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WATERFOWL REPORT -- ONS-Jim Matthews -- 05nov03
Hunting success continues to decline for Southern California waterfowlers
Hunting success for waterfowlers has generally continued to decline this past week, with the Wister Unit of the Imperial Wildlife Area at the Salton Sea taking the biggest hit with both fewer hunters and fewer birds in the bag. While a few snow geese are being taken at Wister, the duck success rate was around a half-bird per hunter this last week.
San Jacinto Wildlife Area's success last Wednesday that was better than opening day, thanks to an influx of greenwing teal and wigeon, with an average of nearly four birds per hunter, but by Saturday, the success rate dropped back down to less than 1 1/2 birds per hunter. Raahauge's Duck Club in Prado Basin has continued pretty good, with averages at around three birds per hunter on Saturday and a lot of mallards in the bag. Hunters are reminded again that pintail and canvasback season for the Balance of State, Southern California, Southern San Joaquin, and Colorado Rivers zones, which include Wister, San Jacinto, and Kern National Wildlife Refuge, are closed to the take of pintail and cans.
The split pintail season in the Balance of State and Southern San Joaquin zones does not reopen until Dec. 26. Pintail season does not open until Nov. 27 in the Southern California and Colorado River zones. Canvasback season does not open until Nov. 27 in all four of these zones. There have been hunters at state and federal waterfowl areas citing for taking pintail or canvasback each week since the season opened. What follows is the area-by-area breakdown for public hunting areas opening weekend:
At the SAN JACINTO WILDLIFE AREA, there were 27 hunters last Wednesday who shot 105 ducks and three coots for a 4.00 average. The bag was made up of 45 greenwing teal, 22 wigeon, eight mallards, eight shovelers, seven cinnamon teal, four gadwall, three goldeneye, three pintail (hunters cited), two ringnecks, two scaups, and one bufflehead. On Saturday, there were 74 hunters who shot 100 ducks and five coots for a 1.42 average. The duck take included 46 wigeon, 21 mallards, nine gadwall, six greenwings, five cinnamons, four shovelers, four ruddies, two pintail (hunters cited), two redheads, and one scaup. San Jacinto 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, contact the wildlife area at (909) 928-0580.
At LAKE PERRIS STATE RECREATION AREA, there were 10 hunters last Wednesday who shot 12 ducks for a 1.20 average. The bag included seven greenwings, four mallards, and one wigeon. On Saturday, there were four hunters who shot a single mallard for a .25 average. Hunting is allowed until noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Only hunters with boats and motors can hunt the area, and the check-in station is at parking lots 11 and 12 at the jet ski launch ramp. Perris is open on a first-come, first-serve basis each shoot day. For more information, contact the San Jacinto Wildlife Area at (909) 928-0580.
At RAAHAUGE'S DUCK CLUB in PRADO BASIN, there were 25 hunters last Wednesday who shot 41 ducks and a coot for a 1.68 average. The bag was made up of 11 mallards, nine wigeon, seven gadwall, six greenwings, four cinnamons, three shovelers, and one wood duck. On Saturday, there were 22 hunters who shot 65 ducks and three coots for a 3.09 average. The bag consisted of 25 mallards, 15 gadwall, seven cinnamons, seven wigeon, three ruddies, two greenwings, and one shoveler. On Sunday, there were 27 hunters who shot 39 ducks and 35 coots 2.74 average. The duck bag included 21 mallards, five wigeon, three greenwings, two cinnamons, two redheads, two ringnecks, one gadwall, one ruddy, one scaup, and one wood ducks. Hunting is allowed Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and there are public blinds available each shoot day. For more information, call the club at (909) 735-7981 or check the club's web site at http://www.raahauges.com .
At the WISTER UNIT of the IMPERIAL WILDLIFE AREA on the Salton Sea, there were 24 hunters last Wednesday who shot 15 ducks and six snow geese for a .88 average. The duck bag included nine greenwings, three mallards, two cinnamons, and one wigeon. On Saturday, there were 116 hunters who shot 67 ducks and nine snow geese for a .66 average. The duck kill included 23 greenwings, 14 cinnamons, 11 wigeon, nine gadwall, three mallards, two shovelers, two ringnecks, two bluewing teal, and one redhead. On Sunday, there were 70 hunters who shot 24 ducks, two coots, 12 snow geese and two Ross geese for a .57 average. The duck bag consisted of 11 cinnamons, seven greenwings, four shovelers, two mallards, one redhead, and one ringneck. 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 four hunters last Wednesday who didn't shoot a bird. On Saturday, there were 12 hunters who shot four cinnamon teal and one wigeon for a .42 average. On Sunday, there were six hunters who shot four Ross' geese, one snow goose, one wigeon, and one greenwing for a 1.17 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 six hunters from Monday last week through Sunday who shot nine ducks for a 1.50 average. The bag consisted of six greenwings, two cinnamons, and one shoveler. 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, no results were available for last Wednesday. On Saturday, there were 92 hunters who shot 309 ducks for a 3.36 average. The bag was made up of 114 shovelers, 63 cinnamons, 32 mallards, 30 gadwall, 25 greenwings, 20 redheads, 15 ringnecks, four wigeon, three ruddies, two bufflehead, and one wood duck. 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 hunter's hotline at (661) 725-6504, which is normally updated after each hunt day.
At the SAN DIEGO CITY LAKES, BARRETT LAKE and SUTHERLAND RESERVOIR were both closed due to fires in the San Diego region. Barrett is open Wednesday and Saturday, while Sutherland is open Thursday and Sunday, but both waters will be closed through this weekend. Reservations are still available for Sutherland but Barrett is sold out. For information on the City Lakes waterfowl program, call (619) 668-2060.
Hunting success continues to decline for Southern California waterfowlers
Hunting success for waterfowlers has generally continued to decline this past week, with the Wister Unit of the Imperial Wildlife Area at the Salton Sea taking the biggest hit with both fewer hunters and fewer birds in the bag. While a few snow geese are being taken at Wister, the duck success rate was around a half-bird per hunter this last week.
San Jacinto Wildlife Area's success last Wednesday that was better than opening day, thanks to an influx of greenwing teal and wigeon, with an average of nearly four birds per hunter, but by Saturday, the success rate dropped back down to less than 1 1/2 birds per hunter. Raahauge's Duck Club in Prado Basin has continued pretty good, with averages at around three birds per hunter on Saturday and a lot of mallards in the bag. Hunters are reminded again that pintail and canvasback season for the Balance of State, Southern California, Southern San Joaquin, and Colorado Rivers zones, which include Wister, San Jacinto, and Kern National Wildlife Refuge, are closed to the take of pintail and cans.
The split pintail season in the Balance of State and Southern San Joaquin zones does not reopen until Dec. 26. Pintail season does not open until Nov. 27 in the Southern California and Colorado River zones. Canvasback season does not open until Nov. 27 in all four of these zones. There have been hunters at state and federal waterfowl areas citing for taking pintail or canvasback each week since the season opened. What follows is the area-by-area breakdown for public hunting areas opening weekend:
At the SAN JACINTO WILDLIFE AREA, there were 27 hunters last Wednesday who shot 105 ducks and three coots for a 4.00 average. The bag was made up of 45 greenwing teal, 22 wigeon, eight mallards, eight shovelers, seven cinnamon teal, four gadwall, three goldeneye, three pintail (hunters cited), two ringnecks, two scaups, and one bufflehead. On Saturday, there were 74 hunters who shot 100 ducks and five coots for a 1.42 average. The duck take included 46 wigeon, 21 mallards, nine gadwall, six greenwings, five cinnamons, four shovelers, four ruddies, two pintail (hunters cited), two redheads, and one scaup. San Jacinto 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, contact the wildlife area at (909) 928-0580.
At LAKE PERRIS STATE RECREATION AREA, there were 10 hunters last Wednesday who shot 12 ducks for a 1.20 average. The bag included seven greenwings, four mallards, and one wigeon. On Saturday, there were four hunters who shot a single mallard for a .25 average. Hunting is allowed until noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Only hunters with boats and motors can hunt the area, and the check-in station is at parking lots 11 and 12 at the jet ski launch ramp. Perris is open on a first-come, first-serve basis each shoot day. For more information, contact the San Jacinto Wildlife Area at (909) 928-0580.
At RAAHAUGE'S DUCK CLUB in PRADO BASIN, there were 25 hunters last Wednesday who shot 41 ducks and a coot for a 1.68 average. The bag was made up of 11 mallards, nine wigeon, seven gadwall, six greenwings, four cinnamons, three shovelers, and one wood duck. On Saturday, there were 22 hunters who shot 65 ducks and three coots for a 3.09 average. The bag consisted of 25 mallards, 15 gadwall, seven cinnamons, seven wigeon, three ruddies, two greenwings, and one shoveler. On Sunday, there were 27 hunters who shot 39 ducks and 35 coots 2.74 average. The duck bag included 21 mallards, five wigeon, three greenwings, two cinnamons, two redheads, two ringnecks, one gadwall, one ruddy, one scaup, and one wood ducks. Hunting is allowed Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and there are public blinds available each shoot day. For more information, call the club at (909) 735-7981 or check the club's web site at http://www.raahauges.com .
At the WISTER UNIT of the IMPERIAL WILDLIFE AREA on the Salton Sea, there were 24 hunters last Wednesday who shot 15 ducks and six snow geese for a .88 average. The duck bag included nine greenwings, three mallards, two cinnamons, and one wigeon. On Saturday, there were 116 hunters who shot 67 ducks and nine snow geese for a .66 average. The duck kill included 23 greenwings, 14 cinnamons, 11 wigeon, nine gadwall, three mallards, two shovelers, two ringnecks, two bluewing teal, and one redhead. On Sunday, there were 70 hunters who shot 24 ducks, two coots, 12 snow geese and two Ross geese for a .57 average. The duck bag consisted of 11 cinnamons, seven greenwings, four shovelers, two mallards, one redhead, and one ringneck. 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 four hunters last Wednesday who didn't shoot a bird. On Saturday, there were 12 hunters who shot four cinnamon teal and one wigeon for a .42 average. On Sunday, there were six hunters who shot four Ross' geese, one snow goose, one wigeon, and one greenwing for a 1.17 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 six hunters from Monday last week through Sunday who shot nine ducks for a 1.50 average. The bag consisted of six greenwings, two cinnamons, and one shoveler. 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, no results were available for last Wednesday. On Saturday, there were 92 hunters who shot 309 ducks for a 3.36 average. The bag was made up of 114 shovelers, 63 cinnamons, 32 mallards, 30 gadwall, 25 greenwings, 20 redheads, 15 ringnecks, four wigeon, three ruddies, two bufflehead, and one wood duck. 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 hunter's hotline at (661) 725-6504, which is normally updated after each hunt day.
At the SAN DIEGO CITY LAKES, BARRETT LAKE and SUTHERLAND RESERVOIR were both closed due to fires in the San Diego region. Barrett is open Wednesday and Saturday, while Sutherland is open Thursday and Sunday, but both waters will be closed through this weekend. Reservations are still available for Sutherland but Barrett is sold out. For information on the City Lakes waterfowl program, call (619) 668-2060.
