Pierre area
Plenty of snow and drifts. Birds numbers are good yet but the next few days of wind and cold will test their commitment to stay here.

Northeast
Most of the waterfowl have left the Northeast over the last week to two weeks.  There are still a few smaller pockets of ducks and geese around but overall, most of the water is ice covered.  The birds that remain are using area cornfields and providing consistent action if you put in the time to find these areas.  The duck season closes December 6th so not many days left.  Some pockets of Canada geese can be found as well as snow geese but most have departed south.

East Central
Birds are few and far between in the east central parts of SD.  Some areas are still being kept open by dark geese, along with a few mallards and snows.  Fields remain open and I suspect these birds will remain until the next cold snap hits.  Remember the Low Plains North And Middle duck zone seasons end of December 6.  

Southeast
Hunter activity has really slowed down.  With the minimal water, most all has frozen and birds have left the area.  There were some big roosts of snow geese with excellent hunting opportunity, but a lot of them have pushed south the last few days as well.  Unit 2 goose hunting has been increasing the last week.  Hunters are finding some good pockets of birds on the Missouri River Corridor as well.

Lower River
Low plains south continues to hold good numbers of waterfowl.  Water and field hunting has been best close to Lake Francis Case, Lewis and Clark and the lower Missouri River.   Water levels above and below Gavin’s Point Dam has been reduced significantly making navigation a challenge.  Boat hunters are reminded to make sure they have all necessary safety equipment on board and also to have a plan should their motor become disabled.  

Pierre area
The Pierre area has slowed some since last week with the birds coming out to feed later in the afternoon and heading to only a few fields to feed.
The ducks are remaining on the water and not coming out to feed after shooting hours in most places. 
Reports from the downriver of Pierre in the De Grey have come in of large flocks of snows and blues still in the area however they are dictating what the Canada geese are doing.
Like the Pierre area the geese have been coming out to feed late in the afternoon, not giving a lot of opportunities for the hunters.   

Northeast
    The cold has set in and all but the biggest waters have froze over in the Northeast.  With that said, waterfowl numbers are strong yet in the area.  Where there is open water, there are birds and usually lots of them.  A mixture of species yet but overall, mallards are the main duck around.  Good diver numbers are on the big water of all species so great opportunity to chase divers.  Impressive numbers of mallards can also be found on these lakes along with feeding in cornfields throughout the area.
    Snow goose numbers are incredible right now hitting cornfields most of the day.  Solid numbers of Canada geese and still decent numbers of whitefronts around.  Great opportunities for goose hunters.
    Good numbers of swans have been observed this week where there is still open water.
    Of course, it is day to day right now as the continued cold keeps locking up more water along with some small snow events will keep pushing birds south.  Excellent opportunities for both ducks and geese right now if you can stand the cold.

East Central
Lock up is happening early this year with most shallow lakes and wetlands frozen solid.  Large lakes still have some open water in the center, but bays and shorelines are mainly ice.  Where open water does exist large numbers of mallards and geese have been observed.
Most opportunity that remains will be in dry corn fields with mallards and geese fueling up for the next leg on their migration.
The forecast looks mainly below freezing through next week, no boding well for birds hanging around.

Southeast
Southeast area has seen a big push of birds. Most small water is frozen, but the big open lakes are holding birds. Lots of birds on Thompson. 
Field hunting gas been good with the cold temps. 

Lower River
Low plains south is seeing good numbers of ducks and geese right now.  Water levels remain consistent, and navigation has been good.   

Pierre area
The Pierre area started to see a good migration into the area late last week with snows and Canada geese moving in along with a good population of ducks stopping on Lake Oahe. The Lower Oahe Waterfowl Access Trailer opened last weekend with drawings taking place each morning one hour before sunrise.
Reports from the DeGrey area are that they have some good numbers of light and dark geese.
Most if not all of our smaller waters have frozen here so anything around will be on Lake Oahe or Sharpe.   
 

Northeast
Quite a bit has changed in the last few days in the Northeast.  A large influx of waterfowl started last Sunday and has continued throughout the week.  Most all species of ducks have been observed on area waters the last few days.  Mallard numbers really jumped along with good numbers of pintails.  I would say we lost some gadwall with all the smaller wetlands freezing up but there are still decent numbers around.  The larger water bodies have large rafts of divers present of all species along with some impressive numbers of shovelers.  
    As of mid-week, most wetlands remain open other than the small ones that are iced over.  Great opportunity exists right now for duck hunters.  Great field hunting opportunities out there as well.  Many large mallard feeds have been happening in the cornfields and should continue with the colder weather in the forecast.
    Goose numbers are building by the hour with some large concentrations of snows and whitefronts in the area.  Canada geese of all sizes are here so great goose hunting opportunities right now.
    The mid-week storm hitting the Dakotas will definitely have birds on the move and depending on how severe the cold is will dictate as to how many will hang around.  The 10 day forecast is below normal for temperatures which will freeze up a lot of water so the ducks will likely head to the large lakes that remain open.  Not much snow is forecasted for the Northeast/East side of the state so this should not factor in the equation.  
    Overall, great opportunities right now for both ducks and geese.  They are here!  The next few days will be major movement days with the storm coming in so now is the time to be out in the field.  Be safe out there with this upcoming weather.

East Central
Conditions are changing rapidly with a strong storm system hitting South Dakota mid-week.  Waterfowl numbers of all stripes are increasing and will continue to increase as ice and snow in North Dakota pushes birds south. 
 I anticipate a grand passage event over the next 3-5 days with large numbers of ducks and geese rapidly staging and migrating through in South Dakota.  Lows are forecast to be in the teens and single digits starting Friday morning with highs below freezing through at least Tuesday.  Shallow lakes and wetlands will begin to lock up over the weekend forcing most birds onto large bodies of water.  Time will tell how long birds will hang around but if lakes stay open mallards and geese should stage for some time.  Good luck and be safe out there chasing fowl over the weekend.

Southeast
Canada goose numbers are slowly increasing. Few good roosts of mallards starting to build. Cold front should make hunting much better in next 5-7 days. 

Lower River
Low plains south action has been fairly slow.  Hoping the weather is going to bring some waterfowl to the Missouri River area.  Water levels above and below Gavins Point Dam remain consistent.  Very few Canada geese or mallards have showed up yet.  

Pierre area
The central part of the state has remained slow with a small migration of town birds from Canada moving into Pierre this past week.  I have seen few more ducks in the area but no big push yet, maybe the weather to the north will help some.   I saw several flocks of cranes migrating through the area over the weekend but they didn’t stay long.  There have been some small flocks of snow geese migrating over the Pierre area the last couple of days but have not heard of any stopping on lake Oahe or Lake Sharpe.  Harvest throughout the area was moving along quickly with only a few corn fields and some sunflower field left standing.  The wet weather we are supposed to be getting will put a stop to harvest but shouldn’t affect the hunting when we do see a migration of birds into the area. 

Northeast
Things in the Northeast are starting to progress some. There has not been a lot of change from the previous week with the exception of more snow geese and white fronts in the area. Some build up of mallards is occurring as well. Species such as Gadwall, Widgeon, green winged teal, and pintail are still present in good numbers on wetlands and providing great opportunity. Field hunting for mallards is starting to improve as well and with the colder temperatures in the upcoming week, it should continue to improve. Diving duck numbers are fairly strong on larger water bodies with buffleheads, scaup, redheads, and ringnecks making up the majority. Some canvasbacks are around as well.
Great opportunity exists for goose hunting with snow geese and white fronts building along with a good population of Canada geese in the area. Geese have been observed using mainly corn fields and winter wheat this past week.
This past week has been mild with southerly winds up until Thursday when the wind switched to the northwest and temperatures dropped. I anticipate a decent migration this next week with the cold weather and snow that hit Canada this week.
As of now, swan numbers are low with some in the northern tier counties. With the cooler weather coming, there should be a push of swans down as well.
Overall, good opportunity exists right now and looks to improve over the next week.

East Central
Duck numbers continue to improve in this area (Brookings, Hamlin, Kingsbury, Lake) compared to last week.  We seem to have gotten a good push of birds in the past 48 hours with the strong cold front that pushed through Thursday afternoon.  Increases in both puddle ducks and divers were seen with respectable numbers of gadwall, wigeon, pintail, mallards, and green winged teal observed.  Colder temperatures in the forecast should help induce field feeding in birds
Colder conditions and a series of cold fronts over the next week should help birds in new birds.  Long range forecasts hint at much colder weather for veterans’ day weekend.  I expect duck numbers to continue to increase over the next week as water freezes further north.
Canada goose numbers remain strong with huntable numbers of whitefronts in the area as well.  No swans were observed again this week but should be making their way into the area.

Southeast
No change from last report

Lower River
No change from last report

Pierre area
No change from last report

Northeast
    I really have not seen much of a change in duck numbers over the last week.  There are still good numbers of puddle ducks present on area wetlands including gadwall, widgeon, teal, shovelers, pintail and mallards.  There is still some field feeding taking place with mostly mallards and a few pintails in the mix.  Divers are becoming more numerous on the bigger water bodies and should provide some consistent action for those willing to pursue.
    Goose numbers continue to build with more snow geese and whitefronts arriving daily.  I would say the snows are just starting to build while the whitefronts are here in huntable numbers.  Of course, scouting is always key to finding the right field they want to be in.  Canada goose numbers are also on the rise and great opportunity exists for getting into some great goose hunts.
    Swans are starting to move into the area with more in the northern tier of counties yet.
    The weather looks to be fairly stable for the near future with a lot of southerly winds so likely not going to see any big push of birds in other than the calendar ducks making their way through.  Average to slightly above average temps for the next week.  With this mild weather we have been having, the crop harvest is full tilt and many areas have a good percentage of the harvest done.
    Overall, good opportunity exists again this week for both ducks and geese.  

East Central
Things are looking a little better for numbers of ducks in this area (Brookings, Hamlin, Kingsbury, Lake) compared to last week.  Noticeable increase in divers and puddle ducks in most areas.   
While we did get some rain (maybe .25 inches) wetlands conditions continue to deteriorate.  
Harvest is nearing completion.  Warm and dry forecast for this weekend with near record warmth for forecast for next week with southerly winds prevailing.  We need some cooler weather and a good blow from the northwest to get things moving.  
Canada goose numbers in the area are strong with huntable numbers of whitefronts in the area as well.  No swans were observed but should be making their way into the area soon.
 

Southeast
Not a lot to report in the southeast. And this week don't look like it's going to change. Ducks that are here are stale. Few specks. Not much going on, tough hunting from Brookings south.  

Lower River
Reports from the low plains south are pretty slow.  There are some ducks on the lake by Springfield, but there has not been much of a push yet.  The water levels above Gavins Point Dam are high and navigation is easy.  Not much for Canada geese in the area.  I would anticipate there will be some movement in the next week, but it is really going to take some colder weather up north for hunting to get good in this unit.

Pierre area
No change

West River
No report
 

Northeast
    The migration is on in the Northeast as more ducks and geese are filtering in from the north.  Nothing crazy yet but definitely more birds around this week.  Large concentrations of gadwall are present with some wigeon mixed in.  Good numbers of green-winged teal are present and even some blue wings around.  Mallard numbers have increased as well with some field feeding taking place in harvested corn.  Other dabbling ducks like shovelers and pintails can also be found in decent numbers on area wetlands so good opportunity right now for ducks.  The bigger water bodies are getting some good numbers of divers building up.  Buffleheads, ringnecks, and redheads make up the majority right now with a few scaup and canvasbacks too.
    We saw some cold temperatures this past week with lows around 11-15 degrees in the mornings so plenty of ice on the small ponds but later in the week should thaw out everything as temps rebound to more normal like.
    Goose numbers in the area are good for Canada geese with more arriving every week.  Snow geese are making their way in and I have seen some flocks of a few thousand this week so just starting to build.  Whitefronts are here in huntable numbers so you could see the variety pack in the goose spread right now.
    Swans are showing up and can be found more so in the northern tier of counties right now.  
    Crop harvest continues at a fast pace and no real precipitation in the forecast so plenty of opportunities to hunt both water and fields right now.

East Central
Definitely lower numbers of ducks in this area (Brookings, Hamlin, Kingsbury, Lake) compared to last week.  A combination of 2 nights with ice mixed with disturbance from upland hunters has moved birds off many wetlands.  I did see birds in some out of the way areas making scouting a key.  Saw a few more divers on large water this week. 
Wetlands conditions continue to deteriorate, I observed several large wetlands that held birds in shallow water last week that were mud flats this week. Again, I encourage hunters to check back bays and shallow areas of large lakes and wetlands as they will provide good opportunities this season. 
Harvest is probably 2/3 complete.  Long range forecasts look dry and stable, providing excellent field access.  I saw several mallard feeds and Canada geese are making use of recently harvested corn.
Canada goose numbers in the area are strong.  I saw whitefronts on the ground in several locations this week providing some extra opportunity.  I also saw several small flocks of snow geese this week.  No swans were seen in this area yet.

Southeast
No Report. 

Geese - new Canada geese in the area as well as a few scattered flocks of white fronts. Harvest is going fast so lots of fields opening up for field hunting opportunities. 
 

Lower River
Low plains middle.  I have nothing new.  I would anticipate a few new ducks and geese, have showed up, but my travels this week did not include any gravel roads!

Low plains-Low plains south opener 
No Report
 

Pierre area
Reports have been mixed depending on areas here. There were some reports of white fronts and a few snow geese on some of the lakes last weekend giving those who were hunting the areas some good opportunities. Most of the areas closer to Pierre have seen a change in duck populations with the cold weather however plenty of ducks remain on the lakes and ponds and should get better as we see more birds moving down from the north. 
 

West River
No report

Northeast
    The Northeast part of the state is definitely picking up some ducks with each front that passes through.  More divers are showing up daily with canvasbacks, redheads and some buffleheads in the mix.  Solid numbers of gadwall arriving with some wigeon and a good number of green-winged teal around.  Decent numbers of mallards and pintail as well but the main push as of late would be the gadwall and green wings.  Area wetlands are holding good numbers of puddle ducks although you still have to search to find which waters they prefer.  Some field feeding has been observed with mainly mallards hitting the combined corn.
Goose numbers are strong with good numbers of Canada geese using harvested corn and bean fields.  Been seeing some impressive feeds going on this past week so numbers are building.  Whitefronts have made their way in the last few days as well and I’ve also observed them in the fields.  A few snows have been seen in the northern tier counties.  Some swans have started showing up in the northern tier counties as well.
The crop harvest has been going strong this past week and it looks like they will be hard at it as the weather looks to be fairly dry for the next week.  Another cold front hit mid-week with strong NW winds blowing for a few days so we should continue to see waterfowl filter down.

East Central
The strong cold front that hit mid-week is bringing in some new birds.  I observed decent numbers of gadwall, pintail, mallards, northern shoveler, and green winged teal across the region.  Most blue winged teal seem to have migrated out of the area.  I also saw some divers on most large bodies of water.
Wetlands conditions seem similar to last week but where there is water there are birds.  I also encourage hunters to check back bays and shallow areas of large lakes as in years like this they will attract ducks throughout the season.  
Bean harvest is finishing up and corn is going fast.  Long range forecasts look dry and stable, providing excellent field access.
Canada goose numbers in the area are strong.  While I haven’t seen any whitefronts yet, expect a some to be in the area.

Southeast
New push of ducks - gadwalls, pintails, and some mallards beginning to show up. Not huge numbers but noticeable increase. 

Geese - new Canada geese in the area as well as a few scattered flocks of white fronts. Harvest is going fast so lots of fields opening up for field hunting opportunities. 

Lower River
Low plains middle.  I have nothing new.  I would anticipate a few new ducks and geese have showed up, but my travels this week did not include any gravel roads!

Low plains-south is closed.  Nebraska opens on the marsh and river this weekend.  South Dakota next weekend.

No Change 

Pierre area
Not a lot of changes to report on the central part of the state.
The duck hunters who have been out a few GPA’s have continued to do well on a mixed bag of ducks.  
There have been a few groups out doing some goose hunting on land and water in unit 1 areas, reports from them are mixed with some getting limits.  
There were a few reports of white fronts migrating through the beginning of the week but no reports on them coming down to stay.  

West River
No report
 

Northeast
    There has not been a lot of changes from last week as far as the migration goes.  With that being said, a cold front hit late week with north winds, so we’ll have to see what that does as far as pushing out any blue-winged teal and gaining some migrants.  Area wetlands are still holding decent numbers of teal along with mallards, pintail, shovelers, gadwall and some divers on the bigger ponds.  Some field feeding is occurring as more corn is being combined by the day.  
    Canada geese offer decent opportunities as well as they are feeding in the cornfields mainly but also the beans and still some wheat stubble.  Some whitefronts are making their way south and just starting to offer hunters the opportunity.
    The weather looks to be cooling down for a while and with some north winds in the forecast, I expect the migration to start a bit.
    Crop harvest is fully underway, and they are making good strides on beans right now with some corn coming off as well.  

East Central
Sounding like a broken record but conditions across Brookings, Kingsbury, Lake, and Moody counties are again similar to last week.  Blue winged teal numbers continue to drop along with wetland levels.
Similar numbers of mallards as last week but with the strong cold front that hit last night I anticipate a push of new birds over the next several days.  With lows in the mid 20’s I also think we may see some divers start to filter in from the north.  We did see .25-.8 inches of rain over this area but don’t think it had much impact on wetland levels.
Corn and bean harvest is going fast with both ducks and geese observed in recently harvested fields.  Long range forecasts look cool and dry, providing excellent field access.
Canada goose numbers in this area continue to increase.  Expect more migrating Canada geese and white fronts to start filtering in over the next several weeks.

Southeast
No Change

Lower River
Low Plains South Zone is closed
No Change 

Pierre area
No Change

West River
No report
 

Northeast
    Generally mild conditions have prevailed this past week and not much for duck movement in or out it seems.  Great opportunities exist for shooting a mixed bag of ducks on area wetlands throughout the Northeast part of the state.  There are still good numbers of blue-winged teal around and starting to see more green-winged teal in mix as well.  Solid numbers of gadwall, shovelers, mallards and pintails can be found throughout the area, but scouting is still necessary to pinpoint where they want to be.
    Habitat conditions are good across the board but there are some of the shallower wetlands that continue to lose water and are exposing more mud flats making it difficult to hide.  Some field feeding is still occurring mainly on sileage but most of the duck harvest is taking place on the water right now.
    Goose numbers are pretty solid and are still mainly hitting sileage and wheat stubble.  With the harvest of soybeans happening by the day, some geese have moved to these fields.  I have also seen the geese using the disked up low areas of cropped fields where there were weeds.
    The forecast looks to be pretty stable the next week with fairly warm temperatures and little moisture so crop harvest will be progressing quickly, and I don’t see and big movement of birds happening.

East Central
Conditions across Brookings, Kingsbury, Lake, and Moody counties are similar to last week.  We have lost some blue winged teal, but I have seen an increase in green winged teal.  
Similar numbers of mallards as last week but I am starting to see some more diversity in puddle ducks.  Very few divers observed at this time.   Wetlands conditions continue to deteriorate across this area.
Corn and bean harvest is well under way with both ducks and geese observed in recently harvested fields.  Long range forecasts look warm and dry, providing excellent field access.
Canada goose numbers in this area are increasing and should continue to build.  Expect more migrating Canada geese and white fronts to start filtering in over the next several weeks.

Southeast
No Change
Lower River
Low Plains South Zone is closed
Low Plains Middle Zone-no change from last week.  Minimal wetlands made hunting tough and there were reports of many hunters on limited bodies of water.

Pierre area
No Change

West River
No report
 

Northeast
        Duck numbers in the Northeast look pretty solid for opening weekend.  There are still decent numbers of blue-winged teal in the area even though a lot of them have migrated through.  Most dabbling ducks can be found in the area and should provide some good action on area wetlands.  Some field feeding has been observed in both wheat and sileage fields as well.  
    Wetland conditions vary across the area with some drying up while others are full.  Depending on where the summer rains hit, water conditions are not uniform so scouting will be key to finding the right spot.  Generally, though, decent water levels can be found in the Northeast.
    Canada goose numbers are good, and birds are using wheat, sileage and now bean stubble as these fields are coming out.  

East Central
Conditions across Brookings, Kingsbury, Lake, and Moody counties are dry with many semi-permanent wetlands either completely dry or drawing down hard.  
This decrease in water depth has made many formerly deep basins attractive to ducks that have seen little use for many years making scouting a key.  While this may reduce hunting opportunity this fall, ultimately these prairie wetlands will benefit from draw down and make them more productive for waterfowl once they refill.
Good numbers of blue winged teal and mallards with some other puddle ducks were observed where water is found.  Corn and bean harvest has already begun with quite a few sileage fields in the area cut as well.
Canada goose numbers in this area are moderate with local production well below average this year.  Expect migrating Canada geese and white fronts to start filtering in over the next several weeks.

Southeast
Canada geese: very poor. Below average numbers, dry conditions with minimal water. Hunters are struggling to find huntable numbers. 

Ducks: poor water conditions, but the water that is still around has a fair number of teal on them. If hunters get a pond with some water, they should have a decent hunt this weekend. 

Lower River
Low Plains South-Not open yet
Low Plains Middle-Opens Saturday.  Pre-season scouting is a must.  It will be tough to find sufficient water to hunt, but hunters that do should have success.  There is very limited opportunity for Canada goose hunting due to the low water levels.  

Pierre area
Central South Dakota has been a little low on duck numbers with a few of the GPA’s holding some small flocks of birds on them.  
A small area in Central South Dakota area opens on September 24th for ducks while the majority of central South Dakota will not open until October 8th.
The Canada goose season in unit 1 opened on September 1 and have had a couple reports of some birds being harvested on a couple of GPA’s in Hand and Hyde Counties.  
The dry weather has continued to limit the areas where waterfowl are so scouting the area where you are intending to hunt to make sure there is water there is very important.  

West River
No report
 

Here you will find information on the 2018 fall flight summaries for ducks and geese. Survey areas for each of these summaries is also listed below.

November 19 2018

November 27 2018

December 6 2018

December 17 2018

January 3 2019

January 10 2019