Migration Alert: Plenty of Optimism for Regular Duck Seasons in Central Flyway

After months of anticipation, hunters across the Central Flyway are gearing up for another season of ducks and geese over the decoys. Here’s a look at habitat conditions across the flyway and what hunters can expect to see in the weeks ahead.

The Dakotas

Coming out of the winter months, habitat conditions across much of the Prairie Pothole Region were dry, but wetland levels began to rise in late spring and early summer thanks to consistent, heavy rains across portions of both North Dakota and South Dakota. The new water in this region, which is crucial to continental duck production, helped kickstart successful nesting efforts by ducks that had settled on the landscape this spring.

“We did some late supplemental duck route surveys in August, and actually had really good late production, especially for mallards, which was good to see because our mallard production earlier in July was not good,” explains Mike Szymanski, waterfowl biologist with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

Rocco Murano, head waterfowl biologist for the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, also believes that mallards responded well to the improved wetland conditions.

“Based on what I’ve seen while banding ducks over the last few weeks, we had some really good mallard production in eastern South Dakota,” Murano says. “I think other late-nesting species like gadwall and blue-winged teal did well, too, but I’ve been very encouraged by the number of hatch-year mallards that we have banded.”

Szymanski adds that a strong year of Canada goose production in North Dakota means that there should be a variety of opportunities for hunters this fall.

“And we've also received pretty good reports out of the Arctic as well for Arctic nesting geese, like whitefronts, cackling geese, and snow and Ross's geese,” Szymanski says. “For the most part, production for these geese was good to above average.”

Nebraska

Hunters in the Cornhusker State will encounter a range of conditions as regular waterfowl seasons get under way, according to John McKinney with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

“We remain extremely dry in areas, including in the Rainwater Basin, so finding available water will be key,” McKinney says.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, with support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Ducks Unlimited, posts regular online updates regarding wetland conditions and pumping plans on areas managed for waterfowl. Water levels can change suddenly, however, meaning hunters will need to scout to stay on top of those places most attractive to migrating ducks and geese.

“One of our bright spots heading into the season is the level of duck production we had in the Sandhills over the summer,” McKinney says. “The wetlands in that region received some timely rains, and that’s good news for hunters in the state, particularly in the early weeks of the season.”

Kansas

There are two sides to the coin when it comes to the outlook for waterfowl hunters in Kansas, explains Tom Bidrowski, migratory game bird specialist with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

“We’ve had enough rain to support the growth of moist-soil vegetation, so in terms of food production, things look really good out there,” Bidrowski says. “But we just haven’t had enough rain to put standing water on the landscape. If we could catch some rain this fall, we would be sitting in a very good position to attract ducks and geese as they move down the flyway.”

Limitations on pumping water in western Kansas means that some popular areas, like Cheyenne Bottoms, will remain largely dry without some help from Mother Nature, Bidrowski says, adding that hunting pressure remains a challenge statewide.

“We encourage hunters who are utilizing our state wildlife areas to check regulations and be respectful of others in the area,” Bidrowski says. “If we catch some moisture, there should be great opportunities out there. For now, we wait for those rains, and we wait for the ducks.”

Oklahoma

It is a similar story in Oklahoma, where water conditions have deteriorated in recent weeks due to prolonged heat and little rain, explains Paxton Smith, migratory game bird biologist with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

“Our reservoir levels are dropping, and overall, the landscape is getting pretty dry,” Smith says. “The Panhandle and the far northwest part of the state remain bright spots, however. Habitat conditions in those areas are still pretty good.”

Smith says the drawdown isn’t necessarily a worst-case scenario for ducks or duck hunters.

“The conditions are actually allowing our moist-soil plants to mature below the normal waterline. Hopefully, we catch some timely rainfall in the coming months, which will make these food resources accessible to waterfowl,” Smith says.