Duck seasons have been set since 1995 utilizing a system called Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM). The main two components of the AHM are mid-continent mallard populations and ponds in Prairie Canada during May.
A look at population counts for mid-continent mallards
· 1999 = 11.8 million
· 2004 = 8.4 million
· 2005 = 7.5 million
A look at pond counts in Canada during the May survey
· 1999 = 3.9 million ponds
· 2004 = 2.5 million ponds
· 2005 = 3.9 million ponds
These are not really poor conditions and still we are rapidly losing our population of mid-continent Mallards. Reproduction today is very low and only with awesome water conditions do we see populations expanding reproduction. The following is from the document titled “North American Ducks” by David Caithamer and Graham W. Smith, USFWS, reproduced with permission from David F. Caithamer and they say, “Highly variable precipitation in the Prairie Potholes has changed the number of wetlands available for nesting. For example, in 1979 there were 6.3 million wetlands in the
surveyed portion of the Prairie Pothole Region, but by the next spring wetlands in the same area has decreased 55% to 2.9 million. Two years later they increased more than 100% to 4.2 million. These annual changes can temporarily mask the long term declining trend in wetland abundance across the Prairie Pothole Region.” This is so true and real. The large populations of Mallards during the mid 90’s were a result of record water levels throughout most of the Prairie Pothole Region. In more normal conditions, ducks fail at population expanding reproduction. This all adds up to a declining Mallard population. Most of these wetlands that fluctuate are unprotected by duck organizations or the USFWS.
