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Oct. 27 – Nov. 2, 2025
Mild weather early in the week gave way to good winds toward the end, followed by calm conditions over the weekend and during the youth hunt on Saturday.
Refuge numbers have remained stable despite continued hunting success. Mallards dominate the count, with black ducks, pintails, shovelers, and green-winged teal also present. Total duck counts have fluctuated between 5,500 and 7,000 depending on the day.
All corn zones currently have good water conditions. Additional water may be added to a few zones in the coming weeks as fields are fed out, depending on rainfall. The water control structure on the east marsh (30s and 40s) has failed, causing rapid water loss. These zones are now very shallow and difficult to traverse, even with a mud motor.
West side corn (zones 1–18)
Most zones have performed well.
Zones 11 and 13 suffered severe damage from sandhill cranes. Zone 11 remains huntable with good corn on the western end.
Zone 13 has no usable cover and has been eliminated for the season. It is now combined with zone 14 to form one large zone.
Zone 18 was not planted this year and was managed for moist soil. It includes a permanent blind and buttonbush cover.
East side corn (zones 21–27)
Conditions are very good with minimal goose damage.
Zone 25 experienced crane damage, but the replanted corn recovered well and offers good cover.
Bottom corn fields (zones 28–30)
Zone 30 has significant crane and goose damage, resulting in limited to poor cover.
Zones 28 and 29 have some crane damage but are overall average.
West marsh (zones 60s and 70s)
This marsh was drawn down from winter 2024 through summer 2025 and is now shallower than in recent years. Plant growth has been strong, especially in shallower zones like 72. Overall, conditions are very good.
East marsh (zones 30s and 40s)
These zones are very shallow and thick with weeds. Access is nearly impossible with an outboard motor. A mud motor or paddling/punting is highly recommended.
There were 895 hunter trips this week. The largest draw was Sunday morning with 61 parties, and the lowest was Monday morning with 20 parties. The youth hunt saw 28 youth parties. Thank you to St. Clair Flats Waterfowlers for providing lunch and giveaways for the kids. For the week, we averaged 37 parties per draw, with morning and afternoon draws averaging nearly the same.
Despite low refuge numbers, hunting success remained strong. A total of 1,083 ducks and 29 geese were harvested this week, averaging 1.21 ducks per hunter trip. Outside of the 224 ducks taken on Oct. 30, daily harvests ranged from 130 to 170 ducks. There has been no consistent trend between morning and afternoon hunts; success has depended largely on weather conditions.
Ducks: 3,142
Geese: 128
Hunter trips: 2,462
Average ducks per trip: 1.28
Average birds per trip: 1.33
What to expect this week
The forecast includes a mix of extremely windy and calm days, followed by a serious cold front on Sunday. Expect larger party sizes on weather days and the potential for new birds arriving with the full moon and colder overnight temperatures.
Reminder: You must have a veteran or active-duty service member in your party to hunt either draw on Nov. 11.
Our youth hunt was a well-attended event. Thank you to our partners at St. Clair Flats Waterfowlers, Inc. for sponsoring the hunt and providing lunch for everyone!
