Weekly migratory bird hunting reports are posted from early September through early February.

North Zone Dove: The North Zone is closed, but reopens Dec.23-Jan.8, 2012. Best flights occurred around the Panhandle in sunflowers and milo around Amarillo, Dumas and Spearman. Good shoots were posted around Lubbock and north of Abilene in plowed ground. Red River hunters saw fair hunting at best around treelines and in harvested soy bean fields. Tanks and ponds holding water were good in the afternoon due to the drought, but wet watering holes were tough to find.

Central Zone Dove: The Central Zone is closed, but reopens Dec.23-Jan.8, 2012. The San Antonio area remained solid for whitewings over corn and milo. Strong hunts were posted near Hankamer and Winnie in the afternoon around trees and goat weed. Good afternoon shoots were had around Uvalde and Hondo. Waco, Stephenville and Brownwood hunters saw best shoots around tanks and ponds in the afternoon.

South Dove Dove: The absence of rain has helped South Zone hunters with access to water, especially in the Rio Grande Valley. Port Mansfield and Raymondville hunters have enjoyed good shoots over milo and sunflowers. Bay City, El Campo and Port Lavaca shoots have been excellent around goatweed fields and tanks with water. Afternoon has been best. Strong concentrations of birds have worked the Matagorda peninsula, with a late crop of goatweed along the coastal prairies providing a steady food supply. George West, Devine and Three Rivers has been good around tanks in the afternoon. A late-week cold front could relocate birds. The season runs through Oct.30, and reopens Dec.23-Jan.23, 2012. Prospects are good.

Waterfowl: The High Plains Mallard Management Unit runs Oct. 29-30, Nov.4-Jan.29, 2012. Few, if any, playa lakes are holding water, so most ducks are working cattle feed lot tanks. Sandhill cranes are showing in the Panhandle along with a few Canadas. Teal, pintails, shovelers, gadwalls and wigeons are solid on wet ponds along the coastal prairies. Ducks are concentrated on limited water, which should be a boon for hunters when the season opens Nov.5 in the North and South zones. Strong numbers of specklebellies are showing in cut rice fields. Many bay hunters have said they are seeing more ducks on saltwater flats earlier than normal this year, probably due to the lack of water on high ground inland ponds.

Season: The North and South zones — Nov.5-27, Dec.10-Jan.29, 2012.

Bag Limits: The daily bag limit shall be 6 ducks, to include no more than the following: 5 mallards (only 2 of which may be hens),3 wood ducks, 2 scaup (lesser scaup and greater scaup in the aggregate), 2 redheads, 2 pintails, 1 canvasback, 1 dusky duck (mottled duck, Mexican-like duck, black duck and their hybrids are closed the first five days of the season in each zone). All other species: 6.