The November lull is a familiar occurrence for many, but this year, duck hunting has been particularly challenging. Consequently, fewer hunters are taking to the fields. Heavy rainfall from November 13 to 15 brought over three inches to the Central Valley, which might have altered conditions for some. While it did change the habitat, the impact was not favorable. The limited number of birds in California suddenly found themselves with an abundance of new habitat, spreading out from foothill farm ponds to vast areas of sheet water.
Temperatures have also been mild. The Klamath Basin, home to the nation’s first waterfowl refuge established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908, is experiencing adequate water levels for the first time in many years. The basin, which includes Lower Klamath and Tulelake National Wildlife Refuges, has not approached freezing temperatures, allowing the birds that are present to remain settled.
Hunting has been slow at Tulelake Sump 1-B. A seasoned guide I spoke with reported hunting on Monday, November 17, and only managed to shoot two wigeon. The birds are sticking to open water and avoiding the dense tules.
In contrast, the nearby Ash Creek Wildlife Area, a state-operated facility, is currently yielding the best averages in the state, with mallards leading the bag counts.
Even California’s most common species, the green-winged teal, is scarce throughout the 800-mile stretch of the state. In the southern regions, from Kern National Wildlife Refuge to San Jacinto and Wister, cinnamon teal are more abundant, yet few are being harvested.
Another viable option is Honey Lake Wildlife Area near Susanville, where hunters can find plenty of water, some mallard opportunities, and minimal pressure.
Private clubs in the renowned Butte Sink near Gridley are underwhelming at the moment, facing a shortage of mallards and very few hunters reaching their limits. Some clubs have barely recorded any ducks at all. Although Gray Lodge Wildlife Area is fully flooded for the first time in years, hunting reports remain poor.
The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex at Willows, which includes Colusa, Delevan, Sacramento, and Sutter, is attracting few hunters, as much of the habitat remains dry. Those who persist have managed to score some of the larger species, such as northern pintails and gadwalls.
Private clubs and the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area are settling for shovelers and little else. Just south, the Delta islands at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers are holding very few ducks, primarily local mallards and wood ducks, with an occasional flurry of northern pintails. The most numerous species in the islands are Aleutian Canada geese, particularly on the Empire Tract and Venice Island.
On windy days, the Suisun Marsh is producing limits of northern pintails, along with the usual wigeon and shovelers. However, on calm, “bluebird days,” hunting tends to be very slow.
The 240,000-acre Grasslands Ecological Area—the largest wetland complex in the West—was disappointing for hunters during the October 18 opener. Green-winged teal were the most harvested bird for a couple of weeks, but now shovelers are the only species readily available.
Pheasant hunting is open, and the population seems to have rebounded strongly this year, particularly at Yolo Wildlife Area near Sacramento and the state and federal refuges in the Sacramento Valley.
California hunters will need to wait for the next major storm system to shake things up as we approach the holiday season.
Source: https://www.ducks.org/hunting/migration-alerts/migration-alert-california-hunters-dealing-with-difficult-conditions
