Nov. 23, 2005
Weekly Migratory Bird Hunting Report
Weekly migratory bird hunting reports are posted from early September through early February.
High Plains Mallard Management Unit: The region near Amarillo continues to suffer from dry conditions. Biologists estimate less than 10 percent of the playas in the High Plains have water; however, those playas that have water have plenty of ducks. Mallards, wigeons, gadwalls and teal are in full force in the Panhandle and those duck hunters able to access water are taking easy limits. Closer to Lubbock, the region is much wetter due to heavy rains two months ago. Haskell and Knox City continues to enjoy great duck hunting for mallards and other puddle ducks. Goose hunting continues steady near Dumas. Lack of water has birds concentrated on Lake Etter and other playas with water. Sandhill cranes have been readily decoying in corn and wheat near Spearman. Knox City hunters are taking their specklebellies and Canadas. Hunters are taking bonus snow geese near Lake Etter, too. Prospects are good.
North Zone Waterfowl: Dry conditions continue to concentrate birds on large lakes and reservoirs. Those able to access those lakes are reaping the rewards by taking limits or near-limits of mallards, gadwalls, wigeons, teal and shovelers. Lake Fork, Cooper Lake, Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn, Caddo Lake, Lake O’the Pines, Lake Murvaul and the Sulfur River are producing good shoots. Stock tanks with any resemblance of water are holding birds as well. The coastal prairie north of IH-10 enjoyed an influx of mallards during the week. A bright moon coinciding with a full moon made for ideal migrating conditions. Still, shovelers, green-winged teal and gadwalls are the species showing up most in hunters’ bags in Brookshire, Sealy, China, Devers, Hamshire and Winnie. Ponds that have access to pumped water are evaporating daily. Unless significant winter rains occur, waterfowl managers will have to turn on the pumps again, soon, to keep water in ponds. With the high cost of farm diesel, the price might be too high and some ponds may go dry, which does not bode well for habitat conditions. The North Zone closes at sunset Nov. 27, then reopens Dec. 10. Prospects are fair to good.
South Zone Waterfowl: The region received and influx of birds this week, especially mallards and snow geese, with the cooperation of a full moon and strong cold front. Waterfowlers are saying they have not seen this many mallards along the coast in years. A dry Northeast Texas might be the reason so many mallards made it to the coast so early in the season. The coastal prairie is dry, too; however, many ponds on the prairie have access to canal water or pumped water which has established roost ponds full of water. Duck hunting slowed a bit during the week in Eagle Lake, Lissie, Garwood and El Campo, but it still remained solid enough to scratch out limits. Trinity Bay hunters continue to take limits or near-limits of gadwalls, teal and shovelers. The same holds true for marsh hunters near Freeport and the rest of the Brazoria County marsh. Port O’Connor, Seadrift and Rockport hunters have taken limits of redheads, scaup, gadwalls, wigeons, shovelers and teal. Snow goose numbers are strong now, but less than ideal conditions this week did not put a dent in the population. Most goose spreads are taking their specklebellies, but even that slowed a bit Sunday when stiff north winds blew in at daylight. The region needs rainfall or waterfowl managers will have to dig deep into their pockets to pump water, which many cannot do. The South Zone closes at sunset Nov. 27, then reopens Dec.10. Prospects are good.
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