A recently completed survey shows that most species of ducks remain well above long-term averages
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) released its recent report on 2016 Trends in Duck Breeding Populations, based on surveys conducted in May and early June. Overall, duck numbers in the survey area are statistically similar to last year and remain steady. Total populations were estimated at 48.4 million breeding ducks in the traditional survey area, which is 38 percent above the 1955-2015 long-term average. Last year’s estimate was 49.5 million birds. The projected mallard fall flight index is 13.5 million birds, similar to the 2015 estimate of 13.8 million. Below are listed a few species compared with 2015.
Mallards: 11,793 (11,643 in 2015) + 1%
Blue-winged teal: 6,869 (8,547 in 2015) – 22%
Scaup: 4,992 (4,395 in 2015) + 14%
Green-winged teal: 4,275 (4,091 in 2015) +5%
Northern shoveler: 3,967 (4,39 in 2015)1 -10
The determining factor for duck breeding success is wetland and upland habitat conditions in the key breeding landscapes of the prairies and the boreal forest. Conditions observed across the U.S. and Canadian survey areas during the 2016 breeding population survey were generally poorer than last year. The total pond estimate for the U.S. and Canada combined were 5.0 million, which is 21% below the 2015 estimate of 6.3 million and similar to the long-term average of 5.2 million.
Louisa County Approves Rifle Hunting
Will miracles never cease? At a recent meeting in Louisa County, the Board of Supervisers overwhelmingly approved rifle hunting. Previously, only shotguns were allowed to shoot deer – meaning slugs and buckshot.
Shotguns are deadly. In fact more hunting fatalities by far stem from shotgun accidents than rifle accidents. Yet, when it comes to knocking a deer and down and keeping it down, shotguns fail miserably. Many (perhaps as many as 1 in 4) animals are crippled and get away, only to suffer and die later. With a well placed shot from a rifle, you don’t have that problem.
Plus rifles are much safer. Some have the notion that a stray rifle bullet sails miles through space befor striking some innocent far away, Not true. In Virginia, if a bullet travels as far as a hundred yards, that’s unusual. Any piece brush or limb will slow and knock down a rifle profectile.
It is so seldom these days that givernement gets anything right, that to see this favorable ruling is uplifting. At the meeting, by the way, 7 spoke for approval and only one against. The vote was six in favor with one superviser absent.
The word in Louisa County now is that there are lots of used shotguns for sale, but used rifles are in short supply.
South River Regulation Proposals
The Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries will meet in Richmond on August 18, 2016 at 9 AM. This is a public meeting and they are scheduled to vote on proposed regulation amendments on both sections of the South River. Since the downtown Delayed Harvest section is currently in q catch-and-keep phase, South River Fly Shop says it will follow the VDGIF lead and wait until October for the privately funded stockings to resume. If the Board votes for the amendments and the regulations change to year round C&R downtown and Fly Fishing Only, 1 fish over 20″ on the Lyndhurst section (same as Mossy Creek), then we will look at changing our stocking schedule.
The shop also reports that the 2nd Annual South River Fly Fishing Expo will be held on April 22&23, 2017 in Constitution Park in Waynesboro. The first Expo kept a fly fishing event on the banks of the South River and raised money for stocking, habitat restoration funding and the local nonprofit that spearheaded the event, Destination Downtown Waynesboro. This event is 100% not-for-profit and focuses on fly-fishing opportunities in Waynesboro, the Shenandoah Valley and Virginia as a whole.
