Migration Alert: Local Duck Production Boosts Early-Season Opportunities in North Dakota

While the waterfowl migration into North Dakota has yet to kick into full gear, hunters in the state are finding areas of excellent duck numbers courtesy of strong production in this corner of the Prairie Pothole Region. Here’s a closer look at what’s happening on the ground in North Dakota.

The opening weeks of duck season in North Dakota have been dominated by unseasonably warm temperatures across much of the state, but some relief arrived with the first cold front of fall earlier this week. While the change in the weather included strong northwest winds and the first freezing temperatures of the season, the cold front didn’t deliver anything close to a large migration from the north.

“I don’t think I can say that we’ve seen any sort of substantial migration into the Devils Lake region,” says Brian Vose, manager of the Devils Lake Wetland Management District. “Overall, the migration appears to be behind schedule for just about every species of waterfowl. Thankfully, we had some very good duck production in parts of North Dakota this summer. The rains came late, but the ducks really responded.”

Vose’s observations line up with those of Tanner Gue, manager of conservation programs at Ducks Unlimited’s Great Plains office in Bismarck.

“My son and I have encountered some fantastic pockets of waterfowl numbers in eastern North Dakota while hunting this fall,” says Gue, adding that ducks in the bag have included a large number of hatch-year birds. “Initially our wetland conditions weren't amazing for waterfowl production, but then we saw quite a bit of moisture, unprecedented moisture really, which made wetland conditions fantastic later in the nesting season,” he says. “I think localized production reproduction efforts were very good.”

The skies above North Dakota have seen some traffic this week, Gue says, but those species that he considers to be good be a good indication of a migration – sandhill cranes, greater white-fronted geese and light geese – are in short supply.

“I know that there are sandhill cranes around and I’m starting to hear a few specklebellies flying over, but I think the conditions in Canada have just been too warm to cause the birds to move out in great numbers,” Gue says.

A calendar migration of gadwalls, wigeon, and green-winged teal is helping boost duck numbers in North Dakota, Gue says, and hunters who spend time scouting can find good numbers of locally-produced mallards, too.

“We really haven’t received any rain since mid-August, so our wetlands are really drawing down, but there is still water on the landscape,” Gue says. “And there are some really good hunting opportunities out there, too. Overall, it has been a good start to the season.”