This year’s annual duck survey released by U.S. Fish & Wildlife estimates the breeding duck population at 38.9 million, about a 6 percent decrease from last year’s count of 41.19 million. The overall count still remains 10 percent above the long-term average.

Kevin Kraai, waterfowl program leader for Texas Parks & Wildlife Department was reported as saying that the prognostications for waterfowl aren’t necessarily that great for Texas.

He said that very dry and very hot is a bad combination heading into the summer before the season, but it’s actually interesting in one way. When we have really dry years, records show better waterfowl harvests and success rates because with less water on the landscape the birds don’t have as many places to go.

The silver lining…if you hunt the bays of the Texas coast, during dry years, the areas tend to have a better season. The dry conditions should put ducks where the majority of Texas hunters are hunting.

SPECIES SURVEY     2019 2018
Mallard                     9.42 9.26
Gadwall                    3.26 2.89
American Wigeon      2.83 2.82
Green-Winged Teal    3.18 3.04
Blue-Winged Teal       5.43 6.45
Northern Pintail         2.27 2.37
Northern Shoveler     3.65 4.21
Redhead                   0.73 1.00
Canvasback              0.65 0.69
Scaup                      3.59 3.99
(Numbers in Millions)