2024-25 duckDNA Results

Here is what you helped us accomplish in the 2024-25 hunting season

Applicants and Participants

We had another amazing year! During the 2024–25 season, we received over 3,500 applications and selected over 750 participants, with at least one in each of 48 states. As of July 2025, we received 1,158 samples from over 500 returned kits. We expect a few additional samples to be returned over the coming months due to extended times at a taxidermist.

Participants and Samples by Flyway
	Participants	Samples
Pacific	93	195
Central	86	211
Mississippi	132	384
Atlantic	105	275
Unreported	43	93
Total	459	1158

Interesting Findings

Across all samples, we detected genetic material of 26 different duck species.
We discovered several 3-species hybrids, the result of a hybrid breeding with a species different than either of its parents. Notably we identified a Northern Shoveler x Blue-winged Teal x Cinnamon Teal hybrid and several other ducks that bred with a wild Mallard x game-farm Mallard hybrid.
We genetically confirmed a Baikal Teal harvested in Nevada, although we were unable to determine if it was wild or escaped from captivity.
We genetically confirmed the first state record of a Mexican Duck in Idaho and Arkansas.

Game-Farm Mallard Ancestry

During the 2024–25 season we received 269 samples from 44 states that contained game-farm ancestry. We documented 10 different game-farm Mallard hybrid combinations, including our first game-farm hybrids involving a Wood Duck, Muscovy Duck, and Domestic Duck.

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