Weekly migratory bird hunting reports are posted from early September through early February.

High Plains Mallard Management Unit: The region around Amarillo, Dumas and Spearman remain wet. Lots of playa lakes are available to use by wintering ducks and geese. Duck hunting has been good for mallards, wigeons, gadwalls and teal. Diver ducks have been hitting deeper playas and reservoirs. Outfitters say the Canada geese have finally arrived and decoying action has been steady over wheat and corn. Sandhill crane hunting has been fair to good because of balmy conditions, but the recent front should get things going again. Knox and Haskell counties need water, according to several sources. Duck hunting has been fair to good, with ducks here one day and gone the next. The area finally received their crop of geese this week. Specklebellies have been reliable as well. Outfitters say specks seem to be more abundant this year. Prospects are good.

North Zone Duck: Waters are receding and boat ramps are becoming operable again. The latest blast of cold air pushed more mallards to the timber and flooded hardwoods. Wood duck action remains steady in backwaters. Gadwalls, wigeons and teal have been taken in the shallow coves of area lakes and reservoirs. Canvasbacks have been reported on Lake Fork, Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn and Lake O’Pines. Caddo Lake has seen gadwalls, divers and ringed-necks. Sloughs, backwaters and bayous should hold plenty of birds with the recent cold front and abundant food sources. Hunting has been fair to good on the coastal prairies along the southern boundaries of the North Zone. Brookshire, Winnie, China, Devers, Sealy and Columbus have all enjoyed steady shoots for teal, gadwalls, wigeons, pintails and shovelers. Prospects are fair to good.

South Zone Duck: Duck hunting remains steady along the coastal prairies of Eagle Lake, Wharton, El Campo, Garwood, East Bernard, Hungerford, Lissie and Louise. Teal, gadwalls, wigeons, shovelers and pintails have made up the brunt of the bag. Inland ponds around Port Lavaca and Refugio have produced puddle ducks. Bay hunters enjoyed an influx of bird last week as redheads and scaup found shoalgrass in East Matagorda, West Matagorda, Espiritu Santo, San Antonio and Aransas bays. Good numbers of wigeons and gadwalls have also been taken in the marsh and salt. The High Island marsh has been fair at best, with more birds showing in the Trinity Bay marsh during the last five days. More snow geese showed over the weekend ahead of the front. Fair shoots were posted due to light winds and balmy conditions. Specklebellies have readily decoyed over rag spreads. Prospects are good.

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On the Net:

• Hunting Regulations: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/hunt/
• Migration Observations: http://www.mdc.mo.gov/hunt/wtrfowl/migration.php
• Submit Your Observations: http://www.ducks.org/migrationmap/