Crofton waterfowler John Schuckman took this limit of greenheads from his decoy setup on a backwater off the Missouri River, a popular location for December duck hunters. Photo courtesy of John Schuckman.

Owing mainly to improved water conditions over much of the Cornhusker State, Nebraska's duck and goose hunters are this year enjoying a season that's a bit better than what they've been dealt for some time now.

December typically offers gunners good hunting for mallards and Canada geese along the Platte, Republican, Loup and Missouri rivers. Wildlife managers polled before this year's seasons opened were optimistic.

"Water conditions are much improved in south-central Nebraska," said Bob Meduna, district wildlife manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission at Kearney. "The Rainwater Basin marshes and the flows in the Platte and Republican rivers are the best I have seen this time of the year in the 30 years I have worked in this area. Harlan County Reservoir is 10 feet higher than it was last year, so I expect the waterfowl hunting to be better there."

The Rainwater Basin marshes provide the best hunting and most public hunting opportunities in south-central Nebraska. However, these shallow marshes can freeze up anywhere from mid-October to mid-December. When that happens, most of the puddlers move south, while the mallards may head south or move to the Platte and Republican rivers, including Harlan County Reservoir.

There's usually some early-December hunting opportunity on the larger Rainwater Basin areas such as Harvard, Massie, Mallard Haven, Peterson, Gleason, Prairie Dog and Sacramento. Even if frozen over, some of the areas can serve up hunting opportunity for those who are willing to break a little skim ice.

"It's hard to index just where the birds go when the ice gets thick," Meduna said. "I think some of the mallards move south, while others just move to open water."

According to Meduna, hunters will likely find the best December and January public hunting at Harlan County Reservoir, as well as East Odessa and Martin's Reach wildlife management areas along the Platte River. Private land adjoining the Platte and the warmwater sloughs along it also serves up a lot of hunting opportunity.

Waterfowl hunters must have a current small-game hunting permit, the Nebraska and federal duck stamps, and the Nebraska Habitat Stamp in possession while hunting. They're also required to register for the free Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program (call 1-888-403-2473 toll-free).

December and January waterfowl hunting is usually best in southwestern Nebraska, where hunters set up on the Platte, South Platte and North Platte Rivers as well as the reservoirs on those streams.

Dedicated duck hunter Richard Nelson is wildlife supervisor for the NGPC at North Platte. "The Clear Creek Refuge and WMA on the North Platte River west of Lake McConaughy as well as the lake itself offer good mallard and goose hunting in December and January," he said. "Sutherland, Enders, Swanson, Red Willow and Medicine Creek reservoirs also hold birds, as do the Platte rivers.

"I hunt a warmwater slough along the South Platte, and my hunting is always good, with some years better than others. The sloughs offer the best mallard hunting after the reservoirs start to ice up. The reservoir hunters are usually successful -- but it's a tough, cold hunt."

The mallard migration into the southwest usually peaks in early November, and the birds begin to stage at areas such as McConaughy, Sutherland, Clear Creek and the Garden County Refuge, where they most often offer hunting along the North and South Platte rivers until the end of the season.

A poll of hunters showed that an estimated 15,400 hunted ducks and 15,600 hunted geese during the 2005-06 season. They bagged an estimated 158,000 ducks (89,000 mallards) and 97,500 Canada geese.

The NGPC's Clear Creek Wildlife Management Area offers the only staffed public hunting area for Canada geese in the state. Normally there are 10 blinds available, some on a first-come, first-served basis, others by a drawing. The fee is $5 per gun. Details are available by calling (308) 535-8025.