For the 2023–24 season we had 4,200 applicants of which 147 participants from 42 states submitted samples for our pilot season. With 723 samples submitted and analyzed, we're thrilled by the enthusiasm and dedication shown by our participants. Let's look at what we discovered during the 2023–24 duckDNA pilot season!
| Participants and Samples by Flyway | ||
|---|---|---|
| Participants | Samples | |
| Pacific | 22 | 85 |
| Central | 20 | 90 |
| Mississippi | 58 | 398 |
| Atlantic | 24 | 94 |
| Unreported | 11 | 56 |
| Total | 135 | 723 |
An emerging point of interest among scientists is the frequency and amount of game-farm Mallard genetics that appear in the genome of harvested Mallards. This graph shows the number of Mallard samples; including wild, game-farm, and wild x game-farm hybrids; containing different percentages of wild Mallard genetics. Individuals with ≥95% wild ancestry were considered genetically pure, while individuals with <95% wild Mallard ancestry revealed from genetic analysis were considered hybrids. Essentially, this graph illustrates the relative distribution of pure wild Mallards and wild x game-farm hybrids within our sample of “Mallards” submitted to duckDNA during the 2023–24 pilot season*.
*Data depicted in this graph were not obtained from a truly random sample of harvested ducks during the 2023–24 season, and thus are not representative of the larger population of mallards in the United States.Thanks to your overwhelming support, our 2024-25 season was an incredible success. At this time, our application portal is closed, but we anticipate reopening by August. Stay informed of the latest updates and future opportunities by providing your email address and following us on Instagram and Facebook.
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