Red River and Northwest
Caddo, Bossier and the Red River lakes down through Natchitoches. The thinnest duck ground in the state, and the first of it to freeze.
Stable / Staging
Pre-Season, Birds Still North
5.1
Conditions
0.8
Birds here
Conditions here are scoring 5.1 this morning, and that number is the same for every duck on this water. The wigeon score is held at 2.8 because the wigeon numbers in this region read 0.8 out of 10 for the date. A good morning on birds that have not arrived is still a quiet morning.
Wigeon score, conditions as of Mon, Nov 2, 4:00 PM
Tomorrow's Hunt · Tuesday, Nov 3
Red River and Northwest
Falling 5° vs yesterday
Legal light 6:03 AMSunrise 6:33 AMSunset 5:23 PM🌗 Last quarter · 40%
Best window: Legal light (6:03 AM) to 10:00 AM
No push wind forecast; first light is the best bet
Held to the season curve: conditions are better than the wigeon numbers here this time of year
- Dry fall: birds concentrated on remaining water
Proposed season dates · West Zone November 14 to December 6, 2026 and December 19, 2026 to January 24, 2027, youth and veterans November 7, 2026 and January 30, 2027. East Zone November 21 to December 6, 2026 and December 19, 2026 to January 31, 2027, youth and veterans November 14, 2026 and February 6, 2027. These are published but not finalised.
Times shown for the region center. Season dates and limits change yearly and by zone: verify with Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries.
Water Status
Water on the landscape: Dry fall: birds concentrated on remaining water (89% of Louisiana in drought, US Drought Monitor).
Why this score is moving
- Held to the season curve: conditions are better than the wigeon numbers here this time of year
- Temperatures falling about 9°F over the next 48 hours
- Corn harvest roughly 99% complete, heavy field feed available
- Off-season: the main migration window has not opened yet
48-Hour Outlook
Poor
Held to the season curve: conditions are better than the wigeon numbers here this time of year. Temperatures falling about 9°F over the next 48 hours. Strongest window: Wed into Thu.
14-Day Score Outlook
WigeonDays 8 through 14 sit beyond the reliable forecast window and lean on season history. Read them as a trend, not a promise.
Inside the model
The score is a weighted blend of the drivers below, each rated 0 to 10 from current conditions. No black box: this is the whole model.
Temps falling ~9°F into the next 48h
NW winds to 9 mph across 2 of the next 48h
0% of upstream hours below 28°F
Little to no snow upstream
89% of the state in drought: less water, and birds stacked on what is left
Outside the main migration window
Corn ~99%, beans ~98% (typical-progress estimate)
No reports in the last 72h, so this factor is not counted
North of you
ProThe freeze line across the stations upstream of this region, station by station, so you see shallow water locking up before the birds arrive on it.
Radar check
ProLast night's NEXRAD read on whether birds actually moved: how much lifted off after sunset, which way it tracked, and how fast it flew under its own power once the wind at that altitude is subtracted out.
Local conditions
| Day | Hi / Lo | Wind | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| MonNov 2 | 76° / 67° | SE 13 mph | |
| TueNov 3 | 73° / 60° | S 14 mph | |
| WedNov 4 | 74° / 55° | NW 8 mph | |
| ThuNov 5 | 80° / 55° | S 6 mph | |
| FriNov 6 | 77° / 61° | N 9 mph | |
| SatNov 7 | 72° / 57° | NE 7 mph | |
| SunNov 8 | 76° / 54° | NW 9 mph |
Hunter intel
ProWhat other hunters reported in this region over the last 72 hours: species, how hard they were feeding, and whether the birds looked like new arrivals. Filing your own report is free and counts toward this region's score either way.