Summer is all but upon us and this week we drop below the 100 mark on our countdown to the return of waterfowl season. Anticipation is the word of the hour as waterfowlers wait for early reports on breeding success and season frameworks. Hello, folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. As we enter the home stretch toward the 2003 -2004 waterfowl season preliminary reports from the breeding grounds continue to show the potential for improvement when compared to the last two years. Summer may feel like the farthest point from the upcoming hunting season but with high hopes for the upcoming season Waterfowler.com continues to bring members great discounts on the best waterfowling gear through our Online ProShop.
To help keep the rust off your shooting skills, and perhaps avoid bruised egos when the waterfowl season rolls around, the Waterfowler.com Online ProShop now carries the full line of Do – All traps and shooting accessories at discounted prices for our members. Check out the great deals on these products in the GUN ACCESSORIES department of the ProShop and get your shooting in shape for the return of fall. McAlister products are also now available in the ProShop.
Their long wearing, tough, waxed canvas jackets, vests and hats are designed to take whatever nature can dish out, a requirement for serious waterfowling gear. Waterfowler.com’s newest limited edition cap, “Flying The Flag” is now available. This high-quality, low-profile, pre-washed twill cap is emblazoned with a beautifully embroidered flying duck in patriotic red, white and blue. Waterfowler.com’s “Flying The Flag” cap will serve you well for years to come–allowing you to show your spirit together with your love for waterfowling in the field or around town. This Limited Edition Cap is available in a variety of hat/bill color combinations as well as Mossy Oak Breakup and Advantage Classic. Pick one up from the ProShop today and start showing your colors in the field and around town.
Also be on the look out over the coming weeks for great discounts on products from Bob Allen and Boyt, two more names synonymous with quality outdoor and shooting gear. Even more new products lined up for a Summer debut in the Waterfowler.com Online ProShop so keep an eye out for more great saving as we countdown the days to the waterfowl season of 2003 – 2004. With every new item the value of your Waterfowler.com Membership grows.
And now, on to the Breeding Ground Report.
The survey flights should be done and the numbers that determine our seasons are in all likelihood being crunched at this very moment. All indications at this point are of greatly improved nesting conditions for most North American waterfowl. Late spring rains have contributed to improved nesting conditions in much of Canada and the Northern Tier states of the US. Conditions range widely, even on a local level but many temporary wetlands are still holding water and have sustained new cover growth crucial to nest success.
One less hopeful note, emergency haying last year on large areas of CRP land is sighted as a concern for this nesting season. Drought stricken areas where haying was allowed on CRP lands do not have the necessary cover to insure nest and clutch survival. Overall however the breeding outlook remains good for this year and the numbers should soon begin to trickle in, giving waterfowlers the first brush strokes of season ahead.
