Arkansas Duck Hunting Blog

Duck hunting is a sport of preparation and planning. Lots of hard work and time goes into making a successful hunt, which is what makes it so rewarding. From calling to concealment, there are many factors that will affect the outcome of a hunt, but in the end it all boils down to one thing: you need to be where the birds are. The only reliable way to do this is to scout.

In a 180-degree reversal of guidance it confirmed less than one week earlier, the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced today that game birds taken by hunters in Canada will not be permitted to enter the United States regardless of the province in which they were taken.

Everything We Thought We Knew About Snow Geese Was Wrong. Hunters have been shooting spring snow geese for 20 years, but light geese populations continue to rise. Why is this happening?

After being canceled for the previous two years by concerns over COVID-19, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Service were able to conduct the annual Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey this spring. The results were released today in USFWS 2022 Waterfowl Status Report.

Total populations were estimated at 34.2 million. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) today released its report on 2022 Trends in Duck Breeding Populations, based on surveys conducted in May and early June by FWS, Canadian Wildlife Service, and other partners.

An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza — a.k.a. the bird flu — means the harvested meat of ducks, geese and game birds from affected areas will not be allowed to be brought into the United States.

A lot has changed since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, but one thing that hasn’t: the need for data to inform waterfowl management and hunting regulations. Season lengths and bag limits are adjusted annually based on changes in bird abundance and habitat condition. Since 1955, the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey has provided that vital data.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission today announced the waterfowl season dates for the upcoming 2022-2023 season and unanimously approved a package of regulations changes that included the adoption of a new waterfowl season structure, beginning with the 2023-24 seasons.

To up your decoying game, begin by watching ducks at ease, but don’t just focus on individual birds. Look at the flock as a whole. Look at the water and their surroundings as part of the ‘big picture.’ One thing you’ll notice is that there’s nearly constant movement – lots of it. Some birds are stretching their wings. Others are swimming. Some are tipped up feeding or diving. Some are preening. Some are squabbling with other ducks.

One of the biggest decisions that a hunter has to make every year is whether to do it DIY style or go on a professionally guided hunt. Some people think going with an outfitter is too expensive, while others choose to hunt without a guide and later regret it. Here are 6 signs a guided hunting trip is for you.