Results from the season’s first aerial waterfowl survey show that Arkansas duck numbers are slightly higher than average for this time of year.

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologists conducted the November aerial waterfowl survey Nov. 18-20 in the Arkansas River Valley, Mississippi Alluvial Valley (Delta) and southwest Arkansas. Biologists counted an estimated 938,546 ducks in the Delta (244,833 mallards), 22,627 ducks in the Arkansas River Valley (7,038 mallards) and 19,145 ducks (4,455 mallards) in southwest Arkansas.

The Delta mallard population estimate is slightly higher than the long-term average for mallards in November (225,000) but represents a roughly 50 percent drop from last year’s November mallard count. The total duck estimate is about 100,000 birds higher than the 2012 estimate as well as the long-term November average.

About 50 percent of dabbling ducks were observed in agricultural fields. Some 25 percent were seen in agricultural reservoirs, which isn’t surprising given the dry conditions during the survey. Habitat use by mallards was similar, with about 20 percent of mallards observed in flooded rice fields and an additional 17 percent of mallard observations in moist-soil habitat.

NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

EARL BUSS BAYOU DEVIEW WMA Boaters should use caution while using the Thompson Tract boat run. Most water within the South Oliver GTR is located within natural sloughs.

South Oliver GTR Mast production has been good. 10 percent flooded with a current gauge reading of 0.0 feet.

Thompson Tract GTR Mast production has been good. 25 percent flooded with a current gauge reading of 0.0 feet.

Lake Hogue WRA A small amount of beneficial wetland plants is located along the east side of the lake. Normal pool level.

BIG LAKE WMA North Woods GTR Mast production is good. Bois d’Arc gauge is currently at 233.5 feet. Target level is 235.5 feet with 5 percent of the area flooded.

South Woods GTR Mast production is good. The 7-Mile gauge is currently at 233 feet. Target level is 234.5 feet with 20 percent flooded.

Simmons Field A fair amount of millet, smartweed and sedge is present. Seed production is fair. 10 percent flooded.

ST. FRANCIS SUNKEN LANDS WMA Hunt Area Mast production is average within the floodways. Water levels in the huntable areas are dependent on the St. Francis River. The water level at Oak Donnick is 211.96 feet with 100 percent of the huntable area flooded.

Snowden WRA There is a small amount of beneficial wetland plants within the borrow areas. 0 percent flooded.

Payneway WRA There is a small amount of beneficial wetland plants within Pool C, Pool D and the borrow areas. 0 percent flooded.

SHIREY BAY RAINEY BRAKE WMA Adam’s Brake GTR Good mast crop within the GTR. 100 percent flooded.

Rainey Brake GTR Good mast crop within the GTR. 100 percent flooded.

Phase III Moist-soil Unit Good wetland-type vegetation. 33 percent flooded.

Charles Crisp Moist-soil Unit Good wetland-type vegetation. 0 percent flooded.

Ward Field Moist-soil Unit Good wetland-type vegetation. 100 percent flooded.

River Field Moist-soil Unit Good wetland-type vegetation. 0 percent flooded.

DAVE DONALDSON BLACK RIVER WMA Upper Island GTR Low abundance of mast crop within the GTRs. Current level is 269.9 MSL. Target level is 269.5 MSL. 100 percent flooded.

Lower Island GTR Low abundance of mast crop within the GTRs. Current level is 268.3 MSL. Target level is 268 MSL. 100 percent flooded.

Upper Reyno GTR Low abundance of mast crop within the GTRs. Current level is 267.7 MSL. Target level is 266.9 MSL. 100 percent flooded.

Lower Reyno GTR Low abundance of mast crop within the GTRs. Current level is 266.8 MSL. Target level is 266.3 MSL. 100 percent flooded.

Winchester GTR Low abundance of mast crop within the GTRs. Current level is 263.4 MSL. Target level is 263.7 MSL. 90 percent flooded.

EAST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

SHEFFIELD NELSON DAGMAR WMA Mud Slough GTR Good mast crop. 0 percent flooded. Apple Lake WRA Good mast crop. The lake is low.

Conway George Waterfowl Unit A Excellent stand of millet and native vegetation. 100 percent flooded.

Conway George Waterfowl Unit B Natural slough area with beneficial wetland plants. 75 percent flooded.

Conway George Waterfowl Unit C Excellent stand of millet and native vegetation. 100 percent flooded.

REX HANCOCK BLACK SWAMP WMA Main WMA Good mast crop. The area received beneficial rainfall late last week, and the Cache River gauge at Patterson is currently just below flood stage.

Wyeville Unit Good stand of millet and native vegetation. 100 percent flooded.

STEVE N. WILSON RAFT CREEK BOTTOMS WMA Unit A Excellent stand of millet and native vegetation. 100 percent flooded.

Unit B Excellent stand of millet and native vegetation. 95 percent flooded.

Unit C Excellent stand of millet and native vegetation. 90 percent flooded.

Unit D Good stand of millet and native vegetation. 75 percent flooded.

Unit E Good stand of millet and native vegetation. 75 percent flooded.

Unit F Excellent stand of millet and native vegetation. 30 percent flooded.

Unit G Habitat conditions are poor. 100 percent flooded.

Unit H (mobility-impaired blind) Excellent stand of millet and native vegetation. 100 percent flooded.

Unit I Good stand of millet and native vegetation. 60 percent flooded.

HENRY GRAY HURRICANE LAKE WMA North GTR Good mast crop. Low water levels in the GTR. There is water in the five lakes, but the levels are low.

South GTR Good mast crop. Low water levels in the GTR. There is water in the five lakes, but the levels are low.

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS

SULPHUR RIVER WMA Mercer Bayou Habitat conditions are good. The area is six inches above normal.

Henry Moore WRA Closed to hunting. 90 percent flooded.

MILLWOOD LAKE Habitat conditions are good. 259.32 MSL.

DR. LESTER SITZES III BOIS D’ ARC WMA Bois d’Arc Lake WRA Closed to hunting. Normal water levels.

Red Slough WRA Closed to hunting. 25 percent flooded.

GTR Good mast production. 100 percent flooded.

Little Grassy Habitat is fair. 90 percent flooded.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS

CRAIG D. CAMPBELL LAKE CONWAY RESERVOIR Habitat and water levels are normal on both Pierce and Dix creeks.

HARRIS BRAKE WMA Harris Brake GTR Good mast crop. 80 percent flooded. HOLLAND BOTTOMS WMA Hunt Area Good mast crop. 0 percent flooded.

Lake Pickthorne WRA Excellent. East cell is 20 percent. West cell is 0 percent.

BELL SLOUGH WMA Bell Slough GTR Fair mast crop. 40 percent flooded.

Palarm Creek WRA Fair seed production from the natural vegetation. 40 percent flooded.

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

BERYL ANTHONY LOWER OUACHITA WMA There has been fair soft and hard mast crop production on the WMA. Water is primarily confined to oxbow lakes on the WMA.

FREDDIE BLACK CHOCTAW ISLAND WMA DEER RESEARCH AREA Habitat conditions are good. There is variable flooding associated with the Mississippi River. Mississippi River is at 8.5 feet and rising on the Arkansas City gauge.

TRUSTEN HOLDER WMA Habitat conditions are good. Arkansas River is at 26.5 feet on the Pendleton gauge.

SEVEN DEVILS SWAMP WMA Hunt Area Habitat conditions are good. 85 percent flooded.

CUT-OFF CREEK WMA Hunt Area Habitat conditions are good. 95 percent flooded.

Pigeon Creek WRA Habitat conditions are good. 0 percent flooded.

BAYOU METO WMA Halowell Reservoir and Wrape Plantation WRAs have a combined 4,000 mixed ducks at this time.

Upper Vallier GTR Habitat conditions good. 178.1 feet. Full pool is 180 feet. 15 percent Lower Vallier GTR Habitat conditions good. 178.1 feet. Full pool is 179 feet. 15 percent Government Cypress GTR Habitat conditions good. 178.1 feet. Full pool is 179 feet. 15 percent flooded.

Buckingham Flats GTR Habitat conditions good. 100 percent flooded.

Temple Island GTR Habitat conditions good. Pumping is underway.

Halowell WRA Habitat conditions good. Staggered unit flooding.

Wrape Plantation WRA Habitat conditions good. Staggered unit flooding.

Canon Brake Habitat conditions good. 170.0 feet. 0 percent flooded.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Dardanelle WMA Johnson County WRA Moist soil and green trees. 100percent flooded.

McKennon Bottoms Moist soil. 100 percent flooded. Potter’s Pothole Hartman Waterfowl Unit Corn and millet. 100 percent flooded.

OZARK POOL Dyer Lake Cells Millet and moist soil. Units 1 and 2 are at 100 percent flooded.

LLOYD MILLWOOD NIMROD WMA River levels are too low to pump.

Nimrod GTR Good mast crop. 5 percent flooded.

FROG BAYOU WMA Unit 1 Native millet and smartweed. 100 percent flooded.

Unit 2 Habitat conditions poor. Water is only in ponds. Unit 3 Excellent native millet and smartweed. 100 percent flooded.

Unit 4 Fair stand of millet. 100 percent flooded.

Unit 5 Golden grass. 100 percent Unit 6 Fair stand of smartweed and native millet. 80 percent flooded.

Unit 7 Habitat conditions poor. Water is only in ponds. GALLA CREEK WMA Galla Creek GTR Natural vegetation including a mixture of barnyard and smartweed. 0 percent flooded.

PETIT JEAN RIVER WMA Santa Fe GTR Good mast crop. 5 percent flooded.

Olin Cain Moist-soil Unit Golden millet. 100 percent flooded.

Black Lands Moist-soil Unit Golden millet. 85 percent flooded.

Slaty Crossing Moist-soil Unit Golden millet. 2 percent flooded.

Pullen Pond Habitat condition is poor. 5 percent flooded.

Pond Creek GTR Good mast crop. 5 percent flooded. Slaty Pond GTR Good mast crop. 5 percent flooded.

Black Lands Duck Area Golden millet. 85 percent flooded.

ED GORDON POINT REMOVE WRA As of Monday, both Remmel Marsh and Controversy Corner MSUs are full to capacity. Light to moderate rainfall in the area has improved conditions slightly. Limited pumping has become possible. Red Gate and Cedar Ridge moist soil units now have water. All other impoundments remain dry. Limited pumping will continue where possible, as long as water levels in Point Remove Creek remain sufficient to support running the pumps. Nearly all impoundments have good to excellent stands of natural vegetation including smartweed and wild millet. Duck use on the area has been low to moderate.

Willow Island Habitat: Natural vegetation. 0 percent flooded.

Little Hole Natural vegetation. 0 percent flooded.

Red Gate Natural vegetation. 30 percent flooded.

Pig Trough Natural vegetation. 0 percent flooded.

Cedar Ridge Natural vegetation. 60 percent flooded.

Duck Trap Natural vegetation. 0 percent flooded.

Salt Lick Natural vegetation. 0 percent flooded.

Bobby’s Pond Natural vegetation. 0 percent flooded.

Race Track Natural vegetation. 0 percent flooded.

Controversy Corner Natural vegetation. 100 percent flooded.

Remmel Marsh Natural vegetation. 100 percent flooded.

Mud Pond Natural vegetation. 0 percent flooded.

Turkey Pond Natural vegetation. 0 percent flooded.

Teeny Pond Natural vegetation. 0 percent flooded.

Sports, Pages 30 on 11/28/2013