– 14 November 2013 Minnesota Waterfowl Migration and Hunting Report NW

Minnesota Waterfowl Migration and Hunting Report – 14 November 2013
The following report is a compilation of state and federal wildlife manager reports
and waterfowl surveys from across Minnesota. This is the 9th report for 2013.
Reports will be compiled weekly throughout the hunting season and should be
available by Thursday afternoon each week. The Conservation Officer Report,
available on the DNR web site, also contains information about waterfowl hunter
success across the state.
General: 14 November 2013, 4:00 p.m.
Duck hunting was good in most locations at the end of last week and over the
weekend but few waterfowl hunters were out to take advantage. Fair numbers of
mallards and other late season migrant ducks moved into the state over the
weekend, but by Tuesday morning, most of the state was ice-covered except for
the very large lakes and many ducks migrated south. Canada goose numbers also
increased with notable migrations of geese on Saturday and Monday and goose
numbers remain fair to good in western Minnesota.
NW
Roseau
Karlstad
Thief Lake
Agassiz
NWR
Baudette
NC
Crookston
Tamarac
NWR
Park
Rapids
Grand
Rapids Rice
Lake
NWR
Fergus
Brainerd
Falls
Aitkin
Little
Glenwood Falls
Cloquet
WC
Big
Stone
NWR
NE
Cambridge
Sherburne NWR
Carlos Avery
LQP
Willmar
Appleton
Slayton
Talcot
Lake
Sauk
Rapids
Swan
Lake
Windom
C
MN Valley
NWR
Upper
Miss.
Rochester
Owatonna
Winona
SW
SE
Some limited open water hunting opportunity still exists on some large lakes in the
North Duck zone. Many lakes in the Central and South zones could re-open by this weekend. Field hunting opportunities are
excellent in most areas with most of the crop harvest completed.
The weather forecast calls for temperatures in the upper 30s in northern Minnesota and mid to upper 40s in southern Minnesota
until Sunday. Some rain/snow is expected statewide both Saturday and Sunday. A cold front is expected to move into the state
late Sunday with strong northwest winds and much colder temperatures into early next week. Most lakes are likely to be frozen
by early next week.
The weekend outlook is fair and is the last weekend of duck hunting in the North Duck zone with the season ending next
Tuesday (Nov. 19). Duck season remains open in the Central zone until Nov. 24 and the South zone until Dec. 1, but duck
hunting opportunities may be limited by that time.
Reminders:
Duck season dates:
North Zone:
Sept. 21-Nov. 19
Central Zone: Sept. 21-Sept. 29 and Oct. 5-Nov. 24
South Zone:
Sept. 21-Sept. 29 and Oct. 12-Dec. 1
Goose season dates
Sept. 21-Dec. 16
Sept. 21-Sept. 29 and Oct. 5-Dec. 21
Sept. 21-Sept. 29 and Oct. 12-Dec. 28
:
Bag limits are 6 ducks/day, with no more than: 4 mallards (2 hens), 3 scaup, 3 wood duck, 2 pintail, 2 redhead, 2 canvasback, 1
black duck. Merganser: 5 per day, no more than 2 may be hooded mergansers. Canada goose bag limits are 3/day.
Possession limits: 3 times the daily bag limit for all migratory birds.
Shooting hours begin ½ hour before sunrise until sunset the remainder of the season. Motorized decoys are prohibited
statewide on state wildlife management areas the remainder of the season.
Open water hunting: On Lake Pepin, Lake of the Woods, Lake Mille Lacs, and Lake Superior, open water hunting will be
allowed as long as boats remain anchored. On the Mississippi River south of Hastings, hunting is allowed not more than 100
feet from any shoreline, including islands. Hunters should consult the 2013 Waterfowl Hunting regulations (available from
license vendors or online at: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/regulations/hunting/index.html) for additional details and regulations.
Safety Never Takes A Holiday: treat every gun as if it were loaded, be 100% certain of your target before pulling the trigger,
wear your life vest, pay attention to other hunters and your hunting partners, and watch the weather.
The following is a summary of pre-season waterfowl habitat and hunting conditions from various reporting stations across the
state.
Area
Northwest
Thief Lake WMA
North central
Grand Rapids
Park Rapids
Brainerd
Northeast
Cloquet
Habitat conditions
Waterfowl migrations and weather conditions
Hunter Activity and Success
The lake is frozen over at this
point.
A few flocks of geese are present.
A couple parties reported using the
CHZ on Saturday 11/9 with success
goose hunting.
Most shallow and intermediate
water bodies froze over the
weekend. Lakes and rivers that are
still open may have frozen in
access points. Upcoming
moderating temps may change this
for the weekend.
Many lakes and some rivers are
ice covered. Some large lakes
remain open but ice has formed
around most shorelines making
access difficult. Corn continues to
be harvested but many fields
remain un-harvested in the area.
Temperatures were in the low teens on 11-11 and 12.
Overnight lows are forecast to moderate the next few
days with highs in the 30s and 40s. Most any ducks
dependent on wild rice have left. Goldeneyes and
common mergansers are in the area.
Low hunting activity due to frozen
water.
Very cold weather in the single digits the past couple
nights have created icy conditions on most lakes
across the area. Migrating flocks of Tundra Swans,
Canada Geese, and some ducks were seen over the
weekend and early this week. Diving ducks, coots,
and mallards remain on some of the larger lakes in the
area but in low numbers. A few thousand geese are
using the Park Rapids Refuge and are field feeding
mornings and evenings.
Coots & Ring-necks have moved on. Mallards &
Canada Geese still around. Small numbers of
Goldeneye moving into area & congregating on larger
bodies of water.
Temperatures:
High 24 - 41°F
Low 10-33°
Precipitation: none
Very few waterfowl hunters have
been out.
Ducks and geese are restricted to bigger lakes or
rivers right now as everything else is frozen.
Hunting pressure is very low due to
deer hunting and ice.
Wetlands and small lakes are
mostly frozen over, making food
sources unavailable. This
happened on 11/11 and 11/12.
The smaller lakes are all frozen.
Fair amount of waterfowl hunting
activity noted last week end. No bag
checks taken. Most small lakes were
open yet. Major freeze took place
on 11/11 – 11/12 driving a lot of
birds out of area.
Area
West Central
Glenwood
Habitat conditions
Waterfowl migrations and weather conditions
Most wetlands and small lakes
have 100% ice cover
Some good numbers of Geese and mallards remain on Almost no hunting pressure this past
the larger bodies of water but most hunting
week; ducks could be found on
opportunities will be on fields.
smaller wetlands but very few
people took advantage of them.
Most of the freeze up at this point
occurred Monday night moving the
ducks out of the area or to the large
bodies of water.
Most ducks gone. Some mallards around mixed with Few hunters out with deer season
geese. No goose count completed but thousands of
last weekend. Duck numbers were
geese around Orwell, Fergus Falls and Carlisle area.
good during week but few took
Goose hunting opportunities likely at peak right now. advantage.
Fergus Falls
All but big lakes frozen over.
Central
Carlos Avery
WMA
All pools were frozen on Tues.
morning 11/12.
Hunter Activity and Success
Geese and swans were migrating south on Monday.
Low temps in the teens have frozen all the pools.
Very few ducks or geese remain.
Water levels are about average for A significant number of Canada geese have been
this time of the year.
observed foraging in crop fields throughout the area.
No waterfowl hunters have been out.
Most wetlands and shallow lakes
are frozen over in the Cambridge
area.
Duck numbers have decreased because of the
reduction of open water. Some mallards have been
observed.
Hunting success is also considered
low at this time, because of the low
waterfowl numbers.
Swan Lake
(Nicollet county)
As reported before.
Continues to be some ducks to shoot
if you can find open water.
Slayton
Wetlands and lakes froze up, 3in.
of ice earlier this week. Crop
harvest nearly complete.
Cold weather has brought ice and late season species.
Some pockets on lakes remain open and the
Minnesota River is open and being used by late
season migrants such as mallards and diving ducks.
Swans are still in the area along with geese and
ducks.
More geese and mallards have shown up this past
week. Most other ducks have left the area. Cold
temps have most of the wetlands and lakes frozen.
Warmer weather expected later in the week, should
open up the lakes and a few wetlands.
Cambridge
Hunting pressure is low throughout
the Cambridge area.
Southwest
Hunting activity for ducks has
continued to be slow.
Area
Habitat conditions
Lac qui Parle WMA
Significant movement of ducks into the area on
Marsh Lake and Lac qui Parle
Lake – completely ice covered the Saturday (9 Nov) and an even more substantial
morning of 12 November.
movement of ducks, primarily mallard, again on
Monday (11Nov).
Based on forecast I believe these
lakes and even larger wetlands
Largest influx of Canada geese this season also
may reopen before the weekend.
occurred on 11 November. The goose count in the
refuge now stands at 41,000 Canada geese. Numbers
No snow.
should continue to build throughout November based
on recent migration patterns.
Crop harvest complete.
Talcot Lake WMA
Willmar
Southeast
Almost all of the crops have been
harvested. Talcot Lake is frozen
over with the ducks and geese
keeping a small hole open on the
north end of the lake. The Des
Moines river was frozen over
yesterday but is open today.
Corn has been going down this
past week and now only 5-10%
remains standing. Heavy ice
formed on all but the large, deep
fish lakes.
Waterfowl migrations and weather conditions
Not much has changed since last week.
The majority of waterfowl migrated through the area
prior to weekend of the 9th with very little additional
activity noted through the weekend. Major cold came
on the 11th with low of 6 degrees and cold on the 12th,
forming heavy ice. Some ducks and geese using the
big, open fish lakes, but for the most part, migration
has been completed through this area. Weather has
now moderated to slightly above normal highs and
some wetland areas may reopen. 9,000 Canada geese
sitting on Foot Lake in Willmar.
Hunter Activity and Success
Ducks – very good hunting on
Saturday and again on Monday with
strong NW winds and new birds
arriving. It appears most birds
moved through the area quickly. Ice
forming all day on Monday and by
Tuesday morning complete ice
cover. I expect most of Marsh and
Lac qui Parle Lakes to reopen, but
uncertain how remaining ducks will
redistribute or if new ducks will
arrive with next cold front.
Geese - State Game Refuge –little
hunting pressure in the state blinds
or private land. I would expect
success and hunter numbers to
increase with the addition of new
geese. With ice on the lake evening
hunting tends to be better.
Hunting activity has been slow for
geese. There were some duck
hunters out before everything froze
up.
One needs to scout for open water
areas holding birds. Very limited
water sites for hunting and finding
field feeding mallards and geese
would be a better bet. With the
firearms deer season beginning last
weekend, waterfowl hunter numbers
and success were way down in the
area.
Area
Habitat conditions
Waterfowl migrations and weather conditions
Hunter Activity and Success
Owatonna
Ponds and shallow lakes froze
over. Some lakes are reopening
with warmer temperatures. Deep
basins remained ice free. Less
than 20% of the corn remains to
be combined and the majority of
harvested and fallow fields are
tilled.
Temperatures have been making wide swings from
Hunting activity is moderate to light
near to above normal for the season to very cold and and success has been poor to fair.
back again. Scaup, tundra swans, buffleheads and
other late migrants moved through with the Armistice
Day cold front. A few flocks of snow geese have
been seen. A snow storm dropped about 2” of snow
on the morning of the 11th. Overnight lows in the
single digits and highs below freezing formed about
2” of ice on shallow water areas by the morning of
the12th. Most ducks left the area with this freeze.
Goose numbers have been lower than average for this
time of year as well. Warmer temperatures are
beginning to reopen some lakes as of the 14th.
Waterfowl Count Data, week of November 11, 2013
Canada geese
Ducks
a
Number seen :
Area
Date
Swans
this
week
This
week
Last
count
Number seen:
Last
year
This
week
Last
count
Last
year
This weeks duck
Species - %
b
composition
Coot
this
week
Comments
NORTHWEST
Thief Lake WMA
Frozen
NORTH CENTRAL
Brainerd
11/12
0
70
50
20
300
6,300
500
50% MAL, 31% GOLD
14% HOOD, 5% SCP
0
CENTRAL
Carlos Avery WMA
Frozen
SOUTHWEST
Lac qui Parle WMA
11/13
0
41,000
20,000
49,000
Murray County lakes &
wetlands
11/14
0
2,400
1,400
4,400
1,200
300
2,500 100% MAL
0
a
- Numbers seen during the current survey, last survey: the previous count from this year, last year: the number recorded during the same or nearby week last year.
b
- abbreviations: MAL = mallard, GAD = Gadwall, WIG = Am. wigeon, GWT = Am. green-winged teal, BWT = blue-winged teal, SHOV = Northern shoveler, PIN =
Northern pintail, WD = Wood duck, RED = Redhead, CAN = Canvasback, SCP = Scaup, RN = Ring-necked duck, HOOD = Hooded merganser, NS = No survey.