Migration Alert: Light Geese Trickling North, Cold Front May Stall Migration
Light goose hunters throughout the lower Mississippi and Central Flyways should prepare for just about anything next week. A warming trend has the birds beginning to head north, while the expected arrival of a powerful cold front may stall the spring migration. Fortunately for Mid South goose hunters, the game isn't over – it's just getting interesting.
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Migration Alert: Mississippi Waterfowl Counts Reveal Impressive Numbers
Mississippi hunters pray for cold weather up north to push ducks into their state, and this year their prayers have been answered. A series of powerful cold fronts, hard freezes, and snow storms in the Midwest has triggered one of the biggest migrations of ducks into Mississippi in several years.
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Migration Alert: 800k Mallards Counted in Arkansas
Warming temperatures, rain and thawing waters are changing the duck hunting picture in Arkansas.
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Migration Alert: South Louisiana w/ Dr. Tom Moorman
Jan. 8, 2014 - Mississippi Flyway
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Migration Alert: Arctic Blast Brings New Birds into Kentucky
Blowing snow and near-record cold temperatures swept across the central United States on January 5, and reports from around Kentucky verify some movement of new waterfowl into the state with this front.
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Migration Alert: Dealing with Late-Season Extremes
From 60 to Zero in a Week, then from Zero to 60
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Migration Alert: Ice, Snow Put a Clamp on Missouri Duck Hunting
Just a week ago, many Missouri waterfowlers were enjoying stellar duck hunting, with straps of greenheads being the rule rather than the exception. By all measures, the season was going great.
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Migration Alert: Waterfowl Numbers Increasing in Louisiana
Hunting resumes tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 14) in Louisiana's East and Coastal Zones after a five-day split and a 12-day split, respectively. (Hunting in the West Zone has been open since Nov. 16 and closes Dec. 15 for a six-day break.) Biologists with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) are completing their December waterfowl survey as this report was being written.
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Migration Alert: Winter Storm May Bring Fresh Ducks to Arkansas
All eyes north! That's where Arkansas duck hunters are looking as a massive winter storm blankets the state and sends temperatures plummeting. Anticipation of a new push of mallards from northern states is high, though they haven't arrived in appreciable numbers as of this writing.
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Migration Alert: Mississippi Waterfowlers Keeping Close Eye on Weather
Another cold front is bearing down on much of the Mid-South, bringing hopes of a significant mallard migration into the Mississippi Delta and points south.
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Migration Alert: Weather Changes Impact Missouri Bootheel Hunting
Wade Bourne, co-host of DUTV explains how drastic weather shifts have impacted waterfowl hunting in the Missouri Bootheel.
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Migration Alert: DUTV Host Details Potential Weather System
DUTV host Zach Pederson provides a glimpse of a weather system shaping up in the Mississippi Flyway that has the potential to push birds all the way to southern states.
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Migration Alert: Mallards Funnel into Missouri
The mallards are in Missouri! That's the late word from waterfowl biologists and hunters. Harsh wintry weather to the north and powerful cold fronts have pushed peak numbers of mallards into this state.
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Migration Alert: Impressive Duck Numbers Surveyed in Central Illinois
The latest Illinois survey on October 28 tallied exceptionally high numbers of pintails, gadwalls, and green-winged teal. Mallard numbers are also good and are expected to climb with each new cold front.
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Migration Alert: Michigan Waterfowl Numbers Increasing
A surge of cold air blew through this state this past week, and new ducks and geese arrived with it. Hunting action is improving, and numbers of waterfowl should increase to peak in the next couple of weeks.
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Migration Alert: Wisconsin Waterfowl Numbers Increasing
In summary, diving ducks appear to be increasing in number on Lake Michigan and on the pools of the Upper Mississippi River. In the interior, local dabbling ducks (mallards, wood ducks, blue-winged teal) are providing the most action as hunters wait for colder weather to move new ducks into the state.
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Migration Alert: Prospects Good for Minnesota Waterfowlers
It's certainly not a flood of new ducks, but ringnecks and other early migrants are beginning to show up in northern and central Minnesota, augmenting local populations of wood ducks, teal and other species that have been targeted by this state's hunters since the Sept. 21 opening day.
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Migration Alert: Better Late Than Never for Louisiana Teal Hunters
Louisiana's early teal season is ending with a bang, thanks to the arrival of good flights of bluewings during the latter half of September. The strong finish comes after a disappointing start for many Louisiana teal hunters.
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Migration Alert: DU Chief Scientist outlines waterfowl season expectations
"Too hot, too cold, just right" characterize what I expect the 2013-2014 waterfowl season to be.
Along with "too wet, too dry, best ever," the unpredictable combinations of habitat conditions and weather will certainly be the common themes for the upcoming season.
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Great Lakes Initiative
Protecting the pristine waters of the Great Lakes and conserving critical habitat for many species of waterfowl that utilize this vast watershed throughout their life cycle.
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Big Rivers Initiative
Restoring feeding and resting areas along the river that make up the Mississippi River floodplain and the conserving habitat critical to the grand passage of migratory waterfowl.
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Migration Alert: Arkansas light goose numbers remain strong
The Light Goose Conservation Order opens the door for February waterfowling in Arkansas. The LGCO's liberal regulations levels the playing field for hunters hoping to decoy these difficult birds. As temperatures begin to warm, light geese will begin heading north, but ideal habitat is holding birds in Arkansas for those looking for late-season opportunities.
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Migration Alert: Final Duck Hunting Weekend for Southern Mississippi Flyway States
Hunters have until sunset on January 27 to pursue ducks in the last few states in the lower Mississippi River Valley where the general waterfowl season is still open.
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Migration Alert: Arkansas waterfowlers preparing for excellent finish
Two to three inches of rain fell over eastern Arkansas Jan.12, causing slash water to collect in previously dry fields and pushing the Cache and White Rivers into adjoining sloughs, oxbows and green timber flats. The ducks have responded by shifting from managed water areas into these freshly-flooded places where new food sources are available.
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Migration Alert: Missouri Waterfowlers Hope for Warmer Weather and New Birds
With Missouri’s north and middle zones now closed to duck hunting, most of the state’s waterfowlers are now hunting geese – if they can find them. At Grand Pass Conservation Area east of Kansas City, the most recent count estimated 100,000 mallards, a good sign for hunters in the southern part of the state still hoping for new ducks to arrive.
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Migration Alert: Louisiana duck hunters expecting new birds
As this report is written, a strong storm system is pushing through upper and middle Mississippi Flyway states, bringing heavy snows, gale-force winds and plummeting temperatures.
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Migration Alert: Finished Up North; Fabulous Down South
My mother always said to start with the hardest task first because it makes the rest seem easy by comparison. So let's begin with ducks in the northernmost reaches of the Mississippi Flyway—the hardest thing to have to report. One word: Done.
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Migration Alert: Tennessee's Reelfoot Lake waterfowl numbers improving
Prospects for duck hunting at Reelfoot Lake in northwest Tennessee are improving, thanks to a new influx of birds and a forecast for a strong cold front pushing through by the first of next week.
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Migration Alert: Northerners Turn To Geese; Southerners Await Ducks
I can hear the rather rotund lady either warming up or in full voice in the northern portion of the Mississippi Flyway. For many hunters in the Upper Midwest, it's time to start putting away the duck gear and begin thinking about geese, or ice fishing.
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Migration Alert: DU Chief Scientist previews holiday weekend waterfowl
The duck season is open in all but a couple of states and zones over the Thanksgiving weekend. With the exception of opening day, that makes late November the most popular waterfowl time of the fall.
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Migration Alert: Mississippi biologist reports early mallards
Mississippi's season doesn't open until Nov. 23, but early habitat reports indicate the chance for an opportunity-rich season.
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Migration Alert: Survey flights report above-average waterfowl numbers in Illinois
A strong frontal passage on Nov. 12 pushed new ducks into Illinois. Aerial survey figures taken the next day show impressive numbers in the Illinois River Valley and along the upper Mississippi River.
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Migration Alert: Hoosier waterfowl hunters waiting for migration
Reports from the North and Central Zones have waterfowlers restricted to untraditional large bodies of water and sighting few migrants. With cold weather in the near future, hunters throughout the state remain optimistic.
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Migration Alert: SW Louisiana waterfowl habitat in good shape
The regular waterfowl season opener is only a few days away and hunters with up-to-date scouting reports and the ability to adjust accordingly will likely have a great opener.
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Migration Alert: Cold Weather Should Push Some Birds South
Despite the weather coming through Iowa right now, I reckon what they say about the "October Lull" might actually have some truth to it.
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Migration Alert: Arkansas waterfowl habitat dry, but season remains promising
With the general Arkansas duck season less than one month away, many of the state’s waterfowl hunters are praying for rain.
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Migration Alert: Wisconsin waterfowl numbers increasing as cold front approaches
The outlook for waterfowl hunting in Wisconsin is improving as duck and goose numbers continue to build along the Mississippi River and on the famed Horicon Marsh.
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Migration Alert: Duck numbers and available habitat increasing in Mississippi
Dec. 7, 2011: Duck numbers continue to increase in Mississippi and as harsh winter weather hits northern states hunters should expect more.
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Marathon Petroleum Company named 2011 Wings Over Wetlands winner
Ducks Unlimited and the Wildlife Habitat Council recognized Marathon Petroleum Company LP as the winner of the 2011 Wings Over Wetlands award.
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Migration Alert - Mississippi Flyway: Waterfowl on the way
Oct. 18, 2011: Waterfowl on the way in the Upper Midwest
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Deep Freeze throughout Arkansas has ducks on the move
Arkansas will experience the coldest air of the season on Jan. 9-10, causing most shallow waterways to freeze and forcing ducks to find alternate habitats with open water.
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Waterfowl Migration Flyways
Banding research helped waterfowl managers map the major migration corridors followed by ducks and geese, which are known today as flyways. For management purposes, North America is divided into four flyways—the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific.
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DU Projects: Mississippi Flyway
More than 2,300 miles long with a watershed of more than 1.5 million square miles, the Mississippi River is North America’s greatest waterway and the most heavily used migration corridor for waterfowl and other birds. DU and its partners have conserved more than 1.6 million acres in the U.S. portion of this flyway.
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2010 Waterfowl Forecast
Waterfowl populations remain at high levels overall thanks to favorable breeding habitat conditions
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Upper Mississippi River
An overview of Ducks Unlimited's habitat conservation work in the Upper Mississippi River priority area
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Mississippi Alluvial Valley
An overview of Ducks Unlimited's Mississippi Alluvial Valley priority area.
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Upper Mississippi River - More Information
Background information on DU's Upper Mississippi River conservation priority area
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