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Hunters in the Midwest are patiently waiting for the waterfowl migrations coming in from theCanadianArcticasthewaterfowl migrate south to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

Those of us who enjoy hunting waterfowlintheCentralFlyway should have decent flights coming through our area.

South Dakota’s senior waterfowl biologist, Rocco Murano, indicated “that ducks and geese are starting to migrate from the north, and through the Dakotas with gadwalls, wigeon, greenwinged teal, pintails, Canada geese, white-fronted geese, and even a few small flocks of snow geese.”

“InSouthDakotathereshould benumeroushuntingopportunities andbirdconcentrationswith duck and goose numbers on the rise in some areas. “

“The dry conditions along the Central Flyway continue to impactwaterfowlhuntingopportunities andbirdconcentrations, butduckandgoosenumbersare on the rise in some areas.”

Murano, indicated that “they’re beginning to see new ducks and geese arriving in South Dakota.”

“The northern tier of counties up against the North Dakota border in the northeast corner of the state are probably where we’re getting most of the reports, and that is the region that has the best water conditions,” Murano says. “Larger water bodies in this part of the state are also starting to hold larger concentrations of diving ducks, including redheads, buffleheads, and some scaup and canvasbacks.”

“Theincreasingnumberof gadwalls, wigeon, and green-winged teal reflect a calendar migration of those birds into the state, Murano explains, and seasonal weather conditions in the short-term forecast should only help push those numbers higher in the coming days.”

“Because of the dry conditions that dominate so much of the eastern half of South Dakota, Murano says that hunters should look to larger water bodies to find concentrations of ducks.”

Just in the past weeks the birds have been utilizing shallow bays on large lakes in response to the increased foot traffic on public ground from pheasant hunters, as well as the few mornings we had ice on some of the smaller sloughs. The birds really don’t have any reason to leave the state, but they are moving around. These larger water bodies would be a good place to scout if you’re trying to find ducks that seem to have left an area,” “Hunters looking to set up on theselargerwaterbodiesaregoing to have to deal with lower water levels, reports.”

“Theincreasingnumberof gadwalls, wigeon, and green-winged tealreflectacalendarmigrationof those birds into the state, Murano explains, and seasonal weather conditions in the short-term forecast should only help push those numbers higher in the coming days.”

“Because of the dry conditions that dominate so much of the eastern half of South Dakota, Murano says that hunters should look to larger water bodies to find concentrations of ducks.”

“We’veseenjustinthepastcouple of weeks, how birds have been utilizing shallow bays on large lakes in response to the increased foot traffic on public ground from pheasant hunters, as well as the few mornings we had ice on some of the smaller sloughs. The birds really don’t have any reason to leavethestate,buttheyaremoving around. These larger water bodies would be a good place to scout if you’re trying to find ducks that seemtohaveleftanarea,”hesays.” According to Bruce Toay, Ducks Unlimited manager of conservation programs “in South Dakota, we just continue to get drier, and wetland levels that were in pretty good shape a month ago are now showing a muddy border. Hunters who want to be on the water may have to get a little creative with their concealment in order to be at the water’s edge,” Toay says. “On the flip side, field hunters are going to benefit from the pace of the fall harvest, as most soybeans are out and the corn is coming out pretty quickly.”

“Thetierof countiesupagainst the North Dakota border in the northeast corner of the state are probablywherewe’regettingmost of thereports,andthatistheregion that has the best water conditions. “Larger water bodies in this part of the state are also starting to hold larger concentrations of diving ducks, including redheads, buffleheads, and some scaup and canvasbacks.”

“Hunters looking to set up on theselargerwaterbodiesaregoing to have to deal with lower water levels” reports Bruce Toay, Ducks Unlimited manager of conservation programs in South Dakota.

“We just continue to get drier, and wetland levels that were in pretty good shape a month ago are now showing a muddy border. Hunters who want to be on the water may have to get a little creative with their concealment in order to be at the water’s edge,” Toay says. “On the flip side, field hunters are going to benefit from the pace of the fall harvest, as most soybeans are out and the corn is coming out pretty quickly.”

“Toay says that in his travels over the past week, he has noticed the same uptick in gadwall. numbers observed by Murano and his staff, and he has even seen the first swans of the year near his office in thenorth-centralpartof thestate.”

“For mallard hunters, we are still waiting on any significant push of those ducks into South Dakota,” Toay says. “Based on what I’m hearing on how dry things are getting in North Dakota and southern Saskatchewan, I wouldn’t be surprised if, when the weather changes up north, we do see a large influx of both ducks and geese, as there just isn’t much water to stop them between there and here.”

“Water levels are very low throughout Nebraska, according to Ted LaGrange, wetland program manager with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, but the state and its federal partners are doing what they can to put water on the landscape.”

“Hunters in Nebraska are facing extremely difficult conditions, as the state continues to experienceanextendedperiodof drought that has left wetlands, canals, creeks and even rivers high and dry.”

“I think in my 30 years of work here in Nebraska I’ve seen the Platte River go dry several times. It’s not normal, but it’s not entirely unheard of either,” LaGrangesays.“Thereareobviously noguarantees,buttheportion of the river that is dry near Grand Island typically comes back up as farmers upstream complete their surface water allocations used for irrigating crops, and the temperatures start to cool. We could still use a good shot of rain, however.”

Indications are that in some areas as long as they have had decent precipitation, waterfowl numbers should good.

Thebestwaterfowlhuntingin ourareaoccurswhenbothNorth Dakota and South Dakota have coldweather,withthepondsand other water the waterfowl rely on are iced over.

If cold weather happens to hit the waters north of I-90, the waterfowl will be pushed south and if we still have open water and open fields, we will have excellent waterfowl hunting in south eastern South Dakota and northeastern Nebraska.