With storms on the coast and heat in the plains, the past week’s early season teal and Canada goose hunting was all about weather.
Hello, folks, and, as always, welcome to Waterfowler.com.
As the early seasons get underway and the regular season in portions of Canada kick off, Waterfowler.com is excited to announce an upcoming interactive feature that will aide us all in tracking the migration this fall.
In the next few weeks, we will be unveiling our latest update to the new site, the Migration Mapping System. Utilizing information collected from Waterfowler.com, users and other sources the new GIS (geographical imaging system) will detail the intensity of waterfowl migrations across North America. Users will be able to rate the level of migration (low, medium, high and peak) by area code. A list of area codes will be provided.
Waterfowler.com is also pleased to announce our OUTBOARD EXTRAVAGANZA, a sweepstakes open to all registered users. We will be giving away a prototype Johnson Bombardier 6 horse power outboard motor in Advantage Wetlands camouflage. Members will be automatically entered for the drawing and registered users will be given the chance to enter through a special link on our home page. Good luck!
The STATE FORUMS are now up and running on each of the Field Report pages. Be sure to stop by the forums for your home state to take part in this new feature and keep up with the latest from fellow Waterfowler.com users in your area.
And now, on to the Migration Report.
Early season waterfowlers opened teal season in several states this past week. Warm weather in the heartland and storms along the east coast made filling bag limits tough for most.
Waterfowl hunting got underway in southern Manitoba over the weekend with the Youth Waterfowl Heritage Days. A group of 37 young hunters joined by Delta Waterfowl staff and volunteers hit the Delta Marsh. Although warm weather made for a slow morning a grand time was had by all. Hunters eager to chase teal and early geese this week can expect the going to be tough. With no major cool fronts forecast through the weekend, warm weather and sun may well keep the birds less active than needed to make for a good hunt.
Teal numbers in the lower IL river area have continued to climb over the past week. A link to refuge counts from that state can be found on the field reports page.
Further south, reports of the blue rockets indicate spotty concentrations from MO to LA with the heaviest concentrations still holding in southern MO and the coast of LA and TX. Be sure to check the Forums and field reports located on your home states page for the latest reports as the season moves on. For Canada, the first portion of the regular season looks to be on par with the rest of North America. Little or no major cold front activity over the next week will mean that the ducks and geese will be reluctant move. Areas holding birds should see a slow increase in waterfowl numbers as the “calendar birds” continue to make their way south, but the big push for puddle ducks will remain stalled until Mother Nature sends an arctic present to waterfowlers across the region. Until next week, good luck, take your bug spray, and pray for a cold front.
