The bulk of waterfowl season opens soon in Virginia (November 20 – December 1, December 19-Janary 31 ), and hunters up and down the Eastern Seaboard are readying their gear in preparation. What can duck hunters expect for the 2024-2025 season? That will depend on weather conditions and the duck patterns, but it’s also helpful to know what condition the population is in and here’s what the biologists have found.
The duck population in the Atlantic Flyway is considered strong heading into this season, with the breeding population of the nine most common species up 5% from the previous year and 8% above the long-term average. Here are some of the estimated breeding populations for different species in the Atlantic Flyway: mallards: 1.2 million, similar to 202 , wood ducks: 1 million, similar to 2022 and the long-term average, green-winged teal: 0.39 million, ring-necked ducks: 0.66 million, goldeneyes: 0.85 million, black ducks: 796,000, a 9% increase and mergansers: increased 13%.
While weather conditions always dictate the pace of the waterfowl migration, habitat conditions in the Atlantic Fly appear to be much improved compared to last year.
“Summer weather in the northeast was warm, and we had moderate rainfall, which helped maximize brood production. We are seeing a lot of local birds right now,” says Sarah Fleming, managing director of conservation programs in DU’s North Atlantic region. Fleming has been with DU since 2010 and helped deliver conservation projects that have restored and protected more than 20,000 acres of critical wetland habitat throughout the northeast.
Despite extended periods of hot, dry weather, the National Weather Service reports that seasonal rainfall totals were within an inch or two of historical norms throughout much of the region. Areas around the Great Lakes were actually up an inch or two of rainfall from the average. This may result in more ducks and geese along the Atlantic Flyway this season, as water is one of the most important elements for brood survival. Mild temperatures can also aid in waterfowl production and keep some birds around for opening day.
“That rain tapered off later in the summer, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Fleming says. “We currently have dry conditions in some places, but areas with managed water levels or emergent marshes (like beaver flows) are in great shape.” Lowered water levels can be a boon for wild rice and moist-soil vegetation that provides food for waterfowl.
“We saw a big push of early migrants into the northeast, which, coupled with good local production, should provide plenty of action during the first few weeks of the season,” Fleming says.
The region received a good flight of new ducks on the October 17 full moon. Fleming cautions, though, that sustained periods of cold weather in eastern Canada will be required to bring the “big push” of mallards, black ducks, and other waterfowl into the northeast.
“Long-term weather forecasts indicate that we will have a relatively warm fall this year,” Fleming explains.
All is not lost, though. “Cooler temperatures and snow are expected later in the fall and winter, so hunters should see good bird numbers later in the season,” Fleming notes.
Wood ducks, blue-winged teal, gadwalls, green-winged teal, and wigeon are among the ducks that will migrate to and from Virginia based on the proportion of daylight to darkness, something known as “photoperiod.” This window of movement along the flyways tends to occur around the same time each year.
Knowing when these “calendar ducks” are likely to arrive in your area provides a good excuse to get out to the blind for a hunt. While scouting, be sure to check out areas of shallow water, which are often targeted by calendar ducks for loafing and feeding on aquatic plants and seeds.
It’s also important to understand that the availability of food and open water are two other factors that impact the migration of waterfowl. So, when Mother Nature delivers freezing temperatures, snow, and wind to a portion of the flyway, there is a good chance that ducks and geese will be on the move in search of better conditions. Modern technology has put the weather forecast at your fingertips, making it incredibly easy to know exactly when you need to be out in the field or on the water.
Know that waterfowl tend to start moving a day or two ahead of a cold front. However, some of the best hunting can take place on the clear, cold days that immediately follow the weather system. Be sure to dress warmly and be ready for a show.
After hours of flying, migrating ducks and geese are anxious to find something to eat and a safe spot to rest. When they see large concentrations of waterfowl in a field or on a body of water, they know there must be good habitat and food resources there. So, when birds are on the move, team up with friends to put together the biggest decoy spread you can. This will help draw the attention of passing flocks. These “flight days” are also the time for loud, aggressive calling. A lot of decoys and a lot of calling—what’s more fun than that?
Lastly, though we tend to think of birds migrating north to south, waterfowl will move in every direction on the compass in search of food and open water. A prime example of this is a “reverse migration” of waterfowl from south to north. This usually happens when temperatures warm after a period of cold. As the ground warms and the ice melts, areas of shallow water and new food resources emerge, and waterfowl will return from the south to take advantage of them. This can often be an excellent time to hunt.
Liberal duck seasons (60 days, six-bird bag limit) and resident goose seasons have resulted in high waterfowl harvests in Virginia during the past ten years. Harvest has averaged 132,400 ducks and 47,400 Canada geese from 2016-2020, compared to 114,770 ducks and 25,000 geese during the 1990’s. The long season length and liberal bags offer greater opportunity and a greater cumulative harvest over the course of the season.
Waterfowl hunter numbers in Virginia have been generally stable since the late 1990’s. Since 1999, the Harvest Information Program (HIP) has been used to estimate hunter effort and harvest. The average number of duck and goose hunters over the past 3 years, as measured by HIP, was 16,700 and 13,800 respectively.
Conditions during the 2022-2023 season were mild for most of the season but puddle duck harvest was slightly higher than the previous years. The total estimated duck harvest during the 2022-2023 season in Virginia (88,900) was 20% lower than the previous year (110,900) and lower than the previous five-year average (132,400). The majority of the lower duck harvest during the 2022-2023 season was from lower harvests of sea ducks a species which had a reduction in season length.
During the 2022-2023 season, mallards were the most commonly harvested duck in Virginia, followed by buffleheads, wood ducks, black ducks and gadwall. The mallard harvest in Virginia in 2022-2023 (24,248) was similar to the 2021-2022 harvest (23,221) but still lower than the past 5-year average (36,500).
The Canada goose harvest in Virginia in 2022-2023 (23,583) was similar to the 2010-2022 season (20,770) but still lower than the previous five-year average (47,400).
