Snowfall across much of the upper Central and Mississippi flyways this week is keeping the migration of light geese well below the Canadian border. A sharp warming trend is on the way, though, for most of the southern and mid-tier states, and the geese are likely to make a big jump north as the recent snows melt.
Hello folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
In three short days winter will be but a memory. Spring is all but here–but try telling that to folks around the Great Lakes and along the upper eastern seaboard. Fear not! The world will green and the flowers will bloom, but don’t pack away that heavy coat just yet.
As spring arrives North America’s waterfowl will complete their return to the breeding ground and the crucial nesting period will get underway. Conditions on the duck factory floor are pretty good right now, but timely wet snows and spring rains will be vital as always, to stave off drought and give the birds ample opportunity to replenish their stocks.
WFC will keep you up on the latest conditions and reports from the breeding ground and we encourage all our users to post their observations of nesting and brood success throughout the spring and summer on their state field report pages.
It is also in this time of year that key aspects of waterfowl management come to the fore among federal, state and nonprofit organizations. As they do, WFC will keep you up to speed and in the know, so be sure to check your member profile and keep your membership running throughout the year. Through our website, email alerts and magazine, WFC strives to bring all our members the information they need in order to have their voice heard on important issues that impact our treasured tradition.
If the snows have passed you by and you suddenly find a lot of time on your hands, why not put on your writing hat and share the memories of this past season with your fellow members? WFC is always looking for well-written stories and stunning images for Waterfowler.com Journal, our quarterly print publication. Submission guidelines are available from a link on the right hand menu of the WFC home page. Sharing your season through the journal is a great way to connect with your fellow members and show off your best, or even worst, memories of seasons past. And heck, it might even work as an excuse to avoid yard work.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
Just when it looked like the big move was on, winter decided to step back into the picture. Snowfall across much of the return route has brought reports of snows shifting back south and stacking up as they wait for spring to muscle up and bring on the thaw.
High winds over the past week made hunting, or at least keeping track of windsocks and rags, tough for many hunters taking part in the conservation season. But the wind and snow also slowed the march north of the mid-continent light goose migration.
Thus far the bulk of the birds are still holding along a line from northwest MO across to CO with a slight northward bend toward SD. But even as far south as AR and TX, small pockets of geese, mostly juveniles and Rosses, numbering in the hundreds rather than thousands are still being reported.
Further north, where water remains frozen and fields have yet to soften or green up, birds are stopping only briefly as weather holds them up. Near the snow/freeze line flocks are continuing to balloon in size making large spreads and plenty of motion vital for success.
As the weather warms over the next few days and into the weekend, watch for a reinforcement of the rear guard as well as a steady push north by the front line troops of the white hordes as winter is driven back towards the tundra.
