Bluebill Population?

[eyepatrol]

Anyone know what's going on with the bluebill population now days? I had read or heard a year or two ago that their population had been decreasing and there wasn't any good information to determine why. Just wondering if anyone has heard about the population and if any actions are being taken to make improvements.

Thanks.

bc

[Riverratpete]

I think they are still doing the tracking study, probably be a couple years before they can develop any hard data.

[cmoredrakes]

A few years ago, the bluebill population went way down due to diseases in the mussels and other food sources on the bottom of the mississippi and the St.croix river.The diseases that carried in the mussels and othe foods transfered into the bluebills and killed a bunch of them. The DNR showed a bunch of pictures of dead bluebills on the 2 rivers, it was a horrifying and tradgic sight .

[B. Amish]

i think the main reason why they are hurting is because they aren't having any nesting success. the populatin of bluebills have been on a steady decline for the last twenty years. they've done studies that show bluebills are losing weight (when they should be gaining) as they migrate through MN in the spring, they then arrive on their breeding grounds in the boreal forests of canada in poor condition. they then have to spend more time searching for food and building up strength so that they can nest. the result is lower nesting success or they may not nest at all.

one of the problems with studying 'bills is that their nesting locations are in such remote locations. its hard to get research done on them during their nesting season.

i've also heard that there may be a problem with zebra mussels. the explosion of zebra mussels in the great lakes has made an easy and accessible food source for the ducks. however, zebra mussels filter incredible amounts of water through their bodies which is how they feed. the problem is that they also filter out all of the contaminants that may be in the water and retain those contaminants in their flesh. those contaminants are then passed up the food chain and into bluebills. they think some of those contaminants are making the egg shells weak and brittle and again resulting in low nest success.

These reasons and more are why DU and agencies like the USFWS are working to restore shallow lakes in MN. getting rid of fish and restoring the natural vegetation to the lakes will hopefully help these birds recover.

[eyepatrol]

Thanks for the replies fellas. Hopefully the biologists can get things figured out and come up with some effective solutions.

Bluebills in my opinion are one of the funnest ducks to hunt with their lightening speed and ability to flare in high winds. Plus, they typically come in bigger flocks and if you've ever had a decent sized flock come screaming over your head from behind or banking around to come in, you'll know that they sound like a darn jet with the way the air moves past their wings. Even when they are 1000 feet up in the sky, there are times you'll hear that jet sound of their wings before you even see them. An exillerating and unforgettable experience in my mind.

Thanks for the replies and lets hope something good can be found to help them out.

bc

[kelly-p]

"When the predator work started in 1994, Rohwer said, researchers didn't find a single scaup nest on the trapping site. "Now you can find a whole bunch," he said. "The scaup population has just gone through the roof here.""

That quote is from Brad Docken's July 17 article in the Grank Forks Herald about Delta Waterfowls Predator trapping study in N.D. Overall they are now at 80% waterfowl nesting success in the study areas.

[outdoor ran]

BC, I hear you on missing the bills. They are my favorite duck to hunt. I miss them days of the HUGE flocks. I've heard alot of reasons why there in such rough shape. But, I don't think anyone knows for sure. Theres just nothing like a light snow, little bit of ice and a drake bill gliding across the dekes.

[eyepatrol]

Or flocks of 20 to 60 coming in every 10 mintues!!

Biggest flock we ever had swing by the dekes was probably 150 to 200, no kidding. They came from behind us over the trees and like I said earlier, had that jet sound to them. Soooo many of them you couldn't even hear yourself say "hhhhoooollllyyyyy S*i#"

But alas, that was probably 15 years ago.

Wait a minute...I was 12 at the time...that was 20 years ago!!!

[outdoor ran]

I hunt a bay off of lake Superior. We use to get huge flocks. One morning Wydlewal, the old man and I watched a flock come in that had to be over 500 bluebills. Sounded like a jumbo jet. There were so many the 3 of us just stood up and watched them, never fired a shot. I've never seen anything like it before and probaly never see it again. Just can't put it into words.

[eyepatrol]

In the words of Frank Barrone (Everybody Loves Raymond)....HOLY dump!!!! I've never seen a flock of 'bills that big before, much less have them come by. That must have been a sight to see! And quite a sound to hear too! I can't even imagine what a flock that big would sound like....just what about 150-200 sounds like.

This is terrible, but when the flock of 150 - 200 came by, there was 4 of us that completely unloaded our guns and guess how many we got....1!!! And it was wounded! I guarantee you I didn't even aim at a single bird....I was just awestruck at my young age. Now, for the older guys like my dad and neighbors....well, let's just say whenever a big flock comes in and we get a couple, I always remind them of how good of a shot they were on that flock of 'bills and I end up claiming the ducks. Just a little something to rile them up a bit! Hunter's talk.

[eyepatrol]

Man!!! Now I've talked myself right into getting pumped up for the season!!! Ohhhh, it's gonna be a long 2 months! And 3 months before the 'bills come down! UGH!

Early goose season can't come soon enough to give me a fix!

[gethanet]

I live in the southern part of the state and the shallow lakes are weedless and you are luck to see 6" down on a clear lake. They have to start doing somthing with all the carp and do it real soon before other ducks start hurting. They have youth days how about carp days. That would be by any means you can get carp. Just a thought.

[wyldewal]

The best thing about that day was the came from nowhere. Three sets of eyes and no one saw them until they where over the dekes. The sound was unbelievable, Just like a jet. Is it time to hunt yet?!

[eyepatrol]

Not yet! But I think I better start checking my knots and patching holes in decoys!

[outdoor ran]

Basscatcher, you and Wydlewal need to get together and work on you decoys. Everytime I call wall to go fishing he's gettting his duck hunting stuff ready