dovehuntersWeekly migratory bird hunting reports are posted from early September through early February.

High Plains Mallard Management Unit: Duck hunters have had plenty of water to hunt with an abundance of playas brimming with water. That also means ducks are not as concentrated since water is readily available. Pintails, mallards, wigeons and teal have made up most of the bag. The abundance of water is good for geese, allowing plenty of roosting areas. Canada geese and a few snows are beginning to stack up in Etter. The season opens Nov. 6 in the West Zone. Sandhill crane numbers look strong as well. That season also opens Nov. 6. Prospects are good.

North Zone Duck: The front that blew in a day before the opener brought new birds to the area, but generally, results were lackluster for opening weekend. The region is abnormally dry and many sloughs and backwaters are dry. Teal and diver ducks were taken on Caddo Lake, but as a whole, hunting was below average. Bluebills, teal and a few canvasbacks were harvested on Lake O’Pines. Limits of wood ducks were taken while pass-shooting wooded areas. Biologist Jared Laing reported fair to good shoots on reservoirs north of Hwy 80 for wood ducks, gadwalls and green-winged teal. The best hunting occurred near the dividing zone line close to the coast. Prairie ponds north of IH-10 in Winnie, Devers, Hamshire and Brookshire saw good numbers of teal and shovelers. The coastal region could use more water, however, many hunters have the ability to pump water from wells. Back-to-back fronts this week should encourage more birds to move to Texas. If the region remains dry, look for lakes and reservoirs to hold more birds. Prospects are fair.

South Zone Duck: Opening day along the coastal prairies was nothing short of phenomenal. Many hunters reported seeing more birds in the air than at any point in their hunting careers. The cold front that traveled through Texas a day before the opener deposited many new birds to Texas. Limits of pintails and teal, bluewings and greenwings made up most bags. Hunters working the Trinity Bay marsh saw strong shoots opening day, but saw significantly slower hunting on Sunday. Jefferson and Orange counties reported good shoots for teal. Port O’Connor hunting was good for pintails, wigeons, gadwalls and a few redheads for those who scouted. More divers are showing daily with fronts. Snow geese showed the day before the opener. A few hunts reported admirable shoots, however, with the return of south winds on Monday, one outfitter reported a 97-bird goose shoot in Colorado County. Many young, gray-feathered snows have been seen in flocks. The coast remains dry, though some areas received an inch of rain early in the week with the passing front. Prospects are good.