Upland Feathers doesn’t usually comment on the activities of waterfowl. We like to think of waterfowl as migrating birds and when we think migrating birds we think woodcock, which was a waterfowl a long time ago but some how evolved into an upland bird—long story. And when I tried to work in quip about “birds of a feather, flock together” I thought it too much of a stretch. We didn’t want readers groaning at their computer screens. So on to the good news for duck hunters. The annual Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey was just released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and duck numbers have increased. Canada’s duck breeding grounds indicate populations have spiked. The total-duck breeding population climbed here are the stats:

• Mallards up 10% to about 8 million
• Gadwall increased 19% to 3.4 million
• Wigeon jumped 29% to 2.8 million
• Green-winged teal rose 13% to 2.9 million
• Blue-winged teal were up 14% at 6.7 million
• Shovelers rose 24% to 4.5 million
• Redheads climbed 10% to 1 million
• Scaup bounced 6% to 3.5 million
• Canvasbacks soared 25% to 865,000

The only bad news in the survey was pintail numbers, which dipped to 3.3 million in spite of a 111% increase. Here’s proof our wildlife management system is working. Results can’t be measured in a season or two but over decades of perseverance and dedication. Give your state waterfowl biologist a slap on the back.