Duck population IF a full season was cancelled

Not sure


Yes

I can believe that. I also wish I could still go to Manchac and shoot mallards like my dad did in the 70s. Mother Nature is a fickle bitch.

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I also wish I could still go to Manchac and shoot mallards like my dad did in the 70s.

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I think this is more what the OP is talking about. The numbers WE see down here.

If so, that will never happen again because of the drastic changes in agricultural practices up north. Too much waste grain on the ground up there because of no-till practices. When there is plenty of water, and no snow coverage, those big ole fat mallards aren't coming down here in big numbers.

The drastic decrease in rice acreage in Louisiana and increase in SE Arkansas doesn't help either.

We have plenty of ducks now. Just don't see the numbers down here because of what has changed up north.

Besides, how much more could the population actually grow based on the habitat we have now? If you have a really wet year in the potholes and Canada, you may see a big jump. But if you have average to below average moisture years like the last few have been reported to be, you won't see much growth.

Hunting is not as big a factor in population growth as people think. Habitat is a major factor.

Last year's estimated population was 48.4 million, with an estimated 14.8 million harvest, so roughly 30%.

In 1970, the population was estimated around 40 million, and the harvest estimate was around 17 million.

Some may look at that and think it would increase the population substantially if the season was closed one year, but it really wouldn't. The graphs of population estimates over time correspond pretty well with pond numbers.

More ponds, more ducks.

There are more ducks now than there were then, at least by estimates. You just don't see as many down south. No till farming in the midwest is leaving more grain in the field, and there's more habitat for them. They are just spread out over a larger area. Very few animals experience population booms, and when they do it takes years. As others have said hunters don't kill much of the population anyway.

I would not want the 1970 duck populations,


Canceling a season wont fixed the ever changing migration patterns , habitat changes, imprinting and habitat degradation....



Now getting rid of no till farming.........




Don't let people drive mud and air boats over every square inch of marsh and lease


Don't let people take trucks atv and utv all the way to blinds....




Leave the ducks an place and a chance to rest

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None killed with 15+million new birds would out the iverall ÷s near or over 60 million.

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Assuming the habitat is there. Have to have the ponds to support that extra 15 million birds.

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t would have zero impact on improving your local hunting conditions



The birds not coming here would follow their friends elsewhe

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Um, kinda have to think some of their friends would be headed here, right?

Come on guy, catch a grip. More ducks would mean more sucks anywhere where there are ducks.

And I have to believe a larger % of those killed happen via the central flyway

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eople gripe now about not seeing birds when the surveys say we have 2.5 to 3 million. There could be 100 million birds and people would still claim to not see ducks. HA!

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this.... as they stand up in their blind with their heads sticking up above the cover holding a shiny coke can while facing east with that shiny beacon visible for 2 miles...


the biology of the duck population does not support shutting the season down to improve hunting on a macro level... it seems you are the one that needs to get a grip on the big picture.


the duck migration is changing... and people are the reason not hunters.. just like along the east coast - the canada geese there used to be coastal now they are nearly strictly aggie area there..... things change....


if you can't comprehend what the degraded and changing habitat in parts of la (erosion, less area in grain production, more people traversing marshes DAY and NIGHT) and NO TILL farming you simply don't understand enough about the waterfowl resource we enjoy. You should probably talk more with biologists and wildlife managers, land managers and less with bulletin board PHDs


If you think everyone thought it was sunshine and rainbows 25 and 30 years ago or even 15 years ago you are wrong.....

a certain marsh near NO used to be covered with ducks.... now they are lucky to get dos gris.. things change...

Tiger head spot on


But if you look historically in our lifetimes at mid west snowfall with no till farming it takes about 5-8 days of snow / ice. Over crops to keep ducks from being able to feed and forcing their migration. Even years ago that scenario rarely happened until jan


Also more and more acreage being crawfish we is not great for ducks


And rice harvesting today leaves much less spillage than years ago


Compond this with the constantly degrading coastal marshes and the sheer increase in boats traversing these coastal marshes now and you have the present situation




South la has very few places other thn refuges where ducks can rst un molested during the day.......or night