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Name: Kent Contreras
Date: Jan. 14, 2018
Location: Newport, Washington
Weather: Mild conditions have returned. Temperatures have been in the 30s. Rain and snow showers have moved into the area. Forecasts show more of the same with mild temperatures and rain/snow showers for the rest of the week. Calm winds.
Snow Cover: Upper elevations have been receiving snow. Valley floor is now covered with snow, some melting is occurring and snow depths are compacting — still have 6 to 10 inches on the ground in the valley.
Water Conditions: Good, river is thawing out and the ice is flowing down river. Ponds and sloughs are still iced over.
Feeding Conditions: Fair, birds are using river for any feeding. Fields have too much snow for browsing but could start to open up.
Species and Numbers: Low numbers of puddle ducks; mallard and gadwall seem to be the majority but those numbers have dropped. Diving ducks have started to show up as well as a lot of wigeon. Canada geese are dropping in numbers, a little below average for this time of year.
Migrations: Divers and wigeon have moved into the area, mallards have for the most part moved out. Goose numbers are holding.
Season Stage: Last two weeks of the season is upon us.
Hunting Report: Depending on what you are gunning for you it is very good to slow! Divers and wigeon are here in force but the mallards and geese are a little tougher to get into the decoys. Hopefully our milder weather will keep the birds here for the final weeks of the season.
Gossip: Scout, scout, scout! The birds are here — just have to spend the time to locate where they are using as it changes every day now.
Name: Allen Riggs
Date: Jan. 15, 2018
Location: Elk, Washington
Weather: Warmer; temperatures are in the mid-forties with lows in the upper twenties. Blue skies and no precipitation for a few days.
Snow Cover: Snow depth is 4 to 6 inches.
Water Conditions: Water in the rivers is rising with warm temperatures and snow melting off. Still have an ice cover on lakes and ponds.
Feeding Conditions: Birds are collecting on the river to feed as nearby fields are covered in snow.
Species and Numbers: Puddle ducks such as mallard and wigeon numbers are good, Canada goose numbers are average. Diver duck numbers continue to increase.
Migrations: Divers are migrating in, numbers continue to increase.
Season Stage: Week 14.
Hunting Report: Hunters are doing good, starting to harvest the divers.
Name: Jared Shepard
Date: Jan. 15, 2018
Location: Wenatchee, Washington
Weather: Warm weather will remain in the area over the next week with temps in the mid-30s to lower 40s. Overnight lows should not get colder than freezing and a frozen mix is possible mid-week.
Snow Cover: Unexpected snowfall early last week covered the ground with up to six inches of snow in some areas of the valley but only 1 to 2 inches remain with the warm temps here lately.
Water Conditions: Water levels remain at a normal to low depth in the Columbia. Shallow ponds are thawed and running water remains open.
Feeding Conditions: With the snow melting, the geese and ducks are able to access grass inside the city limits and in empty lots surrounding orchards just outside the city limits that much easier.
Species and Numbers: Local Canada geese, mallards, and wigeon plus a few bufflehead, goldeneye and blue-bills. No change in the last couple weeks.
Migrations: No recent migrations.
Season Stage: About two weeks remain in duck and goose season. Remember to check your location in the rule book as Goose Management Areas 2 and 4 are only open on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays for geese with a few exceptions around the last week of goose season.
Hunting Report: No recent reports have been gathered.
Gossip: None at this time.
Name: Travis Madden
Date: Jan. 16, 2018
Location: Lehi, Utah
Weather: Weather has been unseasonably warm for January.
Snow Cover: None.
Water Conditions: Water has become more accessible with the warmer weather. Ice continues to recede and get thinner so be safe.
Feeding Conditions: Feed is good, the birds don’t have to work too hard at this time with little to no snow in the fields and water opening up.
Species and Numbers: Seeing lots of green-winged teal, pintails and mallards.
Migrations: Not much happening at this point.
Season Stage: Heading into the home stretch!
Hunting Report: Hunting has been good, but the guys killing birds are working for them.
Name: Tailor Sponcey
Date: Jan. 15, 2018
Location: Twin Falls, Idaho
Weather: Temperatures are above average with highs in the 50’s. Some rain is forecasted for next week.
Snow Cover: Zero.
Water Conditions: River is still flowing high and some ponds are thawing out.
Feeding Conditions: Geese are staying in the fields for most of the day and flying early. We have lost most of our ducks and it’s hard to find a feed field.
Species and Numbers: Mallard numbers are very low but wigeon and divers still are high.
Migrations: Seeing some reverse migrations.
Season Stage: Two weeks left of the season.
Hunting Report: Hunting is very hit and miss. Duck hunting is almost none existence.
Gossip: Nothing at this time.
Name: Jacob Emerling
Date: Jan. 13, 2018
Location: Martinez, California
Weather: Overcast with 10 mph wind.
Snow Cover: None.
Water Conditions: Normal.
Feeding Conditions: Birds are feeding in flooded corn on the islands.
Species and Numbers: Mallard numbers are strong.
Migrations: Sprig and wigeon are migrating in.
Season Stage: Last couple weeks of the season.
Hunting Report: Very good hunting!
Gossip: Call very softly, the birds have seen it all.
Name: Gene Carter
Date: Jan. 13, 2018
Location: Yuba City, California
Weather: Low’s in the upper 30s and highs around 55 degrees. Foggy most of this week.
Snow Cover: None.
Water Conditions: Water conditions for this season have been favorable for both the waterfowl and hunters.
Feeding Conditions: The upper Sacramento valley has plenty of rice fields for the waterfowl to eat and rest.
Species and Numbers: Duck numbers have increased since the cold weather has hit the northern part of the country. We have had an increase in teal, mallards, and wigeon since the first of the New Year.
Migrations: Speck’s and snows are plentiful this season. Duck migration finely made its way to CA thanks to the colder weather up north. Since the first of the New Year we have seen a nice spike in the migration.
Season Stage: Winter.
Hunting Report: Mixed, some areas have been good and some pretty slow, rice fields have been really slow from the reports I have been given.
Gossip: Lots of birds have been harvested the last couple weeks, all the hunters I have spoken with are looking for a strong end to 2017-18 waterfowl season.
Name: Travis Lyle
Date: Jan. 15, 2018
Location: Fernley, Nevada
Weather: Little above average. Got one last storm for the final week of ducks on the way.
Snow Cover: The tops of the mountains have snow. That’s about it. Have a stormy pattern for the next couple of days.
Water Conditions: Most of the water is open now with warm temps and last rain we had. Still have water coming into areas. Some areas have too much.
Feeding Conditions: Should have plenty of food in hunting areas. There is a lot of corn and some areas have sego and bulrush.
Species and Numbers: Teal are still around with lots of divers too. Gadwalls and mallards are in lower numbers, but can be found. A few more geese showing up.
Migrations: Got a little reverse migration happening. Got a few yellow-bellied pintails over the weekend.
Season Stage: This is the last week, y’all. Call the boss and tell him you ain't gonna make it.
Hunting Report: Slow down for sure. You find birds, you better go get ‘em.
Gossip: Most have hung it up.
Name: David Harper
Date: Jan. 15, 2018
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Weather: Temperatures are above average with highs in the upper 60s. Possible cool off coming next week and a slight chance of rain.
Snow Cover: None below 7,000 feet.
Water Conditions: Water is looking good around the valley. WMAs and refuges are holding a good amount.
Feeding Conditions: With warm temperatures aquatic feed is prevalent and grasses are staying green in most areas.
Species and Numbers: Teal and diving ducks are looking good still but big ducks have scattered. Geese are still being found on some WMA areas.
Migrations: Nothing noticeable.
Season Stage: Couple weeks left to go.
Hunting Report: Been some tough hunting with stale birds right now.
Gossip: Nothing at this time.
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