More ducks are in Arkansas than there were in December, but still far fewer than their long-term average.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission offered this assessment in its annual Mid-Winter Aerial Waterfowl Survey Report. The Game and Fish Commission’s waterfowl management team conducted the survey Jan. 6-14 in the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain (the Delta), in the Arkansas River Valley and in Southwest Arkansas.

Delta

According to the report, biologists estimated the presence of 452,017 mallards and 924,545 total ducks in the Delta. The Delta mallard population estimate was 182,324 mallards above the 2024 Mid-Winter Survey estimate, but it was 309,595 mallards below the 2010-2025 MWS long-term average. That is noteworthy because duck numbers by 2010 had fallen significantly from their abundance in the 1990s.

Total duck population estimates were 260,554 birds below the long-term average, but 242,456 birds above 2024 Mid-Winter Survey estimates.

On average, mallards account for about 63% of all ducks in the Delta during the Mid-Winter Survey. During this survey period, mallards comprised only 49% of the total duck estimate, a 14% deficit.

Biologists estimated more than 100,000 mallards in the Black-Upper White survey zone and in the Cache River survey zone. These survey zones accounted for 49% of the Delta mallard estimate and 41% of the total duck estimate. The highest total duck numbers were also in these two survey zones.

Notably, the Bayou Meto-Lower Arkansas survey zone harbored 168,977 total ducks, including 69,102 mallards.

Hotspot maps indicate several key duck concentration areas primarily in the northern portion of the Delta, with scattered distribution throughout the central part of the state.

Arctic goose population estimates in the Delta were 615,756 light geese and 189,166 greater white-fronted geese.

Arkansas River Valley

The Arkansas River Valley held 84,119 ducks, including 39,058 mallards during the Mid-Winter Survey. Mallards numbered 14,977 above the Mid-Winter Survey long-term average, and total duck estimates were 37,972 ducks above the long-term average. Mallards comprised 46% of the total duck estimate, a 5% decrease from the long-term average.

Most of the mallards (81%), as well as 73% of total ducks, were in the Point Remove-Plumerville survey zone. According to Brett Leach, the AGFC’s waterfowl program coordinator, survey results can be biased high or low during periods of freezing conditions, as occurred during this survey. In this case, Leach wrote, results were likely biased high due to “clumped duck distribution” and several large concentrations, leading to greater uncertainty in point estimates. Therefore, confidence in the population estimate is lower than in most surveys.

Southwest Arkansas

An estimated 22,160 ducks — 2,660 mallards — were in Southwest Arkansas. Mallard counts were 63% below the Mid-Winter Survey long-term average, and total duck counts were 6% above the long-term average. Nearly 60% of the observed mallards were along the Red River from Interstate 30 to Arkansas 82.

Shortly before the Mid-Winter Survey, heavy rainfall improved habitat conditions in the survey zones. Rivers flooded throughout much of the state, and many rivers remained in flood stage by the end of the survey period. However, the amount of overbank flooding began declining throughout the survey.

Most of the survey occurred as the state experienced freezing temperatures ahead of a snowstorm, and the survey ended during the thaw. Staff will begin flying the season’s third and final survey of the year beginning January 20.

Anecdotally, northern pintails and American wigeon are more numerous in parts of the Delta than they were earlier in the season. Hunters report that ducks are very skittish and call-shy, and are concentrating to feed in the shallowest portions of flooded fields.

Owners of high-quality habitat in Arkansas and Monroe counties report very few ducks, but ducks are abundant in Jefferson County near the Arkansas River and near other major rivers north of Interstate 40.

Some hunters have encountered large numbers of canvasbacks on the Arkansas River and also in Northeast Arkansas.

The life of Sam Houston is usually associated with that of Texas but, even before that time period, he was an influential resident of the Arkansas Territory.

Houston, born in Virginia, spent most of his early life in Tennessee. As a rebellious teenager, he ran away from home and spent almost three years of his life with John Jolly’s band of Cherokee people. During this time, he adopted the dress of the tribe, learned to speak the language fluently, and was given the name of “the Raven.”

After returning home, Houston fought in the War of 1812 as a part of General Andrew Jackson’s forces. His association with Jackson greatly influenced the rest of his life. Because of his familiarity and friendship with the Cherokee, he was hired as an Indian sub-agent to assist in relocating the Cherokee people into Arkansas and Oklahoma.

His friend, Chief Jolly, chose land at Spadra, near present day Clarksville. The roll call of individuals in attendance at the Spadra trading post list the Raven as present.

Returning to Tennessee, Houston rode Jackson’s coattails and served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1823-27. He then ran and was elected governor of Tennessee and was planning to run again when his marriage to Eliza Allen mysteriously fell apart. Devastated, he departed to Cherokee Territory to be with his adopted family.

Cherokee territory at that time included most of the Arkansas River Valley and west to about Tulsa, Okla. He arrived in Little Rock on May, 8, 1829, surrounded by rumors that Jackson was using him to either control Arkansas politics or to create trouble in Texas.

Houston’s letter back to Jackson is not clear as to intention, “Your suggestion on the subject of my location in Arkansas has received my serious attention, and I have concluded, that it would not be best for me to adopt the course. In that Territory there is no field for distinction.”

During this time, he moved into the home of Chief John Jolly and married Tiana, (Talihinia) a niece of the chief, in an Indian ceremony. Chief Jolly lived on the west side of Spadra Creek, a mile distant from what is now Clarksville, Ark. At that time, Houston spent much of his time travelling to Washington as a delegate for the Cherokee tribe, as well as drinking himself into the nickname, the Big Drunk. The 1830 Arkansas Gazette published five letters written by Houston defending the rights of Native Americans.

Eventually, Houston and his family moved into Oklahoma Territory near Webbers Falls, where he continued to work with various Indian groups. It is of note that in 1832, he made his first foray into Texas as an Indian delegate. When Tiana supposedly refused to accompany him, he gave her the home, land, two enslaved people and “divorced” her. During the summer 0f 1833, he returned for a short time and then spent several days recuperating from an old injury by soaking in the waters at Hot Springs.

Most of the rest of the story we know from history books. He returned to Texas, became the commanding general of the Texas army that defeated Santa Anna, served as Texas President for two terms, as U.S. Senator, and was governor when the Civil War began. Houston was opposed to the war and refused to take an oath to the confederacy stating, “in the name of my own conscience and my own manhood…I refuse to take this oath.” He was removed from office.

It is also worthy of note that Houston had been a lifetime slave owner. The Emancipation Proclamation was passed in 1862 but was not accepted in Texas. Houston called all the slaves in and freed them in the last months of 1862 and they lived as de facto freeman from 1862 until the war ended.

Joshua and Margaret Houston, two former slaves, remained in Huntsville, Texas. Joshua worked for many years as a blacksmith and served as county commissioner, started a school, and became an influential citizen in the region. At Joshua Houston’s request, he was buried near Sam Houston in Huntsville, Walker County, Texas.