Jan. 9, 2008
High Plains Mallard Management Unit/Panhandle: The region
needs water on playas, but snow melt has helped out a bit. Canada
goose hunting has improved during the last two weeks. Birds have
been decoying much better over corn, wheat and rye grass fields.
Most goose hunters setting dark goose spreads in feeding fields
are getting their birds near Spearman, Dumas, Amarillo, Lubbock
and Knox City. Outfitters say they are seeing larger Canadas in
the 8-10 pound range since the last cold front. Duck hunting has
been spotty, but those playas still holding water are holding the
brunt of the duck population. Knox City needs water to fill ponds,
and the lack of water has hurt duck hunting. Snow geese are
cooperating with a little wind and weather near Lake Etter, but
most goose shoots have been for darks. Duck season runs through
Jan. 27 and the regular goose season ends Feb. 5. Prospects are
fair to good.
North Zone Waterfowl: Hunting for mallards, wood ducks,
gadwalls and teal continued solid near Centerville in the Keechi
River bottoms. Good shoots for mallards have been had near
Eastland and around the Red River. Canvasbacks, scaup,
ringed-necks and mallards are good on Toledo Bend. Sloughs off the
Sabine River have been fair to good. Those willing the scout on
Lake Wright-Patman and the Sulfur River have been getting
half-limits of mallards and gadwalls in secluded holes; however,
overall hunting in the area has been below average. Hunting in
Navarro and Limestone Counties has been fair. Sloughs that had
water at the beginning of the season are drying from the lack of
rainfall over the past four months. A brief influx of ducks along
the IH-10 corridor improved hunting. Columbus, Sealy, Brookshire
and Katy enjoyed more green-winged teal in flooded fields. The
season runs through Jan. 27. Prospects are fair to good.
South Zone Waterfowl: Duck hunting was fair to good for
most hunters on the coastal prairie; and, that is better than it
had been the past two weeks. Hunters reported seeing more
mallards, teal and gadwalls on ponds in Eagle Lake, Garwood, El
Campo, Wharton and East Bernard. Pintails, redheads, gadwalls,
wigeons and bluebills are good in Port O’Connor. Freshwater ponds
near Seadrift are taking limits of gadwalls, teal, wigeons and
pintails. Rockport is good for pintails and redheads. Redheads,
scaup and pintails are good in the Laguna Madre near Port
Mansfield. Geese have been feeding in green fields and plowed
fields with fresh green growth. Better shoots were had over the
weekend with a low ceiling and foggy conditions. The Eagle Lake
and Egypt areas have enjoyed the influx of small Canadas which has
helped decoying action. Sandhill crane hunting has been fair to
good. Plenty of birds to hunt, but few hunters are taking
advantage. Duck and goose season runs through Jan. 27.
Specklebellies are legal to harvest through Jan. 13. Prospects are
fair to good. |
