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North Dakota Migration Intelligence

As of Mon, Oct 5, 11:00 PM

Hottest zone for mallards right now: Northwest North Dakota at 4.8, stable birds / staging.

MallardsPintailsGadwallWigeonGreen-winged TealBlue-winged TealSnow Geese

Today's Hunt · Monday, Oct 5

Northwest North Dakota →
4.8

Warming 10° vs yesterday

Legal light 7:28 AMSunrise 7:58 AMSunset 7:26 PM🌘 Waning crescent · 34%

5AM16SSE · 48°
6AM15SSE · 46°
7AM17SSE · 46°
8AM18SSE · 47°
9AM18SSE · 49°
10AM20SSE · 53°
11AM19SSE · 57°
6.9Decoy score · WorkableWorking wind: 17 mph through the morning · Bluebird sky: expect wary, high birds · Falling pressure: birds feed hard ahead of weather

Best window: Legal light (7:28 AM) to 10:00 AM

No push wind forecast; first light is the best bet

Northwest winds building to 17 mph

  • Drier than normal: water is patchy

Season dates · Low Plains Unit September 26 to December 6, 2026. High Plains Unit September 26 to December 6, 2026 and December 12, 2026 to January 3, 2027. Residents only September 26 to October 4; nonresidents may begin October 5.

Times shown for the region center. Season dates and limits change yearly and by zone: verify with ND Game and Fish.

Network Map

Tap a region for the full breakdown
Division No. 20, ManitobaDivision No. 6, SaskatchewanDivision No. 14, SaskatchewanDivision No. 11, ManitobaDivision No. 2, SaskatchewanDivision No. 4, ManitobaDivision No. 7, SaskatchewanDivision No. 1, ManitobaDivision No. 18, ManitobaDivision No. 3, ManitobaDivision No. 10, SaskatchewanDivision No. 15, SaskatchewanDivision No. 19, ManitobaDivision No. 11, SaskatchewanDivision No. 16, ManitobaDivision No. 12, ManitobaDivision No. 5, ManitobaDivision No. 9, SaskatchewanDivision No. 14, ManitobaDivision No. 10, ManitobaDivision No. 17, ManitobaDivision No. 9, ManitobaDivision No. 3, SaskatchewanDivision No. 6, ManitobaDivision No. 2, ManitobaDivision No. 15, ManitobaDivision No. 13, ManitobaDivision No. 5, SaskatchewanDivision No. 1, SaskatchewanDivision No. 7, ManitobaDivision No. 8, ManitobaUPSTREAM · FREEZE SHADING FROM LIVE STATION DATASASKATCHEWANMANITOBA◂ Saskatoon 52° off map NWRegina49°Weyburn51°Estevan52°Yorkton50°Brandon50°Portage la Prairie51°Winnipeg53°49TH PARALLEL · US-CANADA BORDER
Major migration underwayStrong conditionsModerate movementStable / stagingFreeze-up, birds pushed southCanada shading: freeze severity

All intel is generalized to the region level. Exact hunting locations are never collected or shown.

Regions Ranked by Score

1

Northwest North Dakota

Moderate confidence

Big sheet-water country from Stanley toward Williston. Field mallard hunts build fast behind Saskatchewan fronts.

Stable Birds / Staging↑ +0.7 24h48h: Fair7 day: Good
  • •Northwest winds building to 17 mph
4.8
2

Southwest North Dakota

Moderate confidence

Drier shortgrass country. Opportunistic water; fishes best right behind a major push.

Stable Birds / Staging↑ +0.4 24h48h: Fair7 day: Good
  • •Northwest winds building to 18 mph
4.8
3

West Central North Dakota

Moderate confidence

Rolling prairie south of Lake Sakakawea. Stock dams and small potholes; wind-driven hunts.

Stable Birds / Staging↑ +0.4 24h48h: Fair7 day: Good
  • •Northwest winds building to 17 mph
4.7
4

North Central North Dakota

Moderate confidence

Souris River basin and pothole country around Minot. Classic early and mid-season traffic corridor.

Stable Birds / Staging↑ +0.5 24h48h: Fair7 day: Good
  • •Northwest winds building to 18 mph
4.6
5

Central North Dakota

Moderate confidence

The heart of the prairie potholes, Chase Lake and Long Lake country. Massive staging numbers in October.

Stable Birds / Staging↑ +0.6 24h48h: Fair7 day: Good
  • •Northwest winds building to 18 mph
4.6
6

Northeast North Dakota

Moderate confidence

The Devils Lake basin. Big water that holds mallards late, with heavy field feeds toward the Red River Valley.

Stable Birds / Staging↑ +0.3 24h48h: Fair7 day: Good
  • •Northwest winds building to 21 mph
4.5
7

East Central North Dakota

Moderate confidence

Sheyenne River corridor with heavy row-crop feed. Strong field hunting when new birds arrive.

Stable Birds / Staging↑ +0.2 24h48h: Fair7 day: Good
  • •Northwest winds building to 22 mph
4.5
8

South Central North Dakota

Moderate confidence

Missouri River and Lake Oahe influence. Open river water holds mallards deep into the freeze.

Stable Birds / Staging↑ +0.6 24h48h: Fair7 day: Good
  • •Northwest winds building to 17 mph
4.5
9

Southeast North Dakota

Moderate confidence

Red River Valley row-crop ground, corn and soybeans everywhere. Late-season field hunts shine.

Stable Birds / Staging↑ +0.3 24h48h: Fair7 day: Good
  • •Northwest winds building to 19 mph
4.4