STORM SENDS MANY BIRDS SOUTH, SAYS USFWS

USFWS WATERFOWL REPORT

From: Ken Torkelson, USFWS
Oct. 12, 2005

STORM SENDS MANY BIRDS SOUTH, SAYS USFWS

Instead of bringing more waterfowl into North Dakota, last week's wintry weather may have driven many out. According to this week's report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, quite a few birds left the state. The storm also left many roads and fields soft, making things even more difficult for hunters.

Most of the resident ducks have departed northwestern North Dakota, and the "replacements" haven't arrived yet. Tim Kessler of the Crosby Wetland Management District says the area still holds fair numbers of resident Canada geese, but?overall? hunting has been tough.

The weather may have moved some waterfowl out of Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge near Kenmare. Biologist Chad Zorn says there hasn't been a big change in waterfowl populations, but he believes some local birds may have moved on. He reports the Refuge is still holding a couple thousand Canada geese and a few hundred snow geese, but some of the tundra swans have left.

Good numbers of local ducks remain in northern Mountrail County. Adam Ryba of Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge says quite a few ducks pulled out last week, and others seem to be staging. Just a few snow geese have reached the area, but good numbers of resident Canada geese remain.

Last week's storm didn't generate many changes in the waterfowl population in north-central North Dakota. Tedd Gutzke of J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge says western Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan didn't seem to receive enough wintry weather to drive birds out. He reports that hunters have not been having much success. Gutzke warns that trails and fields are very soft.

Waterfowl populations in northeastern North Dakota appear to have dropped somewhat since last week. Biologist Cami Dixon of the Devils Lake Wetland Management District says the remaining birds appear to be grouping together, but scouting will be required to find them. She reports fair hunting pressure in the Lake Alice area, and notes that some diving ducks are showing up, but not many snow geese.

The waterfowl migration is progressing very slowly at Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge near Minot. Park ranger Shawn Tripp reports seeing very little movement of Canada geese or ducks. Hunters at nearby wetlands have been claiming limited success, but Tripp says he has heard reports of good waterfowl populations in Saskatchewan, with birds still coming in from Arctic regions, and local guides saying the migration is two weeks behind normal.

Audubon National Wildlife Refuge near Coleharbor has seen a drop in the Canada goose population. Biologist Craig Hultberg says 5,000 Canada geese remain on the Refuge, but many others seem to have moved to the Missouri River. The Refuge is holding about 5,000 ducks, and about 1,000 snow geese moved in last week. However, Hultberg says nearly all the sandhill cranes and tundra swans have migrated out. He suggests hunters try larger bodies of water.

Some ducks, geese and sandhill cranes have pulled out from Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Burleigh County. Project leader Paul VanNingen believes many of the 9,000 sandhill cranes reported a week ago have left, along with quite a few of the resident Canada geese and some ducks. However, he reports a few snow geese and lesser Canada geese have been seen this week.

Some hunters have been finding good numbers of ducks in southeast-central North Dakota. Mick Erickson of the Kulm Wetland Management District says there are still some green-winged teal and gadwalls around, and a few, widely-scattered, large concentrations of mallards.

Cold weather brought some birds to Wells and Stutsman counties last week. Tomi Buskness of the Chase Lake Prairie Project says the duck population is still mostly mallards, gadwalls and teal, but a few diving ducks are showing up. She says the birds do not seem to have moved to larger bodies of water yet, but scouting will be needed to find them.

A few more birds have reached Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding areas of northeastern Stutsman and southeastern Foster counties. Biologist Paulette Scherr says the Refuge is holding 2,000 Canada geese, about 7,500 puddle ducks?mostly mallards and pintails? and 300 diving ducks? mostly canvasbacks. The tundra swan population on the Refuge has grown to about 425. Scherr adds that many small wetlands are drying up.

Griggs and Steele counties offer the best prospects for hunters in the five-county Valley City Wetland Management District. Wetland manager Ed Meendering reports good numbers of Canada geese, but not many ducks. He says the remaining local ducks have been joined by a few diving ducks, but hunters will need to scout to find them.

Quite a few of the local ducks and geese have left southeastern North Dakota. Biologist Kristine Askerooth of Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge says hunters won't find birds on every little wetland any more. She adds that the corn harvest is just beginning, and many roads and fields are very soft. Askerooth says she isn't very optimistic for waterfowl hunters this weekend, but says pheasant hunting has been very good.

Some of the ducks and geese that left North Dakota over the past week or so apparently stopped at Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern South Dakota. Biologist Bill Schultze says the Refuge's duck population has jumped to 45,000 from 25,000 last week, and the Canada goose population has grown from 1,200 to 2,000. He reports the new ducks are mostly mallards, with a small increase in pintails. Schultze adds there have been reports of several small flocks of snow geese in the area, but not on the Refuge. He notes that waterfowl are starting to use some of the recently harvested soybean fields in the area.

State wildlife management areas and Conservation PLOTS areas in North Dakota will open to nonresident hunters on Oct. 15. Nearly all National Wildlife Refuges in the state are closed to waterfowl hunting, but all 1,100 Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA) are open, and have signs stating they're open.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.