Mississippi Duck Counts
Average historic waterfowl distribution, 2013-2022
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Mississippi duck counts, by the numbers...
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December
20% Mallards, 50% Other Puddle Duck, 30% Divers
In the month of December, waterfowl populations in the Magnolia state are about as diverse as can be, with 50% of the ducks being non-Mallard puddle duck species, 30% being divers, and the remaining 20% being made up of Mallards, on average. To compliment this specie diversity—whether it be sitting in irrigated agriculture fields, leaning against a tree in a cypress brake, or in a duck blind somewhere in between—Mississippi offers some of the most diverse hunting opportunities you can find anywhere in the United States.
Regardless of the time of the year, the majority of duck hunting opportunities are found in the western portion of the state, in the Mississippi Delta. However, there are respectable opportunities in the eastern portion of the state, especially in Lowndes County and Monroe County.
Historically, areas west of the Tallahatchie River in Leflore County and Sunflower County, as well as near the confluence of the Arkansas and White rivers in Coahoma County and Bolivar County, have the largest concentrations of birds in December. Depending on conditions, Wilkinson County has a decent concentration of birds in the month of December as well.
January
32% Mallards, 56% Other Puddle Ducks, 12% Divers
Janaury in Mississippi usually sees the majority of the divers move on, a relatively larger amount of mallards move in, and duck populations increase overall. In fact, on average, there is usually more than 35% more ducks in the state in January compared to December.
In the eastern portion of the state in January, Lowndes County usually has respectable hunting opportunities, most likely in areas along the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.
Duck counts across the entire Mississippi Delta are usually moderately high in January. The (large) area between the Tallahatche River and the Mississippi—in the northern part of the delta—usually holds the largest concentration of birds, with areas in Quitman County, Tallahatchie County, Coahoma County and Bolivar County being relatively safe bets.
About the Mississippi Waterfowl Distribution Maps
Migration Station’s waterfowl distribution maps are contour maps created with a combination of historic migration data and harvest data from the US Fish & Wildlife Service which aim to display relative waterfowl distributions over certain periods of time throughout the season. These maps take into account Mississippi duck counts, goose counts and general migration reports.
Due to the nature of contour creation and our methods of averaging large amounts of data from over a long period of recent history, this information is intended to represent a rough approximation. As such, these maps are meant to be illustrative in nature only, and actual concentrations vary year to year depending on a a variety of factors such as, but not limited to, weather, hunting pressure, available habitat, etc.
If you have any questions about the maps, please feel free to contact us. For more information about data quality and (lack of) warranty, please view our Terms & Conditions.
