| Patuxent Science Meeting 2006 Poster Abstract |
| | Comparing mallard population indexes in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley |
| | between January 1988-1990 and 2005-2006 |
| | Reinecke KJ, Pearse A, Kaminski R |
| | Since 1995, mallard populations have increased and harvest management has provided liberal |
| | hunting opportunities. New refuges have been acquired in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) |
| | and private landowners have increased habitat management. Overall perceptions about mallard |
| | populations should be positive. Nevertheless, controversy has increased regarding the |
| | abundance and distribution of mallards in the MAV. Perceptions are that mallard winter |
| | populations have decreased. We began addressing this issue by: (1) improving the design of a |
| | sample-based mallard winter survey; (2) completing surveys of the MAV to estimate mallard |
| | population indexes in January 2005 and 2006; and (3) comparing the January 2005-2006 |
| | indexes to estimates from similar surveys in the late 1980s. Mallard population indexes were |
| | 989,061 (SE = 72,316) during 3-25 January 2005 and 990,007 (97,271) during 2-20 January |
| | 2006, whereas the mean of indexes from 3 similar surveys in January 1988-1990 was |
| | 1,424,560. The mean of indexes from January 2005 and 2006 decreased 31% from the mean of |
| | the late 1980s, although mid-continent fall flight indexes of mallards in autumns 2004 and 2005 |
| | were greater ( 9.3-9.4 million) than those during autumns 1987-1989 ( 7.1-8.0 million). January |
| | 2005 and 2006 population indexes decreased in Louisiana (-35%), Mississippi (-73%), and |
| | Arkansas (-22%), but increased in Missouri (+168%). The percentages of mallards observed on |
| | private lands ranged from 81% in January 2006 to 93% in January 2005. We concluded: (1) |
| | January 2005-2006 mallard population indexes decreased compared to the late 1980s; (2) |
| | mallards were not concentrated on public lands and unavailable to hunters in January 2005- |
| | 2006; and (3) USGS scientists should work with state waterfowl biologists to continue the |
| | Friday, September 22, 2006 |