Waterfowl Season Outlook 2025

Our analysis of the 2025 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey results and a look ahead to hunting season

Read the 2025 Duck Numbers

Watch it Now!

Before you pack your decoys and start scouting, tune in to watch waterfowl experts from Ducks Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and guest panelists from across North America as they dip into the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey results and share their expectations for waterfowl numbers and hunting prospects for the upcoming season. Stay up-to-date on the latest issues affecting waterfowl populations, habitats, and hunters and gain valuable insights for the 2025-2026 season.

Waterfowl Season Outlook is in partnership with onX Hunt.

PANELISTS

Get insights from Team Ducks Unlimited and conservation experts from across North America joining the discussion from the field.

DU Podcast Studio:

Dr. Mike Brasher

Senior Waterfowl Scientist, Ducks Unlimited Inc.

Jimbo Robinson

Managing Director of Event Marketing and Field Support, Ducks Unlimited Inc.

Lake Pickle

onX Hunt Marketing Manager and Host of Backwoods University at MeatEater

From the Field:

Dr. Matt Dyson

Waterfowl Research Scientist, Ducks Unlimited Canada

Dr. Dan Smith

Waterfowl Scientist, Western Region, Ducks Unlimited Inc.

Dr. Scott Stephens

Senior Director of Prairie and Boreal Conservation Strategy, Ducks Unlimited Inc.

Sarah Fleming

Managing Director of Conservation Programs, Great Lakes/Atlantic Region, Ducks Unlimited Inc.

Jim Ronquest

Vice President of Development, Drake Waterfowl

Josh Dooley

Goose Specialist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Migratory Bird Management

Taylor Finger

Game Bird Ecologist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Waterfowl Season Outlook FAQs

Will the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Report tell me which waterfowl I can hunt?

No, please contact your federal, state, and local wildlife agencies for your location's hunting rules and regulations.
Are bag limits impacted by the BPOP Survey results?

The data collected from the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey are used to establish annual hunting regulations in the United States and Canada and provide a long-term time series important for researching bird-environment relationships critical to effective conservation planning for waterfowl.
What influence does the breeding population report have on waterfowl hunting?

The data collected through this survey are vitally important to the management of waterfowl across North America. The information gathered is used to set waterfowl hunting regulations for the following years.
Where can I find breeding population reports from previous years?

https://www.fws.gov/library/collections/waterfowl-population-status-reports, or Google "Waterfowl Population Status Reports" and click on the link from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS.gov)