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.
 

October 23, 2008

 

Waterfowl season opener generally fair at public

areas in Southern California


By JIM MATTHEWS
Outdoor News Service


Lower waterfowl numbers impacted the duck opener throughout Southern California’s public hunting areas. Top spot in the region for the opening of the season this past weekend was the Wister Unit of the Imperial Wildlife Area and the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge (managed together for hunting).
At Wister hunters averaged just over three ducks each on opening Saturday, while Bono hunters had a five-bird average. This is a full bird below last year’s opening day average at Wister, but better than last year’s 3 ½ bird average at Bono. Averages dropped to just over a bird per hunter on Sunday at both areas.
At the San Jacinto Wildlife Area in western Riverside County, hunters averaged 2.6 birds per hunter on opening Saturday -- well below the near 3 ½-bird average last year, but still considered pretty good by most hunters at San Jacinto.
Bird numbers were reportedly down at both locations compared to last year, with little weather to move birds south yet this season. The fall flight forecast for the Pacific flyway is expected to be similar to last year, but there are fewer California-produced ducks this season.


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


At the SAN JACINTO WILDLIFE AREA, there were 179 hunters opening Saturday, Oct. 18 who shot 454 ducks, 24 coots, and two cackling geese. The duck bag consisted of 140 cinnamon teal, 133 greenwing teal, 89 northern shovelers, 30 American wigeon, 17 gadwall, 16 ruddy ducks, eight pintail, five mallards, five ringnecks, one redhead, 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 364 hunters on opening Saturday who shot 1,172 ducks, 26 coots and one whitefront goose for a 3.29 average. The duck bag was made up of 456 greenwings, 244 cinnamons, 114 pintail, 113 mallards, 109 shovelers, 103 wigeon, 28 gadwall, two ringnecks, two ruddies, and one redhead. On Sunday, there were 146 hunters who shot 189 ducks for a 1.29 average. The duck kill consisted of 89 greenwings, 46 cinnamons, 16 pintail, 12 mallards, 10 shovelers, six wigeon, five gadwall, two redheads, two ruddies, 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 52 hunters opening Saturday who shot 259 ducks and one whitefront goose for a five-bird average. The duck bag consisted of 113 greenwings, 86 cinnamons, 23 shovelers, 18 mallards, nine wigeon, three gadwall, three pintail, two redheads, and two ruddies. On Sunday, there were 23 hunters who shot 31 ducks for a 1.35 average. The duck kill included 11 greenwings, 11 cinnamons, five mallards, three ruddies, and one shoveler. 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 17 hunters opening Saturday who shot a total of 46 ducks, including 10 greenwings, 10 shovelers, seven ruddies, five mallards, and 14 unidentified birds, for a 2.71 average. On Sunday, there were nine hunters who shot seven greenwing, six shovelers, three ruddies, two mallards, and seven other ducks for a 2.78 average. 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 57 hunters this Wednesday, Oct. 22, who shot 147 ducks and two coots for a 2.61 average, the worst of the season so far at Kern. The bag was made up of 45 gadwall, 34 shovelers, 20 ringnecks, 15 pintail, 12 mallards, 10 wigeon, five greenwings, five redheads, and one cinnamon. Last Saturday’s results were not available. 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 54 hunters at BARRETT LAKE opening Saturday who shot 168 ducks for a 3.11 average. The bag was made up of 58 ruddies, 38 mallards, 19 ringnecks, 15 greenwings, 12 redheads, five scaup, five pintail, four cinnamons, four wigeon, three wood ducks, two gadwall, one shoveler, and one bluewing teal. At SUTHERLAND RESERVOIR on Sunday, there were 10 hunters who shot three mallards, one gadwall, and one ringneck for a half-bird per hunter average. 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.

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

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