Weekly migratory bird hunting reports are posted from early September through early February.
High Plains Mallard Management Unit: Outfitters said the Thanksgiving cold front pushed more geese to the High Plains. Goose hunters enjoyed better decoying action near Dumas, Spearman, Etter and Amarillo. Limits of Canadas have been taken from corn and plowed ground. A few snow geese have been mixed, but most outfitters say they have not been able to pattern the flight of snow geese. Specklebellies and Canadas continue to work in Knox and Haskell counties. Duck numbers continue to build in the Panhandle, with more mallards showing with the cool front. Sandhill crane hunters enjoyed great decoying action. Pheasant season opens this weekend and prospects are excellent. Prospects are good.
North Zone Duck: The first split of duck season ended at sunset Nov. 28 and results across the region ranged from poor to fair. Lack of water was the culprit, as the region has been dry for several months and backwaters that normally provide habitat for birds is not there. The good news is more mallards showed last weekend on the Sulphur River and in shallow areas of lakes and reservoirs. Biologist Jared Laing said wood ducks were steady in wet, wooded areas, but many were harvested elsewhere, too, since many timber haunts are dry. Gadwalls and wigeons have been taken in shallow coves of lakes and reservoirs. Divers are steady around Lake O’Pines, Sam Rayburn, Lake Fork and Toledo Bend. Water levels at Toledo Bend are very low. Hunting was fair around the zone boundaries of IH-10. Freshwater impoundments have held pintails, wigeons and shovelers, but that region needs rain, too. The second split opens Dec. 11. Prospects are fair.
South Zone Duck: Duck hunters along the coast enjoyed the best duck hunting in the state during the first split. The coast continued to produce steady duck shoots on the prairies, marshes and bays. Gadwalls, wigeons, shovelers and pintails were taken on the coastal prairies. Large wads of green-winged teal were absent during the first split. Bay hunters enjoyed limits to near-limits around Port O’Connor, Rockport and Port Mansfield. The extra pintail in the bag this season has been a boon for bay hunters. The brunt of the snow goose population has arrived, and hunters have taken advantage with steady hunting. Early estimates indicated a bumper crop of young geese this year. Though that estimation might be overstated, most outfitters agree that juvenile numbers are average, which still bodes well for decoying action. Specklebellies have readily decoyed Sandhill crane numbers are steady, and hunters will get their first crack at the large gray birds Dec. 18. Reminder: hunters must possess the free crane permit to hunt sandhill cranes. The South Zone duck season opens again Dec. 11. Prospects are good.
