Article outlines
Migratory bird hunting report as of Jan. 15 2003
By TPWD
Jan 16, 2003

AUSTIN, Texas - The following migratory bird hunting report was prepared for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department by Bink Grimes. Updated Jan. 15, 2003.

PANHANDLE: Moore County fields remain the hot spots for Canada and snow geese. Wheat fields have been best, and most hunters are taking more light geese than dark, though most are throwing out mostly dark goose decoys. Spearman is good for decoying birds over wheat and corn. Etter is good for snows over wheat. Mallards, pintails, wigeons and gadwalls remain prominent on playas and feed lot ponds. The High Plains Mallard Management Unit is open through Jan.22. West Zone goose hunting continues through Feb. 9. Prospects are good.

NORTHEAST and CENTRAL TEXAS: More ducks have moved into the area since the front and more should arrive with another arctic blast scheduled. Hunters are reporting more mallards and gadwalls on the Sulfur River and Lake Wright-Patman. Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn and Lake Fork are fair for ducks. Habitat conditions are good in timber ponds and flooded sloughs. A good mast crop is on the ground, providing ample food supplies for ducks. Waterfowlers should take advantage of a later closure of duck season in the North Zone with the expected cold weather. Duck season in the North Zone closes Jan.26. Prospects are fair to good.

COASTAL PRAIRIES: Goose hunters did well in green fields over the weekend in Austin, Colorado, Jackson, Lavaca, Wharton and Chambers County, respectively. Brisk winds and a low ceiling kept snow geese at workable altitudes. Specklebellies are tough to decoy. Most are turning their noses to calls and even the best laid spread. Hunters in wheat or rye grass are enjoying consistent shoots. Duck numbers improved, as did hunting on the Katy prairie. Most groups are taking their limit of pintails while harvesting teal, wigeons, shovelers and gadwalls. The Light Goose Conservation Order begins Jan.20; unplugged shotguns, limitless harvest and electronic callers are all legal means of hunting. The South Zone duck season closes at sunset Jan.19. Dark geese and cranes close Jan.19 as well. Prospects are fair to good.

UPPER COAST: Duck hunting continued poor to fair in the coastal marshes near Anahuac and High Island. Still strong numbers of ducks remain in the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge resting areas. Limit hunts have been posted recently for experienced hunters. The Trinity Bay marsh was plagued with low tides and almost no water to fill ponds due to stiff north winds. Nonetheless, hunting has been slow there throughout the season. Goose hunters drug heavy straps from the marsh over the weekend under ardent winds and low clouds. Snows are feeding on green sprouts from burned areas in the marsh. The South Zone duck season closes Jan.19. Prospects are fair.

MIDDLE COAST: Pintails, redheads, wigeons and teal arrived with the front; however, the region remains devoid of the number of birds normal for this stage of the season. Hunting picked up in the Seadrift area and upper reaches of San Antonio Bay. East and West Matagorda Bay has seen slow hunting. Peach Point WMA near Freeport and Mad Island WMA near Bay City saw slow hunting during the week with just over a bird per man average. North winds dropped tides and sent water rushing out of marsh ponds. The South Zone duck season closes Jan.19. Prospects are fair.

SOUTH TEXAS: The Lower Laguna Madre is fair for redheads, scaup, pintails and wigeons. More ducks have moved into the region lately, but not enough to lift populations to normal levels. Duck hunting is fair in the Rockport and Port Aransas area. Pintails, redheads, goldeneyes, scaup, gadwalls and wigeons are showing in bags. Most hunters are working the bayfront. The season closes at sunset Jan.19. Prospects are fair.

Please send comments on reports to Steve Lightfoot by e-mail to steve.lightfoot@tpwd.state.tx.us or by mail at TPWD News and Information, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744.


Dove Zones
Duck Zones
Goose Zones
Crane Zones

Links