Ducks Unlimited’s State Breeding Survey Sees Uptick In California Ducks

Waterfowl seasons will get started in October, and Ducks Unlimited did its best to preview what to expect on a state-by-state basis with its breeding surveys.

Here’s DU’s breakdown for California, which could bode well for duck hunters, especially mallards:

CALIFORNIA

When water returns, ducks rebound—and California’s 2025 results reflected that, especially in the northern part of the state. Breeding duck numbers rose 27 percent from last year to 474,495, though totals remain below the long-term average (LTA).

Mallards climbed to 265,640, up 49 percent from 2024. While still 16 percent under the LTA (1992–2024), this was the highest estimate since 2018. Gadwall also rallied sharply, more than doubling to 110,172, which stands 28 percent above the LTA.

Not all species shared in the gains. Cinnamon teal declined 21 percent and are 14 percent below the LTA, while northern shovelers dropped 26 percent from 2024 but are similar to their LTA.

In the Northeastern stratum, Canada geese surged 81 percent year over year and are now 43 percent above the LTA.

The winter of 2024 and spring of 2025 brought average precipitation across most of California. Snowfall was light from November through February, but spring storms in March and April helped make up the difference. By the end of June, the state sat at about 95 percent of normal. Northern California fared even better, with near- to above-average precipitation. Central California came in around average, but Southern California stayed on the dry side. In the Sacramento Valley, full water allocations for wetlands and rice fields should have given waterfowl a solid boost for the 2025 breeding season.