Rain, sleet, snow, floods and heat waves—it seems that the weather across the US has it all in store for the North American Waterfowler as the weekend advances.
Hello folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
As the regular season hits the final stretch, winter weather is again targeting the center of the Nation and flood waters are on the rise for many areas. From coat to coast and border to border it seems every conceivable condition is coming into play as the 2004-2005 regular season moves into its final weeks.
With the regular season already closed in many states, it is time to start thinking about the upcoming light goose conservation season. Be sure to renew your WFC membership to keep up with the latest migration activity as the white wave makes its way down the flyways and back home to the tundra.
The WFC ProShop is a great place to gear up for the spring snow goose season. From decoys to blinds, the WFC ProSHop has the gear you need to make the most of your days afield. Member savings of up to 40% make bulking up your decoy spread easy and inexpensive. Shop online toady.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
PACIFIC FLYWAY
Recent cold fronts have improved hunting for much of the upper and central flyway. From Washington down to northern California, reports show a respectable increase in migration activity over the past week. With more cold weather heading into the upper flyway for the weekend, hunting should continue to improve in most areas.
The only limiting factor for the upper flyway may be ice. As cold temperatures settle in, only deep or fast-moving bodies of water will remain open. This should serve to concentrate birds, but can make for some dangerous hunting conditions.
Central and southern portions of the flyway did not see the expected increase in migration activity on the heels of the last cold front. Though some areas reported new birds, the overall opinion was that the shift of birds into the lower flyway was less than hoped for. With more cold weather moving in to the upper flyway, some migration of new birds into the southern flyway should be expected. The limiting factor for many areas is high water. Recent floods in many parts of the lower flyway have given the birds plenty of new places to hold up. Scouting out freshly flooded areas and keeping mobile as the water levels change will be critical to late season success.
CENTRAL FLYWAY
From recent reports, it looks as though a major push of both ducks and geese is in store for the middle section of the flyway and points south. From South Dakota to Oklahoma reports of waves of geese and ducks on the move have been coming in for the last few days. As yet another winter storm system moves into the heart of the flyway, a major shift of birds is likely.
Bird numbers on the southern end of the flyway have been good in recent weeks and goose numbers in many areas are staggering. With the next wave of cold air, look for duck numbers to rise and goose numbers to begin reaching the ridiculous stage.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY
As the flood waters rise, another arctic front is moving into the upper flyway. In fact, most portions of the flyway where the season remains open are dealing with high water. While the cold front is likely to move more birds south, vast amounts of flooded land will tend to spread new migrations of ducks and geese far and wide.
Hunters in the central and southern portions of the flyway will have to key in on newly flooded areas and use extreme caution while navigating dangerously high rivers, lakes and backwaters.
As the weekend rolls around, colder air will move into the lower flyway, breaking a two week stretch of balmy conditions. With the cool-off, new birds should move in and birds already in the area should become more active.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY
The Atlantic flyway, despite several strong winter storms, continues to be working on the trickle-down theory of migration activity. Although it is true that there have been several freeze/thaw cycles for the upper flyway, most hunters are a bit puzzled by the lack of a major waterfowl push below the North Carolina/South Carolina border.
Scattered concentrations of birds have moved down the flyway, sometimes concentrating in good numbers for short periods of time, but for the most part the migration pattern this season has been scattered and random.
Hopes are running high that the next cold weather system will at last drive significant birds south for the remaining few weeks of the southern flyway’s season.
