Waterfowl, Update January 23, 2020 Gray Lodge Wildlife Area

(Gemma with her warpaint on)

Waterfowl Update January 23, 2020

Waterfowl season for 2019-2020 season has been super slow. Most people I have talked to have reported low bird numbers during the earlier part of the season. The good news is that the bird population in the norther part of the Sacramento valley have significantly increased with a couple of recent storms.

This year I have hunted, Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge four times, Delevan National Wildlife Area one time, and Gray Lodge Wildlife Area two times.

Sacramento and Delevan were slow, very slow but on all the days I hunted there was no weather to speak of other than clouds.

On both the days I hunted Gray Lodge the hunting was actually pretty good on both days and when I hunted it on January 22, 2020 it was excellent. Both hunts were just short afternoon hunts as I wasn’t able to hunt the mornings. There weren’t too many geese flying at Gray Lodge on either day but man there were a lot of ducks. Mostly Wigeon, Gadwall and Ringers, lots and lots of Ringers. Ringers aren’t really good to eat so I passed on them. But it was definitely worth going hunting.

(Sadie in the front and Gemma in back, taken after a flock of Wigeon straffed us)

As of January 22, 2020 there were plenty of new birds down and like I said thousands of ducks in the air. Don’t give up yet there is still a little over a week left, get out there and hunt.