Migration Alert: Hunters Across the Canadian Prairies Enjoying Consistent Migration

Weather, migration, hunting conditions—regardless of the topic, it’s just about all good news coming from the prairie provinces of Canada this fall. Minus a brief stretch of inconsistent waterfowl movements during the full moon, there isn’t much that hasn’t gone right in northern Alberta, reports Trevor Manteufel with Top of the Flyway Outfitters.

“We had some really strong winds that brought a new wave of birds during the full moon, and the hunting is rolling again,” Manteufel says. “Honkers, mallards, pintails, snows, and specks—it’s been good.”

Moisture over the summer helped break an extended period of drought in the region, Manteufel reports, leading to a bumper crop of small grains and peas. The rain hasn’t completely stopped, he adds, which has slowed the harvest in the region.

“I know the rain is frustrating the farmers, but in terms of hunting, it is limiting where the birds can feed, making them more predictable. They are sticking to a pattern,” Manteufel says.

The hunting reports from Saskatchewan and Manitoba contain much of the same good news: timely migrations of mallards, Canada geese, and snow geese. The birds appear to be sticking to a pattern, and the seasonal weather is creating excellent hunting conditions.

“With cooler temperatures forecast for the next couple of weeks, we’re expecting to see the migration start to roll across the prairie,” reports Ben Webster with Prairie Limits Outfitters in central Saskatchewan.

All of this is good news for hunters farther down the flyway, says South Dakota hunter Terry Kostinec, who is currently targeting sandhill cranes in southern Saskatchewan. A steady migration in September and October puts waterfowl on the doorstep of hunters in the United States. The birds are primed for another jump south when the southern portions of Prairie Canada receive a round of cold temperatures, snow, or a strong north wind.

Kostinec adds that evidence of strong waterfowl production from northern breeding areas appears to be bolstering overall numbers.

“We have seen good numbers of juvenile snow geese, whitefronts, and sandhill cranes,” Kostinec reports. “And wetland conditions across the region appear to be very good, which is what we want to see heading into winter and eventually nesting season next spring.”