# Breeding Duck Population Numbers Down



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Source: Delta Waterfowl

*Breeding Population of Ducks Down 11 Percent from Last Year*

BISMARCK, ND- Last spring a dozen US Fish and Wildlife Service pilot biologists revved their planes' engines in preparation for next year's 50th anniversary of the world's largest wildlife inventory, the spring waterfowl breeding population and habitat survey.

What they found was a significant decline in May ponds and an 11 percent drop in the breeding population of ducks across the traditional survey area that includes Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alaska, Yukon Territory, the Dakotas and western Montana.

The spring breeding population of mallards dropped to 7.4 million from last year's 7.9 million, a one-year decline of seven percent and one percent below the long-term average. The spring mallard population is the lowest it's been since 1994, the year the most recent drought ended.

The total duck population dropped to 32 million from 2003's 36 million, a decline of 11 percent and three percent below the long-term average.

Prospects for a good year of production don't appear favorable given a 24 percent drop in the May pond count across the traditional survey area. Hardest hit by dry conditions were prairie Alberta (down 43 percent from last year and 30 percent from the long-term average), prairie Saskatchewan (down 32 percent from a year ago and 26 percent from the LTA) and the eastern Dakotas (down 32 percent from 2003 and 20 percent long term). Over-all May ponds across the prairie pothole region (PPR) were down 24 from last year and 19 percent from the long-term average.

"We got a mixed bag of news this spring," says Rob Olson, president of Delta Waterfowl. "Many areas of the prairies were very dry when the spring survey was conducted, and apparently some of the early-nesting birds like mallards and pintails over-flew the breeding grounds and headed north into Canada's bush country. History has taught us that when ducks over-fly the prairies, production is typically poor.

"The good news is that water conditions have improved across portions of the region since the spring survey was conducted," Olson says. "Parts of North and South Dakota and southern Canada received good rainfall in May and June, parts of southern Manitoba are very wet and conditions are pretty good across the extreme southern portions of Saskatchewan. Alberta remains very dry.

"That moisture could have been good for late-nesting species like gadwall and blue-winged teal, and it might have prompted those mallards and pintails that did settle on the prairies to re-nest. Improved wetland conditions also should enhance brood survival.

"And let's face it," Olson says, "we'll take moisture whenever we can get it.

"On the other hand, it's May ponds that drive production on the prairies. Given moisture conditions in May and the number of birds that over-flew the breeding grounds, and it would appear that production this year will be down."

Ron Reynolds of Fish and Wildlife's Habitat and Population Evaluation Team (HAPET) in Bismarck agrees with Olson's assessment. "Obviously any moisture helps," says Reynolds, "but as far as pulling us out of a bad start, I doubt the late rains will have a huge impact on productivity.

"We should see some production across the northern tier of counties in North Dakota, which attracted quite a few ducks because they were wet early," Reynolds says. "But we don't expect much production in the southern part of the state or across South Dakota, which was really dry."

Among the other popular species inventoried, gadwall numbers stood at 2.6 million, up two percent from 2003 and 56 percent over their long-term average; wigeon dropped to just under 2 million, a decline of 22 percent from last year and down 25 percent long term; green-winged teal were at 2.5 million, down eight percent from 2003 and up 33 percent long term; blue-winged teal slipped 26 percent to 4 million, down 10 percent from the LTA; northern shoveler was at 2.8 million, down 22 percent from 2003 and up 32 percent from long term; northern pintail dropped to 2.2 million, down 15 percent from last year and off 48 percent long-term; redhead dropped five percent from last year to 605,000, three percent below long-term; canvasback was up 11 percent to 617,000, 10 percent above the long-term average, and scaup rose two percent to 3.8 million, which is 27 percent below the LTA.

One of the dozen flyway biologists who flew the breeding grounds last spring is John Solberg, a 25-year veteran with USFWS who in 19 years as a pilot-biologist has flown half a million miles.

Flying his Cessna 185 at 100 miles an hour just 150 feet off the ground, Solberg notes the species and sex of ducks observed on his side of the plane-"mallards a pair, pintails two males"-while an observer in the passenger seat records ducks and counts and types wetlands by size and permanence.

Their observations are captured by an onboard computer that's interfaced with a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit that marries the information about ducks and wetlands with the exact coordinates.

Teams of ground observers then follow up the flights, searching 18-mile segments of the transects and counting birds that may have been missed by the flight crew. The ground crew's observations are used to arrive at a "correction factor" which is used to produce the most accurate possible numbers.

It's a far cry from primitive data-collecting techniques employed by the pioneers of the spring survey like Art Hawkins, Lyle Sowls and Walt Crissy. Those legendary scientists identified the transects that, according to Solberg, are basically the same as those being flown today.

Each spring the pilots fly some 45,000 miles across roughly two million square miles covering the Dakotas, western Montana, Alaska, the Yukon and the prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Next spring the Service will officially celebrate the 50th anniversary of the spring survey.

Unfortunately, the Service recently announced that several other long-time surveys have been discontinued due to lack of funding. One of those is the July survey which records July ponds and brood indexes across the breeding grounds.

"The spring breeding population and habitat survey is one of the great success stories in wildlife management," says Olson. "But it's a shame that we're losing the July survey, because it provides brood data to help assess production, and measures July ponds which are important to the broods."


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## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

I wonder if we will have a liberal season? I sure hope not. We need to stop killing so many ducks. I would much rather see more ducks winging north in the spring than being able to kill them in the fall. When the water does return to the prairie it would be nice if we had enough ducks to use that water.


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## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

:beer: Cheers to that! Soon enough we will be pounding the dirt roads looking for ducks/geese. Overall, it should be an interesting Fall.


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## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

At first, I was surprised to read this on the front page of CNN's (spit) web site yesterday but I guess they just love to print bad news.

It's nice here in central Illinois tonight and my thoughts are drifting to the anticipated Fall and my return to ND....

Miss it all!

Later.


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## Bull_Can (Apr 30, 2004)

I just wish government would relax with the 6/60, 5/50, etc. guidelines. What I want to do is hunt...if that means less birds for my limit in low years, fine and dandy, BUT DON'T TAKE AWAY MY ABILITY TO HUNT. (I'm sorry...was I yelling!) Seriously, I remember when we had 3 bird limits...no problem, I still went out, was picky with my shots on good mornings and had a good time...HUNTING. I am fine with having a 4 bird limit...but let me keep my 60 days.

For those that question if longer seasons hurt the population...the answer is yes (duh), but not as bad as one would think. Since I hunt MN, I will use MN as an example. MN opener consists of a saturday noon to 4pm hunt, and sunday is 1/2 hr before sunrise to 4 (we have a 4 pm closing the first 10 days of the season). So let's just say that we get 1.25 days for opener. 39% of all ducks harvested in a year are shot in that 1.25 days. Nearly 40%!!! Why...because the majority of license holders go out 1-2 weekends a year (of course they consider themselves hardcore waterfowlers). Then they are off to pheasants, or just twiddle their thumbs til deer hunt'n.

Keeping that in mind, it is important to watch 'bag limits' in which all license holders are held accountable for (even the 2 wknd warriors) that could reduce that initial overharvest. Then allow the hardcore waterfowlers the ability to hunt for a longer stretch. It is usually this 'hardcore' waterfowler that is more conservation savvy in the first place and will go out whether it is for 6 ducks, or 4.

My 2 cents (and maybe a little extra for a tip)


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## SJB (Jul 2, 2003)

BC:
You listed some great points. I agree with most. History will tell us that if the Minnesota DNR does roll the daily bag limit back to 3 birds, the amount of licenses sold will drop. That means less revenue. Back in the 80's Minnesota found that out. So did Colorado (where I reside) and many other states as well. Perhaps the daily bag limit will drop to 5 ducks and a shortened season. It won't go back to 3 because that weekend worrier that you mentioned will not buy a license for his one or two weekends.

Have you considered that if there are very few ducks to shoot, what difference does that daily bag limit make? If there are a hundred hunters and only 50 ducks, how can you limit out? [For all of you "purists" this is an exaggeration.] Once the shooting starts, the duck will wing it out of there. The Minnesota DNR is not stupid, they want to sell more licenses for the revenue. Therefore, they will lower the bag limit only slightly. On the other hand, they may impose more laws to prohibit the avid waterfowl hunter from reaching that daily bag limit.


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## Westark (Jun 19, 2003)

got this off another web site.

*Adaptive Harvest Management 2004 Hunting Season Report recommends liberal season packages for 2004 in all four flyways. *

July 16th 2004 - The Adaptive Harvest Management 2004 Hunting Season Report released Friday July 16th, 2004 indicates a recommendation of liberal season alternatives for all four U.S. Flyways.

Waterfowler.com will provide a link to the full report as soon as it is available online.

The final word on seasons and bag limits will not be official until selected by the USFWS some time this month. More detail on special seasons for such species as pintail and canvasback have yet to be determined.

WFC will bring you the latest information as it becomes available.


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## Nodak Duke (Oct 14, 2003)

Personally, I don't think that liberal or not makes much of a difference in the population as a whole... If you read the reports, duck hunters as a whole really do not make that much of a difference in the annual duck kill... Keep it at 6 birds amd the same amount of days offered in the field.


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## cgreeny (Apr 21, 2004)

I will agree that in late April and May it didn't really look good for the ducks as far as water goes. But since June and half-way through July The rain and the water have been crazy through much of the northern half of the state. I don't really think ducks are down as far as they say, I was talking with some farmer northeast of DL last night and they said they have never seen this many mallards around, and just driving around a few backroads i would agree with them. I just hope a lot of bird nested late, saw a lot of hens with little ones on the water last night, I think its a good sign anyways.


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

Cgreeny basing the population levels on a single area is not very accurate. This past weekend I put on a number of miles in the back area's in south central ND. I visited with a bunch of different landowners and all said basically the same thing few nesting ducks and few broods hatched. This correlates with what I have been hearing from others that are out and asking and looking though much of the mid tier of the waterfowl producing area. The only above average area is the northern 1/3 of the state.

Coot last year talked about the high numbers of pintails in his area, but other parts of the state where down. That is why I am so disgusted with the current program in place for setting seasons etc.

I hope that the G&F take the suggestions of lower limits to heart that many put forth at the Advisory meetings.

Four ducks is enough for anyone any day out. It would reduce the impact to population levels for locals that would retrain next year to the sites they where hatched increasing the odds that more broods could be produced provided mother nature supplies the water and weather for nesting success.

Mallards and other puddle ducks will return to the area they hatched. In years when nesting conditions do not provide water they will go to new area's and return the following year to the original hatch sites. However the young of the year return to there nesting grounds and not that of the parents.

We all know that the DL area and the northern tier of ND had the best conditions this spring and it stands to reason that this area would see an increase from last year.

Hence the small increase in the eastern part of the state and the significant drop in the other parts of the state. The increase did not offset the losses. So that will result in fewer ducks both this year and next with the numbers staying the same or increasing in the DL region.[/u]


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## nilsmaster (Sep 26, 2003)

Ban shooting over water... heh heh heh.....

8)


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## cgreeny (Apr 21, 2004)

Ron is it a lot drier out that way. I drove all they way out past Dunseith and there was water everywhere. I haven't gone down SW of Devils Lake yet or S of 94 so i can't say anything there, So give me a shout and tell me what the water conditions are down in those areas if you could.


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