Ducks Unlimited proudly presents its 2023-24 Season in Review, a comprehensive analysis of waterfowling across the United States, focusing on a year marked by unique environmental challenges and conservation efforts.
The report offers a detailed overview of the environmental challenges and achievements encountered over the season, enriched by insights into specific phenomena such as El Niño and its implications for waterfowl habitats.
The 2023-24 waterfowl hunting season faced unparalleled challenges, marked by adverse weather conditions and ecological stresses. Despite an initial improvement in breeding conditions over 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (BPOP) revealed a troubling 7% decline in total duck populations across the Traditional Survey Area, indicating the most significant drop in nearly 15 years.
“Many factors combine to influence the abundance and distribution of waterfowl during the fall and winter,” said Dr. Steve Adair, Ducks Unlimited Chief Scientist. “Factors such as temperature, snow and ice cover, precipitation, habitat quality and quantity, and agricultural practices play critical roles.”
A strong El Niño arrived by mid-winter, bringing widespread record highs through December, record low snow cover, and an unexpected continuation of fall and winter drought in the central and southern U.S. In combination, these conditions delivered a virtual perfect storm for poor waterfowl hunting. The severity of the drought, particularly in the Prairie Pothole Region of the Northern United States and parts of the Western Boreal Forest, underscores the urgent need for habitat preservation and restoration efforts.
Considering these challenges, Ducks Unlimited emphasizes the critical importance of its conservation mission. By learning from this year’s difficulties, we can work towards reversing these trends to ensure a prosperous future for waterfowl populations. This report is a call to action for everyone to support conservation efforts aimed at rejuvenating critical habitats and filling the skies with waterfowl for generations to come.
For an in-depth exploration of the 2023-24 waterfowl season’s trials, triumphs, and insights, and to learn how you can contribute to the future well-being of our feathered friends, we invite you to read the full Season in Review report here.
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing wetlands, grasslands and other waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has restored or protected more than 16 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science, DU’s projects benefit waterfowl, wildlife and people in all 50 states. DU is growing its mission through a historic $3 billion Conservation For A Continent capital campaign. Learn more at www.ducks.org.
