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Hunters near Lubbock had good shoots over sunflowers. Milo and corn produced mourning doves near Amarillo. Good hunts have been posted around playa lakes. Hunters said the afternoon flight was much better than the morning. Abilene and Knox City hunters had good shoots over corn and milo. The cool front last week deposited new birds to the area and the forecasted front this week should bring new recruits as well. The season runs through Oct.30. Prospects are fair to good.
CENTRAL ZONE DOVE
The San Antonio area continues to produce steady shoots of whitewings. Castroville and Sabinal gave up limit shoots of whitewings. Uvalde was solid as was Del Rio. Brownwood and Stephenville saw good flights of mourners. Closer to the coast, Huffman, Katy, Sealy, Columbus, Nome and China have taken mostly mourners in the afternoon around goatweed fields. The entire region received rain that preceded a cold front Wednesday. The rain hurt the flight, but was welcomed by the parched land. The season runs through Oct.30. Prospects are good.
SOUTH ZONE DOVE
Whitewing hunters had plenty of birds to shoot around Harlingen, Brownsville, McAllen and Port Mansfield. Most of the birds were taken over milo, corn and wild sunflowers. Three Rivers and George West has been good around milo and sunflowers. Zapata has given up half-limits in the afternoon. Bay City, Collegeport, El Campo and Blessing have been good for half-limits of birds. Good shoots have been posted around grass farms and irrigation canals. Rested fields have produced better shoots. Lots of birds hanging in fields around Galveston Island. The region as a whole received an influx of birds over the weekend and should expect another good flight as the cool front passes through mid-week. Rain this week should help ground conditions and recharge drying ponds and stock tanks. Prospects are fair to good.
WATERFOWL UPDATE
The cool front last week encouraged a few groups of specklebellies to head to Texas. Pintails, shovelers, wigeons and teal have been showing in the marsh and around water left over from teal season. Conditions are dry along the coast, but rains this week helped things a bit. Most of the water left from teal season has dried up, which has not given migrating birds many places to water. Don't expect waterfowl managers to begin pumping again for another few weeks, especially since diesel costs are so high and evaporation rates are even higher. Things look good in the Panhandle as outfitters say water is abundant on playas. Northeast Texas lakes and bayous are okay, but could use another shot of water.