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Weather permitted us to fly the entire waterfowl survey this week despite the 105o heat index. Teal abundance actually dropped (37%) along the Illinois River compared to the previous week. We have lost blue-winged teal over the last couple weeks due to flooding. I estimated 17,020 teal in the Illinois Valley from Hennepin to Meredosia; however, the total was 21% below average. Hopefully, cooler weather arriving on September 10th and falling river levels will allow us to hold a few more of these early season migrants.

A few ducks are using the central Mississippi River where I estimated 8,420 teal (57% above the 10-yr average). Many areas of the Mississippi River from Quincy to Grafton were still dewatered to promote duck food plants, so water was at a premium so to speak. Speaking of waterfowl habitat, refuges along the Mississippi appeared to be in good condition. Swan Lake NWR looks significantly better than it has in recent years. All the other refuges south of Quincy are at least average and many look to provide excellent habitat this fall. Shanks, Cannon, Delair, Towhead, Batchtown, Cuivre, and Dardenne, as well as, Keithsburg and Louisa should all have abundant food. The submersed vegetation (pondweeds) looks great along Pool 19 so diving ducks should fare well along the central Mississippi.

This week my topic is blue-winged teal. Blue-wings are appropriately named for the large skyblue patch on their wings. In flight, they resemble the much larger northern shoveler. Bluewings are the primary target of the early teal season. They are the first migrant duck to arrive in fall and the last to show up in spring. Most of the blue-winged teal will have departed central Illinois by the last week of September. They winter in the very southern U.S., Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Blue-wings feed in water <8 inches in depth, usually in very shallow water and sloppy mud. They feed mostly by bill dipping, picking, and submersing their head in the shallow water. Their diet during fall consists mostly of seeds (smartweeds and millets) with the remaining ~25% consisting of insects, snails, and other mollusks. Once we know the foraging methods of blue-wings, we understand how the recent flooding in the Illinois Valley has decimated the wetland habitats used by this small, early-season migrant.

Stay tuned for more updates next week…

We flew the duck survey on Wednesday, August 31st, and so we begin our 68th year of waterfowl surveys on the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. Mother nature got us again… at least along the Illinois River! Extensive rains in the Illinois River watershed in the last couple weeks have caused the river to swell and flooding is ongoing. Almost all the duck clubs and waterfowl refuges from Hennepin to Meredosia lost their duck food this week. The attached photo shows levee overtopping at The Woodyard, a private club on the south side of Goose Lake near Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area. In the foreground, you can see the silty waters of the Illinois River dumping into the cleaner water of Goose Lake. That is some of Illinois’ best topsoil in a place it shouldn’t be. The second photo kind of sums it up for a group of Woodford County duck hunters. A lot of time and effort are put into duck hunting each summer/fall only to have it partially ruined by a wildly fluctuating river.

Heavy fog and low cloud cover prevented us from getting to the lower Mississippi River this week. We anticipated the low ceilings would lift when we left Pekin Airport at 7:45 AM; however, FAA flight regulations prevented us from surveying anything below Clarence Cannon NWR near Annada, MO. I will provide more detail on wetland habitats in the central Mississippi River floodplain next week, but what I saw from Clarence Cannon north to Port Louisa was impressive. If flooding holds off, the central Mississippi River should have ample duck food this fall.

Despite flooding along the Illinois River, duck abundance was up 7% from the 10-yr average. Those early season migrants are starting to arrive including northern pintail, northern shoveler, and blue-winged and American green-winged teal. Total duck numbers were 30,390, of which 82% were blue-winged teal. Unfortunately for many teal hunters, the majority of the teal were sitting on Emiquon and the North Pool of Chautauqua NWR. I won’t speculate yet about teal numbers along the central Mississippi River because I wasn’t able to fly some important bird areas near the Illinois River confluence.

Good luck teal and Canada goose hunting and have a safe Labor Day weekend; stay tuned for more updates next week…

We completed the waterfowl survey on Tuesday, December 15th. Surprisingly, there were still good numbers of mallards (120,545) in the Illinois Valley where they were matching the 10-yr average. Total ducks were 26% above average for mid-December reflecting the mild weather we have encountered this fall. Normally our lakes and marshes are frozen by the middle of December.

Waterfowl numbers along the Mississippi River were very abundant (624,000 total ducks) and were 143% above average. Mallards were packed into many of the refuges and were 133% above average. We saw sheetwater everywhere from the rains that passed through the region the previous weekend. In fact, I have never seen the Cannon Refuge so full of water during fall. The entire refuge had shallowly flooded moist-soil vegetation and the ducks responded. My count (222,755 ducks) was a record number for Cannon during fall since the inception of the waterfowl survey back in 1948.

My blog photo for the week again delves into the aerial view of feeding ducks. When you scan the left side of the photo, you see the muddy water where the mallards have been foraging compared to the relatively clear water on the right side of the photo. Some hunters purposely stir the water in their decoy spread to mimic this view and make their decoys more realistic.

This will be my last blog for the year so good luck in the remaining days of the 2015 duck season.

We completed the waterfowl survey on Tuesday, December 8th following the fog on Monday. Water levels were elevated along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, and several of the mallards were still located in the flooded timber; especially along the Illinois.

Illinois River numbers were stable from the preceding week at 190,910 total ducks and were 7% above the 10-yr average. However, mallards (130,350) were 16% below average for this time of year. We have had the same number of mallards in the Illinois Valley since before Thanksgiving and hunter harvest reflects this trend. Hunting reports from the field indicated the mallards were call, decoy, and blind shy so if you’ve been harvesting mallards, you’re one of the lucky hunters along the Illinois River.

Once again the Mississippi River had more ducks than the Illinois River. Total duck abundance was (463,540); down 29% from the previous week, but still 87% ahead of the 10-yr average. It appeared to me that those big numbers of ducks at Louisa, Swan Lake, Long Lake, Dardenne, and Cannon refuges were down from the December 3rd flight. Also the canvasback numbers on Pool 19 dropped considerably (39%) from last week.

On a brighter note, I saw several big bunches of greater white-fronted geese and snow geese along both rivers. This should make the Illinois goose hunters happy.

Stay tuned for more updates next week…

We completed the waterfowl survey on Thursday, December 3rd following rain, wind, and snow earlier in the week. The snow and ice recorded during the previous week had melted, and water levels of the Illinois River were exceeding flood stage and inundating many new areas, especially bottomland forests. We found a significant number of the mallards this week in the flooded timber.

Illinois River numbers were 200,710 total ducks which was 13% below the 10-yr average. Mallards (123,970) were 28% below average for this time of year but stable from the previous week. We still had a few other species of ducks hanging around on the Illinois, namely greenwinged teal, gadwall, scaup, ring-necks, and ruddy ducks. Interestingly, I saw my first flights of field feeding ducks this week as I was driving back to the office at sunset following the duck flights. It might be time to hit the corn fields to harvest some of those hungry mallards.

Once again the Mississippi River was full of ducks (649,895); 58% above average for the first week in December. Huge numbers of ducks (145,100) were found at Cannon NWR this week near Annada, MO. But, even more impressive were the diving ducks along Pool 19 between Hamilton, IL and Fort Madison, IA. We estimated 120,000 canvasbacks and nearly 36,000 bluebills (lesser scaup) in two large rafts that encompassed a 15-mile stretch of the river. This number of canvasbacks is even more impressive when you consider there were only 760,000 breeding canvasbacks in North America last spring. In other words, relative to the 2015 breeding population, 16% of the canvasbacks in North America were observed in the vicinity of Nauvoo, IL last week. If you are seeking that trophy bull canvasback mount, now is the time to go diver hunting on Pool 19, Mississippi River.

Stay tuned for more updates next week…

We completed the waterfowl survey on November 24th of Thanksgiving week. There was significant ice on many of the northern locations; however, ice was breaking up with the warmer temperatures later in the week.

Thanksgiving week is typically the “big push,” when mallards arrive in large numbers, and duck hunters get excited. This was exactly what happened on the Mississippi River where total duck abundance (540,060) was 30% above the 10-yr average. Cannon and Dardenne refuges were loaded up with ducks, and most of the other locations along the Mississippi had above average numbers of mallards. Port Louisa had the most ducks I have seen there in my 11 years of flying the waterfowl survey. Additionally, the bluebills have arrived on Pool 19. A substantial raft was observed just below Nauvoo on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River.

The story was very different along the Illinois River. Total duck numbers (176,260) were 28% below average, and mallards were down 36% from where they should be. The only count with fewer ducks this fall was the October 14th survey. Ducks weren’t distributed evenly along the Illinois River either where a third of the birds were observed along a small stretch of the river near Chillicothe. I think we had a movement of birds into the Illinois Valley during the third week of November, but the below average duck food along the river coupled with the frigid temperatures on November 21–22 forced the ducks further south.

A duck hunter can only hope another flight of mallards will arrive from the prairies soon!

Wind and weather prevented us from flying the waterfowl survey during the week of November 16th. This was unfortunate because we usually get a big movement of mallards into both the Illinois and Mississippi rivers during mid-November. I think there was a small migration of waterfowl into central Illinois this week based on hunter reports, but we won’t know for sure until I can get in the airplane again.

Speaking of mallards… they are the number one duck in Illinois’ harvest year after year. In falls 2009 and 2010, we placed radio transmitters on 142 drakes and hens near Havana, IL and followed them daily throughout La Grange Pool of the Illinois River. The average daily movement was 2.4 miles/day and did not vary between years or sexes. Radio-marked mallards distributed themselves throughout the study area from Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area (SFWA) near Glasford, IL, to Sanganois SFWA near Chandlerville, IL; a distance of approximately 43 miles. Keep this in mind when you are looking at the distribution of birds on the waterfowl survey sheets.

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

We flew the waterfowl survey on Monday, November 9th ahead of the windy weather system that blew through later in the week. Duck numbers along the Illinois River were down slightly (6%) from the previous week but were right at the 10-yr average totaling 283,315 ducks. We lost some of those fair weather ducks including northern pintails which dropped nearly 40%, and over 110,000 American coots headed south over the weekend. However, we picked up a few diving ducks, especially ring-necked ducks, from the previous week. Duck abundance (321,140) along the Mississippi River increased about 27% and was right at the 10-yr average. Diving ducks were starting to build on Pool 19 from Keokuk to Fort Madison. And, duck numbers (68,000) more than doubled at the Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge near Annada, MO. For more information on the waterfowl surveys, check out our web page at www.bellrose.org.

Last week’s blog photo got considerable attention, and one duck hunter commented that he liked the aerial perspective of the duck distribution in the photo. My tip for the week is to evaluate your decoy spread. Sometimes ducks distribute themselves evenly in wetlands and around beaver lodges (aka…duck blinds), but in many instances, I observe dabbling ducks concentrating along the perimeter of a wetland. They prefer to feed in the very shallow water along the wetland edge and form dense clusters of birds. The accompanying photo illustrates my point. If you have the resources to “black-stack” your decoys like the mallards, greenwings, and gadwall in the photo, you may just increase the number of birds in your daily bag!

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

It appeared as though the weather system that moved through the central United States over Halloween weekend, brought only a few migrant waterfowl. The Mississippi River duck numbers were up 8% and the Illinois River was up 18% from the previous week. We are currently 13% above the 10-yr average along the Mississippi (252,295 ducks); however, the Illinois (302,780 ducks) is running 12% below normal. Hunting reports from last weekend indicated success rates had tailed off at many clubs and managed waterfowl areas along both rivers. We can only hope the cooler temperatures over the 2nd weekend in November will bring some new birds. For more information on the waterfowl surveys check out our web page at www.bellrose.org.

As I was thinking of a blog topic for the week, my mind went to Pintails, Pintails, and Pintails. Northern Pintail numbers have been high for several weeks now. NOPI’s, as they are referred to on the aerial inventory data sheet, were 57–94% above average, and this week’s estimates ranked 9th all-time for the Illinois River and 11th all-time along the Mississippi River since surveys began in 1948. If you haven’t had the opportunity to harvest that prized drake Pintail this year, you better hurry up. I expect Pintail numbers to start falling in the next week or two as the weather turns cooler.

The Northern Pintail is one of the easier ducks to identify from the airplane. Flocks of Pintails tend to orient themselves in a common direction as the airplane approaches. This behavior makes the white chest of a Pintail very visible from the air. My pilot and I refer to them as “headlights” because the white reminds us of a bunch of car lights in the middle of the night.

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

Duck season began on October 24th for most of the survey sites in the Illinois River valley (IRV), and duck abundance increased 25% on the refuges from the previous week. This is what typically happens after the central zone duck season opens. Case in point, Goose Lake (Woodford County) at Chillicothe held about 20,000 ducks on Thursday prior to duck season. However, on Monday after the duck opener, the same lake held nearly 45,000 birds. This increase represents ducks getting pushed out of the private clubs due to the gunning pressure.

Duck numbers in the IRV were 14% above average for the last week of October and totaled 256,025 ducks. Duck numbers on the Mississippi River were 61% ahead of the 10-yr average and 40% up from the previous week. I expect the duck numbers on the lower Mississippi River in St. Charles County Missouri to hold steady until Missouri’s central zone opens on November 7th . Several of the big refuges and clubs were still pumping water in this region and quality duck habitat was slowly increasing. For more information on the waterfowl surveys check out our web page at www.bellrose.org.

Field reports indicated hunting success was variable for the Illinois’ central zone waterfowl opener. Some hunters along the Illinois River had good hunting on Saturday, especially if there were wood ducks around, but as usual, the numbers tailed off pretty quickly. Rice Lake SFWA had a pretty good opener, but Monday’s harvest was only 25% of what was taken on Saturday. The opening weekend totals at Sanganois SFWA were about 30% below normal and wood duck harvest at the site was less than average which was interesting because wood ducks were plentiful in many harvest reports from the marshes. I heard one club on the Mississippi River near Quincy shot a 12-man limit on opening day, but harvest had slowed down considerably as of Tuesday (October 27th). The Mississippi River Area (MRA) near the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers on opening day took 1.64 ducks per hunter which was slightly higher than Sanganois SFWA which averaged 1.39 ducks per hunter. Rice Lake SFWA harvested 2.15 ducks per hunter on opening day.

There will be some blustery weather in North Dakota on Wednesday (October 28th) with northwest winds gusting as high as 39 mph. A duck hunter can only hope this weather will drive new migrants our way for the second weekend of the season. Be safe and happy hunting! Stay tuned for more updates next week…