South Zone Waterfowl Hunting Report

AUSTIN, December 20, 2007 - Snow goose hunting continues to baffle many outfitters. Some say it has been the toughest they can remember. So many old snows in the flock have made for tough decoying action unless fog or a low ceiling is present. Many snows are feeding on green grass, wheat and plowed fields. Specklebellies have decoyed fair, but dark geese are beginning to segregate themselves from light geese. Canada geese are beginning to build into huntable flocks. The largest concentrations have been around Eagle Lake. Duck hunting in Eagle Lake, Garwood, Lissie and Wharton have been good, not great. The west side of Wharton County has seen fair hunting at best. Mallards continue to show up in bags along the coast and coastal prairies. Duck hunting in the High Island marsh has been steady for teal, gadwalls, wigeons and spoonies. Hunting in the Trinity Bay marsh has been fair for wigeons, gadwalls, teal and spoonies. Two feet low tides made navigating tough in some areas of the bay and marsh. Lots of pintails are working the shoalgrass shorelines of Port O’Connor, Rockport and Seadrift. Hunters there are also taking redheads, scaup, buffleheads, wigeons, gadwalls and spoonbills. Sandhill crane hunting in Zone C opens Dec. 22 and prospects are good along the prairies. Some outfitters report more sandhills than they have ever seen on the coastal prairie. The bag limit for cranes is two birds per man. Prospects are good.