So all this El Nino talk got me thinking of the last major El Nino, and the effects it had. Back then (1997-98 winter) I liked in the Canadian prairies. We loved it. It was crazy seeing days in January above freezing. However, it also meant we got and kept very little snow. I moved to Memphis in '99 and recall this was a major down turn in duck hunting success in the following few years. The lack of snow hurt duck numbers, and it also was around the time of the crazy rumors DU was baiting and 'short-stopping' ducks. Could it be a complete coincidence? Perhaps. The last El Nino happened the winter after the devastating floods in Manitoba and North Dakota caused by massive winter snow falls several winters in a row. The upside was pond counts went WAY up from 94-97, and meant more breeding grounds for ducks, and duck numbers sky rocketed. When El Nino came (and hung around for more than 1 winter) it caused major drought, and duck numbers collapsed at the turn of the century.
My point in all this is I'm really hoping this El Nino doesn't have bad long term effects. Simply because we have already been struggling the last few years with consistent hunting, low duck numbers would only make things worse.
Here's the charts to back up my assertion:
