The waterfowl average bag at the Wister Unit of the Imperial Wildlife Area jumped up a bit as compared to Sunday’s average. Green Wing Teal climbed into first place for most birds checked in with Cinnamon Teal taking the second spot. The Wister Staff reported that the results for Wednesday, 1/6/21 were as follows:
92 adult and 4 junior hunters harvested 32 Northern Shovelers, 2 Mallards, 27 Gadwall, 3 Widgeon, 20 Pintail, 45 Green Wing Teal, 36 Cinnamon Teal, 8 Bufflehead, 1 Goldeneye, and 6 Ruddy Duck. No Geese were downed at Wister on Wednesday. 6 Coots were also taken at Wister on Wednesday. This came out to an average harvest of 1.88 ducks per gun or with the Coots added in, 1.94 waterfowl per person. Out of the 104 reservations issued only 22 hunters arrived on time to get their spot.
Wister is open for waterfowl hunting on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays only. You can put in for reservations online through the DFW Automated License Data System (ALDS). Your reservation request has to be to the ALDS system 17 days in advance to get in on the drawing or you can get in on the daily “sweatline” drawing for the remaining blinds after the reservations are taken care of. Reservation spots are given out starting at 3 AM and the “sweatline” drawing is done the night before at 10:30 pm, with sign-up for the drawing between 7:30 and 10:30 pm. The ALDS can be accessed through the DFW website at the below link –
https://www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/InternetSales
Don’t forget that all licenses and 1 day, 2 day or season passes must be purchased at a DFW Office or a license agent before your arrival at the refuge. These can be purchased online via the ALDS system also, however, you will have to wait for the DFG to mail you’re the actual licenses and passes which can take up to 15 days. If you purchase your license and passes in person at a DFW office or license agent you immediately get them without the wait for the mail. No licenses or passes will be sold at the check stations this season. You can also show up for an afternoon refill hunt but the last refill is at 2 PM. For more information, contact the staff at Wister Staff at 760-359-0577.
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