The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service annual survey of national migratory game bird hunter activity and harvest during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 hunting seasons was released August 2017. Included in this wealth of waterfowl data are preliminary numbers of hunter activity and harvest estimates for the 2016 hunting seasons.

 

More than 1 million waterfowl hunters harvested 11,607,400 (±5%) ducks in the 2016 season. Not surprisingly, mallard, green-winged teal, gadwall, blue-winged/cinnamon teal, and wood duck were the most-harvested duck species in America.

Texas had the highest total duck harvest and total active duck hunters among all states, while Arkansas was tops for total duck hunter days afield. Here's a list of the Top 30 States based on the estimated Total Active Duck Hunters in 2016.

Looking specifically at the Top 10 states within the Mississippi Flyway for Total Active Duck Hunters, we see Minnesota, Wisconsin and Arkansas leading the field.

• Duck hunter statistics don't include sea duck hunter statistics for states with special sea duck seasons or sea duck permits: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska.
• Estimates are pending final counts of the number of Harvest Information Program registrants in each state each season and complete audits of all survey response data

 

 

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TOP 10 STATES FOR FISHING AND HUNTING LICENSE PURCHASES