BY JIM NIEMIEC
NILAND – Due to the lack of ducks winging along this part of the Pacific flyway, duck hunting at the Wister Wildlife Area has been very slow. Until recently, there hasn’t been much of a migration of both puddle ducks and divers, and hunter success average on many shoot days has been cut down to about 1 bird per shooter. The past couple of shoots have been saved by the
arrival of snow and Ross’ geese in the southern end of Imperial Valley.
WON checked in with Jonathan Shore, head biologist at the Sonny Bono National Wildlife Area to get an update on the current white goose population.
“Currently, we are looking at perhaps 25,000 white geese spread across Imperial Valley. There are some 20,000 birds on the main refuge and about 5,000 other white geese spread across other refuge habitat. The bulk of the geese showed up over last week’s full moon phase and I would expect the rest of the birds will trickle in trough the month of December,” said Shore.
Shore went on to add, “Waterfowl biologist are a little concerned about the migration due to all the flooding that has occurred in the Pacific Northwest that could slow the migration south. It’s been freezing up in Canada, which might send more geese south, but they are going to be flying over flooded farm land and new wetlands.”
This WON Sr. hunting writer then checked in with Cris Crecelius, Wildlife Habitat Supervisor II, at the Wister Wildlife Refuge, when informed that there were habitat issues with one of the ponds on the refuge.
The following update was filed by Crecelius – “W11 D and B were designated as Rail habitat for the last few years, which is kept flooded year-round limiting the availability to maintain levees, pond interior, blinds, and infrastructure annually. The earlier we can drain and dry these units the more likely we will have them refurbished, repaired, revegetated and ready for next season. The sites will be available to the public the remainder of the season, but some of the blinds will be less desirable as they continue to drain. CWA will be assisting IWA staff with construction this coming spring/summer.”
“Crecelius then added, “The staff advises observing a few thousand snow geese utilizing various green feed fields and ponds throughout the area. As in past years, Union, S20, T10, U10, Y15 and 114 are seeing the highest numbers (white geese) though that changes day to day.”
