Migration Alert: Improved Habitat Conditions in Upper Midwest Have Waterfowl Managers Optimistic

Waterfowl hunters across the Great Lakes Region are rejoicing as regular-season openers hit the calendar in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Generally, conditions have improved over last year, as sufficient spring and summer rains recharged lakes and wetlands.

Waterfowl production in this region was average to excellent, and local duck numbers improved dramatically in some areas—mallards and wood ducks in particular.

Last weekend’s openers in Minnesota and Wisconsin were hampered with unseasonably warm weather and thunderstorms. Success was spotty, but overall encouraging, with mallards, wood ducks, and blue-winged teal being the primary species harvested.

“The opener brought varying levels of success for ducks with some areas having excellent success and others having fair at best,” reports Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Resident Game Bird Specialist Nate Huck. “With the cold front on Saturday, it appears most teal left the state for warmer climates. The weather for this week does not look promising to bring in new migrants for the weekend, but another cold front Monday and Tuesday may bring in new birds. As always, hunters should plan to scout if they hope to be successful.”

Reports from the Wisconsin opener were similar to those from Minnesota, for the most part.

“After a very wet spring and early summer, things have begun to dry out going into the hunting season, but our wetland complexes are in excellent condition overall,” reports Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Game Bird Ecologist Taylor Finger. “With the combination of drought in 2023 and above-average rainfall this year, our wetlands were very productive, and we have a lot of moist-soil vegetation and wetland food available for birds.”

According to Finger, local production was average this year in Wisconsin. “If you spend time scouting, you should expect to see a lot of mallards and wood ducks,” he adds.

Michigan is blessed with plentiful lakes, rivers, and huge marsh complexes, and despite an alarming drought that extended from August into September, plentiful precipitation earlier in the year mitigated the impact to some degree.

With the North Zone (Upper Peninsula) duck opener this Saturday, Wolverine State hunters should expect a nice mix of local ducks and potentially early migrating species, but hot and dry weather has definitely slowed the normal progression.

In Michigan, Department of Natural Resources Field Operations Manager Bill Scullon, who is based in the western Upper Peninsula, says, “Wetland conditions were pretty good, but we’ve been going through a bit of drought coupled with low water conditions, so it will be challenging in many areas. Bird numbers are decent. We had a cold front two weeks ago, so a lot of the teal that were here pushed out. Wood duck numbers are very high, and mallards also did well. There are a lot of local birds around.”

There are thousands of wetlands associated with the Great Lakes watershed, and this year’s water levels remain similar to last year’s or have dropped in some cases. This is important, as it may be difficult to run motorized craft in the shallow bays. Be sure to carefully check water levels before leaving ramps, as a big wind can blow the water out of a bay in a matter of minutes and strand boats far offshore very quickly.

“Hunters need to take into consideration the warm temperatures we’re going to have this weekend coupled with bluebird days and low water conditions,” Scullon adds.

Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan all support outstanding resident goose populations, and reports from around the region are very positive for early goose seasons. Just in time for regular season openers, molt-migrant Canada geese have started to return in many areas.

“The cold front appears to have finally brought the molt migrant geese back to the state,” Huck says. “Many places saw large, high flocks willing to decoy on Saturday and Sunday.”

Michigan DNR Wildlife Biologist Supervisor Joe Robison observed much the same this week in southeast Michigan. “A bunch of molts came down Tuesday, and more should show up before the weekend with these north winds,” he explains.

Interestingly, smack dab in the middle of the Upper Peninsula, hundreds of miles to the north-northeast, Scullon notes that they have been seeing local birds for the most part and no migration to speak of thus far. He also notes that the weather just has not been ideal for goose hunters. “Local goose production was decent, but it’s also been very warm, so birds just aren’t moving much.”