Columnist Paula DelGiudice: Hunters glad to see storm

Paula DelGiudice

Thursday, Nov. 1, 2001 | 11:04 a.m.

Paula DelGiudice's outdoors notebook appears weekly. Reach her at desertdenizens@aol.com.

As you read this, the impact of the largest storm of the season to hit the West Coast will be known. Meteorologists were predicting moisture from the coast through Utah, from Canada south to San Diego, with the Sierra of Nevada and California to be hit hardest.

Hunters have been waiting for this storm all fall. While it might be too late to offer much help to deer hunters, duck hunters are in luck. This ought to be just the storm to get birds moving and headed south.

What can hunters expect from this duck season? According to Ducks Unlimited, the western flights ought to be significantly reduced as a result of decreased waterfowl production on the prairies and in the western boreal forests of Alberta, Alaska, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.

The province of Alberta is a major waterfowl production area for the Pacific Flyway, as well as the Central and Mississippi flyways. After a warm, dry winter and early spring, severe drought gripped much of the province throughout the breeding season.

Across the prairie and parkland regions, total breeding duck numbers fell 28 percent to the lowest levels since the early 1990s, and pintails plummeted 65 percent to an all-time low of only 66,000 birds. All other duck species also posted double-digit declines, with redhead and canvasback numbers declining by roughly 50 percent.

DU Canada biologist Dr. Jonathon Thompson reports, "This spring was as dry as anybody remembers in the Alberta parklands, and waterfowl populations certainly reflected that. With little snowmelt runoff or spring rainfall, we had very few temporary and seasonal wetlands to attract and hold breeding pairs, especially early nesters such as mallards and pintails."

The news from the north isn't entirely bleak. DU says that in Alaska and the Yukon Territory, breeding duck numbers remained near record highs. The total duck population of 6.4 million birds included 1.4 million pintails -- a level 58 percent above average.

In a study supported in part by Ducks Unlimited, many hen pintails marked with satellite transmitters in California's Central Valley overflew the drought-ravaged western prairies and settled in the subarctic. However, some of the birds migrated east to the Dakotas and southeastern Saskatchewan, where breeding habitat conditions were excellent.

"Our migration research supports the long-held view that pintails are a species that will move to new areas to take advantage of better spring wetland conditions," said DU chief biologist Dr. Bruce Batt. "Despite the severe drought conditions in Alberta and western Saskatchewan, more pintails settled to breed in productive prairie habitats in 2001, so pintail production should have increased this year."

Goose production was variable across primary breeding areas in the north. However, most Pacific Flyway goose populations remain healthy overall, and fall flights of Canada geese, lesser snows, Ross' geese, white-fronted geese, and Pacific brant should be similar to last year.

Duck hunting is scheduled to begin at the management area on Saturday. The duck hunting season in all of Clark County, including Overton Wildlife Management Area, will run through Jan. 20.

NDOW is reminding hunters that canvasback ducks can be harvested only from Oct. 27 through Dec. 2. Only one canvasback duck may be harvested per day with a possession limit of two.

Jon Sjoberg, NDOW supervising biologist, said approximately 2,000 trout from Lake Mead Hatchery will be stocked in ponds at Lorenzi Park, Floyd Lamb State Park and Sunset Park. The first plants are contingent on water temperatures being cool enough to allow stocking to take place.

Plans call for NDOW to stock the ponds every two weeks until spring, when temperatures will be too warm to allow the fish to be planted. Plants will take place on Thursdays, except those weeks that have a state holiday, when plants will be held earlier in the week.

Anglers are reminded that all those ages 12 and older are required to have a Nevada fishing license and trout stamp when fishing in the ponds. Limits are three game fish per day and three in possession.

NDOW staff and volunteer fishing instructors will teach the basics of fishing including casting, bait and tackle selection, how to find fish and fish identification. Tackle and bait will be provided for those who do not have their own.

Wal-Mart will provide gifts for the first 50 children who are in attendance. Advance registration is required. To register for the clinic call NDOW's Las Vegas office at 486-5127, ext. 3504.