DNR conducts mid-winter waterfowl survey for 2005
A total of 74,421 ducks were observed during the survey, representing a 24 percent decline from 2004 but close to the average of the previous six years (73,058).
South Carolina's 60-day duck hunting season ended in late January, and the 2005 Mid-Winter Waterfowl Survey has been completed.
Walt Rhodes, a wildlife biologist with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, has teamed with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pilot-biologist Carl Ferguson to conduct the aerial portion of the state's mid-winter survey since 1994.
The survey is done at an altitude of 150 feet and is not designed to count all of the ducks in the state. The intention is to determine the distribution of waterfowl species within areas of the Atlantic Flyway and to detect trends in each state's wintering population.
Ground surveys are also conducted as part of the survey on several wildlife management areas and federal refuges located around the state.
Rhodes considers this year's survey to be average, with good news for some species and bad news for others in the Palmetto State.
"Most species were near numbers seen in the state in recent years," Rhodes said. "Mallards, however, remain far below their average, and wigeon were down by nearly 50 percent, which resembles a continental trend with this species.
"One bright spot was pintails. This species has been in a severe decline continentally, but our numbers during the last three mid-winter surveys have been up and fairly stable. I hope this is partly attributed to the more restrictive seasons on this particular species during the last three duck seasons."
The low numbers of mallards observed may come as a surprise to residents who often see them in their neighborhoods. But most of those ducks are practically domesticated and are not part of the migratory group.
"We're seeing fewer and fewer wild migratory mallards in South Carolina every year," said Bob Perry, a DNR biologist based out of Georgetown. "We believe and have a very strong case that many of the 'South Carolina mallards' never make it to South Carolina. They're being harvested in mid-continent states in the early parts of the migration."
Other species appear to be doing very well according to the numbers observed in the survey.
"Overall, the number of ducks observed during our survey was similar to the average since 1999," said Rhodes. "Green-winged teal were the most numerous species observed, followed by ring-necked ducks, Northern pintails, gadwalls and American wigeon."
A total of 74,421 ducks were observed during the survey, representing a 24 percent decline from 2004 but close to the average of the previous six years (73,058).
Perry pointed out that the draw hunts on WMAs along the coast were largely successful during the season. Some of the more productive WMAs were Samworth (Georgetown County), Santee-Delta (Georgetown), Santee Coastal Reserve (Georgetown and Charleston counties) and Bear Island (Colleton).
"Hunting on all of them was real good," said Perry. "We definitely saw an increase in pintails, green-winged teal and gadwall. Early on there was an increase in the blue-winged teal. Some of the freshwater WMAs like Samworth and Santee-Delta had good concentrations of wood ducks early [in the season] before they dispersed."
Again, however, the 2005 season will go down as an average one, thanks in part to the two-week stretch of exceptionally warm weather experienced in the state in early- to mid-January.
"When you have a prolonged warm spell during the middle of the season it normally doesn't bode well," said Perry. "I think that's why we had an average year. If we have prolonged cold weather throughout the wintering period it will make for a better waterfowl season."
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