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Dec. 2–8
Monday, Dec. 2 through Friday, Dec. 6 saw daytime high temperatures below freezing. For the last two days of the regular waterfowl season, Saturday, Dec. 7 saw sunny skies and temperatures climbing from a low morning temperature of 27 degrees to an afternoon high temperature of 48 degrees. Sunday, Dec. 8 had a low temperature of 40 degrees, clear skies, sunny daytime skies with a high temperature of 50 degrees.
With the winter weather and snow received at the tail end of November, followed by frigid temperatures until Dec. 6 most waterfowl have vacated Shiawassee River State Game Area. Refuge count 12/2/24 had 805 mallards, 50 black duck, and 40 geese.
The waterways on the area have frozen up with the cold temperatures. The warmup that occurred on the last two days of the regular waterfowl season was too little, too late to try to open much of any waterways for boat travel or decoy openings. River units and the flooded woods were the favorable spots duck hunters sought out for the last week of the regular season.
River water levels have dropped but are still open water and ice has formed in the backwaters. The access channels in the flooded woods are still open but interior portions have frozen up. The rest of the fields of managed waterfowl area are frozen up as well as the marshes.
Hunter numbers crashed with the freezing temps. The last week of the regular waterfowl season only had 29 total hunters and draws in the morning and afternoon ranged from 0 to 7 parties.
The last week of the regular waterfowl season had a total of 16 ducks and zero ducks being harvested. The total number of waterfowl hunters was 29. Resulting in a waterfowl per hunter of 0.55.
Season totals to date are 4508 ducks, 850, geese, 5388 hunter trips, with an average waterfowl per hunter of 0.99.
Look for above normal temperatures early in the week. Towards the end of the week starting Thursday look for another round of freezing temperatures resulting in the area to lock up with ice again. Long term weather until the 2-day split on Dec 28 and 29 is being reported as highs in the upper 30s to low 40s with freezing temperatures at night. So, the ice that as formed on the area isn’t going away anytime soon.
There is a Youth Pheasant Hunt on Saturday, Dec. 21 at Shiawassee River State Game Area. The event is geared towards youth ages 12–17. Preregistration is required by contacting Zack Spiekerman at the Saginaw County Conservation District at 989-781-1720 ext. 5, or email zackery.spiekerman@macd.org The event starts at Saginaw Field & Stream at 8 a.m.
Even though ice is forming on the water at Shiawassee River State Game Area, the waterfowl check station will still be holding scheduled morning and afternoon draws for the 2-day split waterfowl season on Dec 28 and Dec 29. The morning and afternoon draws will be at, 5 a.m. and 11 a.m. respectively. Leftover permits will be issued until the check station closes at 1pm. There will be NO self-registration for the 2-day split after the check station closes each day.
