Ducks Unlimited Magazine

NAWCA funding will support projects that protect, restore, and enhance wetlands across Michigan’s Saginaw Bay to Lake Erie corridor. ANN ARBOR, Mich. — More than $6.7 million will support wetland and associated upland conservation across 22 Michigan counties through the latest phase of an initiative that spans the Saginaw Bay to Lake Erie Coastal Habitat.

Image by Phil Kahnke Weather, migration, hunting conditions—regardless of the topic, it’s just about all good news coming from the prairie provinces of Canada this fall. Minus a brief stretch of inconsistent waterfowl movements during the full moon, there isn’t much that hasn’t gone right in northern Alberta, reports Trevor Manteufel with Top of the Flyway Outfitters.

Ducks Unlimited As many of you know, conservation efforts are partly funded by the Wildlife Restoration Act, also known as the Pittman-Robertson Act. This act places an excise tax on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment. Hunters and recreational shooters contribute to conservation with each purchase of these items, meaning that increasing participation in hunting and shooting sports has a positive impact on conservation efforts.

Image by Phil Kahnke Duck and goose hunters in the Pacific Northwest are not only looking at a repeat of last year's not-that-bad hunting season but may even see some improvement, courtesy of late rains in northern Alberta's water-starved nesting areas. The late rainfall was followed in August and September by early storm systems across much of Alaska's waterfowl production areas, encouraging birds to leave.

Image by Scott Fink Duck populations are limited by habitat conditions on the breeding grounds. In this simple statement lies the backbone of waterfowl conservation in North America—and the key to its success. That backbone is drawn on Ducks Unlimited’s map of Level I breeding areas, a map over 80 years in the making. On the map lie four vast, interconnected landscapes: the Canadian prairies, the US prairies, the Canadian Western Boreal Forest, and, most recently, Alaska.

TRUMAN, Minn. (Sept. 19, 2026) – What was once a small, landlocked wildlife area surrounded by agricultural land has become nearly 300 acres of permanently protected wetland and prairie habitat in southern Minnesota. Ducks Unlimited supporters, conservation partners, and community members gathered Saturday at Gleam Wildlife Management Area west of Truman to celebrate that transformation and recognize the partnerships that made it possible.

1st First Place: The winner of the 2026 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest is Robert Hautman of Delano, Minnesota, with an acrylic painting of a long-tailed duck pair. © Robert Hautman, used with permission. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced that Robert Hautman of Delano, Minnesota, has won the 2026 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest with an acrylic painting of a Long-tailed Duck pair. This is Hautman’s fourth time winning the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest.

Image by Phil Kahnke With early teal seasons in the rearview mirror, the first regular-season duck openers kick off this weekend in northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula—and not a moment too soon. The first day of autumn brought cooler temperatures and the undeniable feeling that fall is finally here. Reports of early migrants showing up on marshes across the Great Lakes states include pintails, wigeon, teal, and shovelers.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 18, 2026 – Ducks Unlimited (DU) joined dozens of leaders from conservation, hunting, fishing, and outdoor organizations for an unprecedented event celebrating hunters and anglers at the White House Rose Garden. President Trump signed two Executive Orders recognizing America’s hunting heritage and the longstanding contributions of hunters to wildlife conservation, habitat stewardship, and outdoor recreation.

Image by Phil Kahnke The wheels of the fall migration have already begun to turn in the northern portions of the Central Flyway, where hunters are enjoying a strong start to the season thanks to improved habitat conditions and abundant waterfowl. Read on for a boots-on-the-ground look at hunting conditions and find out what the experts believe the season could hold for hunters in the Central Flyway.