Weekly migratory bird hunting reports are posted from early September through early February.
High Plains Mallard Management Unit: Lots of playa lakes are available to use for wintering ducks and geese. Duck hunting has been good for mallards, wigeons, gadwalls and teal. Diver ducks have been hitting deeper playas and reservoirs. Goose hunting has been solid, reported several outfitters. Canada geese are best over wheat and corn. Sandhill crane hunting has been fair to good. Knox and Haskell counties have been fair to good for teal, wigeons, gadwalls and a few mallards. Specklebellies have been reliable as well. Reports from northern states indicate birds continue to stage, waiting for the first significant cold front of the year. Prospects are good.
North Zone Duck: The latest cold front pushed more mallards to the flooded timber, but drought-like conditions have shrunk available wet timber. Wood duck action remains steady in backwaters. Gadwalls, wigeons and teal have been taken in the shallow coves of area lakes and reservoirs. Canvasbacks have been reported on Lake Fork, Sam Rayburn and Lake O’Pines. Caddo Lake has been slow. Limits of wood ducks have come in the Trinity River bottom near Lake Livingston. Hunting has been fair to good on the coastal prairies along the southern boundaries of the North Zone. Water has been in short supply there, too, but many ponds are getting water from established wells. Winnie, Brenham, Devers, Sealy and Columbus have all enjoyed steady shoots for teal, gadwalls, wigeons, pintails and shovelers. Prospects are fair to good.
South Zone Duck: Duck hunting slowed a bit along the coastal prairies of Eagle Lake, Wharton, El Campo, Garwood, East Bernard, Hungerford, Lissie and Louise. However, most hunters have been able to shoot at least half-limits. Teal, gadwalls, wigeons, shovelers and pintails have made up the brunt of the bag. Bay hunters have enjoyed an influx of birds as redheads and scaup found shoalgrass in East Matagorda, West Matagorda, Espiritu Santo, San Antonio and Aransas bays. Many bay hunters along the middle coast have indicated they have never seen so many pintails and redheads so early in the season. Good numbers of wigeons and gadwalls have also been taken in the marsh as well. The marsh around Orange has been fair to good. Trinity Bay hunters have shot teal, gadwalls and shovelers around Jack’s Pocket. More snow geese have shown, but few hunters have hunted them. Specklebellies have been fickle over water. Prospects are good.
