MEMPHIS -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last week released its report on 2017 trends in duck breeding populations, based on surveys conducted in May and early June by the service and the Canadian Wildlife Service.
Numbers in the survey area remain high overall. Total populations were estimated at 47.3 million breeding ducks in the traditional survey area, which is similar to last year's estimate of 48.4 million and is 34 percent above the 1955-2016 long-term average.
The projected mallard fall flight index is 12.9 million birds, similar to the 2016 estimate of 13.5 million.
The main determining factor for duck breeding success is wetland and upland habitat conditions in the key breeding landscapes of the prairies and the boreal forest in the U.S. and Canada.
Conditions observed across the U.S. and Canada survey areas were generally similar to last year. The total pond estimate for the U.S. and Canada combined was 6.1 million, which is 22 percent above the 2016 estimate of 5.0 million and 17 percent above the long-term average of 5.2 million.
"The surveys indicate that wetland conditions and populations of most frequently harvested ducks remain above the long-term average, and for most species, populations were at or above those from last year," said Tom Moorman, chief scientist at Ducks Unlimited, a waterfowl conservation group.
"This is great news for waterfowlers who can now turn their attention to preparing habitat, tuning up dogs and relentlessly watching the weather forecasts for the onset of fall and winter weather that will push the birds on their annual southward migration," he said.
Although most migratory game bird populations remain abundant, when and where birds will be encountered depends on many factors. Food availability, habitat and weather conditions all influence local bird abundance, distribution, behavior and, ultimately, hunter success.
Sports on 08/22/2017