Was that it?

[Dave3006]

Usually by now, Wister is shooting decent. Yesterday, it shot 1.5 birds. Wister had one day where the take was greater than 3 birds. Besides that, it has been shooting below a 2 bird average. I have been twice in December. I saw practically no ducks in the air both times in traditionally good spots (Y15A / U10).

Did I blink and miss the 2019 / 2020 duck hunting season?

 

[CuppedUp]

Never came. What birds are down stay on the sea. No reason for them to come to the wildlife area

 

[ilovesprig]

Never came. What birds are down stay on the sea. No reason for them to come to the wildlife area

It is puzzling...I got a call Tuesday saying that Wister was loaded...The average tells the tale...I've only hunted there once this year (S20-1)...Historically, when you walk to the island, the water comes alive with swamp timothy...This year, nothing was coming up...So, it could be just a matter of the birds needing fresh water, they get it, and they feed on the sea or somewhere else.

My friends duck club is loaded with feed and is literally next to Sonny Bono (Unit 1)...2 of them got 4 ducks on Wednesday...The refuge is loaded with fowl, right next door.

Mystic Lake has 1000's of ducks...We had really good duck weather on Wednesday...Lots of limits taken.

Lake Henshaw has a ton of food, but few ducks...Hardly any hunting pressure, and the average is just over 1 duck person...Go figure

I suppose it could be that we had very little recruitment this year in Canada (Gw, spoonies, widgeon) and we're hunting older, more educated birds...Drakes we've got are very bright.

ps...Most our gadwalls, cinnamons, redheads, and mallards are raised in the western US.

 

[TeamRoper]

Mendota had three good days.with like a 2.5.oop.(sad we call that good.)went sat. And alot of migrating birds.thinkin the rain is pushin them.cuz they would not decoy.been soo hit n miss,crazy!so be ready for a huge push of pintails because thats all i saw with some wigion.they should be going to wister.just sayin.prolly a few thousand or more.

 

[nicapopolis]

Mendota had three good days.with like a 2.5.oop.(sad we call that good.)went sat. And alot of migrating birds.thinkin the rain is pushin them.cuz they would not decoy.been soo hit n miss,crazy!so be ready for a huge push of pintails because thats all i saw with some wigion.they should be going to wister.just sayin.prolly a few thousand or more.

I doubt those birds from Mendota actually "migrate" to Wister. Rain wont push them. The birds in the central valley get there and stay. The birds that go to Sac area probably go every year, same with Mendota, Kern, SJ, Mexico, etc.

Birds migrate due to moon phases, days getting shorter, and weather. Since the days will now be getting longer only weather will push any new birds south and central CA does not have the weather to do so. You need consistent freezing temps to lock up water.

It is 60 degrees here in Colorado. We are usually frozen solid right now. We will probably hold a ton of birds all winter.

 

[ilovesprig]

Nick,

I believe what birds we're going to get are here...Just not in areas where we can hunt/shoot.

ps...My friend who owns the Westmoreland duck club got a mallard Wednesday that was banded in Fallon, Nevada...

 

[nicapopolis]

Nick,

I believe what birds we're going to get are here...Just not in areas where we can hunt/shoot.

ps...My friend who owns the Westmoreland duck club got a mallard Wednesday that was banded in Fallon, Nevada...

Yup. I agree. Shoot, the teal might start heading north.

That banding sounds about right. I believe the Wister birds are thought to migrate through the great basin.

 

[Old Quack 49]

My grandson in AZ got his 1st duck ever today at Roosevelt Lake . A Banded drake Wigeon . Came from North Dakota ! Go figure . Kid won’t let me hear the end of it . Old Quack 49

 

[ilovesprig]

My grandson in AZ got his 1st duck ever today at Roosevelt Lake . A Banded drake Wigeon . Came from North Dakota ! Go figure . Kid won’t let me hear the end of it . Old Quack 49

Larry,

That's extremely cool...Tell Matt hi and Merry Christmas.

 

[Old Quack 49]

Larry,

That's extremely cool...Tell Matt hi and Merry Christmas.

Will do . He was really excited for his son . A little baseball news , Matt was named Angel’s bullpen coach for the next couple of years . Truly deserving. Old Quack 49

 

[ilovesprig]

Will do . He was really excited for his son . A little baseball news , Matt was named Angel’s bullpen coach for the next couple of years . Truly deserving. Old Quack 49

Larry,

That's great...Makes me want to pull for the Angels...lol

ps...Bobby is now the Stockton manager for the Oakland A's this year...Played there in 1970...lol

 

[Old Quack 49]

Larry,

That's great...Makes me want to pull for the Angels...lol

ps...Bobby is now the Stockton manager for the Oakland A's this year...Played there in 1970...lol

A guy Matt played with at Pepperdine , Ryan Christianson , was the A’s High A league manager for a couple of years and has moved up to the big club . Good organization but crappy baseball park .

 

[ilovesprig]

A guy Matt played with at Pepperdine , Ryan Christianson , was the A’s High A league manager for a couple of years and has moved up to the big club . Good organization but crappy baseball park .

Yep...Hard to believe they still play there...Crappy area and a terrible place to hit...

 

[garlicsalt]

Blame it on the boatman bugs, there are tons of them lil buggas all over the sea still. and ducks really like them.

 

[TeamRoper]

Thing is Canada and Alaska need to freeze along with oregon and washington before we see the migration.its soo wet still in cali they dont make it to mexico.thats why they stay in the central valley.its really flooded in the grasslands.pot holes everywhere,for them.

 

[roughnecker101]

They will come flooding into the valley on Feb 1st lol

 

[TeamRoper]

They will come flooding into the valley on Feb 1st lol

Thats sounds about right

 

[WildBilly2]

I believe the migration is here and was about average time as it has been last few years. My opinion, the Wister unit just hasn’t been taken care of and birds are finding other areas.