Unseasonable warm weather over much of the nation brought with it rain, fog and an overall slow weekend for waterfowling. But as another cold front moves into the Pacific Northwest, pulling cold air down out of Canada, waterfowl should resume their march southward.
Hello, folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
As the season moves on, waterfowlers across the nation are looking north and east, toward The Capitol. The latest draft proposal for the Clean Water Act was recently leaked to the LA Times and, if adopted, could spell bad news for North American waterfowl. “This is the most serious threat to ducks and duck hunters in a long time,” says Rob Olson, US director of operations for Delta Waterfowl, referring to the Bush administration’s draft proposal to exclude seasonal and temporary wetlands from protection under the Clean Water Act. Delta Waterfowl’s press release can be read in its entirety in the New section of the Waterfowler.com Homepage. We encourage all of our readers to look seriously at this issue and let their voices be heard.
The final touches are being put on the Winter issue of Waterfowler.com Journal so be sure to check your profile and renew your membership in time to get the latest issue.
With the holiday season upon us, now is the time to stop by the ProShop and pick up some great deals on the best waterfowling gear around. From blind to decoys, dog vests to duck calls the Waterfowler.com OnLine ProShop is the right place to shop for every duck and goose hunter on your Christmas list, especially yourself! And don’t forget to grab a gift membership for that blind buddy who is always bugging you about the latest field reports and migration news.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
PACIFIC FLYWAY
Maybe it would be best to sum up last week’s waterfowling in one word—slow. Although bird numbers in the upper flyway are good, warm weather and light winds left the majority of waterfowlers frustrated and ready for some real duck moving weather. Well, it looks like their wishes are coming true.
A strong cold front is driving into the upper flyway. By the weekend temperatures in Seattle will drop below freezing and should remain well below average for the next five to seven days. The cold weather is expected to drive far south along the flyway and the potential is for this to be a major mover of ducks and geese.
CENTRAL FLYWAY
Cold weather will return to the upper flyway by the weekend. As the temps fall and snow accumulates, the migration should kick back into high gear.
Last week proved to be slow for much of the flyway, due most likely to warm weather. Mid-flyway states are still reporting good numbers of both ducks and geese but the birds have been around a while and are getting wise.
As the next front approaches, dumping snow on the Dakotas, reinforcements should be on the way.
There are some reports of new birds arriving in the TX panhandle, both ducks and geese. Best results, as expected, have been in harvested fields and small tanks. Along the TX coast teal and Redheads are in fair supply but the bulk of the big duck migration has yet to arrive.
MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY
Just like everywhere else, the upper MS Flyway suffered some mid to late season blues this past week. Birds across the northern tier are getting their advanced degrees in hunter avoidance as warm weather allows them to remain above the M/D line.
Heavy rains also contributed to the slower hunting of late as newly flooded marshes and fields scattered birds far and wide. Cold weather should return to the upper flyway by early next week, putting a fresh new spin on the latter part of the season.
Mid-tier states are also suffering from overeducated waterfowl syndrome. Heavy rains have blanketed the area. The rainfall was welcome in many areas but served to scatter birds and make conditions tough for hunters. As the rain moves east and temperatures fall, birds should move into newly flooded areas and become more active.
In the eastern portions of the flyway Snow Geese are being reported moving through Indiana in strong numbers while most duck hunters are still hoping for another push out of Canada.
The southern end of the flyway had a better then expected weekend with most hunters’ bags consisting of large numbers of teal and gadwall. Much needed rain fell across most of the south over the past few days improving conditions and bringing renewed hopes of a good season. Warm weather will be a limiting factor for much of the lower flyway this week but more seasonal temperatures look to be on the near horizon.
ATLANTIC FLYWAY
Snow Geese and Brant are making a good showing along the upper coast with divers running a close second. Warm, rainy weather for the upper flyway is expected over the next week. With the temps well above average, new migrations are not expected.
Mid-flyway states are having to settle for local mallards and wood ducks while winter waits in the wings. Coastal portions of the flyway are, however, reporting good numbers of sea ducks moving into and through.
Lower flyway states are also suffering from the lack of cold weather. A fair number of Ringnecks have made their way as far south as GA and FL but teal and woodducks are the only birds in good supply for most of the southern end of the flyway.
Weather is once again showing waterfowlers across the nation that it is the biggest factor in waterfowl migration. As the back and forth tug-of-war between cold and warm wages on, the migration runs from high gear to dead stop.
Last week’s big wind took the lives of two young duck hunters, a sharp reminder of the dangers of testing nature’s force. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the young waterfowlers who perished. Let us all take to heart this sad loss; safety must be our top priority when we venture out. Be safe, be careful, and know when to take a rain check.
