Outlook could be good for duck hunters

It's been hot and dry in Utah this year. But that wasn't the case on the prairies in southern Alberta last spring, which is good news for Utah's duck hunters.

"Wetland conditions improved on the breeding grounds in southern Alberta last spring," said Tom Aldrich, migratory game bird coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. "And that means more ducks should be flying through Utah this fall."

Good rainfall in southern Alberta increased the number of ponds available to nesting ducks by 23 percent over 2006. And the number of ponds available last spring was 68 percent higher than the 50-year average.

"I think we'll see a good flight of ducks coming out of southern Alberta this fall," Aldrich added. "As a result, I think hunters can expect a good hunting season this year."

Utah's 107-day waterfowl hunting season begins Oct. 6.

This will be the first season that hunters 12 and younger can hunt waterfowl in the state.

To hunt waterfowl, hunters 12 years of age and younger must complete the state's hunter education course, buy a hunting or combination license and be accompanied by an adult while hunting.

One duck that has done especially well is the canvasbacks. In fact, canvasback numbers have reached an all-time high.

"This is truly amazing. Canvasbacks are nearly double their population objective," Aldrich said. "Because they're doing so well, we can allow hunters to take an extra bird this year."

Utah's seven-duck bag limit is identical to last season except for one major change — hunters can have two canvasbacks in their daily bag limit.

The conditions hunters will find at the state's waterfowl management areas will vary depending on where they hunt. At the areas where the DWR has good water rights, water conditions should be good within the diked units.

At the areas where the DWR's water rights aren't as good, conditions will be drier.

"Farmington Bay and Ogden Bay should have the best water conditions," he said. "Other WMAs that rely mostly on spring water, such as the Public Shooting Grounds and Salt Creek, will be drier. At Locomotive Springs, only one unit has water in it."

Conditions are also dry at the Clear Lake WMA northwest of Fillmore. Only the main units at the WMA will have water when the season opens.

Aldrich said the situation with Canada geese is similar to the duck situation. The number of breeding pairs in Utah, and the number of young they produced, were up slightly from 2006. But both numbers in Utah were down slightly from their 50-year average.