With the days growing longer and the temperatures rising, waterfowlers across the country brace for the longest mile in their return to fall. And though the calendar might tell a different tale, the gulf between now and then can seem to grow wider with each extra hour of daylight, each mark the mercury climbs past. Ah, if only the science of cryogenics were further along.
Hope for breeding success in the Dakotas got a little brighter this past week. Recent rains across the prairie brought far eastern sections of North Dakota back to near normal conditions and moved central portions of the state from the moderate drought rating to abnormaly dry
Though not in place to help with this year\’s hatch, the Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP) brings new hope for upland breeding waterfowl species in the U.S. The GRP is a new conservation program in this years farm bill that will protect or restore up to two million acres of native grassland through easement contracts. In recent years, Grassland nesting birds have seen the sharpest population decline of all nesting birds in North America.
Last week the preliminary numbers came out for the 2001 National Fish and Wildlife Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation. In 2001, hunters spent over $20 million dollars, with the total for hunters and anglers topping out at around $55 million. Overall the number of hunters in the U.S. fell last year, with the greatest losses in the small game sector. Waterfowl hunter numbers remained steady.
The 31st marks the end of the light goose season across Canada, and it looks as though that won\’t cause too much of an upset. Snow geese appear to have made it back to the tundra. So until next fall the wind socks are stored, and the calls will hang silent.
