The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week released its 2025 Waterfowl Population Status Report, based on this year’s population surveys across North America.
The estimated number of breeding ducks stood at 34 million, according to the report — the same as last year’s estimate, but down 4% from the long-term average starting from 1955. The 2025 May pond estimate was down to 4.2 million, representing an approximately 20% decrease from 2024’s estimate of 5.2 million ponds, and a 20% reduction from the long-term average.
“Although May rains provided some relief to extremely dry winter conditions, the cumulative effects of widespread and long-term drought in the prairies are apparent, as parched soils soak up available moisture and more and more wetlands continue to dry out. There are long-term benefits of recycling nutrients and exposure of seed banks, but droughts are painful when they’re happening,” said Steve Adair, Ducks Unlimited’s chief scientist.
Likewise, the mallard population was estimated at 6.6 million, a 1% decline from 2024 and down 17% from the long-term average. And pintails were estimated at 2.2 million, 13% higher than 2024’s estimate but still 17% below the long-term average. The Fish and Wildlife Service has plans to address the long-term pintail population decline with a new hunting strategy that includes imposing a three-bird daily bag limit.
Other species showing declines from 2024 estimates include the green-winged teal (-15%), the blue-winged teal (-4%) and the scaup (-10%). Blue-winged teal, Northern pintails and scaups estimates were also down compared to the long-term average at -13%, -41% and -25% respectively.
On the flip side, several species saw growth in their population estimates compared to 2024, including the gadwall (+6%), the American widgeon (+9%), the Northern shoveler (+4%), the Northern pintail (+13%), the redhead (+17%) and the canvasback (+22%).
“Waterfowl again demonstrated their adaptability to changing water conditions despite overall dry conditions in 2024, as late-nesting species capitalized on spring rains in the prairies and those that settled in the Boreal held their own. These flexible breeding strategies and use of continental habitat resources in 2024 appear to have contributed to decent production last year, which carried over to a similar breeding population this spring,” Adair said.
According to Ducks Unlimited, the Adaptive Harvest Management plan calls for a liberal framework for the 2026-27 season with the new estimates, though the decrease in blue-winged teal will likely necessitate a nine-day early teal season in the Mississippi Flyway.
In Arkansas, season dates have already been set. The Special Early Teal Season is set for Sept. 20-28, with a daily bag limit of six. Other season dates are:
– Duck, Coot and Merganser Seasons: Nov. 22-Dec. 1; Dec. 10-23; Dec. 27, 2025-Jan. 31, 2026 | Duck daily bag limit: 6, including 4 mallards (2 hens), 1 scaup, 3 wood ducks, 3 pintails, 2 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 2 black ducks, 1 mottled duck; Coot daily limit: 15; Merganser daily limit: 5, including no more than 2 hooded mergansers
– Early Canada Goose Hunt: Sept. 1-Oct. 15| Daily bag limit: 5
Regular Canada Goose Season: Nov. 22-Dec. 1; Dec. 10-23; Dec. 27, 2025-Jan. 31, 2026 | Daily bag limit: 2
– White-fronted Goose Season: Oct. 25-Nov. 2, Nov. 22-Dec. 1; Dec. 10-23; Dec. 27, 2025-Jan. 31, 2026 | Daily bag limit: 2
– Snow, Blue and Ross’s Goose Season: Oct. 25-Nov. 2; Nov. 22-Dec. 1; Dec. 10-23; Dec. 27, 2025-Jan. 31, 2026 | Daily bag limit: 20
– Light Goose Conservation Order: Feb. 1-6, 2026; Feb. 9-April 25, 2026 | No bag limit
– Special Youth & Active Duty Military and Veteran Waterfowl Hunts: Feb. 7-8 | Bag limits same as regular season
Learn more about the 2025 Waterfowl Population Status Report.
