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@charter.net.
 

November 13, 2008

 

‘Old November gloom’ sets in at
SoCal waterfowl hunting areas


By JIM MATTHEWS
Outdoor News Service


A lack of new migrants from the north and unseasonably warm weather have just about shut down the waterfowl hunting at most Southern California public hunting areas.
The Wister Unit of the Imperial Wildlife Area posted one of its worst Saturday shoot days ever this past week with a .38 average. The 175 hunters that day shot just 58 ducks, four light geese and four coots. The hunting rebounded the next day when the hot weather broke and winds returned, but the 1.26 birds-per-hunter average was still pretty dismal.
The union tract (Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge) also shot poorly on Saturday (.88 birds per hunter), but the average was 3 1/2 birds per hunter on Sunday, even if the bulk of the bag was shovelers.
The averages at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area climbed a little this past week, going from about a bird per hunter to closer to two birds per hunter both shoot days this past week, but Tom Trakes said it was “the old November gloom.” The averages
“Mystic Lake (being dry) is taking its toll on us. There’s a decent morning shoot, but nothing in the afternoons. I think the birds are going to Lake Perris and not coming back,” said Trakes.
The best hunting this past week was in the southern San Joaquin valley at the Kern National Wildlife Refuge, which reopened Saturday after its split season closure. Hunters averaged nearly four birds per hunter on Saturday and the averages stayed at three birds per hunter on Wednesday this week.


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


At the SAN JACINTO WILDLIFE AREA, there were 84 hunters on Wednesday, Nov. 5, who shot 120 ducks and 24 coots for a 1.71 average. The duck bag consisted of 41 northern shovelers, 20 wigeon, 14 greenwing teal, 14 cinnamon teal, eight ruddy ducks, seven gadwall, four pintail, four bufflehead, three ringnecks, three scaup, one mallard, and one redhead. On Saturday, Nov. 9, there were 88 hunters who shot 165 ducks, 29 coots, one Ross’ goose, and one speckled goose for a 2.22 average. The duck bag was made up of 34 shovelers, 28 greenwings, 22 wigeon, 16 ringnecks, 13 ruddies, 12 redheads, 11 gadwall, 10 cinnamons, seven bufflehead, five scaup, four mallards, and three pintail. On Wednesday, Nov. 12, there were 81 hunters who shot 99 ducks and 29 coots for a 1.58 average. The duck kill included 34 shovelers, 19 greenwings, 13 wigeon, nine pintail, seven gadwall, four cinnamons, four bufflehead, four ruddies, two mallards, one redhead, one ringneck, and one goldeneye. On the Monday, Nov. 10 pheasant hunt, there were 60 hunters who shot nine pheasants (eight were planted birds left over from the junior pheasant hunt Saturday). 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 62 hunters on Wednesday, Nov. 5, who shot 70 ducks, five cackling geese, four snow geese and three Aleutian geese for a 1.32 average. The duck kill was made up of 26 shovelers, 15 wigeon, 10 greenwings, seven mallards, five gadwall, five pintail, and two ruddies. On Saturday, Nov. 8, there were 175 hunters who shot 58 ducks, four snow geese, and four coots for a .38 average. The duck bag included 13 shovelers, 12 pintail, 10 cinnamons, seven wigeon, five greenwings, five ruddies, four mallards, one gadwall, and one scaup. On Sunday, Nov. 9, there were 89 hunters who shot 99 ducks, eight snow geese, three Ross’ geese, and two coots for a 1.26 average. The duck bag consisted of 31 shovelers, 17 pintail, 15 wigeon, 12 mallards, 11 greenwings, seven gadwall, four cinnamons, and two ruddies. 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 10 hunters Wednesday, Nov. 5, who shot 10 ducks and one snow goose for a 1.10 average. The duck bag included four wigeon, two mallards, two greenwings, one gadwall, and one pintail. On Saturday, Nov. 8, there were 17 hunters who shot 13 ducks and two coots for a .88 average. The duck bag was made up of four shovelers, three gadwall, two pintail, two cinnamons, one wigeon, and one greenwing. On Sunday, Nov. 9, there were 27 hunters who shot 86 ducks, five Ross’ geese, and four snow geese for a 3.52 average. The duck kill included 51 shovelers, 13 mallards, 10 pintail, six greenwings, three cinnamons, two ringnecks, and one scaup. 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 13 hunters from Monday, Nov. 3 through Sunday, Nov. 9 who shot a total of 21 ducks for a 1.62 average. The duck bag was made up of nine greenwings, five shovelers, three cinnamons, two mallards, one gadwall, and one wigeon. 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, Saturday, Nov. 8, was the opening day of the second half of the split season. On Saturday, there were 102 hunters who shot 379 ducks for a 3.72 average. The bag included 91 mallards, 73 gadwall, and 60 shovelers. On Wednesday, Nov. 12, there were 87 hunters who shot 257 ducks for a 2.95 average. The duck kill was made up of 51 cinnamons, 49 shovelers, 40 gadwall, 36 mallards, 24 greenwings, 20 ringnecks, 10 bufflehead, nine pintail, eight redheads, six wigeon, three ruddies, 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 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 32 hunters at BARRETT LAKE on Wednesday, Nov. 5, and Saturday, Nov. 8, this past week. They shot a total of 43 ducks for a 1.34 average. The duck bag was made up of 25 ruddies, seven mallards, three greenwings, three redheads, three ringnecks, one bufflehead, and one gadwall. At SUTHERLAND RESERVOIR on last Thursday, Nov. 6, and Sunday, Nov. 9, there were a total of 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 36 hunters over the three shoot days, Wednesday, Nov. 5, Saturday, Nov. 8, and Sunday, Nov. 9, who shot a total of 89 ducks, 26 coots, and one Canada goose for a 3.22 average. The duck bag was made up of 21 gadwall, 20 mallards, 19 wigeon, 16 cinnamons, 10 bluewing teal, nine greenwings, seven wood ducks, and one ruddy. 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@charter.net.

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