Fall waterfowl projections are in

Special teal season is just three weeks away, and Tom Bidrowski said Kansas waterfowl hunters have reason to be optimistic this year. Duck population estimates just released by the U.S Fish &Wildlife Service show most species are still strong.

“The surveys show about an overall two-percent reduction in total numbers from last year,” said Bidrowski, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism waterfowl biologist. “That's well within the survey's margin for error. For the most part, we should have about the same numbers of ducks as last year.”

Mallards, which make up about 40 to 50 percent of the annual harvest in Kansas, are down 11 percent, but, according to Bidrowski. “… you still have 10.5 million mallards to work with.”

While widgeon numbers decreased 19 percent, the gadwall population increased 13 percent and remains more than 100 percent above the long-term average that goes back to 1955.

Another bright spot is that blue-winged teal numbers are 18-percent higher than last year's flights. An increase in naive young-of-the-year birds always helps hunters. Species with a higher percentage of adult ducks become more challenging to fool with decoys and calls.

Bidrowski said drought across much of the Dakotas hurt duck production in those areas, but good conditions in parts of Canada helped keep numbers good.

Speices % from 2016, % from long-term average:

Mallard -11, +34

Gadwall +13, +111

Wigeon -19, +6

Green-winged teal -16, +70

Blue-winged teal +18, +57

Shoveler +10, +69

Pintail +10, -27

Redhead -13, +55

Canvasback -1, +25

Scaup -12, -13

With overall duck numbers virtually unchanged since last year, Bidrowski said local marsh conditions and fall weather will decide if it ends up being a memorable season.

“Overall we didn't have a stellar season last year, harvest-wise,” said Bidrowski. “We didn't really have any of the big pushes of birds come down, like hunters really get excited about. I think the birds just kind of trickled through. It wasn't too exciting.”

Hopefully states and provinces north of Kansas will have more winter-like weather this year. Drought in the Dakotas and parts of Nebraska could cause migrating birds to skip areas where they often spend most of the early fall, and come down to Kansas.

“For Kansas, basically what happens in the next three weeks will set up a lot of our season,” said Bidrowski. “That will be when we see what kind of seed production we get (on plants in marshes) and we see what kind of food we'll have to offer.”

It's also the time of year when managers at most public wetlands will start moving water from storage areas and into areas where things like millet, barnyard grass and smartweed have been growing. Places where water has sat most of the summer, because of high amounts of rain, won't have much food unless it begins to grow quickly.

Bidrowski said conditions at Cheyenne Bottoms, Kansas' top public wetland, are a little better than last year but not as good as several years ago. Too much rain has been one reason. Being short-staffed has been another problem. He said crews are currently working as best they can. Having more habitat is important for more reasons than just attracting and holding more ducks.

“It would be nice if we could really spread out the hunting pressure,” said Bidrowski. “The Bottoms has become kind of a national destination for a lot of hunters. It would really be nice, for everybody, if we could spread out some of that hunting pressure.”

Wet summer conditions also hampered work at the Neosho Wildlife Area in southeast Kansas, where the department has been renovating much of the marsh complex that can offer great hunting for mallards late in the season.

Goose populations remain at or near all-time highs, especially for smaller species of Canada geese. While duck season dates remain basically unchanged from last year, the limit on pintails has been dropped from two per day, to one.

Bidrowski noted that the Feb. 18 closing day of Canada and white-fronted goose seasons are among the latest possible under federal guidelines.

Many hunters in the Wichita area do well during the February goose hunts.

“I'm pretty optimistic about this season, looking at duck and goose populations, which both have good numbers said Bidrowski. “Now, we can just hope for the right kind of weather.”

This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 7:43 PM with the headline "Fall waterfowl projections are in."