Stuffed and thankful, waterfowlers took advantage of the long Thanksgiving Holiday. While shoppers plied the aisles of local discount stores, waterfowlers took to the field with equal vigor, hoping to find yet another reason to give thanks.
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And now, on to the Migration Report.
PACIFIC FLYWAY
The busiest travel weekend of the year looks to have brought a fresh batch of visiting ducks and geese to the upper and mid-tier states of the Pacific Flyway. The increase was most notable in WA and ID but OR also began to see bird numbers rise as the holiday leftovers wore thin.
CA had to wait until Saturday before the flights began to arrive, but it looks as though the move is on and December is shaping up for some topnotch waterfowling for the coastal, lower flyway.
Inland, a lull of sorts looks to be in place. But the news is not all bad; hunters hardy and well-equipped are having good luck with geese in UT.
Yet another strong Pacific front will move into the Northwest by midweek. Strong winds and low snowfall elevations could scatter birds as the front moves inland and should improve bird numbers inland and south of the leading edge of the front.
CENTRAL FLYWAY
Geese are still in good supply in portions of the upper flyway. MT and ND are still reporting new flights of birds arriving but these new birds are quickly catching on to the game. Reduced calling, motion and realistic spreads are beating out heavy calling in all reporting areas. Some areas of MT are also still reporting good success with late season mallards.
Mid-flyway states are reporting steady to slightly increasing duck numbers. As a mix of rain, snow and freezing temps move across the region this week, hunting should remain good with improvement in some areas. Though teens can be expected for lows in parts of NB and KS in the short term, more moderate weather will return shortly, preventing a lockout that might drive birds south en masse.
OK and north TX are both holding large numbers of lesser geese and fair to good numbers of puddle ducks. Like their neighbors to the north, the best luck is being had in fields rather than sloughs. Light snowfall through the mid-tier may bump some birds south as the week progresses, and that would be good news for coastal hunters who are still waiting for their next push of ducks and light geese. High winds and near freezing temps forecast as far south as Houston for the weekend may just be the ticket.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY
The western upper reaches of the flyway are still blessed with a lot of open water, but the birds don’t seem to care. Respectable duck numbers and geese in good supply are being taken primarily in fields. Though a brief hard freeze looks to be in store this week, temps will swing back to the warm side and waters should remain open. Without significant snowfall, the birds that are holding in the upper tier should remain for the upcoming weekend at least.
Hunters in the upper eastern portion of the flyway are waiting for another push of birds and beginning to wonder if they might have been passed over. Diver numbers are fair but puddle ducks are in short supply. Some increases in both were reported as late as Sunday but no major migration into the area looks to have occurred as of this writing.
Waterfowl numbers have slightly increased along the MS River in IL but the hottest action for the mid-tier states is still in Iowa. Strong numbers of light geese have been moving down the MS river valley, and folks who can tear themselves away from their duck holes are doing well with the snows.
The lower flyway saw a sharp drop in success over the holiday weekend. Gadwall numbers have fallen off in TN, AR and MO and have yet to be replaced by the coveted mallard. That is not to say that some areas are not holding birds, but that pressure has become a major factor for the upper Dixie region, and hunters are wise to lay off holes for several days between shoots. With teal still being reported as far north as Michigan and Indiana, the mallards are surely still north as well.
The far southern end of the flyway also slowed down over the weekend, but hunters willing to put in the time and effort to reach remote locations had better than average success. Again, pressure has dictated the rules and mobility and scouting will pay off until web-footed reinforcements arrive from the north.
Coastal LA is the bright spot of the lower flyway. Teal and other early migrants continue to stack up along the coast and for the most part the first split of the LA season has been a good one in Cajun Country.
Light goose numbers have been well above average for MS and LA over so far this season, and until the snow beings to fall in the upper flyway, snows, blues and specks may be a waterfowler’s best bet for hot action.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY
Strong winds made hunting tough and dangerous over the weekend and also served to keep bird activity to a minimum. Upper flyway reports indicate a new push of divers and sea ducks behind the blow and scattered pockets of new geese and puddle ducks.
Snow and wind will return to much of the area over the weekend and could bring with it an extra push of birds before the high winds get back to life threatening levels.
High water in much of the mid-flyway states looks to have scattered most of the ducks that are holding in the area. Backwater pockets and flooded fields produced best over the weekend. As water recedes, birds should become more concentrated. With snowfall and high winds predicted for the upper flyway, mid-tier states are likely to see new birds before Monday.
Southern flyway states are holding good numbers of ringnecks and teal with scattered pockets of mallards and other puddle ducks being reported. With temps dropping below freezing as far south as FL over the upcoming weekend new birds should begin to arrive in points south.
December is here and the wind-down is happening for northern states. Christmas is on the minds of many and waterfowlers are no different. Wish lists for Santa are being written and edited. More ducks, new gear and the blessing of just one more season with our four legged friends. For all our sake, let’s hope Saint Nick has marsh water in his veins and the heart of a waterfowler.
