High winds and high tides mark the opening of waterfowl hunting season in parts of Alaska on Friday, but some duck hunters say they’ll sit this day out, due to the howling weather in the Southcentral region.
It’s the kind of weather and tide combination that can swamp tents, cabins, and can leave skiffs stranded far from the receding tide. Anchorage will see a 33-foot tide Friday morning, with winds up to 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. It’s the kind of weather that can push water far inland, make it hard to hang onto your duck decoys, and can flip airplanes. It’s tent-swamping, boat-bailing, and wader-testing kind of weather.
But at least it’s a warm wind for those who get stranded. The temperature today will reach around 60 degrees.
There have already been a lot of search and rescues of hunters so far this season, according to the Department of Public Safety. Alaskans might expect search and rescue teams to be called out this weekend to save a few lives.
The 2024-24 waterfowl regulations from the Department of Fish and Game can be found a this link.
I think the underwater volcano in the South Pacific awhile back is the cause of all this wet weather around the globe.
It’s always wet in the fall. Same story every year.
If it is, for sure it won’t make the news.
“Great Summer” in AK this year!!! Winter should be upon us soon where we can get back to shoveling snow from our Decks, Driveways, and Roofs.
And then there are those opening days of Duck Season when the sky is Blue, the wind calm and the ducks are flying so high you need a SAM missile to connect with one! Go Figure.
The important question here is how many hunters actually eat their catch.
Certainly not close to how many are harvested just for the sport of it.
Andy, I always ate my catch but I quit hunting Water fowl along the coast years ago after a hunt in the Interior where I discovered that the ducks there were mouth watering and their flesh didn’t resemble muddy liver like those along Cook Inlet and Southeast.
But then I’ve also seen examples of wanton waste during the spring “subsistence” shoot in western Alaska, but that’s not supposed to be for sport, is it? I mean how could 8 shot auto loading shotguns ever be considered sporting.