The months of May and June will have a significant impact on the success of waterfowl and upland game hunting in the fall. Taking the time to visit your hunting areas during these months will provide you with the chance to gauge how the upcoming seasons will unravel. A recent trip to a crappie hot spot provided me with the opportunity to check the status of spring nesting habitat. After an extremely dry winter, the status of wetlands is marginal at best. Thanks to a wet weather pattern during mid to late April the conditions in certain areas of the state have stabilized somewhat, but water levels are still as low as I have seen them in the last decade in most areas.
In normal years the amount of precipitation received in April would have revitalized temporary wetlands providing critical nesting habitat for waterfowl. This year was a bit different, because of the lack of snow and spring run-off temporary wetlands were basically dry and soil moisture levels were also very low in early April. Therefore the majority of precipitation soaked up quickly. Despite this fact, the precipitation did at least stabilize remaining wetlands. Average rainfall will allow current wetlands to be sustained, but a dry May could have a huge impact on nesting waterfowl habitat.
Wetlands that expanded well beyond their banks in the mid to late nineties are now well inside their cattail perimeter. In many areas of the state only large wetlands remain and critical temporary wetlands are now dry enough to go back into agricultural production. The repercussions of declining waterfowl nesting habitat will more than likely result in decreased bag limits this fall. On the flip side, dry conditions that are depleting wetland habitat are revitalizing some prime nesting habitat for upland game. In many areas of the state cattails slough bottoms are perhaps the most critical areas for nesting upland game. This expansion of this habitat during recent dry years along with mild winters has aided in the continued resurgence of pheasants, grouse and partridge after the tough winters of the late nineties and accompanying wet springs/summers. Upland game should have adequate nesting habitat for the spring, however, the haying of CRP cover across the state and potential severe drought conditions could impact the upcoming nesting cycle.
Late spring fishing trips have provided the opportunity to learn more about the rituals of upland game, especially pheasants. The old adage of the perfect ratio: 1 rooster per 5-6 hens soon comes to light when seeing these birds during their mating courtship rituals. Reminiscent of a bull elk with his harem of cows, it is very common to see a single rooster with “his” group of half a dozen hens. The roosters are constantly keeping their group of hens together and warding off any intruding competition. The “rut” of pheasants can be quite entertaining to watch.
Keeping their group of hens corralled seems to be the main objective for these roosters. They have earned the right to mate with the hens and it is evident they are not going to let any of them slip away. If a hen makes a break away from the group the rooster will soon head her off. Like a border collie, roosters are constantly working to keep their hens inside an invisible perimeter. The battles of the roosters can also be quite entertaining and soon demonstrate the true value of their spurs.
I look forward to the upcoming month as it will provide many fishing opportunities and also many more opportunities to observe the spring rituals of waterfowl and upland game birds. As spring transitions into summer, keep an eye on the weather as it will undoubtedly play an integral role in fishing success and the upcoming hunting season.
Depending on spring weather, fish in different areas of the state will be going through the pre-spawn, spawning and then entering the post spawn during the month of May. Although opportunities exist to catch all species of fish during these stages, traditional I spend early May pursing crappies. Similar to a September teal shoot, the spring crappie run may offer the fastest and most furious action of the season. As water temperatures rise, anglers will have the opportunity to take advantage of this active time of the year. Early in the month crappies will be found in bays, shallows and other areas where water temperatures warm up relatively quickly. Crappies in these areas will generally be aggressive and provide ample chances to get into some hot action. As the spring crappie run begins to slow down, walleyes in many areas of the state should be entering into a more active period.
Time spent on the water is without question one of the most popular activities during the “off-season”, but time spent on the road traveling to or from a fishing destination can be an enjoyable and educational time as well. Perhaps not by coincidence most of my fishing honey holes are adjacent to my favorite hunting spots. I spend almost as much time checking the status of favorite hunting areas as I do fishing. The opportunity to observe waterfowl and upland game throughout the critical nesting cycle really completes the hunting experience for me. A lot can be learned by spending time observing game birds during the off-season.
