How many ducks were in the state when the waterfowl hunting season’s second split began Saturday in the Sportsman’s Paradise?

Larry Reynolds, the state’s waterfowl study biologist with the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, counted an estimated 1.94 million ducks during the aerial waterfowl population survey this Dec. 10-12.  The number is 36 percent lower than last December’s estimate of 3.02 million and 32 percent lower than the long-term December average of 2.84 million, Reynolds said in his report released Friday.

The good news for Teche Area duck hunters, most of whom hunt in southwest Louisiana, is that the duck population swelled considerably since the November survey. The numbers jumped from 247,000 to 886,000, the waterfowl biologist said.

In fact, he noted in the report, all species except for mottled ducks increased from November to December. 

This past week in this region there were 71,000 mallards, 180,000 gadwalls, 3,000   wigeons, 134,000 green-winged teal, 102,000 blue-winged teal, 101,000 shovelers and 95,000 pintails. Also, Reynolds and his staff counted an estimated 24,000 canvasbacks in southwest Louisiana and 106,000 canvasbacks in southeast Louisiana for a total of 220,000, which is the second-highest on record for the December survey behindthe 272,000 estimate in January 2015.

Canvasbacks, ring-necked ducks and scaup, all diving ducks, were well above their respective long-term December averages of 49,000, 198,000 and 76,000, respectively. However, all dabbling ducks except blue-wings and shovelers were far below their December long-term averages, particularly gadwalls, green-wings and pintails with December averages of 906,000, 480,000 and 344,000, respectively.

Dabbling ducks made up 70 percent of theesitmate in southwest Louisiana, and diving ducks were 76 percent of theestimate in southeast Louisiana.

The waterfowl study leader found thatater levels in the marsh were lower in November but remain high in non-tidal locations across southwest Louisiana.

While flying the transect lines along the coast, the crew saw concentrations of both snow and white-fronted geese southwest of Gueydan and north of Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge.