Hoopengarner on Outdoors
509-582-1544
Duck hunters face fall full of opportunities
Evergreen State hunters, along with their comrades in arms across the United States, can expect to see plenty of waterfowl winging their way south this fall.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently released its annual report of breeding duck numbers and the results look promising.
The service estimates 41.8 million ducks in the survey area this year, which is only 4 percent less than last year's record high of 43.4 million ducks.
However, a high number of breeding ducks doesn't always translate into more ducks for the fall flight. Just as important is the ability of those breeding ducks to successfully rear their young. The quality and quantity of wetlands, the weather and predators all influence the overall survival of ducklings.
Nevertheless, waterfowl biologists are optimistic and say they are anticipating another impressive fall flight across the four U.S. flyways.
More importantly, perhaps, to hunters is that the Fish and Wildlife Service is not looking at any significant changes in bag limits or season durations. In fact, Washington is considering a two-day youth hunt this fall, two weeks before opening day, Oct. 7.
Matt Monda, a state Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist in Ephrata, said that although there was a large breeding population of waterfowl last year in Eastern Washington, production was low.
In Eastern Washington last year, for example, officials estimated there were about 85,000 breeding ducks. This year, there are about 50,000, but production levels appear to be improved.
Also, as most hunters are aware, the bulk of birds harvested during the hunting season are waterfowl migrating south from Canada and Alaska. Many of the mallards produced locally often leave the Columbia Basin before hunting season begins in search of food.
Monda said poor mallard production in Washington the past couple of years is tied to reduced snow pack and poor runoff, leaving many wetlands and potholes in the northern half of the state dry.
But as far as hunters are concerned, the total number of ducks isn't nearly as critical as weather conditions and the availability of food for hungry, migrating waterfowl during the fall hunting season.
In fact, despite the record number of ducks reported in recent fall flights, many hunters in Washington and across the U.S. have reported poorer success because of mild weather conditions and changing migration patterns.
Last year, hunter success dropped 13 percent in Washington from the 1998 harvest of 514,000 ducks, with about 35,000 hunters bagging about 448,000 birds. Last season's take, however, is still above long-term harvest results and puts Washington in the top 10 states for total ducks harvested.
This year, green-winged and blue-winged teal are at record highs. Greenwings increased 21 percent this year and 35 percent in 1999.
Biologists estimate there are 7.4 million breeding bluewings and 3.1 million green-winged teals.
The greatest concern among waterfowl experts is the continued decline in pintail and scaup numbers.
This year, pintails - once the second most abundant species after mallards - are down 33 percent below the long-term average. The last time pintail numbers were anywhere near the goals set by the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, which supports returning waterfowl numbers to levels similar to those seen in the 1970s, was 30 years ago.
Scaup numbers are 9 percent lower than last year and 25 percent below the long-term average. In 1972, scaup populations peaked at nearly eight million birds. Today, there are half that number, following a steady decline since about 1985.
However, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service, eight of the 10 species surveyed on the ponds and wetlands of U.S. and Canada are at or above waterfowl management goals.
- Ken Hoopengarner has been the Herald's outdoor writer for 19 years. He can be reached at 582-1544 or via e-mail at khoopengarner@tri-cityherald.com
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