Mallards have begun to move out of Canada according to the latest Mallard Migration Status map from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Mallard numbers have increased in northwestern North Dakota, as well as central Minnesota. Drought Conditions across the eastern Central Flyway and western Mississippi Flyway continue to impact waterfowl distribution at this time, with the bulk of migration birds sticking to river systems and large water impoundments. Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. As gadwall, pintail, teal and widgeon creep slowly to the south in the Central Flyway, their options for good habitat diminish quickly. There are many concerns amongst waterfowl biologists that even if birds push to coastal marshes in the south, their need for inland fresh water will not be met on traditional wintering grounds. While some predict birds will continue south into Mexico, and others hope drift east to Louisiana or Mississippi, wherever the… Continue reading

The minor cold front that dipped into the U.S. over the past week from Canada brought heavy flights of Cackling (Hutchinson’s) geese to the upper Mississippi Flyway. Divers are slowly moving into the upper parts of the Central and Mississippi Flyways – with the most notable activity from red heads and ring-necked ducks. Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. The anticipated cold front arrived this past week but did little to fuel any massive migration of ducks as many had hoped. Continued hunting pressure and harvest continue to thin duck numbers in the north and the great “trickle” migration is underway until the next major cold front. Continue reading

The 2011 waterfowl migration is in constant motion. Ring-necked ducks are beginning to appear in the northern border-states in greater numbers and each weekend greets another opening day in an addition state – including parts of Illinois, Indiana and Washington this weekend. Green-winged teal activity has also increased across the north along with continued Canada goose numbers in most areas. Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. The next cold front is developing expected to push down from Canada early next week. Cooler temperatures in the north this weekend are expected to help in crease waterfowl activity and improve hunter success as a result in the western and central parts of the United States. Soggy conditions in the Mid-Atlantic and New England states will likely result in low hunter success over the weekend in areas with constant rainfall. Rain showers will likely plague hunter success on Sunday in parts… Continue reading

The first flights of sandhill cranes arrived in North Dakota this past week, and the great brown duck shoot is underway in many northern states. Hunters in Minnesota and Wisconsin are reporting a primary bag of wood ducks and teal, with green-winged teal numbers increasing over the previous weeks. Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. As we approach the first weekend in October cool, wet weather in the upper Midwest has brought rain to many areas in need of water. While the few inches that fell over the Great Lakes region will improve conditions slightly, most areas in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa remain below normal water levels. Hunters using mud motors and shallow running boats are reaping the harvest in areas where access is limited by low water. While bird numbers are fair to good in most areas, hunter success has varied greatly due to habitat conditions. Continue reading

The series of cold fronts that sparked the first flights of the teal migration provided good to excellent shooting from Iowa to Louisiana and Texas. Hunters that hunted in areas holding ducks found quick limits, while others struggled to scratch a out a few birds. As hunters in Minnesota prepare for their earliest opener in decades, the stage is set for what could be one of the best openers the state has seen in years. Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. While the abundance of teal this year has consumed the headlines and hunter reports at Waterfowler.com, resident goose hunters have been cleaning up in the north throughout their early seasons. Cooler temperatures contributed to increased goose activity from the central plains to the eastern seaboard. Hunter success and participation varied greatly this year as delays in local harvests impacted the number of fields available for hunter access.… Continue reading

A brisk north wind and Frost Advisory for Alberta, Manitoba and northern Minnesota have ignited another early migration event in the Central and Mississippi Flyways. Blue-winged teal continue to hopscotch down the Flyways, along with scattered reports of pintail and widgeon numbers increasing in the far north. Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. While it may be difficult to imagine a frost and even snow flurries after the summer most have just endured, colder temperatures are griping the Prairie Pothole region of Canada this week and the annual migration has begun. At this time blue-winged teal are present and on the move from the far north to costal Louisiana and Texas. Hunters who happen to reside in states that offer an early teal season have experienced good to excellent hunting the past week, thanks to back-to-back fronts that have kept a steady flow of birds traveling south. Continue reading

Resident goose and teal hunting has begun in a number of northern states and dove shooting is underway across most of the nation. The first cold front of the season has brought welcomed relief from the heat and clear end to the dog days of summer. Blue-winged teal are on the move in the upper Mississippi Flyway, with hunters reporting increased activity over the past few days as the cold front has pushed south. Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. Weather is a funny thing. After a long, almost endless summer of temperatures dancing near the one hundred mark from the far north to the Deep South, the first puff of arctic air could not have arrived at a more perfect time for early season hunters. If you spent the weekend in a layout blind chasing resident geese or sitting on a bucket along the edge of a… Continue reading

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife announced the proposed waterfowl season frameworks with a liberal season framework for all four Flyways and a nation wide daily bag limit of two pintail, as well as a full season on canvasback with a daily bag limit of one. While the great news will offer little relief from the above average temperatures across the nation, the dog days of summer will end with a bang in the coming weeks as northern states kick off their early resident goose seasons. Hello folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com. The count down to back-to-school and the opening day of early waterfowl seasons continue, with the pace of the clock seeming to quicken each day. For many hunters in the north the goose decoys are about to come out of storage and be prepared for another season. It should come of no surprise to readers that we… Continue reading