Waterfowl hunting season in the Mountain Zone, which includes the Flagstaff area, is right around the corner.

Local hunters can expect fair hunting conditions for this weekend’s youth-only season (Sept. 26-27), as well as for the upcoming general season that begins Oct. 2 and runs through Jan. 10, 2021.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s regional office in Flagstaff recently completed a fall waterfowl survey and wetland inventory in Game Management Units (GMU) 5B, 6A, and 8, which are part of the Mountain Zone. Although the area received good winter/spring precipitation, the monsoon was disappointing and well below normal over most of the Flagstaff area. Wetlands like Marshall Lake, Prime and Vail are nearly dry and without ducks. Many dirt tanks are also dry throughout the area, but there are still decent waterfowl numbers on some of the bigger waters.

The majority of waterfowl were on Mormon Lake, JD Dam and Long Lake. Mallards were the most common species observed, and Canada geese were the second-most common species. Overall, most wetlands ranged from poor to fair in terms of waterfowl numbers and available water. The lone exception was Long Lake in GMU 5B-South, which had excellent numbers of birds. Canada geese were observed on Mormon, Scholz and Marshall lakes.

Consult the 2020-21 Arizona Waterfowl and Snipe Regulations for season dates, bag limits, open areas, and species restrictions for the take of migratory waterfowl species. For more information, contact the department’s regional office in Flagstaff at (928) 774-5045.

Waterfowl regulations can be found here: https://azgfd-portal-wordpress-pantheon.s3.us-west-2.amaz...