I have been hunting waterfowl in Oregon for 40 plus years, this season for me, and I expect others have been extremely slow, sure I have had good shoots, but overall much more challenging than in the past, I guess that’s why they call it hunting. I hunt mainly Sauvie’s 3- 4 days a week most of the season, with an occasional trip on the north coast or Umatilla area. Not whining (but kinda) Is this due to a slow migration, mild winter or other causes? I am sure we will hear more answers during our spring surveys for what that’s worth. I always feel successful when I get out whether I get a limit or skunked, just enjoy being out, but concerns on lack of birds. I hope others are having better success than myself.
Wheeler@nehalem
I'm just outside of Banks and the shotguns have been going off pretty consistent every morning for the past few weeks. I'm seeing lots of pintails in the local ditches but not as many mallards this year.
Some years, you have tons of birds for whatever reason.
It's been as slow traffic wise as I've seen since the 90s.
It's not like I see a ton of birds every day, and they just don't wanna sit where I'm set up. They simply aint there. Maybe rains helping ha\bitat in California and Utah have them all parked there. Of maybe the warm weather has them up in Canada.
Had a few decent hunts. No epic days since November.
It's been as slow traffic wise as I've seen since the 90s.
It's not like I see a ton of birds every day, and they just don't wanna sit where I'm set up. They simply aint there. Maybe rains helping ha\bitat in California and Utah have them all parked there. Of maybe the warm weather has them up in Canada.
Had a few decent hunts. No epic days since November.
I usually only hunt December-January, and spend most my time on the island. It’s been very slow for me. I’m blaming the super mild temperatures mostly. I will often check the weather of BC, and when Vancouver and further up the coast is the same temperature as Portland. I feel like I will be hunting stale ducks. I’ve got no science behind it but we all love those super cold blustery days when they just drop into the set up. I always enjoy being out though.
This year has been a weird one for sure. After the bomb cyclone in November. The islands been pretty hit or miss. The weirdest one is where are all the wigeon? They’re supposed to be up 55%. I hunt the island and umatilla area usually in very wigeon prone spots. I Haven’t even seen an average number of them this season.
Like you said everybody has a bit of an opinion on this but for myself I nerd out a bit. Especially when it comes to watching the weather (polar vortex) and the flyways that are affected by the vortex. In November, we had that cold snap and pushed a good number of birds around but like everyone else that noticed, it died off. I am originally from Arkansas and we would always go to Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma and hunt the pacific flyway when there was a big storm like they have been getting the past week. And from being in contact with my friends down there still, they have been seeing record amounts of mallards.
If I can find the polar vortex map, I'll post it but it shows that basically all of the PNW has not been affected by the vortex (which everybody has noticed until recently). I know parts of eastern oregon has been getting those frigid temperatures but it has not been strong enough to push birds south. Even most of Washington during December wasn't even frozen or snowed up in the norther parts of the state. At least for a while it wasn't. After the November cold snap, I never had strong hopes for the rest of the season. These seasons come and go, thankfully they're not all the same.
Now with the temperatures dipping in the 20's (with no wind), lets hope it's pushing birds around a little more.
If I can find the polar vortex map, I'll post it but it shows that basically all of the PNW has not been affected by the vortex (which everybody has noticed until recently). I know parts of eastern oregon has been getting those frigid temperatures but it has not been strong enough to push birds south. Even most of Washington during December wasn't even frozen or snowed up in the norther parts of the state. At least for a while it wasn't. After the November cold snap, I never had strong hopes for the rest of the season. These seasons come and go, thankfully they're not all the same.
Now with the temperatures dipping in the 20's (with no wind), lets hope it's pushing birds around a little more.
Far below average season to me. Complete lack of cold weather. We had a week or so of cold early in the season, and it's getting cold now. And surprise, it's red hot everywhere. This last week should be fun, wish it was about 10 degrees colder.
I am a weekend warrior, and I hunt with alot of guys who can hunt whenever they want, and there's been lots of "shoulda been here last Wednesday" hunts for me.
I am a weekend warrior, and I hunt with alot of guys who can hunt whenever they want, and there's been lots of "shoulda been here last Wednesday" hunts for me.
For sure a slower season this year for me. Too warm `until now and even now not freezing enough to lock things up. One weekend to go and it don't look promising.
Worst season ever for me in 14 years of serious Oregon hunting.
I covered many river miles Sat and saw few birds. Was hoping the cold front would push the birds south.
I see a lot of dead birds on social media. Those guys are from very northern Washington. I'm guessing the birds never really came down yet. Maybe they are on the way?
I covered many river miles Sat and saw few birds. Was hoping the cold front would push the birds south.
I see a lot of dead birds on social media. Those guys are from very northern Washington. I'm guessing the birds never really came down yet. Maybe they are on the way?
Worst season in my 55 yrs at Club CK. I'd need all four fingers and the thumb to point out all the potential factors in this. Too much water, not enough water, a refuge area across the river, guys hunting too often across the river in the other direction, warm weather, late, or no show, birds...
Club Kip is running about 50% of average. The biggest difference from high number seasons is a dearth of little ducks, the always sporting teal and divers. And based on shooting we hear from other lakes in the Verboort/Roy neighborhood, we're doing better than the average.
Speaking of wigeon, there were literally thousands of them in the flooded corn stubble at Club CK. They would jump the river and not return until nightfall.
Club Kip is running about 50% of average. The biggest difference from high number seasons is a dearth of little ducks, the always sporting teal and divers. And based on shooting we hear from other lakes in the Verboort/Roy neighborhood, we're doing better than the average.
Speaking of wigeon, there were literally thousands of them in the flooded corn stubble at Club CK. They would jump the river and not return until nightfall.
Thank everyone who took the time to respond, kind what I was expecting to hear from my experience so far this season. I think most hunters and fishermen are optimistic when starting out in the morning in the field, river or ocean. I have hunted and fished enough to know the ups and downs of both. With that said I am hoping next year will be better, in closing maybe with all the discussion around climate change, and this years mild weather maybe it is time for the powers to consider climate and adjust hunting dates when setting the general seasons, no reduction in time frame just start the season a couple of weeks later and end it a couple of weeks deeper into winter. Good luck to everyone the last couple days of this season.
I couldn’t find that polar vortex photo but I’m still searching. However, I did find an interesting GPS data of a mallard that was tagged Arkansas and migrated to the NW territories. From reading the article, the mallard followed a couple of storms to the Pacific Flyway and continued south until it was harvested in Arkansas.
To me, this year was weird but definitely climate affected.
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To me, this year was weird but definitely climate affected.
I agree sprigdog/the-next-one. While this season wasn't great by any stretch of the imagination, there's no way the season should run longer. In fact it should be done by about now, IMHO. It used to end around the 15th.
FWIW - My "indicator pond" still hasn't got any Wigeon. A few years back they showed in February.
On a personal note, my shot per bird ratio is great. It's easy when you only shoot a few times per trip........
FWIW - My "indicator pond" still hasn't got any Wigeon. A few years back they showed in February.
On a personal note, my shot per bird ratio is great. It's easy when you only shoot a few times per trip........
For clarity, the Feds set basic season structure.
ODFW only works within framework set by Feds.
Jan 31 is end of regular season. End of story.
To be honest, I don't know how the vet hunt ended up in Feb.
I see birds paired up in Early December. This becomes more of the norm by Xmas.
Hunting only takes a small piece of the population. Habitat and predators are the big driving factors.
ODFW only works within framework set by Feds.
Jan 31 is end of regular season. End of story.
To be honest, I don't know how the vet hunt ended up in Feb.
I see birds paired up in Early December. This becomes more of the norm by Xmas.
Hunting only takes a small piece of the population. Habitat and predators are the big driving factors.
This year was slower for me, birds around but tough. Last year we had enough wigeon we had limits in time for breakfast, this year not so much.
On the private ground that I have the privilege to hunt, we have harvested a quarter of the number of birds we got last year, in the month of January. This month of mild weather gives a whole new meaning to the term "dry January."
Went out east over the weekend to see if we could find hungry birds flying the big river in the (late!) cold snap. First outing was a bust - six hunters one bird. Second outing was better - three guys just a handful short of a three man limit - but we padded the total with a handful of buffies. Once again, on the drive along I-84 I saw lots of birds on the river, just not a lot flying.
Agreed that season should end in January. And it's not a population crash - data does not indicate that. It's tough weather. And the trend is not encouraging. I like the observation above about migration - birds to react to the daylight, and when days get shorter, the birds fly south. And early mid-season is good when new birds arrive. But cold, blustery, wet weather makes the back half of the season. And this season - no weather = lousy hunting.
Went out east over the weekend to see if we could find hungry birds flying the big river in the (late!) cold snap. First outing was a bust - six hunters one bird. Second outing was better - three guys just a handful short of a three man limit - but we padded the total with a handful of buffies. Once again, on the drive along I-84 I saw lots of birds on the river, just not a lot flying.
Agreed that season should end in January. And it's not a population crash - data does not indicate that. It's tough weather. And the trend is not encouraging. I like the observation above about migration - birds to react to the daylight, and when days get shorter, the birds fly south. And early mid-season is good when new birds arrive. But cold, blustery, wet weather makes the back half of the season. And this season - no weather = lousy hunting.
Not cold enough, too much food up north. If the birds aren't hungry, they're not going to move. Same thing every year..
It's not so simple as "Too Warm" (Or whatever excuse you wanna pick).
Salt Lake had a ton of water added into it in the last few years. Which pretty much always helps ducks. This is a vast piece of water that supports astounding numbers of ducks. Add in better food, and the birds will find it. They have been stopping there for thousands of years. They will find it.
California got a ton of water the last few years. So much so, that they went from planting 80,000 acres of rice (Pretty much the best crop for ducks calorie wise) to 500,000 acres. Plus a bunch of wetlands that were previously dry (Read "Plants grew there in huge volume" Which is duck food) flooded. The volume of habitat and food available there is hard to comprehend unless you have flown over the region over the last few years.
S OR/NO CAL have lost a ton of important wetland acres. Klamath is well documented over last 30 years. As is Tule. These waters used to support MILLIONS of birds. Which are now going elsewhere. If you take away the places they have gone for a a thousand years, they are gonna bail eventually. We have also lost a ton of water from Summer Lake CA/OR/Nevada border. All of which used to be loaded with birds.
Add in a warm and very importantly dry (If snow buried feed, ducks will hang out for a few days waiting for a melt. But past that, they gotta migrate to food) winter. I have seen several times when E OR/WA/ID got widespread snow, and a few days later, the West side gets a ton of fresh ducks. Never happened this year.
IMO, a lot of the birds stopped their initial migration in Canada. And stayed there, as warm weather didn't force them to move any farther South. Why so many birds short stopped this year is a mystery to me. But I would bet with good confidence we will begin to hear crazy good hunting reports from areas that traditionally peter out in before Xmas. It's well known that ducks love to hang out at the freeze line (So long as food doesn't get buried in snow....which it usually does at some point).
The thing that shocked me most was the lack of wigeon. They predicted a 55% population increase on them. Which makes for a ton of yearling (Easy to fool into decoys) birds. The lower river usually holds a bunch of wigeon. And it did this year.....but it sure as hell didn't see 50% more than were there last year (Or previous seasons). I can only speculate that they stopped short, and never came this far south. Someone had a helluva year on those yearlings. But it wasn't me.
Considering how reliable my usual spots have been for the last 30 years, and how slow they have been all season, all I can say is this year is an anomaly. I fully expect next year, we will go back to seeing our regular amount of traffic in areas we always have. The last 10 years have been great for me. Even though numbers on paper are declining.
If we see a 3 bird limit on pins next year, I would be astonished if my average doesn't go up. I pass on more pins than teal...or spoons....or divers (Save lower river).
Lots to look forward to.
Salt Lake had a ton of water added into it in the last few years. Which pretty much always helps ducks. This is a vast piece of water that supports astounding numbers of ducks. Add in better food, and the birds will find it. They have been stopping there for thousands of years. They will find it.
California got a ton of water the last few years. So much so, that they went from planting 80,000 acres of rice (Pretty much the best crop for ducks calorie wise) to 500,000 acres. Plus a bunch of wetlands that were previously dry (Read "Plants grew there in huge volume" Which is duck food) flooded. The volume of habitat and food available there is hard to comprehend unless you have flown over the region over the last few years.
S OR/NO CAL have lost a ton of important wetland acres. Klamath is well documented over last 30 years. As is Tule. These waters used to support MILLIONS of birds. Which are now going elsewhere. If you take away the places they have gone for a a thousand years, they are gonna bail eventually. We have also lost a ton of water from Summer Lake CA/OR/Nevada border. All of which used to be loaded with birds.
Add in a warm and very importantly dry (If snow buried feed, ducks will hang out for a few days waiting for a melt. But past that, they gotta migrate to food) winter. I have seen several times when E OR/WA/ID got widespread snow, and a few days later, the West side gets a ton of fresh ducks. Never happened this year.
IMO, a lot of the birds stopped their initial migration in Canada. And stayed there, as warm weather didn't force them to move any farther South. Why so many birds short stopped this year is a mystery to me. But I would bet with good confidence we will begin to hear crazy good hunting reports from areas that traditionally peter out in before Xmas. It's well known that ducks love to hang out at the freeze line (So long as food doesn't get buried in snow....which it usually does at some point).
The thing that shocked me most was the lack of wigeon. They predicted a 55% population increase on them. Which makes for a ton of yearling (Easy to fool into decoys) birds. The lower river usually holds a bunch of wigeon. And it did this year.....but it sure as hell didn't see 50% more than were there last year (Or previous seasons). I can only speculate that they stopped short, and never came this far south. Someone had a helluva year on those yearlings. But it wasn't me.
Considering how reliable my usual spots have been for the last 30 years, and how slow they have been all season, all I can say is this year is an anomaly. I fully expect next year, we will go back to seeing our regular amount of traffic in areas we always have. The last 10 years have been great for me. Even though numbers on paper are declining.
If we see a 3 bird limit on pins next year, I would be astonished if my average doesn't go up. I pass on more pins than teal...or spoons....or divers (Save lower river).
Lots to look forward to.
If they did, they are being awful tight lipped about it. I have probably less than a dozen wigeon I have killed this year, and the usual number is over 50. I don't know any hunters on the pacific flyway that are beating up the wigeon.
I hunted my all time favorite spot on the big water today. Normally this spot is good. Especially the last week of the season. I brought home two birds. I had several groups work the decoys, then leave. Not their first rodeo. I did let a big bull Canvasback land right in the kill hole, 25 yards. What a cool bird. I'm glad I didn't shoot. I sure wish Mergansers were a separate limit. I shoulda shot a few anyway.
I think that's a wrap for me.
I think that's a wrap for me.
I know they do fly-over counts on Sauvies, not sure where else they do. I don't know a way to see those results or even if they're published.
Side note. Roger's has some cheap ammo deals right now. Cheapest I've seen in years FYI.
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