl migration reports, updates and status.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last week released the May Pond Count and Breeding Duck survey, and it looks as though this years drought has had the expected effect. Total pond numbers fell 41% from last year, 48% in Prairie Canada and 32% in Northcentral U.S.
Dry conditions and a late spring were cited by the USFWS in the fall in Breeding bird numbers which declined by 14% for 2002. A partial breakdown of the numbers looks like this : Continue reading
Speaking of fireworks, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission last week set off a round of their own by voting unanimously to ban commercial guiding operations on all State run Wildlife Management Areas. Public concern over crowding and other issues led the commission to expand the guiding ban that had been previously restricted to only a few of the more heavily impacted state owned hunting areas.
In other access related news, the Congressional Sportsmen\’s Foundation has published an online survey to gather information from hunters regarding access to federal lands. The CSF hopes to use the information gathered from the survey to identify recommendations and develop potential solutions that will aid Congress, federal agencies and the hunting/conservation community to improve hunter access to federal public lands. Continue reading
The longest day of the year has passed, and only one season now stands between the waterfowler and their time of year. It’s all downhill from here!
Summer is upon us and though the heat of July and August lay ahead, the shrinking days and news from those in charge are building our momentum as we return again to Autumn.
Some relief was to be had this week from the drought of information and long spell of hot debate over the shape and substance of the 2002-2003 waterfowl season. The Canadian Wildlife Service has released it‘s regulations for migratory game birds. Also this year, Waterfowl Heritage Days ( a program designed to introduce young people to the world of waterfowling ) will be held one week prior to the start of the regular season in most areas. Be sure to check this year’s regulations for any changes. Continue reading
The US Fish and Wildlife service is seeking public comment on the Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The plan will guide the management of some 12,000 acres of habitat in eight separate units along a thirty plus mile section of the Minnesota River. For more information on the proposed plan and information on having your voice heard, click here. Continue reading
Rumor and speculations about the upcoming duck seasons and bag limits are rising faster than the mercury in the Mississippi Delta. With the data necessary for such decisions still incomplete, it seems waterfowlers have cooked up every option possible in their attempts to predict the framework for the 2002-2003 waterfowl season. And though the rumor mill will no doubt continue producing such speculations as the return to the point system and long seasons but low bag limits perhaps some light reading can help to demystify the process and possibilities for our upcoming waterfowl season.
With the days growing longer and the temperatures rising, waterfowlers across the country brace for the longest mile in their return to fall. And though the calendar might tell a different tale, the gulf between now and then can seem to grow wider with each extra hour of daylight, each mark the mercury climbs past. Ah, if only the science of cryogenics were further along.
Hope for breeding success in the Dakotas got a little brighter this past week. Recent rains across the prairie brought far eastern sections of North Dakota back to near normal conditions and moved central portions of the state from the moderate drought rating to abnormaly dry Continue reading
Spring planting is in full tilt across much of Canada, the only area left for a last chance at snow geese. And with tractors rolling across most of the fields in the path of returning light geese, hunters are hard pressed to find birds concentrated in any one area. As the spring thaw moves back toward the far reaches of Canada so have the snow geese, and hunter reports have become scarce. No doubt some of the “tundra plague” are still below their arctic breeding ground, but with only ten days remaining in the conservation order special season it looks as though the birds that have managed to elude waterfowler hunters ’til now have a good chance at making another run through the gauntlet next season.
With spring looking as thought it is ready to stick around for southern portions of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, farmers have begun to plow and plant in earnest. Hunters in these areas report fair numbers of snow geese remaining but huntable ground becoming more scarce. Untilled fields and shallow open water are the best bet for hunters seeking to finish out the conservation season. Quebec hunters report surprisingly large numbers of light geese remaining in the southern end of the province, and high success. With the season on snow geese running until the 31st of May in some areas it looks as though waterfowlers who are willing to put in the drive time to travel and scout may be able to stretch this years season out to the very end.
Yes, spring looks to be standing its ground at last, and with goslings popping up and ducks getting on their nests, we see the promise of renewal in the wildlands where we will greet the coming of fall. Now, as waterfowlers, we wish them well and hold our breath as nature decides what will greet us when Autumn returns again.
