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Anyone else noticing changes in migration patterns of waterfowl in their area. Seems all we're getting in our area is local birds. Normally this time of year the ringers would start showing up by the hundreds. We see the odd and I mean add small flock but nothing like it use to be 4 - 5 years ago... Could it be climate change that has the birds migrating on a different flyway.... Just curious if anyone else is experiencing the same thing....
In my area, it appeared as though all of the locals had left by opening weekend. Very odd. The birds I found were fat adults and 80% males, no juveniles. Another odd thing: I was able to shoot a green wing teal which I have never seen in this area in about 12 years of duck hunting.
do you have wind turbines in your area. I was told by the top guy in the know who is way up in a different organization at dinner one night that turbines can cause waterfowl to change their flight path.
I don't know about change but it sure is much later. With no fronts pushing them along still waiting on the woodcock to come down
My group always keeps a log of our hunts over the years (dates/weather/birds/etc). We seem to be pretty bang on for our area when comparing to the last 4 years.
I have hunted the same marsh for 50+ years. No change that I can see.
My area alot of local birds but as some said no fronts pushing them down also alot of corn fields still standing
all depends on weather and in southern ontario, on whats planted. one of my fields is usually full of geese but beans are up still so i dont see near as many. also noticing before a few days ago it was slow and once the cold came more birds are showing up. i expect within the next two weeks a pick up in activity.
Opening Day at Long Point was great but by Wednesday it was dead, mind you we had East winds. Then came the heatwave so duck hunting sucked but the Perch fishing was good ! Now with a change in the weather things should pick up as Redheads were spotted on the Inner Bay and the farmers have been clearing not only the beans but corn also... go figure ? Usually it's beans first then corn but I guess it all depends on the moisture content of the kernels as to when they harvest but at least opens up fields for feeding.
I've hunted Sturgeon, Balsam, Mitchell, Cameron, Scugog, and Rice Lakes for the past 45 years. I saw a profound change in waterfowl patterns that coincided with the arrival and establishment of zebra mussels (mid 80's to early nineties). I saw water clarity triple and the diversity of aquatic vegetation (upon which waterfowl feed) has changed quite dramatically in the Kawarthas. Lakes that formerly had 15+ Potomegeton species are down to four or five. Eelgrass (Vallisneria) beds (prime feeding for divers) on some lakes are now rare, when formerly they covered all the shallow flats.
Pre-zebra days - phenomenal early season (first three weeks) shooting in all the marshes on these lakes. Beaver ponds and river roosts were filthy with ducks. Night shoots on roosting ponds were nothing short of insane. Woody and BWT numbers were 20X what they are now. Field shooting Mallards in corn fields was very good. I remember lots of hunts where our spread of 30+/- decoys would bring in flocks of 40-60 birds and you'd shoot a limit in a few hours if you found a good field. Late fall diver hunting was very, very good. The best hunting started the first week of deer hunt and went to freeze-up. We used to use lay-out boats quite a bit. It was common to have ringneck and scaup flocks of up to 100 birds back in those days. Northern Mallards and Blacks would arrive as well and the hunting was great. Goldeneye and Hoodie numbers were easily 8X what they are now.
Since the early nineties it's just been a steady decline. It's almost a waste of time now hunting the former spots I used to go to. You can keep scouting, waiting for a pulse of birds to arrive and it just doesn't happen now. You get a tiny little cough of divers passing through and they keep going the next day. Those birds used to hold-over until literally the night the lakes froze. No more early amazing Woodie, Mallard, and BWT shooting these days. The number of permanent blinds you see now tells the same story. The birds are just no longer there. For those who now think it's still good, I wish you had been around to see how good it was 30 years ago.
Bingo, there tells the story of the areas I’ve hunted over the years. Never put two and two together like that but it sure does make sense. Thanks for your input….
I don't think it is just one thing that has changed why & how birds migrate but consider climate change, farming practices, urban sprawl, late season boaters, invasive species (phragmites/zebra mussels) and pollution (light and sewage, chemical) for starters ? I've seen how more and bigger marinas(more lights) with more and bigger boats allowing fishing late into the season has affected how the divers use the Inner Bay at Long Point and just recently the eradication of phragmites from the marshes in the Long Point area has opened up more waterfowl friendly areas for feeding and roosting. Duck hunting itself has evolved over time. Better equipment allows for more limits and more end of the season hunting. My Dad told me that shooting a Mallard was a prize back when he was young as the common ducks were Blacks and Gadwalls but now Mallards are the #1 bird .
Everything is constantly changing in nature. I agree with a lot of what fenelon said, because I have also experienced the same. The skies would be black with ringers and bills.
I also have a beef with mud boats. They will burn out a marsh real quick and migrate birds right off a lake. I know all the mud boat guys will disagree, but I've seen it. They just don't realize what they're doing because they haven't experienced what I have. Running those boats thru the roosts day in and day out drives birds out.
There's still plenty of ducks, and more diversity of species I find. More wigeon and pintails than I remember ever seeing, and redheads seem to be booming.
Interesting discussion. It's been a long time since I posted or commented here but this one is a good topic.
S.
Mud boats falls under the "better equipment" category and are almost a necessary way to get in and around The Unit at Long Point due to the changes caused by years of high water, storms and the eradication of Phragmites. Huge tracts of marsh floated away and the rest was rearranged leaving only some of the original channels that a regular outboard motor could use still intact. Between man killing off the Phragmites and Mother Nature cleaning house the marshes are actually in a much better state overall as it is more a 50/50 mix of water to vegetation which waterfowl prefer. We use boatblinds now which gives us a huge advantage over a stationary blinds but no matter how you cut it having roaring motors , people talking and lights flashing all over the marsh in the dark of morning or at night is not good for the birds.
We hunt Scugog and Rice Lakes exclusively. The first couple of weeks were fairly successful,but,that's typical of early seasons where only local flocks are around. The "northern" birds haven't arrived,yet,and the locals are rafting in the middle of the lakes to get ready to go or have already left. My boys have had some good Goose hunting at farmer's grain and corn fields in Northumberland County. Weather has been a big factor. It hasn't been cold and crappy enough to get the northern flocks down. Traditionally in the past,hunting hasn't really started in earnest until the last week of the Deer hunt to freeze up. Lots of time,yet.
Most of Goose Bay froze last night on Sturgeon Lake. This time twenty years ago there would have been easily 5000 birds on the lake. I drove the entire south shore and the west side of Pigeon. Absolutely nothing except the odd local Mallard, some Trumpeters, gulls and a few Loons. Not even worth buying a duck licence now. Even the geese numbers are maybe 1/5th of a normal year. Avian flu effects ?
Still finding woodcock (Nov 19) used to be thanksgiving was the end who knows whats going on. Still going to buy a permit for next year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fenelon
There are a few flocks of divers down here on Scugog but nothing like it use to be years ago. Probably 30-40 swans down by the causeway and that’s about it. The number of geese this summer and fall were as per usual and I’m guessing mostly local birds, but even those seem to have moved off to bigger waters.
Up at our hunt camp these past two weeks very few birds including divers where 4-5 years ago we’d have flocks of over 100 ringers coming in one after another. They have to have changed their migration route….
After three hunts in the last three weeks, in a major marsh, didn't even see a bird, any bird. Even went scouting at last light the other day and only saw two mallards, and a hen and drake bufflehead. Plenty of swans though.
im in Big AG lands in huron county, not far from hullet. birds are just filling in now. last of the corn is starting to come off. seeing bigger goose flocks and more mallards finally as for the life of me, all i saw for some time were stupid mergs. cold front in now with a storm so its getting hot for waterfowling! so hard to put on the big blue snow suit to sit in the deer stand when i know its going to be a hot hunt on wednesday for birds!
Hi Guys.
Curious to know if your late season mallards have shown up ?
Very unusual year for our area
Seems to be not many ducks at all this season.
Little bit concerned ….
Thoughts ?
Past couple weeks has been lights out for Mallards in my area
Yesterday evening Dec 19
Attachment 44745
Took my boat out for the season last week and spooked up two large flocks of Mallards ; first one was about 200 birds and the second was about 500 birds. Both were inside the Unit at Long Point and heard stories of guys pounding the Redheads at the head of the bay. Lots of geese and Tundra swans out in the fields but the Sandhill cranes must be in full migration !
Some around I guess. Not using the corn fields like usual here.
thanks
i expect to see the bulk of the last migrators at the very end of the season. likely when goose ends in most wmus. its been quite warm this year.
So many factors to consider regarding the migration of birds. Food source, open water, weather, magnetic forces, amount of daylight, the stars and probably so much more.