Arkansas duck population down, officials say

NWA Democrat-Gazette/FLIP PUTTHOFF
Russell Gardner and his retriever, Gunner, look at a mallard drake, one of the ducks taken during a morning hunt Thursday Jan. 21, 2016 at Beaver Lake. Gardner has had a good season hunting ducks and geese at the lake.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/FLIP PUTTHOFF Russell Gardner and his retriever, Gunner, look at a mallard drake, one of the ducks taken during a morning hunt Thursday Jan. 21, 2016 at Beaver Lake. Gardner has had a good season hunting ducks and geese at the lake.

STUTTGART — Arkansas wildlife officials say there's no reason for hunters to look for a bright spot as duck season comes to a close.

Biologists with the state Game and Fish Commission said a recent survey showed the Delta duck population at just under 1 million ducks, including about 600,000 mallards. The Delta mallard estimate was well below the long-term average and was down from a survey earlier this season.

Winter weather last week forced biologists to cancel some surveys. Game and Fish officials say if those surveys had come in around average, they wouldn't have had a major effect on the duck population for late January.

Duck season ends Sunday.

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