WATERFOWL MIGRATION REPORT

Storm systems across Alaska during August and September helped initiate movement, with mallards, pintails, wigeon, and teal beginning to filter south.

Washington biologists have reported encouraging local production, including a higher proportion of hatch-year birds in trapping work compared with last year.

Habitat is much more uneven east of the Cascades. Southeastern Washington remains dry, which could concentrate birds heavily on the better-watered complexes.

Eastern Oregon also enters the fall with mixed conditions. Local duck production was reported slightly above average in some areas, while Summer Lake and Klamath currently have usable water. Portions of Malheur and the Warner Valley remain much drier.

Idaho is facing similar water issues, particularly across the southern portion of the state.

Longer-term Pacific Flyway movement may also be slower if the forecast for a mild early fall verifies, particularly if northern wetlands stay open longer.

Northern Alberta / Saskatchewan

In Alberta’s Peace River country, wetland conditions are considerably better than they have been through much of the last decade. Local duck and Canada goose numbers have been reported above recent-year levels, with full sloughs, lakes, and beaver ponds providing plenty of staging water.

White-fronts showed up in volume in northern Alberta during August and staged into early September before the first groups pushed south.

Central Saskatchewan received its first noticeable Ross’s goose movement around September 6, followed by a heavier push of lesser Canadas around September 11. Duck numbers there have been reported near average, but field success during the first half of September was strong.

A good light goose production year also matters farther down the flyway. Reports from the Canadian Arctic indicate strong juvenile production among mid-continent light geese, which could put a higher percentage of young birds into the fall flight.

Dakotas

North Dakota is worth watching closely.

The state’s July brood survey was up 55% from 2025, with notable increases in gadwall, redhead, and pintail production. North Dakota Game and Fish estimates the state’s fall flight could be roughly 8% to 9% larger than last year.

South Dakota is more variable. Wetland conditions north of Highway 14 are considerably better than much of the southern portion of the state. Some traditional wetlands remain completely dry, which should concentrate birds where water and food are available.

One interesting production indicator came from a South Dakota pintail banding effort. Of 120 pintails captured, 118 were hatch-year birds.

Nebraska Watch

For Charge Adventures, the important story is still north of Nebraska.

Specks have already moved out of portions of northern Alberta. Ross’s and lesser Canadas are staging through Saskatchewan, and the Dakotas are holding a mix of locally produced ducks and early migrants.

Nebraska Zone 1 does not open for regular ducks until October 24, so there is still plenty of migration left to develop before the opener.

The next significant movements of pintails, gadwall, wigeon, greenwings, mallards, and geese out of the Dakotas will be what we watch next.

See our Nebraska hunts→

Upper Flyway

Minnesota entered its northern opener with improving water conditions after late rainfall. Wisconsin is considerably more variable, with some productive moist-soil habitat but a number of dry northern marshes.

Illinois reported a noticeable influx of early migrants along the Illinois and Mississippi river corridors during the final week of September. Summer flooding reduced moist-soil production in some areas, so available food and water may concentrate birds harder than usual.

Missouri

Northwest Missouri saw a legitimate push during the final week of September.

The September 29 USFWS survey at Loess Bluffs NWR counted 6,875 waterfowl, up from just 684 on September 22.

That is a substantial week-over-week change, driven overwhelmingly by bluewings and pintails.

Loess Bluffs had approximately 2,640 acres flooded at the time of the survey, providing considerable staging habitat.

For experienced Missouri hunters, the species mix tells the story. This is still an early-flight event, not the beginning of the main mallard migration.

The pintail jump is especially worth watching because they went from essentially absent on the previous survey to more than 1,600 birds in a week.

Arkansas

Arkansas has already seen the bluewing flight move through, but there is not yet evidence of a major arrival of the traditional wintering duck complex.

Early teal season closed September 27. At this point, bluewings continue to move south toward the Gulf, while the larger flights of mallards, greenwings, gadwall, shovelers, and other mid-to-late migrants remain farther north.

Habitat will be a major storyline in Arkansas this year.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has expanded work involving flooded rice habitat through its WRICE program, while broader changes in planted rice acreage could influence how birds distribute once meaningful numbers begin reaching the Delta.

There is not yet a credible statewide aerial count showing a major buildup of migrant ducks in Arkansas, so we are not going to manufacture one.

Lower Mississippi Flyway

Louisiana’s September teal flight was below recent averages.

A partial state aerial survey estimated roughly 73,000 blue-winged teal, about 28% below the 2025 estimate and below both recent five-year and ten-year averages.

Hunting reports were inconsistent. Some areas held enough birds to produce quick limits, while other traditional teal areas were considerably slower.

That uneven success appears to match the patchy distribution of birds and habitat rather than a uniformly strong Gulf Coast flight.

Ontario and Quebec entered fall with generally good wetland conditions and good reported duck and goose production. Atlantic Canada also saw much better summer water conditions than during the previous two years.

Atlantic Population Canada geese were estimated at approximately 170,000 breeding pairs, up about 14% from 2025 and roughly in line with the ten-year trend.

Greater snow geese topped 500,000, roughly 20% above 2025, although still below their ten-year trend.

Field reports from the Ungava Peninsula also indicated good gosling-rearing conditions after the spring thaw.

On the duck side, much of the meaningful Atlantic Flyway movement is still north. Black ducks, mallards, greenwings, ringnecks, and other northern birds should become more relevant as October progresses.