A major winter storm is on tap for the Midwest and the northern portions of most flyways will see a return of winter this week. With the return of winter it looks like the migration may be ready to kick back into high gear.
Hello folks, and as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
The regular season is in the home stretch and the conservation season is still to come. Now is a great time to renew your Waterfowler.com Membership. With what appears to be the peak of the season for many states still ahead, and what may be the last conservation season for light geese on tap for this spring, access to the reports and forums on Waterfowler.com can help you make the most of the remaining waterfowl season. Be sure to renew your membership today to keep up with the very latest in migration activity and all the buzz surrounding North American Waterfowl hunting and management.
Waterfowler.com Timber Hunt is less than two weeks away. If you have not booked your spot yet, there are still a few openings available, so book now. With the big winter storm heading across the country this week the timing looks perfect for a fine stretch of mallard gunning in the storied timber and fields of the Grand Prairie. Full details available on the WFC home page.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
PACIFIC FLYWAY
Below average temps, snow and freezing rain are on tap for much of the upper flyway over the next several days, and maybe even longer. Bird numbers should increase as winter weather moves into WA and OR. Depending on the severity of the front, birds could move into and through the area quickly. Birds are likely to hold on open waters and bays as the snow and mercury falls, but could head for warmer climates as shallow waters lock up and food becomes less accessible.
In the southern flyway, a shift of birds occurred last week as ducks and geese moved to newly-flooded southern areas. As the waters recede, a return flight should be on tap and new birds will likely be heading down the flyway as the next cold front invades the Pacific Northwest.
CENTRAL FLYWAY
All but the hardiest of birds have said farewell to the northern tier of the flyway. Pockets of dark geese remain in scattered areas of MT and ND, but for the most part the upper flyway will have to wait for the snow geese of spring for more waterfowl action.
Central areas of the flyway are bracing for a winter storm and sub zero temperatures. Light geese and cacklers have been moving into the mid-tier states with and ahead of the front, but with the ice-up many of these birds are likely to move through the area quickly.
Southern portions of the flyway should see a marked increase in birds as the freeze line moves down into northern TX. In fact, goose and duck numbers are already on the rise in many locations of the southern flyway.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY
Snow, sleet and freezing rain from northern MO into OH promises to be a bird mover for much of the central and lower flyway. Bird numbers have remained strong in mid-tier states as the recent warm front thawed waters as far north as the Great Lakes. These concentrations of waterfowl should make a jump south as the storm moves across the region and brings new birds to areas below the freeze line.
Southern portions of the flyway have been suffering from a dramatic warm spell. While bird numbers are still fair in many southern states, activity has been slow. Birds in lower flyway states have had little cause to move and feed, with temps across the region well on the balmy side.
More rain and flooding are likely through much of the central and southern portions of the flyway as the week progresses and new water is sure to scatter birds.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY
Significant snowfall for the upper flyway is forecast for the short term and is just what is needed to move the migration along to the mid-coastal and southern states. Bird numbers in the upper flyway have remained high but are likely to decline as snow covers available food and waters begin to lock back up.
Central and southern portions of the flyway are hoping this next front will bring down fresh birds. Warm weather has made hunting slow and migration activity light from SC down into FL over the past week.
As winter returns to the northern flyway, some waterfowl movement should be expected along the mid-coastal states and perhaps as far south as northern FL.
With just over three weeks left in the regular waterfowl season, hopes are running high that winter will return and stay for good. Unseasonably warm weather across much of the southern half of the country has made hunting difficult over the past week. But keep your fingers crossed—as we all know, everything can change in the blink of an eye.
