Where are the ducks? Click on the links below to find out.

AGFC has recently developed duck density maps. The maps, one for relative density of all ducks and the other for relative mallard density, use results from aerial surveys and spatial data models to reflect relative densities of ducks in the Delta region. While the maps are helpful, hunters should understand the maps represent relative density for a given survey period and not absolute duck numbers. For example, it’s reasonable to assume that what appears as a high-density mallard area in November will likely correspond to a lower absolute number than in early January because mallard numbers typically peak in early January.

The following maps are available: 

Duck Density

Jan 18-21, 2010   
Jan. 4-6, 2010  
Dec. 14-16, 2009  
Nov. 16-20, 2009   

Mallard Density

Jan 18-21, 2010   
Jan. 4-6, 2010  
Dec. 14-16, 2009  
Nov. 16-20, 2009  

AGFC encourages hunters to take advantage of several other new tools to track waterfowl numbers and migration events.

Since AGFC and Mississippi waterfowl managers conduct counts using the same methods and at approximately the same times, hunters may seek additional information on Mississippi’s Web site at http://home.mdwfp.com/ContentManagement/Html/htmldownload.aspx?id=327. Combined with Arkansas’s counts, that information may provide a more complete picture of waterfowl distribution across a larger portion of the Delta.

Other tools that may be helpful for hunters include a new weather severity index developed by Mississippi State University researchers. The index is an attempt to forecast potential waterfowl migration movements based on weather data throughout the Mississippi Flyway. The index is available at http://www.cfr.msstate.edu/kennedychair/weather.asp.

The Missouri Department of Conservation, in cooperation with Arkansas and several other state and federal agencies, has developed a mallard migration map that can be viewed at http://www.mdc.mo.gov/hunt/wtrfowl/migration.php.

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