Ducks Unlimited launches online migration map

You can follow the ducks this season!

As the fall hunting season approaches, there’s one question on the mind of every duck hunter:

Where are the ducks?

Ducks Unlimited is now helping answer that question. Last week, Ducks Unlimited launched the most comprehensive migration map on the Web today.

It’s online now at www.ducks.org/MigrationMap.

“This is a must have tool that duck and goose hunters will use. It’s a truly integrated migration map of the U.S. and Canada, so they can see where the ducks are during the migration season,” said Anthony Jones, Web manager for Ducks Unlimited. “For years, people have been asking for a comprehensive, interactive map like this. That’s exactly what we’re giving them – and then some.”

Migration map users can report on waterfowl numbers in their local areas or hunting locations. Visitors loading the map will see an aerial view of North America with real-time colored “markers” scattered across the map.

Each dot represents a user-submitted report with color-coded waterfowl concentrations. Hunters can click on any dot to view the detailed report and in some cases, view detailed aerial maps of their favorite hunting locations. They can even select which type of view they prefer – aerial, road or a hybrid view.

Users also can view migration patterns from two, five and 10 days back on the map.

“This allows hunters to not only see present activity levels, but also lets them know how birds are moving over time,” Jones said.

Users can also switch between different classifications of waterfowl, such as diving ducks, puddle ducks and geese.

“When a user submits a report, we ask them to classify the waterfowl they encountered. If they aren’t sure, we have a waterfowl ID section where they can identify a bird down to the species level,” said Jones.

As an added bonus, visitors to the migration map can also subscribe to a special service and receive instant email notifications when a report is posted to their favorite hunting location.

The migration map is available throughout the fall and winter months exclusively on the Ducks Unlimited Web site, www.ducks.org.