The downhill stretch.
The New Year is upon us, and as we struggle to remember to write 2003 on our checks and date books the last few weeks of the regular waterfowl season begin to unfold.
Hello folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
The holidays saw many more of us afield, and if weather was what you had hoped for, there was all kinds of it for you to enjoy. From fast-moving snowstorms to slow driving rains, last week brought back the seesaw pattern of weather that the dreaded El Nino is known for.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
PACIFIC FLYWAY
With yet another strong storm moving onshore this week, the Northwest portion of the flyway is living up to its reputation for wet weather.
Hunting along the coast has been tough, due to the high winds that came with the weather pattern of the past few weeks. Success has been picking up when waterfowlers have avoided dangerous conditions or found inland waters somewhat sheltered from the high winds.
In the Northeastern portion of the flyway, bird numbers have been on a slow steady rise over the past week but hunters report difficulty calling and decoying late-season birds.
The southern end of the flyway is at last seeing a renewed influx of new ducks and geese. Large numbers of Wigeon and pintails have moved into the Central Valley of California and quickly spread out in the newly flooded fields.
CENTRAL FLYWAY
The mid-flyway states are still holding good concentrations of both ducks and geese. Limited snow cover and recent warming have kept water open and the birds holding tight to the ample grain fields and ice-free rivers.
On the southern end of the flyway, duck numbers bumped upward nicely last week behind the most recent cold front. In most areas of the southern flyway, mallard numbers have moved into the fair to good range and hunters along the coast have reported the highest success rate for the Lone Star State. Eastern portions of Texas have not had as significant an increase in duck numbers but a slight rise in bird numbers along the Texas/Louisiana border has improved hunting in that area.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY
With reports of large concentrations of mallards still coming in from as far north as Minnesota, it isn’t surprising that the lower portion of the flyway is facing another year of less than stellar hunting.
Last weeks mid-tier snowstorm did send some new ducks down below the Mason-Dixon Line but at the cost of depleting Missouri and other central states the bulk of the birds they had.
Southern states that saw an increase in total duck numbers report that the birds quickly scattered upon arrival due to the rising waters brought to the area from recent heavy rains. With so much water to choose from, birds are reported to be on the extreme end of difficulty where patterning and decoying are concerned.
With another mild cold snap moving down the river valley this week there is hope that new birds will arrive in time to make better hunting for the last few weeks of the season.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY
The Atlantic Flyway had its share of storms last week as well, but duck and goose numbers still look good for the upper reaches of the east coast and inland portions of the northern flyway.
Mid-coastal states report good diver and sea duck hunting with puddle ducks coming through the area in a “here today, gone tomorrow” pattern.
The southern end of the Atlantic flyway is hoping for another good push of birds this week to bring up total duck numbers in their area. North Florida saw very scattered pockets of new ducks last week, but the biggest concentration of ducks is of the diver variety in the southern portion of the state.
Now that the Holidays are over and we begin the wind-down of the 2002-2003 regular waterfowl season perhaps it is time to start our plans for next year. With New Year’s resolutions in mind and lessons from 2002 still fresh in our memories, we look to the future of our beloved “pastime” and think of the years gone by, and with any luck, the many years to come. May the year ahead be the best for all of us and all waterfowl, and the pursuit which carries us from one year to the next.
