December 3rd aerial survey

Once again ice was a critical factor during the waterfowl survey of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Total ducks (154,355) were 36% below normal along the Illinois River. Although mallards (144,050) were lingering at a few Illinois River refuges, their numbers remained 18% below the 10-yr average (www.bellrose.org). Ice was more prevalent from the preceding week along the Mississippi River, yet mallards (359,710) remained 48% above average for this time of year. Pool 19 of the Mississippi River was more than 70% frozen during the survey, and canvasback numbers declined about 50% from the previous week. Despite the ice, duck abundance along the Mississippi River remains 21% above average for this time of year.

Be safe and happy hunting! Stay tuned for more updates next week…