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Sept. 01 - Sept. 30
Very warm month with a number of days in the 80s. Very little rainfall, one big rain event near the end of the month. For the time of year there was a significant loss of water to evaporation, not an issue, just out of the ordinary.
Good waterfowl usage and abundance in Long Pond, Vermet, and Humphries units. Mallards, black ducks, wigeon, blue-wing and green-wing teal, wood ducks, and some divers in small groups throughout those units. There is not any water on the Bloody Run or the ag zones during September. Refuge counts are just a few hundred ducks; counts will pick up as refuge and ag zones are flooded over the next two weeks.
Long Pond (2–10): Marsh unit. Another great year of healthy vegetation throughout the unit, with open small pockets and larger openings throughout. Water depth is mostly knee deep but between knee and waist deep throughout the unit, allowing for walk-in hunting and small boat use. The bottom is firm like last year, but it is still a marsh with submerged cattail mounds, so caution will be needed. The rollers for this unit are accessible but will require pulling the boat on dry land some distance before reaching them. Zones 2, 5, and 7 still have areas to hide and hunt but those units got hit hard by muskrats so vegetation is less than normal.
Nelson (11–14): Cropped unit. All zones are starting to take on water and will be flooded in about a week. Corn and buckwheat are great.
Walpatich (15, 19, 21): Cropped units. Corn grew well, standing around 6 feet. Buckwheat production is marginal but still providing food. Water is concentrated in the lower areas of the units currently, but will be added prior to the season.
Walpatich (16–18, 20, 22): Marsh/moist soil units. Unit 16 is not cropped this year but will provide shallow water hunting and cattail cover. Units 17, 18, 20, and 22 are cattail marsh units with plenty of good cover. All zones had good vegetation response and openings were maintained to provide open water. Water depth ranges from ankle to waist deep.
Brancheau (23): Managed by USFWS. Located about 5 miles south of Pointe Mouillee. This unit will be part of the 2025 draw as long as the federal government isn’t shut down. It will also be reduced to just one zone for an individual or a party of 2–4.
Vermet: Public hunting unit. This unit will look similar to last year but with a little more vegetation growth and some taller cattails. Mud motors and flat-bottom boats are recommended. The lower water level should also encourage more dabbler use. It is recommended to use the middle causeway (launch at Roberts Road, south end of Humphries Unit) rollers for this unit rather than the north causeway because of the sediment deposit forming in front of the north causeway rollers.
Humphries: Public hunting unit. West end has awesome shallow water habitat, while east end is deep with cattail mats. Walk-in hunting along the west, while a boat will be needed for the east. Water levels should be somewhat lower than previous years.
Bad Creek/Cripple Point units: Public hunting units. Walk-in units. Units were maintained for openings, but shallower water than previous years. Most water will be concentrated to the east end of the units.
Week hunter trips: 0
Season hunter trips: 0
Draw sizes: Draw sizes dipped from usual numbers but still remained rather high. Tuesday PM had 0 parties, Thursday (all day) had 0 parties, Sunday (AM) had 0 parties, and Sunday (PM) had 0 parties.
Week total
Ducks: 0
Geese: 0
Top species: (0)
Ducks/hunter trip: 0.00
Season total
Ducks: 0
Geese: 0
Top species:
Ducks/hunter trip: 0.00
Temperatures will fluctuate the early part of October, ranging from the mid-80s to the low 70s during the day and mid to high 50s at night. One possible rain event next week.
Open house October 16 at 6 p.m. Opening weekend October 18–19, pre-registered hunts only. Youth preferred draw November 2 (AM) and veteran preferred draw November 11 (PM draw only; no AM draw).
From observations, teal season was slow but had some good hunts early. The managed hunting zones are not hunted during teal or early goose; only the open hunting areas are hunted in the early season, and hunters do not need a permit or have to report their harvest to the check station.
