Several months ago, I wrote an article regarding the status of waterfowl populations across the country. Not to digress, but in a nutshell, the numbers overall have been in a downward trend for many years. Again, I won’t go into the reasons, but I will reemphasize some points in this article. Since we are in the last few weeks of the 2025-2026 waterfowl season, I thought it would be interesting to poll hunters in various regions across the state to get their thoughts on how the season is going thus far.
I promised them I would not divulge their exact hunting locations, only generally. I asked each waterfowler to rate this season on a scale of zero to 10. Of course, I’m sure you can decipher that a zero is the worst, and a 10 is the best, but I thought I needed to say this just as a disclaimer. So, here goes.
Haley Easley does the majority of his hunting north and east of Greenwood. He is not only an avid hunter but has done some guiding for a few very elite duck clubs. When we talked the other day, he rated his season so far as a three. One of the primary reasons he attributes to a poor season was the lack of water in the delta. He mentioned that every pothole across the region has two dozen or more decoys covering what little water is on the landscape. Guarding these decoys are several shotguns on any given morning. What few ducks there are in the area are continuously being pounded with very few places for them to seek refuge and rest undisturbed. With limited water, ducks must look elsewhere for sanctuaries to rest and feed. Keep in mind, these areas are extremely limited, and this causes waterfowl to not move just regionally, but at times out of the state completely.
He has had some good hunts right after the few intense cold fronts we have experienced, but just a day or two later he says, “they’re gone.” He also emphasized, “you can’t hunt ‘em every day and expect them to stick around.”
I have hunted with Allen Grittman from Cleveland for decades. He has been hunting one morning this year with marginal success. The reason being, there are very few ducks in the northern part of Sunflower County. Back in the day this area was the duck capital of the state. I know, because I was there to witness it firsthand. He rates this season thus far as a zero. In addition to low water levels, he attributes much of the reason for the season being dismal is the change in farming practices we have adopted. He said, “our crops are earlier now, and our harvesting equipment is so efficient that there is very little waste grain for waterfowl to utilize through the winter.”
Also, keep in mind that by mid-October, most years, we have the delta soils prepared for the next year’s crop and after the first rain, any leftover grain sprouts and is of no use for ducks and geese. Like I have said before, when you want everyone to leave the party, pick up the booze and food and neighbors and friends will depart hastily. The same applies with waterfowl. On a sidenote, Allen did mention there have been bright spots along the Coldwater and the Yocona Rivers respectively. He hasn’t hunted there this year but has acquaintances that have had some success.
Bozo Ward hunts in and around Washington County. He initially rated his season as a two. After we spoke, he put in perspective that he has only hunted two times. One of the hunts was marginal but he did have a limit hunt on mallards after a brisk cold front. With this said, the season has been open 40 days, and he has only hunted twice, so he changed his rating to one. Bozo works with a few growers that specialize in farming for ducks. They do it right and unless something changes in the next few weeks, this will be one of the worst seasons in years. We just don’t have ducks.
Andrew LoCicero hunts in the south delta region of the state. Just the other day I met him in the road and told him I wanted to get his thoughts on his season. He didn’t give me a numerical figure to rate his season; he just gave me a “thumbs” down. Since then, he and company have had a few good hunts, however, they only last a day or so and the ducks scatter out. Again, this is a pressure related response. In his area, water is also limited, and another reason for limited waterfowl numbers. He just continues to scout and when numbers build up enough for a hunt, they get on them and then rest them for a few days. Sounds like a good strategy to maximize what you have.
Charlie Jones is a waterfowl addict and concentrates much of his efforts in the central delta. He rates his season as a three so far. Charlie studies ducks, their biology, their habits, and their migration like a mad scientist. He eats, breathes, and lives for duck hunting. During our recent conversation, he also mentioned lack of refuge and water for ducks to loaf in. In his words, “we have about 250 acres of water that we manage for ducks to feed and rest in. It sometimes takes several weeks for the numbers to build up enough to have a hunt. Not surprising, after one hunt, the ducks move out and it takes two to three weeks for them to build back up, if even then.”
In an earlier article, I quoted Charlie on his thoughts about duck recruitment, older breeding hens, and their influence on ducks imprinting and returning to the same breeding sites and the overwintering sites throughout their lives. He believes pressure on the resource is a direct problem and is having an impact across the country. He and I plan on meeting again soon to discuss this dilemma in more detail with additional conservationists and biologists. I look forward to this dialogue.
All the men I have quoted in this article are true conservationists, and their passion for the resource is unwavering. I will put their abilities with their duck calls and their shotguns up against anyone in the nation. They live the lifestyle 12 months out of the year. Work begins in earnest at the close of each duck season to improve habitat for the next year and the years after that. Believe me when I tell you their endeavors are not selfish. The good of the resource and the future of duck hunting are their primary concern.
These gentlemen are our current pioneers, and it would be wise for others, including biologists, hunters, and wildlife agencies, to listen to them. From flooded timber to rice fields, to major rivers, they know what is going on in the duck’s world. We just need more of them to carry the message. By the way, I still like Haley’s idea of having 15, three-day seasons. It would be a novel pilot program to try. Let me know your thoughts on how your season is going and more importantly, your thoughts on how we can make it better for the future.
Until next time enjoy our woods and waters and remember, let’s leave it better than we found it. jeff.north@northag.net.
