Mid-Winter Count Numbers - (Scaup Only)

[GobblerHntr]

I found this information on another site. These numbers are encouraging in light of the concerns in recent years on the Scaup populations and their breeding success.

Annual waterfowl counts along the US & CDN lower Great Lakes shore

Species
Unidentified Scaup

Year - Count
2002 - 105,656
2003 - 86,219
2004 - 107,603
2005 - 64,502
2006 - 87,378
2007 - 190,240
Long-term Average - 106,933

[HuntinCosta]

[img]graemlins/headbanger.gif[/img]

[luv2hunt]

Squatty, wasn't there a fairly large die-off in the upper midwest a few years ago due to some type of bacteria? If so, seems they made a good rebound, if there wasn't, then my bad trusting my memory!

[GobblerHntr]

Could have been. But these numbers could be scewed due to the mild winter weather we had in the region. The mid-winter counts are really just one piece of the puzzle. While it is incouraging it's not the only thing we need to base the future of the Scaup on.

[Tuffy]

Longer-Term Breeding Population numbers for Mid-Continent Scaup:

1955 5,620.1
1956 5,994.1
1957 5,766.9
1958 5,350.4
1959 7,037.6
1960 4,868.6
1961 5,380.0
1962 5,286.1
1963 5,438.4
1964 5,131.8
1965 4,640.0
1966 4,439.2
1967 4,927.7
1968 4,412.7
1969 5,139.8
1970 5,662.5
1971 5,143.3
1972 7,997.0
1973 6,257.4
1974 5,780.5
1975 6,460.0
1976 5,818.7
1977 6,260.2
1978 5,984.4
1979 7,657.9
1980 6,381.7
1981 5,990.9
1982 5,532.0
1983 7,173.8
1984 7,024.3
1985 5,098.0
1986 5,235.3
1987 4,862.7
1988 4,671.4
1989 4,342.1
1990 4,293.1
1991 5,254.9
1992 4,639.2
1993 4,080.1
1994 4,529.0
1995 4,446.4
1996 4,217.4
1997 4,112.3
1998 3,471.9
1999 4,411.7
2000 4,026.3
2001 3,694.0
2002 3,524.1
2003 3,734.4
2004 3,807.2
2005 3,386.9
2006 3,246.7

[BOGSTER]

As far as the long-term averages go, its not looking good.