The biologists at Ducks Unlimited published their 2010 Waterfowl Forecast report today and all in all, the news isn’t too bad. Odds are most hunters have seen these number previously as they were factors in deciding whether we had a sixty day season or not.
A few key tidbits from the report:
- Mallards were down 1% from 2009’s numbers, but up 12% over the long term average.
- This year’s midcontinent mallard population of 8.6 million birds and 3.7 million May ponds which means all four flyways will have liberal seasons.
- Pintail’s breeding population was the most in the last decade at 3.5 million birds.
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that during the 2009-2010 waterfowl season 1.1 million waterfowlers bagged a total of 13.1 million ducks in the United States. This was slightly down over the 2008-2009 season totals.
To read the full report on Ducks Unlimited’s website, visit the 2010 Waterfowl Forecast online.
