Regardless of the weather, Florida duck hunting season about to begin
Like any normal waterfowler, inasmuch such a creature exists, this week’s cold front had me feeling ducky. Every autumn and winter, duck hunters yearn for those sweeping high pressure systems that tote arctic air across the country in hopes it’ll push masses of migratory ducks into their local honey-holes.
How much these cold fronts actually help out Florida hunters is debatable, though. Me? I’m simply happy not sweating while tossing decoys. But, due to our latitudinal location on this earth, intuitively, we’d be the last to benefit unless the rest of the southern states seized up under a sheet of ice. And from what the news tells me, we seem to be going in the opposite direction of that.
No, many factors influence waterfowl migrations aside from northern waterways freezing, and the majority of the species we bring to bag each season probably couldn’t care less. Mottled ducks and whistling ducks, for instance, will trade back and forth across the state but describing them as migratory in the traditional sense isn’t correct.
The blue-winged teal begin arriving in August. Some distribute across the peninsula over the hunting months, while others just stop in on their way to the Caribbean and South America. These diminutive dabblers prefer shallow marshes and flooded pastures, the latter of which we have plenty after the hurricane. So, the numbers that do stay are likely going to be spread around thin this year, methinks.
Florida has both migratory and non-migratory wood ducks, but I would gamble the majority I’ve shot here were born residents. Either way, I’m not counting on the weather to push down flocks of those colorful goblins. Those birds are mentally on a different planet than their kin and from what I've seen, they enjoy deep Georgia swamps in larger concentrations over Florida's busy waterways.
Aside from bluebills and redheads on the coasts and the incomparable shoveler, I suppose the species Florida hunters care about most with the changing weather are ring-necked ducks, divers who favor our larger lakes and associated marshes.
This front likely began driving flocks down, but the ringer migration isn’t well-studied or understood. They are a stable, healthy species without the national pizzaz of a mallard or pintail. Still, they are major players in the Atlantic Flyway.
No matter the species, now is about the time to begin scouting. The first phase of the 2022-23 duck season is Nov. 19-27. The second phase runs from Dec. 10 through Jan. 29. The Youth Waterfowl hunting days are Nov. 12 and Feb. 11; Veterans and Active Military waterfowl days are Feb. 4-5.
Duck hunters 16 and older must have a $5 Florida waterfowl permit and $28.50 Federal duck stamp in addition to a hunting license and migratory bird permit when hunting waterfowl. Lead shot is prohibited, as are shotguns capable of carrying more than three rounds. For a complete list of rules, including bag limits, please visit myfwc.com/hunting/regulations/birds/
Whatever the season brings, I'll always keep an eye on the weather and the horizon in hopes that the next cold front will bring down a barrel-burner.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Regardless of the weather, Florida duck hunting season about to begin
