Capturing Ducks in Southeast Kansas during November 2024

Kansas is an important mid-latitude Central Flyway state for migrating and wintering waterfowl. Mallards make up more than half of the state’s annual duck harvest and are particularly sought after by hunters. We are banding and deploying GPS transmitters on mallards within Southeast Kansas to investigate their ecology in collaboration with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Geological Survey Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and University of Nebraska — Lincoln. This research began in 2023 and is still active, to-date we have banded over 1,500 mallards to deployed ~150 GPS devices on adult females. This research project aims to inform the public and private management of waterfowl, wetlands, and associated regulations within the state. Ethan Dittmer¹, Dr. Mark Vrtiska1, Dr. Jay VonBank2, Tom Bidrowski3 ¹University of Nebraska – Lincoln, School of Natural Resources ²United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center 3Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks