Newspaper Page Text
Page 2C
December 7, 2022
^Reporter
MONROE OUTDOORS by Terry W. Johnson
First duck census since 2019 shows
numbers stable for Monroe Co. hunters
A s far as most duck
hunters are con
cerned, the most
important wildlife
survey is the United States
Fish and Wildlife Services
Waterfowl Population Sur
vey The results of the survey
provide wildlife
biologists and
hunters alike with
information re
garding the status
of the continents
most important
duck breeding
habitat and the
populations of
ducks breeding
there.
The survey also
gives duck hunt
ers some idea of how many
ducks will be heading south
in the fall. The significance
of this survey is especially
important this year since
it marks the first time the
survey has been conducted
in three years. Surveys were
not done in 2020 and 2021
out of concerns for the safety
of the men and women
that gather this extremely
important data.
Unfortunately, during
this two-year hiatus a large
swath of the Prairie Pothole
region of the Canada and
the United States suffered
through one of the worst
droughts in years. As a
result, critical duck breeding
habitat in Prairie Canada
was the driest it has been in
TERRY W. JOHNSON
40 years.
The situation in North
Dakota mirrored what was
happening in Canada. The
results of North Dakota
Department of Game and
Fish’s water index surveys
were down a whopping 80
percent from
2020 and 67
percent below
the 72-year
average. With
the conver
gence of histor
ic drought
conditions and
a lack of data
on numbers of
ducks attempt
ing to breed in
this area, many
experts feared the worst.
As it turned out, the 2022
survey found 34.2 million
ducks in the Western Survey
Area that covers 1.3 million
acres extending from Alaska
and northern Canada to the
north-central United States,
and south-central Canada.
This represents 15 million
(-31 percent) fewer ducks
than were tallied just seven
years ago.
The dry conditions affect
ed some species more than it
did others. The populations
of only two species (blue
winged teal and redheads)
increased since 2019.
Survey efforts revealed 6.485
million (+19%) blue-winged
teal, and 0.991 (million
+35%) redheads in the
survey area.
In comparison, the popu
lations of eight other species
dropped since the 2019
survey. Species showing de
clines were mallard - 7.223
million (-23%), gadwall -
2.665 million (-18%), Amer
ican wigeon - 2.127 (-25%),
green-winged teal - 2.170
million (-32%), northern
shoveler - 3.041 million
(-17%), northern pintail -
1.783 million (-21%), and
canvasback - 0.585 million
(-10%). The scaup (greater
and lesser) population (-
3.599) remained stable.
Most of the ducks that
reach Georgia nest in
the Eastern Survey Area,
which extends from the
Great Lakes states eastward
through eastern Canada and
the northeastern United
States. Far fewer ducks nest
here than in the Western
Survey Area. However, in
the case of wood ducks, the
vast majority breed here
as well as in wetlands scat
tered throughout the entire
eastern United States.
Breeding populations here
have a direct bearing on the
duck hunting in Georgia.
Fortunately, breeding habi
tat conditions were found to
be better across this region.
As a result, out of the six
duck species that make up
the bulk of the ducks that
nest in this segment of the
continent, the 2022 sur
vey indicates that only the
Although much of the duck breeding area in the western U.S. and Canada suffered
severe drought, reducing the number of eight out of 10 duck species, duck populations
remained relatively stable in the Eastern Survey area. (Photo/courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wild
life Service)
ringneck- 718,000 (-11%)
showed a decline. In com
parison, the mallard (1.038
million (+15%), American
black duck 729,000 (+9%),
green-winged teal - 301,000
1+7),and goldeneye (Bar-
rows, red-breasted and
hooded) - 780,000 (+13%)
demonstrated increases.
Since wood ducks are
extremely difficult to census,
the USFWS uses a variety of
other techniques to deter
mine their status. Waterfowl
biologists estimate this years
population at 1 million
birds. This is an indication
that the wood duck popula
tion is remaining stable. This
is good news for Georgia
duck hunters since it is the
most harvested duck in
Georgia.
While the 2022 survey
found that overall duck
populations are down, we
have every reason to believe
that they will rebound. The
primary breeding areas in
the Western Survey Area
received more rain and
snow this year than they
did in 2020-21. In addition,
current populations are high
enough to permit the birds
to rebound if habitat condi
tions continue to improve in
2023 and beyond.
On a local level, since most
of the ducks we see each
winter are raised well east
of the Western Survey Area
where breeding habitat was
in much better shape and
wood ducks make up the
bulk of our harvest, Mon
roe County ducks hunters
should see about the same
number of ducks that they
did in 2021.
Terry Johnson is retired
Program Manager of the
Georgia Nongame-Endan
gered Wildlife Program. He
has written the informative
column Monroe Outdoors’
for the Reporter for many
years. His book, A Journey
to Discovery’ is available at
The Reporter. Email him at
tjwoodduck@bellsouth. net.
Baby found as MCSO recovers stolen car
By Steve Reece
steve.reece@tinnail.com
A stolen 2007 Acura MDX was
recovered after a BOLO was released
on a wanted Cartersville man and a
missing ten-month-old child in the
stolen vehicle on Nov. 21. The child’s
father was later charged and taken to
the Monroe County Jail. According
to the incident report, deputy Just)m
Weaver spotted Maurice Hall, 31, of
Cartersville driving the Acura traveling
south on 1-75 near North Lee Street
around 11 p.m. and made the stop just
before Hwy. 18.
Both Hall and a female passenger,
Jada Henderson, were removed from
the vehicle, cuffed, and secured in
patrol cars. A male juvenile was also in
the car but not the missing child. The
deputy soon learned Hall was driving
with a suspended license and wanted
out of Cherokee County.
A clear Ziploc bag containing mar
ijuana and a grinder with residue was
found inside the SUV as well as an
open glass jar of Crown Royal Apple.
Bound in tbe trunk were 4.85 ounces
of marijuana inside an empty plastic
water cooler.
Hall was charged with the theft of
the stolen vehicle, driving without a
license, marijuana possession, open
container, and possession and use of
drug-related objects. Henderson was
charged with possession of a drug-re
lated object and both subjects were
taken to jail. The mother of the male
juvenile was taken to the sheriff’s office
to pick up her child. Lorsyth Wrecker
was called to tow the vehicle.
HALL
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