Duck brood index up from last year
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual spring breeding duck survey showed an index of more than 4.5 million birds, an increase of 12 percent from last year and 107 percent above the long-term average (1948-2009). The 2010 index is the third highest on record, which means good news for hunters this fall.
All species, except for wigeon (down 9 percent), showed an increase from last year. Pintails were up 10 percent and were at the highest level since 1970. Mallards were up 12 percent and were the fourth highest on record. The most significant increases were ruddy ducks (up 162 percent), green-winged teal (up 91 percent), scaup (up 54 percent) and redhead (up 33 percent).
All species were above their long-term average.
The spring water index was up 5 percent from 2009 and 76 percent above the long-term average. It was the fifth highest in survey history and the highest since 1999.
Mike Johnson, North Dakota game and fish department game management section leader cautions that the water index is based on basins with water, and does not necessarily represent the amount of water contained in wetlands.
“Water conditions were generally good throughout the state, with the abundant snow cover and significant spring rains filling most basins,” Johnson said. “The large number of ducks tallied during our survey is consistent with the well-above-average populations we have been carrying since 1994. These high numbers are the result of abundant Conservation Reserve Program nesting cover combined with the wet conditions that have been in place since the summer of 1993.”
North Dakota's 2010 fall duck flight is expected to be up 20 percent from last year.
Johnson said the fall flight estimate is a combination of the breeding duck survey and the brood survey.
Results from the May breeding duck survey indicated the duck index was up 12 percent from 2009 and exceeded the long-term average by 107 percent.
Water conditions in May were up 5 percent from 2009 and 76 percent from the long-term average.
The mid-July waterfowl production survey revealed the duck brood index was up 14 percent from 2009 and 63 percent above the long-term average. Average brood size was 6.7 ducklings, down 0.4 from last year. The long term average is 7.1 ducklings per brood.
The water index in mid-July was down 14 percent from last year, but still 28 percent above the long-term average.
The index does not count every water body or duckling in the state. Instead, representative transects across the state are sampled each year. Over time, survey results provide biologists with trend information that allows annual comparisons of waterfowl production in the state.
Reports indicate that much of the Prairie Pothole Region in South Dakota and Montana are in good shape this spring. While much of prairie Saskatchewan and Manitoba are dry at the time of spring migration and settling. Johnson said Saskatchewan has since experienced significant improvement in water conditions that should benefit re-nesting and brood survival for those birds that did settle.
But, nesting cover in North Dakota continues to decline. Since the beginning of 2007, North Dakota has lost more than 700,000 CRP acres, and projections for the next two years indicate up to another 1.7 million acres could be converted to cropland.
“This loss of our critical nesting cover will be disastrous for breeding ducks and hunting opportunities in North Dakota,” Johnson said.
The July brood survey will provide a better idea of duck production and insight into what to expect this fall. Observations to date indicate that production will be improved across the state due to improved water conditions and increased wetland availability for brood production
