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Mallards

PostPosted: Wed Feb 28, 2018 2:11 pm
by don novicki
Over at Hunting Pa.com you can read The proposal for the 2019/20 seasons where you they intend to cut the daily mallard limit to two birds. Any thoughts?

Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Wed Feb 28, 2018 3:11 pm
by aunt betty
Well that'd be much easier since I can't count past 5.

Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2018 7:13 am
by Rick
Saw what appeared a press release on another site and have to wonder how many folks outside the state of New York that Atlantic Flyway measure would really impact? Much less what it might actually do for that region's mallard population...

Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Thu Mar 01, 2018 8:39 am
by Rick
"Atlantic Flyway Council and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are poised to reduce the mallard bag limit in the Atlantic Flyway from 4 to 2 birds per day starting with the 2019–2020 hunting. Mallards are managed as three distinct population units including Western (California, Oregon and Washington), Mid-continent (prairie pothole region, parklands and boreal forest) and Eastern (northeast states and eastern Canada). Bag limits and season lengths for the Atlantic Flyway are primarily influenced by the population status of eastern mallards through an adaptive harvest management (AHM) framework. Band recovery information suggests that most mallards harvested from North Carolina to eastern Canada are produced within the region. In recent years, the breeding population of mallards in eastern Canada has been stable but declining in the northeastern states especially New York and Pennsylvania. The decline is significant enough to cause the current AHM model to predict restrictive seasons in the Atlantic Flyway.

Based on historical records, mallards in northeastern North America were common migrants but rarely bred there. Depletion of wild stocks due to market gunning and later the outlawing of live decoys resulted in the wholesale release of captive mallards. Thus, the release of captive reared birds was likely more responsible for mallards appearing in the northeast than eastward expansion from the core range in the Prairie Pothole Region. In fact, recent genetic studies suggest eastern mallards are more closely related to Old World mallards than their prairie brethren. Manmade modifications to the landscape allowed mallards to nest in areas previously unexploited by the species and populations of mallards in the northeast grew significantly over time as they pioneered new habitat.

Duck harvest management in the Atlantic Flyway was historically based on the status of prairie ducks and later mallards via adaptive harvest management (AHM). Drastic population declines due to drought on the prairies during the 1980s, resulting restrictive seasons (3 birds/day and 30-day seasons) and band recovery data suggesting few prairie ducks are harvested in the Atlantic Flyway served as an impetus for data collection and investigating AHM for eastern mallards. Following a decade of data collection through the Atlantic Flyway Breeding Waterfowl Survey, the Eastern Survey Area Breeding Waterfowl Survey (Canada) and intensified preseason banding, an AHM model for eastern mallards was established in 2000 and has informed harvest management in the Atlantic Flyway to present.

The eastern mallard breeding population reached a peak of 1.1 million in 2004 but has significantly declined since and last year’s estimate was approximately 650,000. While the population in eastern Canada has largely been stable, it has been declining in the northeast U.S., especially in New York and Pennsylvania. The decline since 2004 represents about 420,000 birds and is significant enough for the current AHM model to recommend reduced hunter harvest.

The cause of the eastern mallard population decline is undetermined. Hypothesized reasons for the decline include loss of carrying capacity on breeding and non-breeding areas, reduction in “artificial” winter feeding activities in the NE states, over harvest, and the population exceeding carrying capacity and stabilizing at a lower equilibrium population near carrying capacity (e.g., like reintroduced wild turkey populations). Biologists are currently examining existing data sets (juvenile/adult age ratios and banding data) to identify potential issues with production and survival.

Atlantic Flyway biologists from the states and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are currently working towards a new multi-stock AHM model that will include mallards and four additional species including green-winged-teal, wood duck, ring-necked duck and goldeneye. Collectively, these species make up about 60% of the Atlantic Flyway duck harvest. Consequently, hunters will likely retain liberal or moderate season packages (60 and 45 days, respectively). Despite this forthcoming change, the Atlantic Flyway is proposing to reduce the mallard daily bag limit from 4 to 2 starting in 2019. Modeling suggests that reducing the bag in this manner will reduce harvest by 25% and achieve a sustainable harvest level.

Ramifications of the observed decline are complex and extend beyond eastern mallards. Like eastern mallards, the American black duck, a flagship species of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture and high priority NAWMP species, harvest is managed via a species-specific AHM model. Within the black duck AHM model it is hypothesized that the abundance of eastern mallards adversely impacts the black duck population via reduced production. The mechanism for this potential impact is via competition during the breeding season as these species are closely related both morphologically and genetically. There is also potential for hybridization between these two species where they overlap on non-breeding areas. Thus, there are potential tradeoffs when considering management decisions surrounding these two species. "


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Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Thu Nov 22, 2018 12:21 pm
by don novicki
Based on how few mallards I and others have seen this season, the biologists are right. If they don't change the way they base seasons, on overall mallard numbers we are going to be looking g at closed seasons pretty shortly. Of course the Game Commission told us that already at the 2017 waterfowl symposium. For you guys that know the area, if they close the season for any length of time we will be done hunting at P.I. forever. At least that's my opinion.

Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Sun Dec 09, 2018 6:31 am
by don novicki
Inland season is over, I have killed one mallard this season and that was at P.I.. The biologists are right. Things don't look good for us here in NW Pa.. For the first time ever I am contemplating selling all my gear and getting into another activity. Now that I am retired and finally have time to hunt, there are no birds. It's a shame.

Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Sun Dec 09, 2018 8:30 am
by Duck Engr
don novicki wrote:Inland season is over, I have killed one mallard this season and that was at P.I.. The biologists are right. Things don't look good for us here in NW Pa.. For the first time ever I am contemplating selling all my gear and getting into another activity. Now that I am retired and finally have time to hunt, there are no birds. It's a shame.


That is a shame Don! How quickly did things fall off? Gradual over a lot of years or pretty dramatic here recently?

Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 7:13 am
by don novicki
In the last 5-7 years it has really gone downhill fast. I worry about the Wood Ducks because that is all we see anymore. They will not be able to take the pounding year after year if that is all we shoot. I have a ton of gear that I'm going to sell next year. Kills me to do it but it's taking up too much space in my garage and hasn't been out in the field for years.

Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Mon Oct 04, 2021 5:05 pm
by don novicki
It will be very interesting how many mallards we see this year. I didnt get out much 2019 and 2020 due to medical conditions but Im hopeful to get out this year as much as possible. Getting old bites......

Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Sat Nov 27, 2021 8:56 am
by don novicki
Its a rare day when you see, let alone kill a mallard. I've not shot one yet. Looks bad for next year

Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2021 12:52 pm
by don novicki
Our inland season closes 12-4. Havent even had the opportunity to see a mallard let alone pull up on one.Duck hunting here is dying and frankly it was never that great anyways.Even goose hunting is not what it once was as the geese seem more educated and dont even look at a spread anymore. Maybe its me and the way I hunt but the methods I use have worked for decades. I dont know. I look for huge changes next year.

Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2021 12:56 pm
by Duck Engr
Hate to see those reports Don! Sounds like the situation is as dire on the ground as what I’m reading in articles

Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2021 5:26 pm
by don novicki
I know its not gospel but if you look at the DU migration map there are dam few reports where anyone, anywhere is doing any good.Up and down each of the flyways and Canada you rarely see any positives. Guys that are up north here in Pa, NY, NJ etc. are still waiting on a push. I dont see it happening this year. People at the DU site probably dont post when they crush them because then others would be out there at those spots. Regardless, it seems the lack of birds is all over and not just limited to our area.

Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Tue Nov 30, 2021 8:44 am
by SpinnerMan
The eastern flyway is a different animal. Mallards actually used to be very rare in the eastern flyway. A large fraction of their ancestory is domesticated mallards. It's a very different situation and driver than around here. We will probably see piles of them after the season closes.

We had days in the 50's and 60's over the last two weeks. It's supposed to be 58 on Thursday. When I first started hunting this area, it was probably 50/50 if we would be froze out by Thanksgiving and if I hunted in December, it was usually on top of the ice.

This type of weather does not move mallards. So wherever they are, they have been there and are long since stale.

We used to have a steady flow of mallards. Ups and downs, but new birds moving through for about a month. Now it seems we go from nothing to they all pile into the cooling lake in late December and stay there through the end of goose season because even though it gets cold, it doesn't get and stay arctic to allow the snow and ice to push them further.

The last few winters it seems like there are more mallards than ever on the cooling lake once they get there. Three years ago I hunted next to a field where I saw something I had never seen. Acres and acres and acres of mallards. Through the binoculars it was just wall to wall duck. Unfortunately it was a month after duck season closed. There was a day where the mallards were coming of the lake. For hours, there was hardly a point where I couldn't see 100 mallards in the air heading out to feed. If I hunted today, I might not even see a single duck. Come mid January. Probably a different story and not unusual to see huge numbers.

I do wonder if the early bird gets the worst.

What are the odds of survival for a mallard that moves steadily southward from Canada over the course of November through January? He's hunted in Canada in September and October. Hunted in the upper Midwest in November. Hunted lower Midwest in December and final in the south through the end of January.

Now how about the ones that hold fast and winters in the north. Still hunted in Canada in September and October. But the longer the stay, the more stale they get. So yes, November, still being hunted. Maybe they push down into the far norther parts of the U.S. and are hunted through November. December the season is closed. End of December they start to push down to the upper midwest where maybe there is some season open, but most of the traditional duck hunting areas are froze. But the big push is in January and by then the upper Midwest is all closed.

Which behavior leads to the highest mortality and which leads to the lowest? Apply a little Darwinian math over many generations of ducks. Is it enough natural selection for the Peppered Moth population shift its color distribution? Compound that with warmer than average winters that slow the migration and its probably not surprising what we have been seeing.

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Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 7:50 am
by don novicki
You make a lot of sense Spinner.

Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2022 4:59 pm
by don novicki
Second to the last day here in the Lake Erie Zone and NW Zones for ducks. Good day at Presque Isle this afternoon and tagged a couple of nice fat mallards. Cold 10 degrees, snow and a NW wind is what we live for and it was a great time getting out. Who knows what next year will bring in terms of seasons an bag limits but regardless, even if it's only 30 days I still hope to get out. Hope everyone is doing well and having some success..... :duck:

Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2022 6:10 pm
by Duck Engr
Nice way to end it Don!

Re: Mallards

PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 10:39 am
by don novicki
Thanks Engr. :thumbsup: