Some people say that predator control is the solution to declining duck populations. Are ducks in serious trouble?
With a few important exceptions, waterfowl populations are doing extremely well. During the latter half of the 1990’s most duck and goose species were near record levels, and hunters in many areas experienced record-high harvests through the year 2000. Duck populations declined slightly in 2001 and 2002 due to dry conditions on the breeding grounds. In 2003, populations have rebounded, thanks to spring snow and rain in key areas of the breeding grounds where good nesting habitat still exists.
