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Sept. 23, 2009

Weekly Migratory Bird Hunting Report

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

North Zone Dove: Best hunts have been in milo, corn and sunflowers around Abilene, Lubbock and Amarillo, though afternoon rains have limited the flight somewhat. The front forecasted for this week should deposit a new crop of mourning doves to Texas. Hunters around the Red River endured 10-12 inches of rain last week and the forecast calls for more this week. Lots of rain and muddy fields have limited hunter participation. Prospects are fair to good.

Central Zone Dove: Another shot of cool air this week should bring new migrants to the region. Fields close in proximity to the South Zone caught fire this week after days of rest. Whitewings near San Antonio, Castroville and Uvalde have been steady. Brownwood and Stephenville hunters have done well in the afternoon around grain fields and watering holes. Harrison and Panola county hunters have dodged afternoon storms but found best shoots around goatweed. Sealy and Columbus hunters saw better shoots this week since nearby South Zone fields were hunted. Prospects are fair to good.

South Zone Dove: The season opened with a bang, literally, across most of South Texas. Good shoots were posted in sunflowers around El Campo for whitewings. Wharton County rice fields held birds, but better flights were found in the afternoon around water. Limit hunts were registered for both mourners and whitewings around Port Lavaca. Galveston hunters saw steady flight over the weekend for mostly whitewings. Bay City hunters took limits around water and rice. Rio Grande Valley hunters enjoyed steady flights around milo and sunflowers. Hunts around Laredo and Freer were solid as well. Lytle was good over cut corn and sunflowers. The season runs through Nov. 3.* Prospects are good.

Teal Season: Coastal prairie and marsh hunters reported seeing more birds this week compared to the opener. Still mostly drake bluewings in the bag, giving rise to the notion there remains more birds to the north, specifically hens and their first-year-flying broods. Lights-out limits continue in Wharton County fields. Strong shoots were had near Chesterville, Eagle Lake, Lissie, El Campo and Port Lavaca. Marsh hunters near Collegeport and Palacios scored limits. Trinity Bay hunters took near limits in the marsh. TPWD wildlife management areas saw fair to good results. The Justin Hurst WMA near Freeport has averaged almost 3 birds per man. Mad Island WMA near Bay City has seen few hunters, but those hunters have averaged around 3.5 birds per man, excellent by any standard. Guadalupe Delta WMA near Port Lavaca has seen steady shoots for 2.5 birds per man. Panhandle hunters say teal have been steady on playas. The season ends at sunset Sept. 27. The forecasted front this week should push more birds to Texas, and push more to Mexico. Prospects are good.

* Correction, Sept. 25, 2009: The original version of this news release incorrectly stated the closing date of the south zone dove season. The date in the release is now correct. (Return to corrected item.)

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On the Net:

Hunting Regulations: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/hunt/

2009-09-23

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