Wings Over Big Creek

08/14/2025

NEWS: 2025 State Waterfowl Breeding Population Survey results are in — spring duck numbers climbed in California, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, but dropped in North Dakota. Seven states conduct independent surveys each spring. This year’s snapshot shows modest changes from 2024. Full U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports are expected in early September.

🔗 Read the full roundup:

06/25/2025

Continuing to be realistic folks: You waterfowlers, watch this video report from North Dakota Game & Fish:

Each year the department conducts a breeding duck survey. Learn more in this week's NDO Webcast.

06/20/2025

For my waterfowl hunting friends, this is the report that will set the seasons for the the 2025-2026 waterfowl season:https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024-08/waterfowl-population-status-report-2024.pdf The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) prepares the report. Why the 2024 report and not the 2025 report? Because it takes almost a year to gather, analyze, disseminate, and publish the data in the Federal Register of the USA (and also gather public comment). The handiest information starts on page 4: "Results and Discusion", and conditnues through page 23. Those of you with an interest in the science of waterfowl management and how it affects our hunting seasons will be very alarmed by the data. Those who like summaries: THE DATA IS FRIGHTENING. The sharp decline in waterfowl numbers continues at an accelerated pace due to habitat loss and other factors clearly defined in the USFWS report. The disturbing trend is now continuous, and we can not keep harvesting waterfowl at the rates we have been and expect the same results year after year. Please look over the USFWS report and comment as ya'll see fit. Make sure to share with your fellow waterfowl hunters.

06/19/2025

Just when you think we got it bad with all the regulations, fees, licenses, and other restructions here in the USA, you read about what Australians have to put up with to harvest a bird down under.

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP...https://www.outdoorlife.com/hunting/australia-duck-season/

And if ya'll think it'll never happen to us here in the states? Guess again and think hard. IT IS ALREADY HAPPENING.

05/16/2025

All you Arkansas duck hunters listen up: Arkansas Game & Fish Commision has adopted changes to the 25-26 season. See youtube video below.....

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission approved two changes to Arkansas’s 2025-26 waterfowl season to shorten the annual special early teal season and to incr...

04/28/2025

Habitat conditions throughout the Prairie Pothole Region where ducks breed vary greatly in 2025. See attached CURRENT report from Ducks Unlimited for more...

An overview of recent landscape conditions in key areas for waterfowl

04/28/2025

Listen up waterfowlers....this is what the experts say about our current situation(s) with our waterfowling.

04/02/2025

Thank you to family, friends, and lessee's who had a chance to visit Wings Over Big Creek (WOBC) and enjoyed the great waterfowling at our duck club in Arkansas. All seasons have their ups and downs, but we are all thankful to the good Lord above for the time we have out in the field harvesting a few birds, enjoying friends, and watching our great retrievers bust their butts for us retreieving our birds. WOBC duck club is fully leased for the 25-26 season, and I thank our lessee's for their confidence in WOBC. Now comes the hard work of the off season managing the ponds for the moist soil plants and invertebrates that attract the ducks in the fall to the "groceries".

07/09/2024

The annual waterfowl breeding pair survey was performed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (and partner agencies) in May and June of 2024. The survey is available at the link: https://www.fws.gov/project/waterfowl-breeding-population-and-habitat-survey This survey will set the limits for the 2025-2026 waterfowl seasons throughout the four flyways (Pacific/Central/Mississippi/Atlantic). The 2023 survey set the limits for the upcoming 2024-2025 season (this is why most of the state's have already set their limits for the upcoming 2024-2025 season because the wildlife agencies set their seasons on 2023 data). Why a year in advance? As stated in the report, the large amount of data collected takes a very long time to analyze, publish, and create an environmental impact statement required by law. That would not leave enough time for the flyway council to set seasons for the upcoming waterfowl season(s). Of particular interest is the detailed study of the Northern Pintail limit that may lead to a change in the harvest from 1 to 3 birds per day for the 2025-2026 season. This Sprig report can be accessed here: https://www.fws.gov/story/2024-06/innovative-new-strategy-inform-northern-pintail-hunting-regulations Why the change? The language of the sprig report is clear: the USFWS is changing the threshold population (to allow a sprig harvest) from 1.75 million birds to 1.2 million birds. They are calling this "innovative" and taking hunters needs for a higher pintail harvest into account. The full report from the USFWS will be out later this summer. If the increased harvest is adopted by the Flyway Councils (which set the limits), Ozotiowe Adventure Club members will be thrilled. The large majority of waterfowl utilizing our moist soil ponds are pintail that greedily gobble up the sprangeltop, panic grass, and smartweed seeds and invertebrates that we manage for at Ozotiowe.

06/12/2024

With the 23-24 waterfowl season but a distant memory, time to get ready for next season. Since our retrievers and other sport dogs are a HUGE part of our outdoor adventures, Ozotiowe Adventure Club's ponds are available for sport dog training from April through early September. Of course members and their guests get priority, but non members can also train at Ozotiowe for a small fee. Contact us to set up a training day and we'll fit you in.

05/26/2024

The North American waterfowl management system is under attach again. Hunters and fisherman (especially hunters) have contributed HUGE amounts of money to establish 300 OF THE 580 federal wildlife refuges throughout the USA through taxes on fi****ms, ammo, and the duck stamp program. The system of management in the refuges has worked for more than 70 years, and has provided waterfowl and other wildlife with the habitat they need to survive and prosper. Now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service thinks their is a better way: by getting rid of agricultural practices and management that are good for wildlife and for the hunters that have paid the bills to establish the wildlife areas. HUNTERS! READ THE ARTICLE ATTACHED TO THIS POST, UNDERSTAND IT, MAKE A STINK ABOUT IT WITH YOUR FEDERAL LAWMAKERS. WE ARE UNDER ATTACK AGAIN. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO IGNORE THE EFFORT TO CHANGE HABITAT MANAGEMENT ON YOUR LANDS OR YOU CAN GET INVOLVED.............THE RESULTS WILL BE NOTICEABLE............
https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/wildlife-refuge-predator-control-rule/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR17Xs2JXfl-5xPnyvxqFvNkByDXXF4Phi13pFy7Tt9W0D4BKtjVzzGAu4k_aem_AaeLQ_bJlDmYZM7MGsqn_xBO94okGcq5lRm5n_jN1vTa5j_yQVmB1Wnk6QdO7sC4rjetVg8t2lzGrvn7oE4zyfu_