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Minnesota Waterfowl Migration Report
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We would like to give a special thanks to Phil Schmidt of Goosebusters Guide Service, Chuck Ellingson of The Watson Hunting Camp, Matt Kostka and Jarrad Brown of Top Gun Guide Service and Adam Johnson of First Flight Finishers for all of their help in making the 2007 HuntTheNorth.com Migration Report a valued asset to many Minnesota waterfowl hunters. Thanks guys!
Weekend Weather Forecast: |
In western Minnesota expect highs in the single digits through the weekend with lows dipping below zero. Skies should be overcast through the weekend as well with a 40% chance of snow flurries on Saturday. On Friday expect W / NW winds at 6 – 8 mph. On Saturday expect N / NE winds at 4 – 6 mph and on Sunday expect W / NW winds at 5 – 9 mph.
In central Minnesota expect highs in the low teens each day through the weekend with lows dipping below zero each night. Skies should be overcast through Monday with a 20% chance of snow flurries on Saturday. On Friday expect W / NW winds at 6 – 8 mph. On Saturday expect light N / NE winds at 1 – 3 mph and on Sunday expect N / NW winds at 4 – 8 mph.
In south eastern Minnesota expect highs in the upper teens to low 20’s through the weekend with lows in the low single digits. Skies should be overcast through the weekend with a 40% chance of snow flurries on Saturday and a 20% chance of snow flurries on Sunday. On Friday expect W / NW winds at 3 – 6 mph. On Saturday expect N / NE winds at 3 – 6 mph and on Sunday expect N / NW winds at 6 – 9 mph. |
| N.W.R. Activity: |
Lac Qui Parle Refuge: Reports that as of December 6, 2007 they have not conducted an official count this week but estimate there are still 100,000 Canada geese using the refuge. Note: The West-Central Zone Goose Zone closed on Tuesday November 27, 2007 for the year.
Big Stone NWR: Reports that as of December 6, 2007 the refuge is almost completely frozen over. There are still approximately 1,000 Canada geese and 50 ducks still using the refuge at this time.
Talcot Refuge: Reported that as of December 6, 2007 the river is still open as well as a small hole above the dam which is holding about 1,500 Canada geese and about 100 mallards. Other then that most everything else in the area is completely frozen over including Clear Lake. They also stated that the West Zone will open up again for Canada goose hunting on December 8 – December 17, 2007.
Upper Mississippi River Valley NWR: Reports that as of November 26, 2007 Pools 4 – 14 are currently holding 17,395 Canada geese, 23,375 Swans and 74,800 puddle ducks- of which there are 56,395 mallards, 6,170 pintails, 12,235 gadwalls and 765 widgeons. There are also 98,995 diver ducks- of which there are: 55,370 canvasbacks, 8,695 ring necks, 25,350 scaup, 2,210 buffleheads and 5,190 golden eyes. They also stated that this will be the last survey of the season.
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| Reports From The Field: |
Phil Schmidt of Goosebusters Guide Service (612-325-9746) guides out of the western suburbs in the Twin City area. Phil says that this past week the goose hunting has been excellent. He stated that this late in the year with the cool temps they have been getting set up around 9:00 am and have been limiting out by 10:30 am. Phil also stated that the ducks hunting overall this year was outstanding. He stated that this year they set a new record of harvesting 259 ducks which was much better then last year’s harvest of 132 ducks. Phil is excited for the upcoming late Canada goose season which opens up on December 8 – 17 and offers a 5 bird a day limit.
Matt Kostka of Top Gun Guide Service (507-2696-0208) guides out of the Rochester area. Matt said that the hunting is getting good. Matt stated that they had a successful weekend last week and the hunting has been steady this week so far. Matt also stated that they now have about 6 – 8” of snow on the ground and on Sunday December 2 they had a big migration of new Canada geese into the area. Matt expects the late season to be awesome from here on out. Top Gun is currently offering late season pit hunts in Rochester for $100.00 per gun so give ‘em a call!
Adam Johnson of First Flight Finishers (651-442-7259) guides out of the Twin City Metro area. Adam stated that last weekend the goose hunting around the metro area was very good. Adam said that Friday was excellent, Saturday was good but not until the snow let up late in the afternoon and Sunday was also very good as they saw thousands of migrating geese enter the area. After everything was said and done on Sunday Adam expects they gained about 20,000 new Canada geese in the north eastern Twin City area. Adam also said that the Rochester area also received a big push of new geese as well. Adam is also anticipating an action packed late Canada goose season.
Chuck Ellingson of the Watson Hunting Camp (952-484-8717), based out of Watson, Minnesota in the Lac Qui Parle Refuge. Chuck says that their Canada goose season is now closed as of Tuesday November 27, 2007. Chuck noted that their Canada goose season was excellent this year. He said at the end of the season they had over 150,000 Canada geese in the Lac Qui Parle Refuge and many are still there now. Chuck said the duck hunting in the area was below average this year but the pheasant hunting has been great as well and that season runs through Jan 1, 2008. Give Chuck a call for a late season guided pheasant hunt!
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Iowa Waterfowl Migration Report
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| We would like to give a special thanks to Shawn Eldredge of Prairies Edge, Lynn Buswell of Jagermister Outfitters and Scott McClelland for all of their help in making the 2007 HuntTheNorth.com Migration Report a valued asset to many Iowa waterfowl hunters. Thanks guys! |
| Weekend Weather Forecast: |
In north eastern Iowa expect highs in the upper teens to low 20’s through the weekend with lows in the low single digits. Skies should be overcast through the weekend with a 40% chance of snow flurries on Saturday and a 20% chance of snow flurries on Sunday. On Friday expect W / NW winds at 3 – 6 mph. On Saturday expect N / NE winds at 3 – 6 mph and on Sunday expect N / NW winds at 6 – 9 mph.
In central Iowa expect a high of 27 degrees on Friday and then high temps will drop down into the mid to upper teens through the rest of the weekend. Lows should be in the single digits to low teens each night. Skies should be overcast through the weekend with a 50% chance of snow flurries on Saturday and a 30% chance of snow flurries on Sunday. On Friday expect W / NW winds at 4- 6 mph. On Saturday expect NE winds at 10 mph and on Sunday expect N / NW winds at 6 – 10 mph.
In south western Iowa expect highs dropping from 30 degrees on Friday, all the way down to 20 degrees by Sunday. Lows will follow suit dropping from 20 degrees on Friday, down to 13 degrees by Sunday night. Skies should be overcast through the weekend with a 60% chance of snow flurries on Saturday and a 40% chance of snow flurries on Sunday. On Friday expect E / NE winds at 4 – 7 mph. On Saturday expect E / NE winds at 1 0 – 11 mph and on Sunday expect N / N\W winds at 8 – 13 mph. |
| Refuge Activity: |
The most current data available as of November 28, 2007 shows the following survey counts for their respective areas:
Big Sioux Management Area: 14,000 Canada geese and 1,100 ducks of which there are 78% mallards and 22% diver ducks.
Sweet Marsh Management Area: 4,200 Canada geese and 3,400 ducks of which there are 97% puddle ducks and 3% divers of those there are 97% mallards.
Saylorville Management Area: 1,200 Canada geese and 2,300 ducks of which there are 74% puddle ducks and 26% diver ducks. Of those there are 71% mallards.
Red Rock Management Area: Reports 1,500 Canada geese and 12,000 ducks of which there are 100% Mallards.
Odessa Management Area: 2,600 Canada geese and 22,100 ducks of which there are 91% puddle ducks and 9% diver ducks. Of those there are 82% mallards.
Maquoketa Management Area: 4,000 Canada geese and 2,500 ducks of which there are 100% puddle ducks. Of those there are 48% mallards.
Riverton: No Canada geese and 18,500 ducks of which there are 99% puddle ducks and 1% diver ducks. Of those there are 97% mallards.
Missouri River: 16,300 Canada geese and 20,100 mallards. |
| Reports From The Field: |
Shawn Eldredge of Prairies Edge Goose Club (515-321-4667) is based out of the Des Moines area. Shawn stated that last weekend the hunting was tough as they received not only 20 mph SE winds with 23 degree temps but a 6 hour freezing rain on Saturday which caused the birds to stay put and made them tough to pattern through the weekend. Shawn stated that they received a big migration of both Canada geese and mallards on both Sunday and Monday when the winds switched to the NW. Shawn expects that the late season waterfowling around the Des Moines area should be good all the way through January 9.
Lynn Buswell of Jagermister Outfitters (319 213 0991) guides out of the south eastern region of the state near South Amana, Iowa. Lynn stated that this last weekend they had a major push of both Canada geese and mallards through the area. He follow up that they still have a good number of those Canada geese holding in the area and a few ducks but a lot of the mallards pushed on south. Lynn said things are freezing up fast and they are expecting 7” of snow by this weekend. Lynn said overall the Iowa season in his area hit late and came fast but not much you can do about it he said. Lynn is already looking forward to the spring snow goose season.
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North Dakota Waterfowl Migration Report
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| We would like to give a special thanks to Dave Beam of Beams On The Prairie, Kyle Blanchfield of Northern Flight Guide Service and Deb and Mike Roppel of Lost Prairie Lodge for all of their help in making the 2007 HuntTheNorth.com Migration Report a valued asset to many North Dakota waterfowl hunters. Thanks guys! |
| Weekend Weather Forecast: |
In northern North Dakota expect highs in the low single digits through the weekend with lows well below zero each night. Skies should be partly cloudy through the weekend with no precipitation in the forecast. On Friday expect W / NW winds at 11 – 13 mph. On Saturday W / NW winds will continue at 4 – 7 mph and on Sunday winds will switch to the South at around 6 mph.
In central North Dakota expect highs in the low single digits and lows well below zero. Skies should be partly cloudy through the weekend with no precipitation in the forecast. On Friday expect W / NW winds at 10 – 11 mph. On Saturday NW winds will continue at 3 – 4 mph and on Sunday winds will switch to the SW at 6 mph.
In south eastern North Dakota expect highs in the single digits through the weekend with lows well below zero in the double digits. Skies should be partly cloudy through the weekend with no precipitation in the forecast. On Friday expect NW winds at 9 – 11 mph. On Saturday expect N / NW winds at 3 – 6 mph and on Sunday expect Westerly winds at 3 – 6 mph. |
| N.W.R. Activity: |
Lake Alice NWR / Devils Lake Wetland Dist: Reports that as of November 28, 2007 things are bleek! They reported that at this time the only open water left in the entire area is the main bay of Devils Lake. They stated that the entire east side of Devils lake is now completely frozen over. They also stated that temps have been below zero every night now and they do have about 3’ of snow on the ground. They have not seen any Canada geese or ducks in the fields around the area for some time now.
Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge: Reports that as of November 28, 2007 the only open water left in the area is the aerator on the refuge which is holding about 100 Canada geese. Other than that most everything has pulled out of the area. They reported that there has been below 0 temps for 3 days this week and they have not reported seeing any other migrating waterfowl in the area.
Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge: Reports that as of Monday November 26, 2007 they had 500 Canada geese left and only a handful of mallards and snow geese. Since then they had a light blizzard move through and very cold freezing temps which they feel have pushed almost all of the migrating waterfowl in the area south for the year. |
| Reports From The Field: |
Dave Beam of Beams On The Prairie (701-282-0456) has been out of SE North Dakota. Dave says that North Dakota is freezing up fast. Dave saw in the forecast that temps are going to drop below 0 at some point this week which he feels will send even the heartiest birds south. Dave also noted that he has been seeing big flocks of both ducks and geese migrating south all week. Dave expects that Devils Lake may continue to hold some numbers of birds but for the most part he feels that the ND season will be over after this week.
Kyle Blanchfield of Northern Flight Guide Service (701-662-5996) is based out of Devils Lake. Kyle says that they are experiencing temps below zero this week and the only thing keeping a small portion of Devils Lake open are the high winds at this time and as soon as they die down he expects it won’t be long until the entire lake freezes over. Kyle says that what is left of the waterfowl in the area are moving out quick. Bottom line Kyle says “Game Over!”
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South Dakota Waterfowl Migration Report
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We would like to give a special thanks to Josh Kiesow of Outdoor Adrenaline, Bruce Prins of Prairie Sky Ranch and John Luttrell of Luttrell Kennels and Legacy Outfitters for all of their help in making the 2007 HuntTheNorth.com Migration Report a valued asset to many South Dakota waterfowl hunters. Thanks guys!
Weekend Weather Forecast: |
In north eastern South Dakota expect highs in the single digits through the weekend with lows well below zero in the double digits. Skies should be partly cloudy through the weekend with no precipitation in the forecast. On Friday expect NW winds at 9 – 11 mph. On Saturday expect N / NW winds at 3 – 6 mph and on Sunday expect Westerly winds at 3 – 6 mph.
In central South Dakota expect highs in the teens through the weekend with lows right around zero reach night. Skies should be overcast through the weekend with a 50% chance of snow flurries on Saturday. On Friday expect N / NE winds at 6 – 10 mph. On Saturday expect N / NE winds at 6 – 8 mph and on Sunday expect SW winds at 4 – 5 mph.
In east central South Dakota expect highs in the single digits through the weekend with lows dipping below zero. Skies should be overcast through the weekend as well with a 40% chance of snow flurries on Saturday. On Friday expect W / NW winds at 6 – 8 mph. On Saturday expect N / NE winds at 4 – 6 mph and on Sunday expect W / NW winds at 5 – 9 mph.
In southern South Dakota expect a high of 26 degrees on Friday and then highs will drop down into the upper teens through the duration of the weekend. Lows should be in the single digits each night. Skies should be overcast through the weekend with a 60% chance of snow flurries on Saturday. On Friday expect East winds at 6 – 10 mph. On Saturday East winds will continue at 10 – 12 mph and on Sunday expect E / SE winds at around 6 mph. |
| N.W.R. Activity: |
Sand Lake NWR: Reported that as of December 6, 2007 they are completely emptied out. They stated that at this time the refuge is completely frozen over and with in the last week anything that was left has moved south.
Waubay NWR: Reported that as of December 6, 2007 there is not much of anything left in the area. They stated that last weekend they received about 6 – 7” of snow and what ducks were still in the area keeping a few holes open, vacated the area when their food sources were covered up. The biologists thought there may be a few hearty Canada geese still around somewhere in the area but they have not seen anything in the last week.
LaCreek NWR: Reported that as of December 6, 2007 they were still holding about 30,000 Canada geese. They reported that earlier in the fall they did have some good numbers of Snow geese as well but those have all pulled out at this time. They also reported that there are still some ducks around but they did not have any numbers regarding the ducks in the refuge at this time.
Lake Andes NWR: Reports that as of Tuesday November 27, 2007 they were holding 8,500 Canada geese, 4,800 Snow geese, 15,000 mallards and 2,000 diver ducks. They did note that there is still some open water on the refuge but it is quickly freezing up. |
| Reports From The Field: |
Josh Kiesow of Outdoor Adrenaline (605-223-2671) is located near the Missouri River in Pierre. Josh flies the Missouri river from Pierre to Chamberlin weekly conducting his own waterfowl census for the area. Josh said that currently the De Grey refuge located on the Missouri river is holding between 30,000 – 40,000 Canada geese and Josh says that, that numbers is fluctuating daily now as they are getting more and more of the greater Canadas moving in from the north. Josh said they are also holding 10,000 Snow geese but the duck numbers are very low right now. He reported that the river is still wide open where they are at but the assume that there are still some good numbers of Canada geese on the Missouri still in North Dakota that should be showing up any time now. Josh did note that they never saw the big flights of northern Mallards along the Missouri that normally show up and feels they must have flown right over and kept going. Josh said the goose hunting has been very good through the past 2 weeks and should stay that way through the next month. Hunters keep in mind that the waterfowl hunting in the Pierre area of South Dakota stays open through Feb. 9, 2008 and licenses are available to hunters over the counter so give Josh a call to reserve a late season hunt on the river.
Bruce Prins of Prairie Sky Ranch (605-738-2411) is located in the NE corner of the state near Sisseton. Bruce stated that as of November 28 it’s over! Bruce noted that they currently have 4” of ice on the potholes in the area and freezing temps. Bruce did say that there are a few wads of ducks still left in the area most noticeable on Lake Traverse but Bruce doesn’t think they will be around long. Overall Bruce felt they had a successful season. He stated that they had to work harder then ever to kill their ducks this year with the many blue bird days but he did say that they harvested as many if not more ducks this year as they did last year.
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Wisconsin Waterfowl Migration Report
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We would like to give a special thanks to Matt Raley of Hideaway Hollow Outfitters, Robb Kaminskis of Beaver Creek Outfitting, John Rechlitz of Rolling Waves Adventures and Todd Lensing of Flyway Fowling Guide Service for all of their help in making the 2007 HuntTheNorth.com Migration Report a valued asset to many Wisconsin waterfowl hunters. Thanks guys!
Weekend Weather Forecast: |
In north western Wisconsin expect highs in the teens through the weekend with lows dropping below zero each night. Skies should be cloudy through the weekend as well with a 20% chance of snow flurries on Saturday. On Friday expect West winds at 6 – 8 mph. On Saturday expect E / NE winds at 2 – 4 mph and on Sunday expect W / NW winds at 3 – 6 mph.
In eastern Wisconsin expect highs in the upper 20’s to low 30’s through the weekend with lows in the upper teens to low 20’s each night. Skies should be overcast through the weekend with a 40% chance of snow flurries on Saturday and Sunday. On Friday expect W / SW winds at 6 – 9 mph. On Saturday expect N / NE winds at 11 mph and on Sunday expect N / NE winds at 9 – 13 mph.
In south western Wisconsin expect highs in the upper teens to low 20’s through the weekend with lows in the low single digits. Skies should be overcast through the weekend with a 40% chance of snow flurries on Saturday and a 20% chance of snow flurries on Sunday. On Friday expect W / NW winds at 3 – 6 mph. On Saturday expect N / NE winds at 3 – 6 mph and on Sunday expect N / NW winds at 6 – 9 mph. |
| N.W.R. Activity: |
Horicon NWR: Reported that as of December 6, 2007 they report holding between 1,000 – 3,000 Canada geese and very few ducks. They state that they have not conducted an official count for several weeks but that is their best guess at this time. They did note that last weekend they received 6’ of snow and then immediately after that 2” of rain fell which resulted in a thick cover of ice over the snow. Since then many of the birds moved out of the area due to the fact that they could not get at their food sources anymore. They are expecting another storm this weekend and state that they are losing more and more geese each day.
Upper Mississippi River Valley NWR: Reports that as of November 26, 2007 Pools 4 – 14 are currently holding 17,395 Canada geese, 23,375 Swans and 74,800 puddle ducks- of which there are 56,395 mallards, 6,170 pintails, 12,235 gadwalls and 765 widgeons. There are also 98,995 diver ducks- of which there are: 55,370 canvasbacks, 8,695 ring necks, 25,350 scaup, 2,210 buffleheads and 5,190 golden eyes. They also stated that this will be the last survey of the season.
Trempealeau NWR: Reports that as of December 6, 2007 they are completely frozen over and have not seen any waterfowl in the area for a week now.
Necedah NWR: Biologists in the refuge report that the temps have been reaching -10 degrees at night now so that’s that! |
| Reports From The Field: |
Robb Kaminskis of Beaver Creek Outfitting (262-497-4954) guides out of eastern Wisconsin near Racine. Robb says that the Canada goose hunting has been excellent this week. He stated that they were out on Monday and Tuesday and took limits of geese each day. Robb said they will be wrapping up the 2007 season this weekend and with the arrival of a lot of new Canada geese into the area Robb expects they will be successful. Overall Robb stated that the 2007 waterfowl season was below average due to the blue bird days that kept many birds north and the birds that were around sitting on the water most of the day. Robb finalized by stating that they just received the big migration of mallards into the area which was about 2 weeks too late.
Matt Raley of Hideaway Hollow Outfitters (715-347-4868) guides out of the Marshfield area for Canada geese and on Pool 9 of the Mississippi River for ducks. Matt said that overall the season was great. Matt spent most of his season this year hunting the river and said they were very successful. He stated that the 2 canvasback a day limit was very nice and they had very good success with the cans this year. Matt said at the end of the season they lost a lot of the ducks in his section of the river but what birds were left (mostly golden eyes and cans) continued to decoy well. Matt moved the operation back to Marshfield this week but said that they went from holding about 5,000 Canada geese in his area to about 50 after the big storm so Matt was forced to cancel what hunts he had left for the season. Matt is already taking reservations for next year so give him a call!
John Rechlitz of Rolling Waves Adventures (414.322.4736) guides on Lake Michigan, out of the Milwaukee area. John said that overall the 2007 duck hunting season was phenomenal. John stated that they took out 32 hunters and averages 3.25 birds per hunter. John also stated that the Old Squaw hunting was particularly good this year as they had a 95% success rate on taking a trophy drake for those hunters targeting that species. John said that towards the end of the season the last few days the ducks were a little decoy shy and about a week after the season closed the started to see the big rafts of divers on the lake but again well after the close of the season.
Hunters in western Wisconsin report that they lost a lot of the geese in the area this past week and the only open water left in the area is on the rivers. They stated that the birds that are left, are decoying well and expect the final days of the 2007 goose season should be good if the birds stick around.
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Missouri Waterfowl Migration Report
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| We would like to give a special thanks to Dan Guyer of Iron Duck Hunting, Shawn Eldredge of Prairies Edge, Johnny Porter of Webfoot Guide Service and Brad Gannaway of Pro Outfitters for all of their help in making the 2007 HuntTheNorth.com Migration Report a valued asset to many Missouri waterfowl hunters. Thanks guys! |
| Weekend Weather Forecast: |
In northwestern Missouri expect highs dropping from 30 degrees on Friday, all the way down to 20 degrees by Sunday. Lows will follow suit dropping from 20 degrees on Friday, down to 13 degrees by Sunday night. Skies should be overcast through the weekend with a 60% chance of snow flurries on Saturday and a 40% chance of snow flurries on Sunday. On Friday expect E / NE winds at 4 – 7 mph. On Saturday expect E / NE winds at 1 0 – 11 mph and on Sunday expect N / N\W winds at 8 – 13 mph.
In central Missouri expect highs in the upper 30’s through the weekend with lows in the upper 20’s to low 30’s each night. Skies should be overcast through the weekend with a 20% chance of precipitation on Friday, a 50% chance of precipitation on Saturday and a 70% chance of precipitation on Sunday. On Friday expect light SE winds early switching over to the NE at 2 – 5 mph later in the morning. On Saturday expect E / NE winds at 8 – 10 mph and on Sunday expect N / NE winds at 10 mph.
In south western Missouri expect a high of 46 degrees on Friday and then high temps will climb up into the mid to upper 50’s through the rest of the weekend. Lows should be in the mid to upper 40’s each night. Skies should be overcast through the weekend with a 40% chance of rain showers on both Friday and Saturday and a 60% chance of rain showers on Sunday. On Friday also expect east winds at 2 – 5 mph. On Saturday expect E / SE winds at 8 – 10 mph and on Sunday expect Easterly winds at 2 – 7 mph. |
| N.W.R. Activity: |
Squaw Creek NWR: Reports that as of 12/03/2007 they currently have 2,371 Canada geese and 460,000 Snow geese. They also have 125,386 ducks. Of those there are 94% mallards, 2% gadwalls, 1% shovelers, 1% canvasbacks and 2% other ducks.
Swan Lake NWR: Reports that as of 12/03/2007 they have 416 Canada geese, 1,800 white fronted geese, 50,000 snow geese and 43,745 ducks. Of those ducks there are 90% mallards, 8% other dabblers.
Bob Brown C.A.: Reports that as of 12/04/2007 they currently have 3 Canada geese, 5 Snow geese and have 57,175 ducks of which there are 90% mallards, 10% other dabblers.
Ted Shanks C.A: Reports that as of 12/04/2007 they currently have 108,450 ducks, 15 Canada geese and 3 Snow geese. Of those ducks there are 90% mallards, 10% other dabblers.
Grand Pass Conservation Area: Reports that as of 12/03/2007 there are currently 168,943 ducks of which there are 93% mallards, 6% other dabblers teal and 1% ring necks.
Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area: Reports that as of 12/03/2007 they are currently holding 23,039 ducks and no Canada geese. Of those ducks there are 75% mallards and 23% teal.
Fountain Grove Conservation Area: Reports that as of 12/03/2007 they are currently holding 230 Canada geese and 47,492 ducks, of which there are 92% mallards, 6% other dabblers and 2% ring necks.
Four Rivers Conservation Area: Reports that as of 12/04/2007 they are currently holding 50,870 ducks, and 9 Canada geese. Of those ducks there are 85% mallards, 10% teal, 2% shovelers, 1% pintails and 25 other ducks. They will be hunting 22 parties throughout the season starting on November 3, 2007. |
| Reports From The Field: |
Dan Guyer of Iron Duck Hunting (816-210-3969) is based out of Plattsburg, Missouri and hunts the Squaw Creek area and Smithville Lake. Dan says that the hunting continues to remain excellent. He stated that the most recent reports from Squaw Creek are that they are holding 450,000 Snow geese and 120,000 mallards but Dan notes that, that is just on the refuge and he feels they have at least 200,000 mallards in the area right now. Dan says that they have had good success all week both on water and in the field harvesting mostly Canada geese, mallards and Snow geese. Dan says that as things freeze up in the area the big water hunting will only get better. He did note that they are in the middle of a storm front now and have received almost 3” of snow so far with more to come. Dan says that anything can happen when the smoke clears and they may get another push of new birds or they could lose a bunch of birds we’ll just have to wait and see.
Shawn Eldredge of Prairies Edge Goose Club (515-321-4667) has a base camp out of the Squaw Creek area. Shawn said that this past week he has been up at his camp in Des Moines, Iowa but has been getting calls all week from his farmers in Missouri stating that the snow geese and mallards are thick on several of his leases around the Squaw Creek area. Shawn has several pit locations with flooded corn and can’t wait to get back down there for the next 2 weeks which he feels will be excellent hunting!
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Nebraska Waterfowl Migration Report
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| We would like to give a special thanks to Shawn Reiff of Rainwater Basin Outfitters and Larry Frimann and Jay Brinda of Black Goose Outfitters for all of their help in making the 2007 HuntTheNorth.com Migration Report a valued asset to many Nebraska waterfowl hunters. Thanks guys! |
| Weekend Weather Forecast: |
In northern Nebraska expect a high of 26 degrees on Friday and then highs will drop down into the upper teens through the duration of the weekend. Lows should be in the single digits each night. Skies should be overcast through the weekend with a 60% chance of snow flurries on Saturday. On Friday expect East winds at 6 – 10 mph. On Saturday East winds will continue at 10 – 12 mph and on Sunday expect E / Se winds at around 6 mph.
In central Nebraska expect a high of 27 degrees on Friday and then highs will only high 17 degrees for the duration of the weekend. Lows should be in the single digits each night. Skies should be cloudy through the weekend with a 30% chance of snow flurries on Friday and a 40% chance of snow flurries on Saturday. On Friday also expect E / NE winds at 6 – 11 mph. On Saturday E / NE winds will continue at 11 – 13 mph and on Sunday expect N / NE winds at 2 – 8 mph.
In south eastern Nebraska expect highs dropping from 30 degrees on Friday, all the way down to 20 degrees by Sunday. Lows will follow suit dropping from 20 degrees on Friday, down to 13 degrees by Sunday night. Skies should be overcast through the weekend with a 60% chance of snow flurries on Saturday and a 40% chance of snow flurries on Sunday. On Friday expect E / NE winds at 4 – 7 mph. On Saturday expect E / NE winds at 1 0 – 11 mph and on Sunday expect N / NW winds at 8 – 13 mph. |
| N.W.R. Activity: |
Norfork GFP Office: Reported that as of December 6, the hunting continues to be very slow. Biologists report that normally at this time of year the mallard numbers are up and the hunting is good along the Platte River and the surrounding area but this year has been very slow. They have heard reports that hunting along the Platte River about 30 miles east of Norfork is a little better and the west end of the Lewis and Clark Reservoir in the Santee area was a little better last week. But reports from this week are that the hunting has dropped off again in that area as well. They are left wondering “Where are the ducks?”
Kearney GFP Office: Reported that as of December 6, 2007 things are still very slow in the area. Local biologists state that the only places they have heard that are holding huntable numbers of mallards are the Calamus Reservoir and Sherman Reservoir. They stated that the Sandhill Lakes and Rainwater Basin are frozen over and are not holding anything. They also stated the Platte River is also pretty scarce right now as well. They are hoping that there are still some mallards held up in South Dakota that may still migrate through at some point this season.
Lincoln GFP Office: Reports that as of December 6, 2007, around the Lincoln area there are a few flocks of Canada geese and mallards on Branched Oak just NW of Lincoln as well as down along the Missouri River near the Missouri, Iowa border in the SE region of the state- but no big numbers. They also reported that they have heard reports of some bigger flocks of ducks on the Sherman Reservoir and Davis Creek but the Platte River has been very slow this year. They expect that with the cold temps expected for this weekend, what is left of open water may start to freeze up, which could change things up again very soon. They stated that Squaw Creek NRW is currently holding the largest number of birds in the tri state area. |
| Reports From The Field: |
Shawn Reiff of Rainwater Basin Outfitters (402-230-0054) is based out of Beatrice, Nebraska near the rainwater basin. Shawn says that area is done for the year at this point. He stated that they never got the birds this year through that area and now it is froze up. Shawn has a new outpost camp on the west side of the state near Oshkosh, Nebraska. He stated that last Monday the mallards showed up in force. Shawn reports that from Lexington on west, the river is plum full of mallards and Canada geese. Shawn is expecting a very exciting and successful weekend of hunting at his newest camp in Oshkosh, Nebraska. For those Nebraska hunters still struggling to get in a late season hunt give Shawn a call.
Larry Frimann of Black Goose Outfitters (402-376-6793) guides out of Ainsworth, Nebraska (2 hours west of Norfork). Larry said that it has been so cold in their area that 2 weeks ago the big lake they guide on has completely frozen up which has forced them to shut down their operation for the year. Larry said that they did not see a major migration in their area yet and expect more birds are still north.
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Manitoba Waterfowl Migration Report
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Note Due to the fact the the vast majority of waterfowl have migrated through the province, as of November 21, 2007 this will be our final report from Manitoba for the year.
We would like to give a special thanks to Craig Henry of Cupped Wings Outfitting, Dan Nuemann of Feathered Horizon Outfitters and Scott Barmby of Black Duck Outfitters for all of their help in making the 2007 HuntTheNorth.com Migration Report a valued asset to many Manitoba waterfowl hunters. Thanks guys!
Weekend Weather Forecast: |
In northwestern Manitoba expect highs in the mid teens through the weekend with lows in the single digits. Skies should be overcast with no precipitation in the weekend forecast.
In western Manitoba expect highs in the upper 20’s to low 30’s through the weekend with lows in the teens through Saturday and then rising up to 26 degrees on Sunday. Skies should be overcast through the weekend with no precipitation in the forecast.
In southern Manitoba expect highs in the mid to upper 20’s through Saturday and then right around 32 degrees on Sunday. Lows should be in the single digits each night through the weekend. Skies should be clear and sunny on Friday and Saturday and then partly cloudy on Sunday with no precipitation in the forecast. |
| C.W.S. Reports |
| Winnipeg Field Office: Reported that temps are now reaching below freezing on a regular basis and all of the smaller lakes are now frozen over. They did say that the big lakes are still open but the big numbers of Canada geese and mallards have moved south. |
| Reports From The Field: |
Dan Neumann of Feathered Horizon Outfitters (204-476-0513) is based out of Brandon, Manitoba in the SW region of the province. Dan stated that this past week they received some very cold temps and at this time Dan feels that the rivers are the only open water left in the area. Dan said that there are still some of the greater Canada geese around and a few isolated flocks of mallards around but for the most part all of the waterfowl in the area have vacated for the season. Dan is excited for the upcoming spring snow goose season and does have some openings for anybody who is interested.
Craig Henry of Cupped Wings Outfitters (204-467-2374) guides out of the Oak Hammock Marsh area. Craig stated that there are still huntable numbers of Canada geese in the area but the mallards have moved south for the most part. Craig said there are still small pockets of mallards here and there but they are very spotty at this time.
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Saskatchewan Waterfowl Migration Report
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Note Due to the fact the the vast majority of waterfowl have migrated through the province, as of November 21, 2007 this will be our final report from Saskatchewan for the year.
We would like to give a special thanks to Mike Franklin of Pacific Wings Adventures, Cory McLachlan of Highland Outfitters, Matt Kostka of Black Duck Outfitters and Dave Ciani of High Prairie Outfitters for all of their help in making the 2007 HuntTheNorth.com Migration Report a valued asset to many Saskatchewan waterfowl hunters. Thanks guys!
Weekend Weather Forecast: |
In north western Saskatchewan expect highs in the mid to upper 20’s through the weekend with lows in the mid teens. Skies should be overcast on Friday and Saturday and then clear and sunny on Sunday with no precipitation in the forecast.
In central Saskatchewan expect a high of 14 degrees on Friday and then rising up into the mid 20’s through the rest of the weekend. Lows should be in the low to mid teens. Skies should be partly cloudy through the weekend with no precipitation in the forecast.
In southern Saskatchewan expect a high of 28 degrees on Friday and then temps should climb up into the mid to upper 30’s through Sunday. Lows should be in the low teens each night. Skies should be overcast through the weekend with no precipitation in the forecast.
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| C.W.S. Reports |
| Weyburn Field Office: Reported that at this time there are still some isolated flocks of waterfowl still in the province but for the most part things are freezing up quick. They did report seeing a large concentration of snow geese around the Heward area which is about 1 hour west of Stouton. They have also heard reports of some good sized flocks of mallards still around the Gooseberry Lake region as well. All of the smaller lakes and sloughs are frozen over and some of the big lakes are still open at this time. |
| Reports From The Field: |
Dave Ciani of High Prairie Outfitters (605-578-1222) stated that his scouts across Saskatchewan have reported that waterfowl numbers are very low across the province at this time. They were unable to find any huntable numbers of mallards or snow geese this past week and expect it is over for the year from here on out.
Matt Kostka of Top Gun Guide Service (507-696-0208) is based out of the Quill Lakes area. Matt stated that as of November 7, 2007 his scouts reported that most all of the waterfowl have moved out of the area. He stated that there were still a few greater Canada geese and mallards around but the big numbers of birds have pushed south for the year. He also stated that temperatures have become cold and smaller lakes are iced over.
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