The Best Hunting in the Mississippi Flyway

In recent years, waterfowl hunters have seen a shift in the flyways of North America, most notably between the Central and Mississippi flyways. This noticeable change, however, has not deterred hunters from flocking to this stretch of the country. A historical essence. A heartbeat. Heritage deeply ingrained in local communities. There is also a variety of birds that remains unmatched as multiple species migrate through this corridor. These are some top picks for good waterfowl hunting opportunities in the Mississippi Flyway.

Manitoba

Manitoba is in the heart of the prairie pothole region and every species of puddle and diver duck calls this area home. The terrain is incredibly diverse with wetlands, forests, flat agricultural land and grasslands, which makes it the perfect location to experience a variety of waterfowl species.

Michitoba Outfitting, operated by Kris Wujcik, offers an advantageous hunting opportunity as the world’s largest staging area for Canada geese is located around Winnipeg, which Wujcik referred to as, “a goose hunting Mecca.” On good hunts, limits of ducks are to be expected, the occasional snow goose flock, and plenty of lesser Canada geese.

One aspect that sets Manitoba apart from the rest of the flyway is the new draw system for licenses. Hunters are now more spread out, so what used to be a sea of high-pressure hunting is now less congested with little pressure on the birds.

Michigan

Michigan is a very diverse state as far as waterfowl hunting goes, known mostly for Canada geese in dry fields and plenty of opportunity for duck hunting on the water. The versatility of the Great Lakes is a bucket list trip for many hunters. Most people don’t realize that given how vast and expansive the lakes are, within a five to ten mile hunting stretch, there is opportunity to hunt for sea ducks offshore and along the coastlines, puddle ducks inland in some of the areas managed by the state, and geese in the farmland.

Keeping up with the migration changes through the years and making notes of the shifts is imperative for good waterfowl hunting. Conner Gough with Great Lakes Guided Outdoors has took note of these trends as, “in the past forty years or so, hunters in the southern states used to see a consistent Canada goose migration that far south, however, weather patterns have shifted and water is not freezing over as fast as it used to. Our water systems are holding more geese later in the season and the birds aren’t migrating south in a hurry anymore. This means that we are seeing a lot more opportunity for late Canada goose hunting as the season now runs until mid February.”

Gough capitalizes on the variety of birds that migrate through the area as most groups average 90 to 120 birds over a three-day hunt. Puddle ducks tend to be a bonus when hunts take place out in the agricultural fields. With the sea duck hunts, hunters usually average four to six birds a day.

Missouri

Missouri has a unique opportunity for those looking to hunt the area: the confluence of three major rivers—the Missouri, the Mississippi, and the Illinois are flight lines and they all come together in St. Louis. Man-made impoundments are also heavily prevalent in the state. These are flat stretches of dirt with a ditch or levy built around the field, and then artificially pumped full of water. Landowners in the state began to follow suit, one after the other, as they figured out that wet cornfields performed better than the dry cornfields.

As for Cody Stokes, owner of Dive Bomb Industries, this area of the land is heritage, “especially when it comes to hunting ducks. Some of the duck clubs are the oldest west of the Mississippi and they are here in St. Louis. These duck clubs pre-date any sort of federal or state conservation efforts. In the St. Louis area, the biggest refuges are natural refuges that are privately owned. Nowadays, the conservation department will ask them to come in and do counts on their properties whereas with most of your newer states, it's the other way around.”

Locals in St. Louis anticipate the arrival of the different species of birds as they show up in waves. Stokes easily puts it for those looking to get in on good hunting: “Blue-winged teal make their push in the middle of September, however, they’re only in town for a couple days. October is when the pintails, gadwalls, and shovelers show up, and these birds stick around through November when the mallards come in around Veterans Day. Mallards pretty much rule for all of December and you’re able to harvest a good amount of them.”

West Tennessee

West Tennessee has a unique culture surrounding its duck hunting. That culture has a lot to do with breakfast, who's cooking it, and you hear the same jokes and tell the same stories. However, it's the guys who are on the corner that know how that blind works, regardless of the wind, regardless of the rain or clear sky—they know what the birds are going to do when the wind is blowing a certain way and that is a cool thing to witness. Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge and the surrounding areas in the northwest corner of the state hold up to 150,000 ducks and close to 50,000 geese.

Two years ago, I had the opportunity to hunt with Benjamin Forehand, owner and operator of Wild & Free Outfitters. Between hunting flooded timber and a cut agricultural field, each area was unique in respect to the rest of the region. Every species of puddle duck you can imagine as well as a few snow geese made their way into our spread and did not leave. Forehand guides in the Greater Nashville area of the state.

According to Forehand, what makes West Tennessee stand out from the rest of the flyway is, “when you have the opportunity to hunt with the guys that are generations into hunting those areas - where they hunted with their dads and their granddads, you learn more about the history of the specific areas you're hunting in. The generational connection, especially in a spot like Reelfoot Lake, you hear the stories of who did what back in the day and you’re reminded with remnants of old blind sites scattering the lake, which makes it special.”

Louisiana

Cajun Country. In an area of the South that was once a hotspot for birds from beginning to end of the season, hunters and outfitters alike have had to assemble a new blind bag of tricks. Historical weather patterns like cold fronts now mean more environmental damage than it does birds moving south.

Jon Despino, of Shellshocked Lodge & Guide Service, shoots it straight, “our lifestyle, especially with the cooking and the camaraderie, it's all Cajun country. It is one of the main factors that sets us apart from the rest of the Mississippi Flyway. Another advantage of hunting in Louisiana is all the ducks are coming to us. All the birds are migrating south, so the variety of birds we see year after year is consistent.”

Early teal season is the time in Louisiana to get in on your lights-out hunting opportunities. Big south winds and mid-sixty degree weather all but guarantee for limits of these fast-winged birds. Late season hunts involve more scouting than historically speaking. Imprinting in ducks has become more prevalent in this area of the country. Once the ducks have found a stretch of good food source, they will hold up in the marshes and sloughs. In Central Louisiana where Despino is located, “we have areas holding upwards of 20,000 birds. However, we’re seeing more puddle ducks throughout the season - pintails, shovelers, gadwall, wood ducks, and all three species of teal. Mallards are showing up towards the end of the season.”

Variety over purity is the new name of the game throughout the Mississippi Flyway. History and camaraderie that are hard to ignore. What makes this stretch of land special is open for exploration. Make the most of each and every opportunity out in the field, and you will leave your hunts with memories to last you a lifetime. 

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