State duck kill expected to be similar to last year; pheasant harvest could be up

The heart of Minnesota's hunting season is fast approaching; here's the outlook for two key species:

Minnesota's 80,000 or so duck hunters should find ducks over their decoys this fall, said Steve Cordts, Department of Natural Resources waterfowl specialist.

"I think the opener should be pretty good, at least based on the number of ducks that are around right now,'' said Cordts.

He expects a duck harvest similar to last year, when hunters bagged an estimated 783,000 ducks — about the same as 2012 and the second-highest harvest in the past 10 years.

The bigger question is how many hunters will show up. Last year, about 77,000 people hunted ducks, down about 4,000 from 2012. Just 10 years ago, more than 100,000 people hunted ducks.

Meanwhile, state and federal spring duck population surveys were mixed. The state's breeding mallard population was down 12 percent last spring, but was 13 percent above the long-term average. But the federal continental duck survey showed the breeding population at 49.2 million, a record high. Mallard numbers were 42 percent above the long-term average and blue-winged teal were 75 percent above the long-term average.

Minnesota's season opens Sept. 27.

About 15,000 pheasant hunters sat out last season, apparently deterred by a 29 percent decline in the pheasant index. They probably made a mistake. Officials believe that because of a late hatch, there were more birds than expected last fall, and many hunters reported having pretty good luck.

The same thing could happen again this fall. The pheasant index was up 6 percent this year, even though persistent rain in June likely killed some newly hatched chicks. But officials say there might have been a second hatch after nests were washed out, which could mean there will be more birds than the August roadside count showed.

DNR pheasant biologist Nicole Davros said hunters could kill 224,000 roosters this fall, or about 32 percent more than last year's harvest of 169,000 — the lowest in 27 years. The decline in hunter numbers to 62,000 — also the lowest in 27 years — likely contributed to the small harvest.

"I think it will be a good year,'' Davros said. "People gave up too easily last year.''

Still, loss of habitat remains a major concern. There was a net loss of 7,700 acres of habitat in the pheasant range because landowners pulling out of the federal Conservation Reserve Program.

The pheasant season opens Oct. 11.

Doug Smith • 612-673-7667