from todays Memfrica's Commercial Appeal, read it and weep.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/out ... 27,00.html
Read it and weep
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Unlucky Ducky
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Read it and weep
Don't be stupid, you idiot.
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Unlucky Ducky
- Veteran
- Posts: 302
- Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2002 9:18 am
- Location: Olive Branch, Ms.
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webfoot
- Duck South Addict
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- Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2001 12:01 am
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Here is the story:
Weather disrupts ducks; numbers down
By Todd Vinyard Commerical Appeal
July 18, 2004
Hunters who've been saying they're seeing fewer ducks now have the numbers to back it up.
Duck populations are down to 32.2 million birds, 11 percent below last year's count of 36 million, and 3 percent below the long-term average, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2004 May duck populations and habitat survey.
"These numbers pretty well reflect feedback that we have been receiving all spring from our staff stationed across North America's breeding areas," said Ducks Unlimited's executive vice president, Don Young. "Extremely dry winter conditions left the soil so parched that almost all of the early spring snowmelt was soaked up and did not run off to fill the basins for the arrival of birds."
It is not certain if these numbers will mean fewer duck hunting days for this season.
State agencies will wait for guidelines from the USFWS later this month before setting dates. However, some like Arkansas are already thinking about waterfowl hunting changes. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is expected to take action on a proposal to raise the cost of nonresident waterfowl hunting licenses from $7 to $20 at its meeting later this month.
"We are going to look at a number of ways to reduce the pressure in duck hunting," Commissioner Mike Freeze of England, Ark., said at last months meeting. "We'll look at shorter hunting hours, and we'll look at spinning wing decoys."
While the hunting season debate begins to heat up, there is agreement among waterfowl conservation groups that dry habitat conditions have played a role in decreasing duck populations.
Pond counts had declined by 29 percent from last year in Prairie Canada and 16 percent in the U.S. Prairie.
"We got a mixed bag of news this spring," said 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 added. "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 dry."
The moisture could have been good for late-nesting species like gadwall, which were up 2 percent, and might have prompted others like mallards, who were down to 7.4 million from last year's 7.9 million, to re-nest.
Olson said moisture is helpful whenever it comes, but the May ponds drive the production on the prairies.
"Given the moisture conditions in May and the number of birds that over-flew the breeding grounds it would appear that production this year will be down," Olson said.
Ron Reynolds of the USFWS's habitat and population evaluation team in Bismarck, N.D., agrees with Olson.
"Obviously any moisture helps," Reynolds said. "But as far as pulling us out of a bad start, I doubt the late rains will have a huge impact on productivity."
The shifts in population estimates for several species compared to 2003 resulted from at least two factors, said Bruce Batt, Ducks Unlimited's chief biologist.
"The late cold spring likely interrupted migration for some species, especially the late nesters, and the dry conditions caused very tentative settling patterns by the early nesting species," Batt said. "This makes it much more difficult than normal to project overall production and the fall flight that will originate from the breeding grounds come September. The improved conditions since the survey assure we're not dealing with a bust. But it won't be a bumper crop either."
Despite the declining population reports, Young said waterfowl managers and hunters have weathered conditions much worse than this.
"Just a few years ago, we enjoyed some of the best fall flights in the last several decades," Young said. "But now, as we are in a drier period on the breeding areas, waterfowl hunters and managers are facing a different reality. As always, it remains critical to maintain the nesting habitat base, especially our prairie grasslands, through the drier times so we can witness the boom that has always recurred with the return of water."
Weather disrupts ducks; numbers down
By Todd Vinyard Commerical Appeal
July 18, 2004
Hunters who've been saying they're seeing fewer ducks now have the numbers to back it up.
Duck populations are down to 32.2 million birds, 11 percent below last year's count of 36 million, and 3 percent below the long-term average, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2004 May duck populations and habitat survey.
"These numbers pretty well reflect feedback that we have been receiving all spring from our staff stationed across North America's breeding areas," said Ducks Unlimited's executive vice president, Don Young. "Extremely dry winter conditions left the soil so parched that almost all of the early spring snowmelt was soaked up and did not run off to fill the basins for the arrival of birds."
It is not certain if these numbers will mean fewer duck hunting days for this season.
State agencies will wait for guidelines from the USFWS later this month before setting dates. However, some like Arkansas are already thinking about waterfowl hunting changes. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is expected to take action on a proposal to raise the cost of nonresident waterfowl hunting licenses from $7 to $20 at its meeting later this month.
"We are going to look at a number of ways to reduce the pressure in duck hunting," Commissioner Mike Freeze of England, Ark., said at last months meeting. "We'll look at shorter hunting hours, and we'll look at spinning wing decoys."
While the hunting season debate begins to heat up, there is agreement among waterfowl conservation groups that dry habitat conditions have played a role in decreasing duck populations.
Pond counts had declined by 29 percent from last year in Prairie Canada and 16 percent in the U.S. Prairie.
"We got a mixed bag of news this spring," said 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 added. "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 dry."
The moisture could have been good for late-nesting species like gadwall, which were up 2 percent, and might have prompted others like mallards, who were down to 7.4 million from last year's 7.9 million, to re-nest.
Olson said moisture is helpful whenever it comes, but the May ponds drive the production on the prairies.
"Given the moisture conditions in May and the number of birds that over-flew the breeding grounds it would appear that production this year will be down," Olson said.
Ron Reynolds of the USFWS's habitat and population evaluation team in Bismarck, N.D., agrees with Olson.
"Obviously any moisture helps," Reynolds said. "But as far as pulling us out of a bad start, I doubt the late rains will have a huge impact on productivity."
The shifts in population estimates for several species compared to 2003 resulted from at least two factors, said Bruce Batt, Ducks Unlimited's chief biologist.
"The late cold spring likely interrupted migration for some species, especially the late nesters, and the dry conditions caused very tentative settling patterns by the early nesting species," Batt said. "This makes it much more difficult than normal to project overall production and the fall flight that will originate from the breeding grounds come September. The improved conditions since the survey assure we're not dealing with a bust. But it won't be a bumper crop either."
Despite the declining population reports, Young said waterfowl managers and hunters have weathered conditions much worse than this.
"Just a few years ago, we enjoyed some of the best fall flights in the last several decades," Young said. "But now, as we are in a drier period on the breeding areas, waterfowl hunters and managers are facing a different reality. As always, it remains critical to maintain the nesting habitat base, especially our prairie grasslands, through the drier times so we can witness the boom that has always recurred with the return of water."
"We face the question whether a still higher standard of living is worth its costs in things natural, wild, and free." - Aldo Leopold
http://www.ducksouth.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=11689
Time Out...
AHM Matrix says liberal season and an article quoting Rob Olson says we are up a creek...
Who is right...who is wrong
No one has a clue...
Jury is still out as far as I am concerned.
Time Out...
AHM Matrix says liberal season and an article quoting Rob Olson says we are up a creek...
Who is right...who is wrong
No one has a clue...
Jury is still out as far as I am concerned.
run me out in the cold rain and snow
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