| Waterfowl numbers | There are a number of sick or dead snow geese present due to avian influenza. Please check season dates prior to duck hunting. Duck numbers have greatly decreased with the cold fronts and ice. Good diversity of ducks, greenwing teal, wigeon, mallards, shovelers, redheads, pintails, gadwall, etc. Good numbers geese, mostly snows but still some whitefronts and Canadas. If the report has not been updated in a few days, please assume that conditions and bird numbers are the same as the last update. |
| Water level | Pool 1A-32", Pool 1B-19", Pool 1C-19" Pool 2-16" Pool 3A-13" Pool 3B-dry, Pool 4A-13" Pool 4B-17" Pool 5-4". Diverting as much water as allowed from the Arkansas River, Dry Creek, and Walnut Creek. Cheyenne Bottoms has no ground water pumps to fill pools. |
| Hunting conditions | Some ice. Pool 2- 60 acres of wheat in the pool. Blind islands are being rebuilt as conditions allow. Pool 3B- 46 acres of wheat planted fall of 2025, 135 acres of standing wheat. Pool is being disced in preparation for next spring. Pool 3A- decent moist soil production. Hunting holes and access trails mowed throughout. 4A- decent moist soil production. Hunting holes and access trails mowed throughout. 4B- 75 acres of millet planted, fair food production. Hunting holes and access trails mowed throughout. 5- good food production. All blind islands in 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B have been rebuilt. |
| Expected hunting success | Fair. Ducks have been very stale, even with changes in weather. Expecting duck numbers to decrease with forecasted weather and the potential for ice. Food production is fair. Will have more water than anticipated in the hunting pools that will help the hunting conditions. Hunting success has varied greatly depending on the weather. Ducks are in the nocturnal pattern on most days. |
| Comments | HUNTERS CAN CHECK IN VIA THE GOOUTDOORSKS APP OR THE WEBSITE. ALL BOATS MUST BE OPERATED AT NO WAKE SPEEDS. ALL BOATS MUST BE OPERATED AT NO WAKE SPEEDS 100% OF THE TIME, NO EXCEPTIONS. POOL 4A IS CLOSED AT 1 P.M. DAILY TO MOTORIZED BOATS. ANY BOAT WITH A MOTOR ON IT MUST BE OUT OF THE WATER AT 1 P.M. NO MOTORING OUT PRIOR TO 1 P.M. THEN ROWING OR DRAGGING BOAT BACK IN AFTER 1 P.M. 3A IS CLOSED TO MOTORIZED BOATS NO WATER VESSELS , MOTORIZED OR NONMOTORIZED, ALLOWED EXCEPT DURING AN OPEN WATERFOWL SEASON. DURING THE YOUTH/VETERANS/MILITARY WEEKEND, POOL 4B IS DESIGNATED AS A YOUTH ONLY POOL. LEGAL SHOOTING HOURS ARE 30 MINUTES BEFORE SUNRISE TO SUNSET. UNLAWFUL TO SHOOT FROM ROADS OR DIKES ON THE WILDLIFE AREA. DO NOT PARK BLOCKING ROADS, GATES, BOAT RAMPS, FOOT CROSSINGS, ETC. DO NOT LAUNCH TRAILERED BOATS FROM DIKES OR FOOT CROSSINGS. ANY BOATS ON A TRAILER MUST USE DESIGNATED BOAT RAMPS. NO TRASH POLICY ON THE WILDLIFE AREA. CAMP IN DESIGNATED CAMPGROUND ONLY Use footcrossings in Pools 2, 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B as the ditches have been cleaned out and are very deep. For waterfowl season dates, Cheyenne Bottoms is in the Low Plains Early Zone. |
