While overall duck numbers are down on paper as well and visually in the sky, I’ve noticed I’ve seen hardly any widgeon this year. Usually around December widgeon start to get thick around Wister and can easily fill your limit, but this year I’ve seen hardly any. Maybe a group here and there but not like previous seasons Where are they?
Where are the widgeon?
- Thread starter CuppedUp
- Start date
There were a ton in November till mid December. Most have moved on, still see some in the closed zone and on the sea.
Fake news. With the exception of the first week in November, Wister didn’t average more than 10 widgeon taken on hunt days through November and most of December (minus one weekend).
Last week in north county
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H
Hunter527
Guest
I got one at Wister on the 28th, it almost dropped in the blind. But I’ve only been out twice this year.
Well, I don't know what to tell you. I hunt there pretty much every Wednesday and Saturday. Hunt the sea 1 day a week or so and glass the entire area most Tuesdays and Fridays and I'm good at id'ing ducks in the air and on the water. Had days when we shot 10 just in my blind.
Henshaw barely has 250 widgeon...Despite having some really good shoots in the 1st part of December (more mallards than widgeon), it's been very, very slow up there...Looking at the counts at San J with widgeon, there's none there either.
Limits at Woodland Park!!!!
Last week in north county
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This has been a very odd year so far. redheads and buffleheads heads all over the place, Teal showed up way way late. im expecting them back here shortly. zero cotton tops. almost no mallards, crops keep changing and that always seems to drive the duck numbers. I think they are backing way off on the winter wheat.
Come on , just because there are good flights of widgeon in the area doesn't equate to lanyards of dead widgeon showing up at the check station. I cant think of another person who would know the day to day movements of waterfowl better than MP
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They are around. Lots of places for them to hang out. I am seeing them where I typically see them. And yeah, I would go with what MP is saying. Nothing is normal about this duck season for us in SoCal. This applies to SJ, Wister and Henshaw. My buddy is up in Oregon and they are starting to see new stuff.
John
John
All im saying is I’ve hunted Wister the last 7 years and usually around thanksgiving the widgeon start to show up full force and there’s always plenty of widgeon throughout the remainder of the season.
this season, even while sitting before LST and listening to the birds, I’m not hearing the same amount of widgeon that I normally do during previous seasons. Just my observation
this season, even while sitting before LST and listening to the birds, I’m not hearing the same amount of widgeon that I normally do during previous seasons. Just my observation
Dont get me wrong, they are not in the numbers I was hoping to see them where I have been hunting. Like I said, it has just been a tough year in our half of the state. To date, I have not seen a 200 plus Green Wing Teal day at Wister or SJ. The Gaddys have been showing and how about the Mallards? Seen more of them then I expected. However, we need the GWTs, Cinnys and Spoonies to push the averages up and over the 3.0 number and this has not happened on a sustained level. There have been a few days where the average got above a 3 but nothing like in a normal year.
John
They just aren’t using the refuges my lease has been loaded with em!
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