# Waterfowl Population report 2007



## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Here is the USFW report...

http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/repor ... 202007.pdf

Snows,Ross,Whitefronts,and small Canadas in the Central and Eastern Arctic did very poorly.Nesting was 2-3 weeks later than normal.Latest nesting attempt since 1991.But they recorded the 2nd largest population of nesting snows on record.

Will be tough hunting with mostly adult birds.


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## twdjr (Dec 11, 2006)

Thanks for the report.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

It was inevitable to have a bad hatch...I have heard some colonies have faired better than others, and this was verbals over the phone.

But you are right, it will take more skill this fall to get the birds in.


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

The Cntral flyway (Ab, W Sk, MT, CO, etc.) Snows and Pacific flyway Snows did OK as the weather was normal in the western Artic. The Mid continent Snows got clobbered. (east central and Eastern Artic).

Ken, funny thing is I was looking for this mid day Friday and did not ind it, that USFWS site is horrible to navigate to find things.


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## BeekBuster (Jul 22, 2007)

I dont think we should have any problems shooting birds, just beacuse of a bad hatch. The birds populations are still at record high levels. There should be plenty to chose from just less Juvies to pick on.


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## huntingdude16 (Jul 17, 2007)

Exactly.^ This isnt a terrible thing. Theres a reason theres a limit of 20 snows in fall and unlimited in the spring, theres too many!


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

BeekBuster said:


> I dont think we should have any problems shooting birds, just beacuse of a bad hatch. The birds populations are still at record high levels. There should be plenty to chose from just less Juvies to pick on.


The juvies are WAY easier to decoy, and in some instances, will pull the adults down with them. With a good hatch, it also allows for a few more weeks of hunting.
I expect harvest rates to drop dramaticly.


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## Hunter_58346 (May 22, 2003)

Am I the only one that read this?

For the second consecutive year, warmer than
average April temperatures accelerated spring
snowmelt and led to early nesting chronology
throughout EPP range. This year, biologists on Cape
Churchill observed a median hatch date of 17 June,
the same as in 2006 and about 1 week earlier than
the long-term average (1976-2006). Nest density in
2007 was the highest recorded since 1990 and mean
clutch size (4.3) was well above the long-term
average (3.9). The estimated nest success was
58%, slightly lower than the long-term average.
Estimated gosling production at the Cape Churchill
study area in 2007 was slightly below that of 2006,
but similar to the average in this area since the mid-
1990s. A fall flight similar to that of 2006 is expected.


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

Hunter_58346 said:


> Am I the only one that read this?
> 
> For the second consecutive year, warmer than
> average April temperatures accelerated spring
> ...


EPP= Eastern prairie population Canada geese.


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## Scaredy-snow (Apr 13, 2006)

I would also like to say thanks for the report... and thanks to those colonies that were able to produce some brand new targets :wink:


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Hunter_58346....EPP is large to medium sized Canadas that migrate down through Minn. and Wisc.

There will be no 200-300 bird days like the past 2 years unless you have the right weather.There will also be far fewer non-breeders that bring up the tail end in the spring.

A good day will be 5-10 birds instead of limits.

Plus the young will be late migraters.....due to the inability to fly if the hatch is 2-3 weeks late.A lot of them may not make it all the way to Texas from the Canadian praries.

There are a lot of recent snow hunters who have never seen a bad hatch year.I have......a number of times.It won't be anything like a lot of people have ever seen.

I look to shoot a lot less birds in Canada this year.


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

KEN W said:


> Hunter_58346....Plus the young will be late migraters.....due to the inability to fly if the hatch is 2-3 weeks late.A lot of them may not make it all the way to Texas from the Canadian praries.


Most will not be strong enough to make the non stop flight from the Artic to the CA praries unless there is a warm Fall that extends the growing season by 2-3 weeks so the young have access to food and gain enough time to get stronger. If they make it to the the prairies, they have very good channce at making it the rest of the way down the flyway.


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## Hunter_58346 (May 22, 2003)

Sorry about the mixup,,,,,And I have indeed seen years with poor or no hatches. I have hunted snows since the mid sixties. But I also remember seeing 30,000 plus snows on hurricane Lake for the opener. The way they loaf on the Canada prairies this is no longer the case. Very little pressure will keep them up north every year and I don't see that changing anytime soon.
Even if we have a 50% less hatch, it will be better than some years in the past just because of shear numbers. If the two to three weeks delay in hatching that some colonies are experiencing will hurt the fall flight, so be it. But if the weather holds so they can get to the Canada prairies they will be just fine.
I just think it is alittle early to cry wolf.


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## shig (Aug 23, 2005)

Here is something to think about. If last year there was 1 million nesting snows and they produced 4 young per snow, that would have been about 4 million juvies--which there could have been--they were everywhere.

Now this year you have the 2nd highest number of nesting snows ever recorded, say 2 million and they all produce only 2 young (50% less hatch than last year)--guess what, that is still 4 million juvies. If there is more nests, but poor production, it seems as there still might be quite a few juvies.

Is my thinking messed up or is this possible??

I still think that the central/mississippi flyways will see less juvies b/c of the worse conditions and poor hatches, but there is still a boat load of 1 and 2 year old birds that are still pretty stupid in the fall. My bet is a max of 25% less kill than last year--if you shot 100 birds some days last year--this year maybe 75. Either way, you still will be away from work, having a blast and saving some money on shells. Only 80 days to go.

SHIG


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

You forgot 2 things to factor in. How many eggs there are does not = adul twintering birds as about 1/2 of them will never get to the point of even flying. (Look at Mallards, a clutch of 12, and often 3 months later only 4 will be able to fly, and only 1 and if lucky 2 will return a year later) And 2nd thing is last years young do not nest this year. Usually it is their 2nd or 3rd year that they will nest.


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

There will still be plenty of birds to shoot, just have to work a little harder at it. Thats good though, keep all the fly by nighters home after they read how "bad" the hatch was.

We have it pretty good in ND, even if it was a "bad" hatch, we still get second crack at em while their still fairly young and dumb. They gotta be pretty smart by the time they reach texas.


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

I guess I will just have to put the hurt on the ducks this fall. :idiot:


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## Madison (Mar 1, 2002)

PJ said:


> I guess I will just have to put the hurt on the ducks this fall. :idiot:


PJ, saw your article in the latest issue of Dakota Country, very Nice!!

I told Jon M that he needed more "PJ" in his magazines.... :beer:


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