News from 1999 - 105 Million Ducks To Fly South This Fall

[webfoot]

News from the Past

105 Million Ducks To Fly South This Fall

MEMPHIS, August 5, 1999 - New data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is great news for hunters, conservationists, and wildlife lovers of all kinds. Every year, the service creates an index to predict the total number of ducks that will fly south come autumn.

This year, that index is 105 million. This represents a substantial increase over last year's index of 84 million, and eclipses the 1997 record-high of 92 million.

This number includes 13.6 million mallards, up from 11.8 million last year. Waterfowl experts say this year's record numbers are the result of excellent weather conditions and habitat provided through a variety of conservation programs.

"The fall flight index gives us a good idea about how ducks have responded to great nesting habitat and wetland conditions," says Don Young, Executive Vice President of Ducks Unlimited. "The habitat conservation efforts of DU and many others have complemented Mother Nature's wonderful contributions of precipitation.

In the late 90s, these factors have come together to produce some of the highest populations in decades. This is proof positive that restoring and protecting habitat to complement favorable climatic conditions will contribute to healthy and abundant waterfowl populations."

While overall duck populations are at record levels, the current status of two individual species continues to cause concern among waterfowl experts.

"Pintails and scaup pose special challenges," says Dr. Bruce Batt, DU's Chief Biologist. "They both showed some increases this year, but their populations are still far below where we would like them to be. We are especially concerned about their plight during years when precipitation is not as abundant. DU has initiated new research and habitat conservation programs that we hope will show the path to their recovery."

Ducks Unlimited is major partner in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, a blueprint for restoring and managing the continent's waterfowl populations. Other partners in the plan include government agencies, private landowners, corporations, other nonprofit conservation groups, and more.

[Don Miller]

Webfoot, some of the best duck hunting I can remember was the 88-89 duck season. We had a 2 mallard limit that year, but had a lot of cold weather. High duck numbers in MS are completely tied to freeze ups north of us.

[Wildfowler]

Webfoot, some of the best duck hunting I can remember was the 88-89 duck season. We had a 2 mallard limit that year, but had a lot of cold weather. High duck numbers in MS are completely tied to freeze ups north of us.

I agree with everything you said.

[mississippi_duc_htr]

Can you tell me what the fall flight count is for this year???

[MemphisStockBroker]

they flew south and never came back. they all started drinkin tequilla and got stuck in Mexico....

[Chad Manlove]

The USFWS ended the Fall Flight Index in 1999.

However, they continued the Mallard Fall Flight Index......something like 10.3 million mallards....up 11% from last year

[ducksunlimitedsucks]

I want to know who believes this. Don't have me convinced yet.

[goosebruce]

Really? Whut did your research turn up? Surely your not just figgering on whut flew over your head, counting the feet and dividing by 2 are ya? travis

[MAG]

bwahahaha!

goosebruce, some folks have that illness...I think the medical term is tunnel-visionitis!

Not everyone realizes that there is more to the big picture than what lies inside their one-day driving radius.

MAG

[Wildfowler]

I want to know who believes this. Don't have me convinced yet.

I don't have any reason to believe that the population number that the Fed's give us each year is anything other than the most accurate number that today's current technology can render.