The waterfowl report is published each week during the waterfowl hunting season on this site. 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@charter.net.
 

November 25, 2008

 

Forecast storms, new birds

bode well for coming weeks

of waterfowl season


By JIM MATTHEWS
Outdoor News Service


There were subtle improvements in the duck and goose hunting at public hunting areas in the southern half of the state this past week, and storm systems moving through the area over the Thanksgiving week should improve the action even more as new birds continue to move into the region.
In spite of warm weather, San Jacinto Wildlife Area had over two-birds-per-hunter averages both last Wednesday and Saturday, with an influx of wigeon and greenwing teal fueling the improved scores.
While duck hunting remained generally slow at the Wister Unit of the Imperial Wildlife Area and the Sonny Bono-Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, the bag of light geese has increased at both places with the combined bag of 93 snows and Ross’ geese for the three shoot days last week the best of the season so far.
Averages at the Kern National Wildlife Refuge have continued to fall steadily from a near four-bird average when it reopened Saturday, Nov. 8, after its mid-season split, to just over a bird per hunter this past Saturday.


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


At the SAN JACINTO WILDLIFE AREA, there were 89 hunters on Wednesday, Nov. 19, who shot 253 ducks and seven coots for a 2.84 average (these are revised numbers). The duck bag was made up of 105 greenwings, 54 wigeon, 32 shovelers, 16 cinnamons, 13 pintail, seven ruddies, seven gadwall, five mallards, four redheads, four bufflehead, three ringnecks, two scaup, and one wood duck. On Saturday, Nov. 22, there were 127 hunters who shot 266 ducks, five coots, and one Canada goose for a 2.14 average. The duck bag include 77 wigeon, 63 greenwings, 31 shovelers, 16 pintail, 15 redheads, 14 mallards, 13 gadwall, 13 bufflehead, nine ruddies, eight cinnamon teal, four ringnecks, two scaup, and one bluewing teal. 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 55 hunters on Wednesday, Nov. 19, who shot 65 ducks, 11 snow geese, six coots, and four Ross’ geese for a 1.45 average. The duck bag was made up of 21 wigeon, nine mallards, eight greenwings seven pintail, seven shovelers, four gadwall, three cinnamons, two scaup, two ruddies and two mergansers. On Saturday, Nov. 22, there were 144 hunters who shot 191 ducks, 24 snow geese, eight Ross’ geese, and one coot for a 1.56 average. The duck kill included 47 wigeon, 44 greenwings, 36 pintail, 29 shovelers, 15 gadwall, 10 mallards, five scaup, two bufflehead, one cinnamon, one goldeneye, and one ruddy. On Sunday, Nov. 23, there were 50 hunters who shot 13 ducks, five snow geese, two Ross’ geese, and two coots for a .44 average. The duck bag consisted of four wigon, four shovelers, two gadwall, two greenwings, and one pintail. 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 13 hunters Wednesday, Nov. 19, who shot 10 ducks, two Canada geese, and one snow goose for a 1.00 average. On Saturday, Nov. 22, there were 34 hunters who shot 11 ducks, three Ross’ geese, and two snow geese for a .47 average. On Sunday, Nov. 23, there were 25 hunters who shot 22 snow geese, five Ross’ geese, a gadwall and a cinnamon teal for a 1.16 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 six hunters from Monday, Nov. 17 through Sunday, Nov. 23 who shot a total of seven ducks for a 1.17 average. The duck bag included two greenwings, two shovelers, one gadwall, one wigeon, and one goldeneye. 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, there were 68 hunters on Wednesday, Nov. 19, who shot 109 ducks and six coots for a 1.69 average. The duck kill included 40 gadwall, 21 shovelers, 13 mallards, 13 cinnamons, nine greewings, five wigeon, five pintail, one ringneck, one bufflehead, and one unidentified duck. On Saturday, Nov. 22, there were 88 hunters who shot 110 ducks and a coot for a 1.26 average. The duck bag consisted of 45 gadwall, 23 shovelers, eight mallards, eight cinnamons, six wigeon, five ringnecks, four redheads, four bufflehead, four ruddies, two greenwings, and one pintail. 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, there were a total of 37 hunters at BARRETT LAKE on Wednesday, Nov. 19, and Saturday, Nov. 22, this past week. They shot a total of 63 ducks for a 1.70 average. The duck bag was made up of 16 mallards, 15 ringnecks, 15 ruddies, five scaup, three gadwall, two bufflehead, two goldeneye, two wigeon, two bluewing teal, and one greenwing teal. At SUTHERLAND RESERVOIR on last Thursday, Nov. 20, and Sunday, Nov. 23, there were just three hunters who didn’t shoot a bird. Reservations are still available for Barrett for all Wednesday shoot days from November through January and for all shoot days at Sutherland. For more information and to request a hunting information packet, hunters should call the lake’s office at 619-668-2050 or e-mail ssmith@sandiego.gov.
At RAAHAUGE'S DUCK CLUB in PRADO BASIN, there were 48 hunters over the three shoot days, Wednesday, Nov. 19, Saturday, Nov. 22, and Sunday, Nov. 23, who shot a total of 86 ducks, 16 coots, and one Canada goose for a 2.15 average. The duck bag included 13 gadwall, 13 cinnamons, 12 wigeon, nine mallards, eight pintail, eight shovelers, five greenwings, five ruddies, four wood ducks, two redheads, and one ringnecks. Public blinds are available for $200 per day for a two-person blind. An adult with a junior hunter is just $100. All reservations must be made in advance by telephone. No walk-ons this year for the public blinds. For information, call Raahauge’s at 951-735-7981.

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

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