Spring Duck Index Up, Water Conditions Down

[KEN W]

Spring Duck Index Up, Water Conditions Down

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s annual spring breeding duck survey showed an indexof 4.8 million birds,up 16 percent from last year and 112 percent above the long-term average (1948-2011). The 2012 indexis the third highest on record.

All species were well above the long-term average. Wigeon (+88 percent) and green-winged teal (+221 percent) were at record highs. Mallards,gadwall,blue-winged teal, shovelers,redheads and ruddy ducks exceeded the long-term average by more than 100 percent.

Only pintails,shovelers and canvasbacks were down more than 10 percent from last year,and mallards were essentially unchanged. Blue-winged teal were at their highest level since 2001,missing the record high by less than 1 percent.

“Excellent production last summer brought many breeding pairs back to the state,” said Mike Szymanski,waterfowl biologist. “Fortunately,there was still enough habitat to attract them to North Dakota.”

The spring water indexwas down 57 percent from 2011 and 6 percent from the long-term average. Compared to last year, Szymanski said water indices observed on individual transects were all down 50-65 percent. The water indexis based on basins with water,and does not necessarily represent the amount of water contained in wetlands.

“Water conditions were good in larger wetlands,but the lack of snow this past winter and the lack of significant spring rains reduced the number of temporary and seasonal wetlands,” Szymanski said. “Undoubtedly,many wetlands dried up within days of completing the survey.”

Additionally,nesting cover in North Dakota continues to decline. During the survey, Szymanski noted many large tracts of grassland and Conservation Reserve Program land had been converted to cropland since last year. “North Dakota currently has about 2.3 million acres of CRP,which is down about 30 percent from 2007,” Szymanski added. “Projections are that more than 650,000 acres will be lost in 2012,and an additional 1.1 million acres will be lost in 2013-14. The loss of critical nesting cover will be disastrous for breeding ducks,other nesting birds and hunting opportunities in the future.”

The July brood survey will provide a better idea of duck production and insight into expectations for this fall. Observations to date indicate prospects for good production across the state given abundant breeding pairs and average wetland conditions.

[KEN W]

If ND loses 1.75 million acres of CRP out of 2.3 million.....It will be the end of the glory days.Populations of deer,pheasants,and ducks will go down like a rock.Better enjoy a the next 2 years.

[TylerS]

If ND loses 1.75 million acres of CRP out of 2.3 million.....It will be the end of the glory days.Populations of deer,pheasants,and ducks will go down like a rock.Better enjoy a the next 2 years.

You can say that again! If CRP goes and we enter into another dry cycle, you can kiss your good waterfowl hunting goodbye, never mind the upland birds and deer, too. Of course, biologists and conservations have been preaching this for years and years (just saw a Delta article from 2004 talking about the concerns of CRP acreage on the horizon) and seemingly to deaf ears.

My question is: What can be done about it? In all likelihood, the funding going toward conservation measures in the next Farm Bill will be less than the previous bill. Also, the cap on CRP acres will be reduced. If you look at the acres applied to be enrolled and those actually accepted, you will see that many acres were turned away simply because of a lack of funding, not simply that farmers are greedy (which is what many people assume).

Obviously, compound that with the high commodity prices and high rental rates for land, and you get a whirlwind death storm for modern conservation, unrivaled since the end of the Soil Bank days.

But you don't have to convince hunters or wildlife lovers about the dangers of CRP. In fact, you probably don't need to tell them twice. How are we supposed to convince a LARGELY urban population that we need to put more funding toward wildlife, when their biggest concerns are rush-hour traffic or football stadiums? Heck, just look at the distribution of the Farm Bill, which will stick for the next 10 years. Nearly 80 percent ($768.2 billion spread over a decade) goes toward food stamps and nutrition.

Conservation accounts for less than six percent ($57.7 billion) of the overall budget. And that money has to be stretched across all 50 states, and across a myriad of other programs besides CRP.

Face it: we could use Jesus' loaf of bread trick right about now.

What I'm interested in in the ALUS program that Delta Waterfowl is spearheading. It's kind of a grassroots movement at the moment, and test plots are springing up across Canada. I've heard rumors that will be moving into the U.S. soon. It might be a band aid for an arterial wound, but it's better than nothing. And heck, with how leery some people are about governments and subsidized farming practices, why not a private, nonprofit organization to pick up where CRP has left off?