The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife reports the following:
Hunting: Waterfowl season runs Oct. 17-21, then picks up again Oct. 24 - Jan. 31 - a gap that allows for the two-day September youth waterfowl hunting season within the federal framework for migratory bird hunting.
WDFW waterfowl specialist Mikal Moore of Moses Lake reports ducks are moving into the Columbia Basin in ever-increasing numbers, thanks to unseasonably cold temperatures bringing ducks out of their molting and staging areas a little early.
"Cold temperatures mean higher energy demands for ducks," Moore said. "When scouting for your opening day spot, check the water for abundant floating seeds - a good calling card for hungry ducks. Some areas with excellent natural seed production include shallow water areas on the Gloyd Seeps Wildlife Area, North Potholes Wildlife Area, and the Frenchman and Winchester Restricted Access Areas."
Moore noted duck hunters partial to the Winchester Wasteway will find a little more open canopy, thanks to the vegetation management efforts of the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area staff. A combination of fall aerial herbicide application and spring burning on invasive Phragmites has resulted in more open water and a healthy smartweed response, she said.
"Taverner's cackling geese and lesser Canada geese are already staging in the Stratford area north of Soap Lake by the thousands," Moore said. "Their numbers will build as high as 30,000 by the end of October. These geese will focus their feeding efforts on harvested wheat fields in the area before moving south through the Columbia Basin."
Moore reminds waterfowlers the 2009 regulations have a few changes this year, including a daily bag limit of two pintail, one canvasback, and three scaup (which doesn't open until Nov. 7.)
WDFW Columbia Basin district wildlife biologist Rich Finger said the outlook for the opening weekend for ducks is good. "Given the recent relatively cold conditions, waterfowl hunters can expect large numbers of early season migrants now such as green-winged teal, American wigeon , and northern pintails ," he said. "November will bring large numbers of mallards, gadwalls, wigeon, teal, scaup, redheads , and canvasbacks . December typically provides the peak of mallards, ringnecks, and canvasbacks, while other dabbling and diving species continue their journey south."
--Ray
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