Weekly migratory bird hunting reports are posted from early September through early February.
High Plains Mallard Management Unit: Decoying action has been solid for Canada geese over plowed, milo and corn. Strong numbers of birds have been seen near Dumas, Etter and Spearman. Snow geese have been a bit warier, but most hunts are taking a handful of snows with the darks. Duck hunting has been solid as well on playas for mallards, teal, wigeons and gadwalls. Sandhill cranes have readily decoyed over gray spreads. The cold blast forecasted for this week should help hunting even more. Prospects are good.
North Zone Duck: Duck hunting remains fair at best. Lack of water in the region has encouraged ducks to keep heading south to find suitable habitat. More mallards have shown, but the brunt of the greenhead population has not arrived. The cold blast forecasted this week should deposit more birds to the region. Sloughs and river bottoms have held mostly wood ducks. Gadwalls and wigeons have been taken in shallow coves of lakes and reservoirs. The diver population on lakes and reservoirs spiked during the past week with the cooler temperatures. Hunting remains best around the coastal zone boundaries of IH-10. Freshwater impoundments have held pintails, wigeons, shovelers and teal, but wildlife managers have had to pump water due to the dry conditions. The region needs rain badly. The first split of the North Zone duck season ends at sunset Nov. 28. Prospects are fair.
South Zone Duck: The coast continues to produce steady duck shoots on the prairies, marshes and bays. Gadwalls, wigeons, shovelers, teal and pintails have been the species showing in bags on the prairies. If you have water, you probably have ducks, since no significant rainfall has occurred on the coast since September. Bay hunters have seen an influx of birds with limits of redheads and pintails being the norm around Port O’Connor. Good numbers of birds were reported in Rockport and Port Mansfield. Goose numbers are building, but snow goose hunters have not been able to pattern birds consistently. Specklebellies have readily decoyed over rice. The bright moon coupled with the cold blast forecasted for this week should push even more birds to the coast. Sandhill crane numbers are steady, though the large gray birds will not be legal to hunt for another month. The first split of the South Zone duck season ends at sunset Nov. 28. Prospects are good.
