The DNR says 87,000 Minnesotans hunted ducks last year.
Ducks in Canada
The duck situation in Manitoba has a major impact on whether Minnesota hunters will see ducks here later this season. And there's good news to the north. "There's lots of ducks around here right now," said Mark Francis, conservation program specialist for Ducks Unlimited Canada in Brandon. He's seen plenty of mallards, teal and gadwall.
The waterfowl season for residents opened there two weeks ago. "It's been very good," Francis said.
Wetland conditions are good to very good he said, and spring duck production was good, he said. Total breeding ducks in southern Manitoba declined 26 percent from 1.8 million birds in 2006 to 1.3 million birds this year, but populations of mallards, gadwalls, redheads, canvasbacks and shovelers remained near or above the long-term average, while wigeon, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, pintails and scaup were below average.
Radioed ringnecks
Duck hunters in northern Minnesota could encountered radioed ringnecks. As part of a study, about 50 ringneck ducks have been banded and fitted with radios to track their movement, Cordts said.
There is some concern over declining numbers of ringnecks, and the study will look at their survival and use of refuges in the area. Cordts expects that perhaps a dozen will be killed by hunters this fall. Hunters who shoot one can call in the information on the bands. And they can keep the radio transmitters as a souvenir, Cordts said, because it costs too much to refurbish them.
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