North Dakota Duck Numbers

There aren’t as many ducks in North Dakota as there used to be.  The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual spring breeding duck survey in May showed an index of about 2.66 million birds.  That’s down from 2.9 million in 2024 and 3.4 million in 2023.  Mike Szymanski, the Department’s migratory game bird supervisor, points out some factors into the declines, such as poor wetland conditions for early migrating species like mallards and pintails. Many of these birds, which arrived in North Dakota before the nourishing rains in May, likely spurned the state because of dry conditions and headed to search for breeding areas farther north. Szymanski says for duck populations to rebound in North Dakota and provide good opportunities for hunters, more grass and water are needed.