Federal duck count offers hope for 2024 waterfowlers
Published: , in Outdoor News
Breeding duck numbers are up for the first time since 2015, and wetland conditions have improved across wide swathes of the all-important prairie pothole region, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2024 Waterfowl Population Status report released Tuesday.
The continental breeding population of ducks was estimated at 33.99 million, a 5% increase from last year but still 4% below the long-term average, while May pond counts, often a harbinger of breeding habitat conditions and potential production, increased by 4% (5.16 million total ponds) over last spring.
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