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Manager's update
Week in Review
Oct. 6 – Oct. 12, 2025
Weather
Last week’s weather was hot and sunny, with highs in the mid-80s to start on Monday. A cold front moved in that night, bringing a much-needed shower of around an inch leading into the Tuesday morning hunt period. After the rain cleared out, highs were mainly in the upper 50s to low 60s, with no additional precipitation for the rest of the week.
Waterfowl Abundance
The refuge count on Wednesday, Oct. 8, was much more hopeful than our last couple of counts. We observed a substantial increase in both ducks and geese. Primary duck species included mallards, pintails, wigeon, gadwall, and blue-winged and green-winged teal. There were also plenty of black ducks and a few diving ducks, mainly ringnecks, redheads, and a few scaup. Goose numbers increased by a few hundred, including a single snow goose floating above us during the count and a small group of tundra swans.
Hunting Conditions
Zones / Average Cover Height / Average Water Levels
1–3: 4–6 feet corn on average; Zone 3 corn had the most deer/goose damage and has spotty areas. Water levels are currently at 4–16 inches.
4–8: Marsh zones with blinds. Water varies from 6–18 inches.
9–13: Corn heights are 6–7 feet on average throughout the field. Water levels are between 4–18 inches.
14–19: Corn heights 6–7 feet. Water currently at 4–18 inches throughout.
20–32: Corn heights are 5–7 feet on average. Most of the deer damage in this field is in the southern half of Zone 22 and a little on the north end of 21. Water levels are currently at 4–20 inches.
39–44: Marsh habitat; pond is around 6–12 inches.
45–49: Corn averages 6–7 feet in Zones 45–48. Zone 49 corn is heavily goose/deer damaged, but there is a blind.
50–56: Average corn heights around 4–6 feet. Water is still being added to these zones, with flooding throughout and shallower water toward the southern zones.
58–63: Average corn heights around 4–6 feet. Water is still being added to these zones, with sheet water over all zones except the southern end of Zone 63.
64–69: Average corn heights around 4–6 feet. Water is currently being slowly added to this field, with some water starting in Zones 66, 67, and 68.
70–77: Corn heights are 6–8 feet throughout, and this entire field is dry.
Zones with Marginal Cover: 3 (spotty), north end of 21, south end of 22, and 49.
Hunter Numbers
We had 1,015 hunter trips this week. This number was likely inflated due to a rainy, ducky day on Tuesday and the Zone 2 opener, which made the Saginaw Bay area a popular option for waterfowlers across the state.
Waterfowl Harvest
This week, there were 1,204 ducks and 60 geese harvested, averaging approximately 1.02 ducks per hunter trip.
Season Totals (Sept. 1 – Oct. 12):
Ducks: 1,656
Geese: 255
Hunters: 1,624
Ducks per hunter trip: 1.01
What to Expect This Week
The weather outlook for the week starts out mild, with temperatures in the mid-60s until Tuesday, then dropping back into the upper 50s. No substantial chances of precipitation are forecasted for the week.
Other Comments
Saginaw Bay, as well as the entire watershed of the Upper Midwest, is either in drought stages or, in some cases, severe drought. As water levels continue to recede this fall, be sure to have a plan in place when heading out on the bay or Great Lakes. Be aware of where you are navigating, as many hunters are discovering sand flats, boulders, and other hazards where there was once water. While the lower water levels of the Wiscoggin Drain have made it challenging at times to pump water into our zones and fields, staff have been extremely attentive to northerly wind days and have capitalized on running pumps around the clock to ensure we can provide as much water and quality hunting as possible this season.