The waterfowl report is published each week during the waterfowl hunting season on this site, usually updated on Monday afternoons. We encourage hunters to send photographs and updated information to augment this report. Our goal is to make this report the most comprehensive waterfowl hunting report available for Southern California hunters -- with all of the information in a single place. Updates, photographs, and comments should be e-mailed to Jim Matthews at odwriter@earthlink.net.
 

November 7, 2007

Waterfowl hunters discovering
the San Jacinto Wildlife Area

The San Jacinto Wildlife Area is seeing a dramatic increase in the number of hunters over the past few seasons, according to Tom Trakes with the Department of Fish and Game at the area.
Trakes said he assumed that a lot of hunters were skipping long drives to the Wister Unit of the Imperial Wildlife Area or the Kern National Wildlife Refuge, saving some of that precious $3 per gallon gasoline, and hunting closer to home. The fact the hunting has been good on top of it, doesn’t hurt.
“We’re basically breaking 100 hunters every shoot day,” said Trakes. “And a lot of new guys are hunting out here -- which is good.”
Last year, there were just 43 blind sites and there are 58 sites this season with more to come on line as future wetland development progresses. All this news is getting out, and San Jacinto is “the buzz” in the waterfowling community.
Both San Jacinto and Wister have continues to shoot well this past week with two to three bird per hunter averages.
San Jacinto dropped down to 1 1/2 birds on Saturday, mostly based on a decline in the number of wigeon in the bag. Shovelers continue to make up the bulk of the bag, but many hunters continue to their their one pintail each shoot day. There was also one snow goose taken both shoot days this past week at San Jacinto, with Saturday’s bird being taken by regular Scott Dayton of Corona.
Until early this week, goose numbers remained at about 200 birds on the south end of the Salton Sea, according to Adolfo Hernandez with the DFG at Wister. By Wednesday this week, he said the snow goose population had swelled to over 1,000 birds and more were coming in each day. He said the duck population was currently pretty stable at between 11,000 to 13,000 ducks.
A reminder, the bag on redheads was increased to two birds in emergency action by the Fish and Game Commission. This went into affect two weeks ago, allowing hunters to take advantage of liberalized federal regulations on these popular diving ducks.

What follows is the area-by-area breakdown for public hunting this past week:

At the SAN JACINTO WILDLIFE AREA, there were 118 hunters last Wednesday, Oct. 31, who shot 285 ducks and one snow goose for a 2.42 average. The duck bag consisted of 91 shovelers, 79 wigeon, 29 pintail, 17 ringnecks, 16, greenwing teal, 14 redheads, 12 gadwall, eight buffleheads, seven cinnamon teal, three scaup, three ruddies, and one canvasback. On Saturday, Nov. 3, there were 161 hunters who shot 225 ducks and one snow goose for a 1.40 average. The duck kill consisted of 94 shovelers, 35 wigeon, 31 pintail, 22 gadwall, 10 greenwing, nine cinnamons, nine redheads, four ringnecks, four ruddies, two mallards, two bufflehead, one scaup, one wood duck, and one merganser. San Jacinto is open to waterfowl and pheasant hunting through the state reservation system or a daily drawing for remaining sites after all reservation holders are admitted to the area. Refills are also permitted until 2 p.m. Shoot days are Wednesday and Saturday for waterfowl, and Mondays for pheasants during the pheasant season. For more information, contact the wildlife area at (951) 928-0580.
At the WISTER UNIT of the IMPERIAL WILDLIFE AREA on the Salton Sea, there were 68 hunters last Wednesday who shot 186 ducks and six snow geese for a 2.82 average. The duck bag was made up of 61 greenwings, 50 wigeon, 38 pintail, 11 shovelers, six cinnamons, six mallards, six gadwall, four redheads, three ruddys, and one ringneck. On Saturday, there were 193 hunters who shot 436 ducks, seven snow geese, two Ross’ geese, and seven coots for a 2.34 average. The duck kill consisted of 134 greenwings, 106 wigeon, 71 pintail, 42 shovelers, 23 gadwell, 18 redheads, 16 cinnamon teal, 11 ruddys, eight mallards, five ring-neck ducks, one canvasback, and one scaup. On Sunday, there were 92 hunters who shot 95 ducks and two snow geese for an average of 1.05. The duck kill included 22 wigeon, 21 pintail, 20 green wings, 11 shovelers, six mallards, six cadwall, three redheads, two cinnamon teal, two ring-neck ducks, one canvasback, and one ruddy. Wister is open to waterfowl hunting through the state reservation system and a daily drawing for sites after all reservation holders are admitted to the area. Refills are permitted. Shoot days are Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. For more information, contact the unit at (760) 359-0577.
At the SONNY BONO-SALTON SEA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, there were six hunters this past Wednesday who shot four shovelers, two snow geese, and one cinnamon teal for a 1.17 average. On Saturday, there were 20 hunters who shot 16 shovelers, 12 green wings, eight Ross’ geese, four cinnamon teal, two buffleheads, two snow geese, one ruddy, one wigeon, and one pintail for a 2.35 average. On Sunday there were seven hunters who shot five shoverels, one mallard, and one snow goose for a 1.00 average. The refuge is managed as part of the Wister Unit. For more information, contact the Wister Unit at (760) 359-0577.
At the FINNEY-RAMER UNIT of the IMPERIAL WILDLIFE AREA on the Alamo River south of the Salton Sea, there were a total of 12 hunters from Monday through Sunday this past week who shot 15 ducks for a 1.25 average. Hunters shot ten green wings, four shovelers, and one cinnamon teal. Finney-Ramer is open to hunters seven days a week under a self-registration and self-reporting system. For more information, contact the Wister Unit at (760) 359-0577.
At the KERN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, the season was closed this past week because of the split in the Southern San Joaquin region season. It resumes this week. Kern is open to waterfowl hunting through the state reservation system or a daily drawing for remaining sites after all reservation holders are admitted to the area. Refills are also permitted throughout the shoot day. Shoot days are Wednesday and Saturday. For more information, call (661) 725-2767 or the comprehensive hunter's hotline at (661) 725-6504, normally updated after each hunt day.
At the SAN DIEGO CITY LAKES, waterfowl season will start next week at BARRETT LAKE and SUTHERLAND RESERVOIR by reservation only. Barrett is open to waterfowl hunting on Wednesday and Saturday starting Nov. 7. There are still openings available for Jan. 23. Sutherland is open on a Thursday and Sunday schedule starting Nov. 8. There are still openings for all shoot days. For information on the City Lakes waterfowl program, call (619) 668-2060.

Hunters who would like to contribute information and photographs to this report should e-mail the information to Jim Matthews at odwriter@earthlink.net.

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